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jackmedia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
timinbc's review against another edition
4.0
Darn. Another big book that doesn't tell you IT ISN'T GOING TO WRAP THINGS UP until the next book. OK, it does a decent job of coming to the novel equivalent of a large semi-colon. I wish there was a way to find out whether a book's a standalone without risking big spoilers.
There's a lot of five-star in this book, but also quite a bit of three-star.
Surprisingly few reviewers have noted how interesting the exploration of the Tines concept is. I smiled every time I read "One of X came closer" or "X sent one of himself to look." I liked the way different Tines had very different personalities, and the various ways they might change or be changed.
There are far too many
I also liked the way many of the characters were just bumbling along doing their best, doubting themselves, and occasionally blustering and blundering. Far too many SF novels have Heinleinesque super-competents ("Mary Sues"), and this is refreshing. Flenser's good, Mr. Radio is great, Screwfloss adds a nice touch of "hmm, what next?"
There are too many cases of "OK, let's take the plot over HERE now," and not enough where the next plot thing is a logical consequence but not obvious until pointed out.
Nevil was partly a good idea
Like most SF books, this one relies heavily on characters taking a very long time to get from A to B so that some things can happen on the way. Vinge is careful to provide a few logistical details to make it believable, but Not that almost every writer isn't doing that, and it's probably OK; if the details are provided, it's boring and some of the long treks might be revealed as actually being infeasible and then we don't have a plot!
Agree with others that the circus scene was ludicrous, but it did move the characters from situation J to situation K, and I am not sure how else that could have been done.
Didn't care much for the big final scene that brings everyone on stage at once. Far too much gotta-wrap-this-up implausible actions and decisions and results. Can't blame Vinge, really, because any plot this complex is going to be hard to bring to a (temporary) conclusion.
Some faults, but still a darn good read.
There's a lot of five-star in this book, but also quite a bit of three-star.
Surprisingly few reviewers have noted how interesting the exploration of the Tines concept is. I smiled every time I read "One of X came closer" or "X sent one of himself to look." I liked the way different Tines had very different personalities, and the various ways they might change or be changed.
There are far too many
Spoiler
X is dead! .... Oh wait, no, X is OK after all!I also liked the way many of the characters were just bumbling along doing their best, doubting themselves, and occasionally blustering and blundering. Far too many SF novels have Heinleinesque super-competents ("Mary Sues"), and this is refreshing. Flenser's good, Mr. Radio is great, Screwfloss adds a nice touch of "hmm, what next?"
There are too many cases of "OK, let's take the plot over HERE now," and not enough where the next plot thing is a logical consequence but not obvious until pointed out.
Nevil was partly a good idea
Spoiler
until he turned into Draco Malfoy. I kept waiting for him to actually say "Nyah-hah-hah!" This book's too good for him.Like most SF books, this one relies heavily on characters taking a very long time to get from A to B so that some things can happen on the way. Vinge is careful to provide a few logistical details to make it believable, but
Spoiler
I am surprised that none of the characters developed scurvy or rickets or something from many tendays of a very limited diet and what could not have been very much water.Agree with others that the circus scene was ludicrous, but it did move the characters from situation J to situation K, and I am not sure how else that could have been done.
Didn't care much for the big final scene that brings everyone on stage at once. Far too much gotta-wrap-this-up implausible actions and decisions and results. Can't blame Vinge, really, because any plot this complex is going to be hard to bring to a (temporary) conclusion.
Some faults, but still a darn good read.
krystaldelusion's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Violence
Moderate: Torture, Kidnapping, and Xenophobia
Minor: Colonisation and Injury/Injury detail
mcr314's review against another edition
4.0
It has been so long since I read the first one, that I'd forgot some of the intricacies of the characters. The motion of the book is uneven, but I enjoyed it.
Clearly there is something yet to come with the movement of the zones.
Clearly there is something yet to come with the movement of the zones.
olityr's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall it was somewhat disappointing.
This didn't have the great ideas about the nature of consciousness that the first book had, nor the awesome look at a first contact that the second book had.
It also seems like there was meant to be a sequel, but the author's dead now so I guess that's not happening. 🙁
This didn't have the great ideas about the nature of consciousness that the first book had, nor the awesome look at a first contact that the second book had.
It also seems like there was meant to be a sequel, but the author's dead now so I guess that's not happening. 🙁
burruss's review against another edition
2.0
I was one of the numerous people who was looking forward to this book yet like so many others I found that, while it's enjoyable, it falls far short of the mark of its predecessors. A sequel to A Fire Upon the Deep, it's far more thematically similar to A Deepness in the Sky.
There are two big drawbacks to this book. One is the glacial pace (I easily skimmed at least a hundred pages in the middle of the novel with no loss). Antagonists who are so obviously evil that they should've been dispatched earlier somehow hang onto power through twists that seem little more than the author stringing things along. This book could have easily been shorter by at least a third and perhaps should have been.
