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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
the_novel_approach's review
5.0
~ 4.5 Stars ~
I love a good sci-fi and high fantasy combination. It’s not an easy win for me, though. The world building has to be just right,with the fantasy and technology intertwined clearly enough for me to keep up with what is happening and not get lost. The plot still must be complex enough to keep me interested. Skythane, the first book in The Oberon Cycle, did just that. I couldn’t wait to catch up with Xander and Jameson and see what was in store from them in this second book of the series.
A lot happens in this book, and though I want to gush about all the cool little details and my feelings on certain things, I can’t. Or, more accurately, I won’t. I won’t be going into detail about what happens or specific plot points because part of the enjoyment of it all for me was figuring it out along the way, so in this review, I am going to try to avoid any real information about the plot.
Book one ended happily, but for me it was definitely an HFN. I am glad Lander picks up immediately where Skythane left off. Seriously, it starts immediately where the first ends. No time has passed so it is just a continuance of the prior book, and Xander and Jameson now are dealing with the aftermath of the shift. So, though I don’t doubt someone would appreciate this story on its own, I really, truly recommend it not be read until you go and pick up Skythane first; that way you can truly get the full force of the wonderful world created here.
A lot is still unresolved from the first installment and more issues start arising: OberCorp is far from beaten, both Jameson’s and Xander’s pasts don’t stay there, they learn of multiple betrayals, and there is an environmental impact from the forced unification—with unexpected and major consequences. This creates more than enough obstacles for an action-packed plot and kept the story interesting as Jameson and Xander try to navigate their new statuses now that they have fulfilled what they believed to be the prophesy.
It is definitely not easy for either of them, or those who join them, on their journey as they search for a way to save the planet, now called Erro, and the people. Nothing is as it seems, and there are only more pieces of the puzzle waiting to be uncovered.
Now, I’ll be honest—though there is character and relationship development as well as plenty of tension, it is secondary to the plot. Both Jameson and Xander are often separated during this second installment. Additionally, the intimate scenes are more alluded to, so don’t expect any hot and heavy passages. Jameson and Xander are only one piece of a much larger scheme and are not the only heroes in this tale. And it seems like their connection may be more than even they understand.
I adore that this story is told from multiple perspectives and different genders, as it allowed me to get the full imagery of what was happening, sometimes even before Xander and Jameson were aware, creating an additional tension as to how everything that I knew up to that point would unfold. There are some great viewpoints that keep the narrative exciting, allowing me to have respect for characters I otherwise may not have, or understand their thought processes to be able to empathize with them more, or, heck, sometimes just plain cheer them on for being pretty kick-a**. So basically, what I am trying to say is that though there is a romantic subplot, it’s not the focus, and to be honest, I had zero issue with this because what a great and multifaceted plot it is!
One of the things I enjoyed most is following Jameson’s growth. In Lander its clear he has become much more honest with himself and those around him. His confidence was a joy to read. It was fascinating to follow how he is coping with what he thought he knew from his conservative upbringing, to what he now knows. He has matured so much and is more secure with who he is and what he wants. He is more self-aware and honest in both his mind and how he communicates with others, as well as how he deals with difficult situations. I truly loved reading from his perspective.
Though there is resolution to some of the obstacles Jameson and Xander have faced, their adventure is far from over, and Lander does a wonderful job of laying the foundation for the next book, in which they will face a much larger and scarier threat.
I do have to admit when I first started reading Lander, it took me a little while to catch up on everything while trying to remember all the different names and subplots from book one. It is a complex enough plot and it had been months since I read the last book, along with reading a lot of books in between, so it was taking me longer than I usually prefer to remember everything. In the end, I decided to go back and read the last three chapters of Skythane to remind me of what happened and where it all left off. After I did that, it started coming back to me and was easily followed.
If you are like me and love sci-fi and fantasy, and are looking for a book that has a great balance of each, then I would recommend this series in a heartbeat. It has a fantastic combination of both, kept me glued to the page, and has me wanting more.
