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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
How to explain? How to describe? Even the omniscient viewpoint quails.
It took me almost a quarter to a third of the book to get into it. The beginning felt slow and confusing, but the plot picked up steam and the foreign terminology started to make sense.
Really enjoyed the premise and complexity but couldn’t get into it. I wanted to know more about the Blight and the evil but that felt kind of glossed over and I wasn’t very invested in the other characters. Incredible world building and concepts. 3.5ish
3.5. Fascinating beginning, as it unspools this thoroughly lived in universe and lays the stakes of the plot, but man. Things dragged from there. Vinge created some fun stuff, the multi bodied entities, the sentient plants, but the plot overall felt underbaked and unsatisfying.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I sure do love a group intelligence. You can see how this influenced a lot of later writers, I think. Some cool ideas I didn’t fully engage with (because I was reading too many books at the same time) but I will certainly ponder this one for a while.
Couldn’t get over the use of the word booby
Having graduated and not being stressed about classes has finally given me the opportunity to finish this book. I enjoyed Jefri's perspective the most, although every chapter with the Tines was exciting. For me, the Blight took a slight backseat as the main plot as I became more interested in the evolution of the Tines. I wasn't a huge fan of the other humans as they almost seemed bland in comparison. The Riders and the Tines are completely unique aliens that were build masterfully. I loved how Vernor Vinge gave their species a depth that made them fascinating to read about. The concept of the Zones of Thought was interesting and well-established. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone willing to invest in some hard sci-fi that features completely unique perspectives, fascinating biology, and action galore.
Op veel fronten indrukwekkend boek, meerdere keren gelezen. Pakkend op alle niveau’s, hoe het hele universum is vormgegeven tot de knappe en gedetailleerde wereld waarin hondachtige wezens heersen waarbij het bewustzijn verdeeld is over de leden van een roedel. Normaal geen fan van dit soort alomvattende space opera’s, maar Vinge levert. Eigenlijk net als al zijn ander werk.
adventurous
medium-paced