The second drawback is that the book is clearly intended to be the first of at least two sequels but this fact is not revealed until it's clear to the reader that the major story lines -- at least the story lines that the reader cares most about -- will not be resolved by the book's conclusion. I have nothing against multi-part sequels but I do like to know going into a story whether I can expect it's end in that book or the next one. Add in a couple truly evil characters whose motivations remain unclear and basically at the level evil-for-the-sake-of-evil, and you have a product that pales by comparison with Vinge's recent award-winning novels.
A number of other reviewers are criticizing those who criticize the book, claiming that people are criticizing it for not being a different book, i.e. one at least partly set in space. I don't feel I fit into this character as I was looking forward to revisiting many of the Tines characters such as Woodcarver and Pilgrim. In fact, the parts with the Tines were the best parts of the book. It was the parts dealing with the humans (which was most of the book) that fell flat, again, mostly due to the glacial pacing.
This is a book I'd recommend people read but perhaps check a copy out of the library instead of buy one.
There are two big drawbacks to this book. One is the glacial pace (I easily skimmed at least a hundred pages in the middle of the novel with no loss). Antagonists who are so obviously evil that they should've been dispatched earlier somehow hang onto power through twists that seem little more than the author stringing things along. This book could have easily been shorter by at least a third and perhaps should have been.
The second drawback is that the book is clearly intended to be the first of at least two sequels but this fact is not revealed until it's clear to the reader that the major story lines -- at least the story lines that the reader cares most about -- will not be resolved by the book's conclusion. I have nothing against multi-part sequels but I do like to know going into a story whether I can expect it's end in that book or the next one. Add in a couple truly evil characters whose motivations remain unclear and basically at the level evil-for-the-sake-of-evil, and you have a product that pales by comparison with Vinge's recent award-winning novels.
A number of other reviewers are criticizing those who criticize the book, claiming that people are criticizing it for not being a different book, i.e. one at least partly set in space. I don't feel I fit into this character as I was looking forward to revisiting many of the Tines characters such as Woodcarver and Pilgrim. In fact, the parts with the Tines were the best parts of the book. It was the parts dealing with the humans (which was most of the book) that fell flat, again, mostly due to the glacial pacing.
This is a book I'd recommend people read but perhaps check a copy out of the library instead of buy one.
spitzig's review against another edition
3.0
I guess I'll describe the "sequel situation" first. There are 2 previous books in the universe. A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky. One is not a sequel to the other. THIS book is a sequel to the first book.
I LOVED the first 2 books, especially the first. The SF ideas were mind-blowing. This book expanded on the ideas of the first book. My mind was not blown, though.
The characters were well done.
The plot dragged, and not not enough happened.
I LOVED the first 2 books, especially the first. The SF ideas were mind-blowing. This book expanded on the ideas of the first book. My mind was not blown, though.
The characters were well done.
The plot dragged, and not not enough happened.
b_m_thompson's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
palaris's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Vernor is one of my favorite Authors. Love this series, The Children of the Sky is a great sequel. A slow burn definitely, and sometimes things were a little confusing. But I think it all wrapped up nicely. Looking forward to the next book!
jonathanpalfrey's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, although I got something out of this book, it's a relatively disappointing book from a great author, and so far I've read it once only.
Good points: it's all about the world of the Tines, it's an exciting story, and it has a happy enough ending.
Bad points: there's quite a lot of unpleasantness all through it, and not a lot really happens from a broad perspective: some individuals suffer, some die, and the political situation changes, but the other parameters of the situation remain much the same at the end as at the beginning. Which is unusual for sf in general, and for a Vernor Vinge story in particular.
From my previous experience of them, I really liked the Tines, and I was keen to read more about them, so this partly satisfied that desire; but it's not the kind of story I wanted to read. And I'm not keen on the human story here either.
Sometimes even my favourite authors seem to have no idea of what it is that I really want to read. Tut. I'm tempted to give it only two stars, but I think I should read it again before deciding.
Good points: it's all about the world of the Tines, it's an exciting story, and it has a happy enough ending.
Bad points: there's quite a lot of unpleasantness all through it, and not a lot really happens from a broad perspective: some individuals suffer, some die, and the political situation changes, but the other parameters of the situation remain much the same at the end as at the beginning. Which is unusual for sf in general, and for a Vernor Vinge story in particular.
From my previous experience of them, I really liked the Tines, and I was keen to read more about them, so this partly satisfied that desire; but it's not the kind of story I wanted to read. And I'm not keen on the human story here either.
Sometimes even my favourite authors seem to have no idea of what it is that I really want to read. Tut. I'm tempted to give it only two stars, but I think I should read it again before deciding.