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tempse's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Before I read this book, I thought that my time working with the Large Hadron Collider was often stressful, chaotic, and confusing. But at least, unlike our Doughnut-craving protagonist Theo, I did not blow up the machine plus surrounding mountain and trigger a chain of unforeseeable events. Phew!
An utterly absurd yet very entertaining story!
An utterly absurd yet very entertaining story!
davidscrimshaw's review against another edition
4.0
Alternate universe sci-fi that doesn't take itself too seriously and makes for an easy read.
katescholastica's review against another edition
3.0
I’m not adding anything another review doesn’t say, but this book is funny and quirky enough not to put down, and not in a good way. More in the last-picked-for-a-baseball-team way, where it’s not BAD per say, but not the one you’d want batting off for your team. I never reached a point of complete frustration, so I kept reading and made it to the end. But I will say I appreciated the creativity in worldbuilding the different universes mentioned in the books!!
estherkelly's review
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
nashwa017's review against another edition
2.0
Aaahhh, I love Tom Holt and I really wanted to like this book :( Honestly, it gave me a really really hard time and took more than a couple of weeks to finish it.
I think I’m partially responsible for not enjoying this book because I opted for the audio and the random incidents in the scenes were harder to connect. Anyhow, I’m glad this is over. It took a delayed flight to finish this book since I wasn’t interested in carrying on. In some ways, I enjoyed the dry humour. I just feel books of this genre should not exceed 250 pages!
I think I’m partially responsible for not enjoying this book because I opted for the audio and the random incidents in the scenes were harder to connect. Anyhow, I’m glad this is over. It took a delayed flight to finish this book since I wasn’t interested in carrying on. In some ways, I enjoyed the dry humour. I just feel books of this genre should not exceed 250 pages!
assaphmehr's review against another edition
4.0
After reading 'The Outsorcerer's Apprentice' I found out it was book 3 of the series, so went back to read from the start.
What to Expect
Expect a light-hearted portal-fantasy book, where advanced math and physics are used pretty much as magic. Besides giving your physicist friends a headache, Holt uses this as a way to consider some of the implications of navigable multiverse theory - all the fun, without the math.
What I liked
I like Holt's tone, with irreverent jokes, pop-culture references, and quick humour. Between the subtle humour and just enough deep ideas to be entertaining without detracting from the fun, he strikes a great balance.
What to be aware of
While the protagonist is a generally likeable fellow, he does try to avoid action and the book can drag a bit. It's light-hearted, not action-packed.
There is only loose connections between the books, so you don't have to read them in order.
Felix's Review
Coming from a world with magic, Felix just accepted that bottles and doughnuts could form trans-dimensional portals instead of the usual chanting and blood sacrifices. It's the wimpyness of the protagonist he had issues with.
Summary
Enjoyable, quick fantasy read, to pass the time when you don't want anything too serious or heavy.
Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow? Glad you asked! He's the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome.
[a:Assaph Mehr|14422472|Assaph Mehr|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1596954987p2/14422472.jpg], author of [b:Murder In Absentia|29500700|Murder In Absentia (Felix the Fox, #1)|Assaph Mehr|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457914061l/29500700._SY75_.jpg|46845657]: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
What to Expect
Expect a light-hearted portal-fantasy book, where advanced math and physics are used pretty much as magic. Besides giving your physicist friends a headache, Holt uses this as a way to consider some of the implications of navigable multiverse theory - all the fun, without the math.
What I liked
I like Holt's tone, with irreverent jokes, pop-culture references, and quick humour. Between the subtle humour and just enough deep ideas to be entertaining without detracting from the fun, he strikes a great balance.
What to be aware of
While the protagonist is a generally likeable fellow, he does try to avoid action and the book can drag a bit. It's light-hearted, not action-packed.
There is only loose connections between the books, so you don't have to read them in order.
Felix's Review
Coming from a world with magic, Felix just accepted that bottles and doughnuts could form trans-dimensional portals instead of the usual chanting and blood sacrifices. It's the wimpyness of the protagonist he had issues with.
Summary
Enjoyable, quick fantasy read, to pass the time when you don't want anything too serious or heavy.
Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow? Glad you asked! He's the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome.
[a:Assaph Mehr|14422472|Assaph Mehr|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1596954987p2/14422472.jpg], author of [b:Murder In Absentia|29500700|Murder In Absentia (Felix the Fox, #1)|Assaph Mehr|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457914061l/29500700._SY75_.jpg|46845657]: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
teanahk's review against another edition
3.0
This book was just ok.
There are some mildly entertaining bits as Theo bounces through alternate realities more frequently than many people change their socks, but nothing really exciting here.
There are some mildly entertaining bits as Theo bounces through alternate realities more frequently than many people change their socks, but nothing really exciting here.
araleith's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this book, but it was too chaotic and confusing for me to really enjoy it.
adunnells's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
karak's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this funny, smart sci-fi book. I tried out Tom Holt last year and didn't enjoy it, but this book brought it for me.