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meta_grrrl's review
4.0
It’s long because of w lot of winding build up. It’s kind of like reading 4 novellas that intertwine to make a book. Lots of great characters, sometimes with great stories and some that end oddly. The world building is really good. I enjoyed it but found some bits unsatisfying.
novabird's review
4.0
Almost a 4 - Larsen has a convincing voice surrounding motivation and emotional states etc. His imagery was strong. Needs to step up the 'action' in his works.
bulutreadsbooks's review
3.0
Just so many unanswered questions... Why the hell did he get a text message from his dad from the past? What was that all about? What happened to Radar's dad that makes Otik so sure that he is not coming back? What was so significant about Raksmey? Man, i am utterly frustrated with the ending after looking forward to finishing the book very much...
dyant's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
a_r_e_l_i_c's review against another edition
3.0
15 burnt Cocoa Krispies
17 rotten meat that had been heavily grilled and then doused with an astringent lemon-scented cleaner
18 lemon vinaigrette & truck fumes
22 like molding carrots {the doctor’s aftershave}
27 mothballed scent
28 wool-scented memory
37 faint tendrils of mildew trapped within its spine
40 intense velveteen wash of lily of the valley
59 hooked barb of musk {the doctor’s aftershave}
62 elliptical aroma of ink & cheap lilac perfume
63 buttery, sterile aroma of processed paper & glue
79 oily, metallic parts & cinnamon
83 wet moss
89 baking cedar planks
93 old leather jacket & hairspray & ancient peat moss
99 symphony of waxen musk
110 oily fur & animal flesh
126 wax & wet burlap & slightly rotten leather, sometimes citrus
128 wilted smell of urine
129 stench of burnt wires
202 rancid stink of alcohol & dried meat
206 dried sweat & blood sausage
297 whiff of lemony lilac
318 smell of cordite
391 of blood
403 like the bilge of a ship
410 cooking rubber
414 sweet fragrance of opium
423 decaying, earthen odor
458 spilled gasoline
624 charcoal & meat cooking
17 rotten meat that had been heavily grilled and then doused with an astringent lemon-scented cleaner
18 lemon vinaigrette & truck fumes
22 like molding carrots {the doctor’s aftershave}
27 mothballed scent
28 wool-scented memory
37 faint tendrils of mildew trapped within its spine
40 intense velveteen wash of lily of the valley
59 hooked barb of musk {the doctor’s aftershave}
62 elliptical aroma of ink & cheap lilac perfume
63 buttery, sterile aroma of processed paper & glue
79 oily, metallic parts & cinnamon
83 wet moss
89 baking cedar planks
93 old leather jacket & hairspray & ancient peat moss
99 symphony of waxen musk
110 oily fur & animal flesh
126 wax & wet burlap & slightly rotten leather, sometimes citrus
128 wilted smell of urine
129 stench of burnt wires
202 rancid stink of alcohol & dried meat
206 dried sweat & blood sausage
297 whiff of lemony lilac
318 smell of cordite
391 of blood
403 like the bilge of a ship
410 cooking rubber
414 sweet fragrance of opium
423 decaying, earthen odor
458 spilled gasoline
624 charcoal & meat cooking
meowzik's review against another edition
3.0
I struggled with this book - not that it was badly written or anything, it just really wasn't my cup of tea. It took me a while to slog through it, and I did think it was interesting - but I probably wouldn't pick it up again.
shottsea's review against another edition
2.0
This was a very dense, convoluted sci fi with little pay off. It had me Googling historical events to separate fact from fiction, translating foreign languages to see what I was missing in dialogue, and desperately trying to stick it out to see how all the disparate timelines and plot lines resolved and tied up, only to discover at the end that the myriad mysterious elements of the novel never do get neatly tied up. The novel left me frustrated, exhausted, and unsatisfied.
brostoevsky's review
5.0
At first I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The description on the book sounded like the plot was a good idea that hadn't been fleshed out enough. I was prepared for the book to be bland.
I am so glad my impression was wrong.
Reif Larsen is a master at arranging words into paragraphs that compel the story forward while adding in sentences that are subtly profound. Although the storyline went back and forth a bit between different characters and decades, it is not confusing at all. I am already looking forward to rereading this book.
I am so glad my impression was wrong.
Reif Larsen is a master at arranging words into paragraphs that compel the story forward while adding in sentences that are subtly profound. Although the storyline went back and forth a bit between different characters and decades, it is not confusing at all. I am already looking forward to rereading this book.
heartofoak1's review
4.0
wow. quantum physics, philosophy, human nature, familial bonds, adventure, history, genocide, racial identity, war, love, death, puppets. there was a lot of stuff going on in this one. i didn't like the cliff hanger ending.