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annekap's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
I love the way Tchaikovsky’s mind works. The interludes were particularly clever and thought-provoking. Overall just a bit too long & drawn out and I never fully connected with the characters. I wanted it to be another Children of Time and it didn’t quite hit.
sayitagainjen's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kaamezcua2's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-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? No
4.0
hay_shock's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Really interesting ideas, presented in a fun way.
Story telling - I didn't enjoy the frequency of the breaks from the main story line earlier on. They became more interesting, once I had a better understanding of the story that was happening. I also felt the breaks were too often timed with some dramatic reveal, and I don't enjoy gaps after a revelation. I did like the idea of those chapters though. Otherwise, enough mystery & action to keep the story interesting. I think some parts could have been cut down though.
Characters - There were a lot of characters which I enjoyed, however it did mean some of them didn't feel fleshed out. I appreciated the different types of characters, it was a motley cast- where we had evil, good and a few instances of in the middle.
World Building - Is the best part. Really interesting to find other universes & other intelligent life-forms. I like the concept, I think the general story behind it, could have been a little more interesting - Rove's part of the story specifically wasn't exactly interesting, it just added a little drama, without really adding to the overall story much.
Story telling - I didn't enjoy the frequency of the breaks from the main story line earlier on. They became more interesting, once I had a better understanding of the story that was happening. I also felt the breaks were too often timed with some dramatic reveal, and I don't enjoy gaps after a revelation. I did like the idea of those chapters though. Otherwise, enough mystery & action to keep the story interesting. I think some parts could have been cut down though.
Characters - There were a lot of characters which I enjoyed, however it did mean some of them didn't feel fleshed out. I appreciated the different types of characters, it was a motley cast- where we had evil, good and a few instances of in the middle.
World Building - Is the best part. Really interesting to find other universes & other intelligent life-forms. I like the concept, I think the general story behind it, could have been a little more interesting - Rove's part of the story specifically wasn't exactly interesting, it just added a little drama, without really adding to the overall story much.
ink_and_fury's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
quoc's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
edriessen's review against another edition
4.0
In a story that blends elements of Fantastic Beasts, The Matrix and Dark Matter, Tchaikovsky invokes memories of the scifi of old: stories that discuss pressing human topics. Readable and wild.
azzurro22's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
sweekune's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
⭐ 3.25/5 ⭐
Audiobook narrated by Sophie Aldred.
My first dive into Tchaikovsky's work. A girl falls through a crack between parallel worlds on Bodmin more. Neanderthals appear in London. The universe is under strain, cracking, and all these parallels have to work together to stop it collapsing
- The premise of this story was awesome and I appreciate the idea. At times it because a little boring or just too weaving and I found myself zoning out but overall it was enjoyable.
- I really enjoyed the interludes between the plot chapters where the reader is treated to the history of lots of different parallel earth's and their sentient species. I'm a sucker for prehistoric life and speculative evolution and this very much appealed to that side of me.
- The characters sometimes felt a little flat. There were a lot of them and I think that prevented some of them being fleshed out properly.
Enjoyable but not stunning sci-fi. Would recommend for those who enjoy speculative evolution, parallel worlds and portal sci-fi.
Audiobook narrated by Sophie Aldred.
My first dive into Tchaikovsky's work. A girl falls through a crack between parallel worlds on Bodmin more. Neanderthals appear in London. The universe is under strain, cracking, and all these parallels have to work together to stop it collapsing
- The premise of this story was awesome and I appreciate the idea. At times it because a little boring or just too weaving and I found myself zoning out but overall it was enjoyable.
- I really enjoyed the interludes between the plot chapters where the reader is treated to the history of lots of different parallel earth's and their sentient species. I'm a sucker for prehistoric life and speculative evolution and this very much appealed to that side of me.
- The characters sometimes felt a little flat. There were a lot of them and I think that prevented some of them being fleshed out properly.
Enjoyable but not stunning sci-fi. Would recommend for those who enjoy speculative evolution, parallel worlds and portal sci-fi.
kymzii's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is the sort of book that basically ticks all my boxes. It is a grand sci-fi, but firmly routed in contemporary life on Earth. It is quasi-fantasy: in that a lot of the technology is so advanced that it is basically magic. The other creatures/characters are like living spaceships based on trilobites, or little furry rat men - Basically things that Jim Henderson would have a field day creating. And there is a plot with many different converging story lines that cross genres, from romance to spy.
Saying that, there is quite a bit that didn't quite hit with this book (as you'd imagine over such a complex book that spans 600pages). Some of the prose was a little overwrought, a lot of the characters felt flat and there were some dodgy plot decisions (like why bring the villain along?) that didn't seem to make sense.
Saying that, there is quite a bit that didn't quite hit with this book (as you'd imagine over such a complex book that spans 600pages). Some of the prose was a little overwrought, a lot of the characters felt flat and there were some dodgy plot decisions (like why bring the villain along?) that didn't seem to make sense.