Reviewed by Lindsey for The Novel Approach
I love a good sci-fi and high fantasy combination. It’s not an easy win for me, though. The world building has to be just right,with the fantasy and technology intertwined clearly enough for me to keep up with what is happening and not get lost. The plot still must be complex enough to keep me interested. Skythane, the first book in The Oberon Cycle, did just that. I couldn’t wait to catch up with Xander and Jameson and see what was in store from them in this second book of the series.
A lot happens in this book, and though I want to gush about all the cool little details and my feelings on certain things, I can’t. Or, more accurately, I won’t. I won’t be going into detail about what happens or specific plot points because part of the enjoyment of it all for me was figuring it out along the way, so in this review, I am going to try to avoid any real information about the plot.
Book one ended happily, but for me it was definitely an HFN. I am glad Lander picks up immediately where Skythane left off. Seriously, it starts immediately where the first ends. No time has passed so it is just a continuance of the prior book, and Xander and Jameson now are dealing with the aftermath of the shift. So, though I don’t doubt someone would appreciate this story on its own, I really, truly recommend it not be read until you go and pick up Skythane first; that way you can truly get the full force of the wonderful world created here.
A lot is still unresolved from the first installment and more issues start arising: OberCorp is far from beaten, both Jameson’s and Xander’s pasts don’t stay there, they learn of multiple betrayals, and there is an environmental impact from the forced unification—with unexpected and major consequences. This creates more than enough obstacles for an action-packed plot and kept the story interesting as Jameson and Xander try to navigate their new statuses now that they have fulfilled what they believed to be the prophesy.
It is definitely not easy for either of them, or those who join them, on their journey as they search for a way to save the planet, now called Erro, and the people. Nothing is as it seems, and there are only more pieces of the puzzle waiting to be uncovered.
Now, I’ll be honest—though there is character and relationship development as well as plenty of tension, it is secondary to the plot. Both Jameson and Xander are often separated during this second installment. Additionally, the intimate scenes are more alluded to, so don’t expect any hot and heavy passages. Jameson and Xander are only one piece of a much larger scheme and are not the only heroes in this tale. And it seems like their connection may be more than even they understand.
I adore that this story is told from multiple perspectives and different genders, as it allowed me to get the full imagery of what was happening, sometimes even before Xander and Jameson were aware, creating an additional tension as to how everything that I knew up to that point would unfold. There are some great viewpoints that keep the narrative exciting, allowing me to have respect for characters I otherwise may not have, or understand their thought processes to be able to empathize with them more, or, heck, sometimes just plain cheer them on for being pretty kick-a**. So basically, what I am trying to say is that though there is a romantic subplot, it’s not the focus, and to be honest, I had zero issue with this because what a great and multifaceted plot it is!
One of the things I enjoyed most is following Jameson’s growth. In Lander its clear he has become much more honest with himself and those around him. His confidence was a joy to read. It was fascinating to follow how he is coping with what he thought he knew from his conservative upbringing, to what he now knows. He has matured so much and is more secure with who he is and what he wants. He is more self-aware and honest in both his mind and how he communicates with others, as well as how he deals with difficult situations. I truly loved reading from his perspective.
Though there is resolution to some of the obstacles Jameson and Xander have faced, their adventure is far from over, and Lander does a wonderful job of laying the foundation for the next book, in which they will face a much larger and scarier threat.
I do have to admit when I first started reading Lander, it took me a little while to catch up on everything while trying to remember all the different names and subplots from book one. It is a complex enough plot and it had been months since I read the last book, along with reading a lot of books in between, so it was taking me longer than I usually prefer to remember everything. In the end, I decided to go back and read the last three chapters of Skythane to remind me of what happened and where it all left off. After I did that, it started coming back to me and was easily followed.
If you are like me and love sci-fi and fantasy, and are looking for a book that has a great balance of each, then I would recommend this series in a heartbeat. It has a fantastic combination of both, kept me glued to the page, and has me wanting more.
Reviewed by Lindsey for The Novel Approach