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corymojojojo's review against another edition
5.0
Another Varley book for the win. Bit of a slow start, but I could not put the book down during the last third. This is just a great, fantastical adventure series that is so weird and so good. I had no idea where this one was going but was very satisfied by the end, and it’s left me wanting to jump in immediately to the final book of the trilogy. Same great characters as the first (who have come a long way since the first book) and some intriguing new characters as well. While I didn’t necessarily like every decision with certain characters, overall I felt their motivations and feelings were well communicated. It must be emphasized that this is a WEIRD book (must I mention the complex chart in the appendix depicting the 29 different ways the alien centaurs can have sex?) but that’s part of what makes it so awesome!
sacredblues's review against another edition
3.0
The first book in the Gaea trilogy was Titan, a story about the captain of a NASA team being thrust into the world of a satellite-sized alien with her own ecosystem. How would the second book, Wizard, top this?
By being the story of a woman suffering from a patriarchal religious colony who suffers from debilitating seizures and a mild-mannered man who has dissociative personality disorder -- turning him into a crass brute -- and their quest to prove themselves as heroes, thus earning them the favor of Gaea and having her heal them.
John Varley's imagination once again knows no bounds as he takes us on another adventure in the bizarre world of Gaea.
It did take me a bit to appreciate these new characters, however. Going in the story, I should stress that it's important to know that the sequel takes place distantly in the future. We don't really get to see Cirocco learn the ropes of being the Wizard and I was a bit put-off by the fact that the story picks up with characters we've never seen before. I was initially thrown off by the fact that we were on Earth and it took a bit for me to realize the story was set far into the future (approx. 80 years after Titan). I'm not sure I really recovered from my dashed expectations. I wanted to see the story pick up after the last one and I felt that I was left hanging.
However, due to being granted apparent immortality, Cirocco and Gaby are still along for the ride. I enjoyed seeing how they had changed since the last book and a big part of my enjoyment of Wizard was seeing the two women deal with the past eighty years in their own way.
That isn't to say the new characters are lacking; by the end of the book they were fully realized and i was invested in them. I enjoyed seeing them change as their journey went on. It's kind of amazing that I liked Robin considering how annoying her ignorance can be early on. If anything, more than Titan, Wizard excels in its characters: their feelings, their goals, their changes, their sexualities. On a less serious note, I was really happy my shipping came true by the end of the novel.
I was a bit disappointed to see that there aren't pictures (except for one in the interior cover), at least in my version. I had just gotten used to it. At the end of the book, we are treated to a diagram explaining Titanide mating. If the thought of centaur sex makes you squeemish, luckily there isn't anything graphic. If the thought of centaur sex intrigues or excites you (which may or may not intrigue/excite this reviewer), then man, do I have the book for you!
The story lends itself to another adventure, but ultimately I felt the adventure angle was similar to the first book. It's a tour of Gaea with guides this time, but still a tour of Gaea, nonetheless. There's a plot-point that can potentially shake things up, but it isn't explored to my satisfaction. It shakes up the story, for sure, but it's ultimately used to set up the third book. A bit disappointing to be sure, but I'd be lying if I wasn't excited to read on.
The jump-forward in time and the feeling of retreading might make this a bit of a hard sell, but if you loved the first book, I'm sure you'll have a great time with the insane trip that is Wizard.
By being the story of a woman suffering from a patriarchal religious colony who suffers from debilitating seizures and a mild-mannered man who has dissociative personality disorder -- turning him into a crass brute -- and their quest to prove themselves as heroes, thus earning them the favor of Gaea and having her heal them.
John Varley's imagination once again knows no bounds as he takes us on another adventure in the bizarre world of Gaea.
It did take me a bit to appreciate these new characters, however. Going in the story, I should stress that it's important to know that the sequel takes place distantly in the future. We don't really get to see Cirocco learn the ropes of being the Wizard and I was a bit put-off by the fact that the story picks up with characters we've never seen before. I was initially thrown off by the fact that we were on Earth and it took a bit for me to realize the story was set far into the future (approx. 80 years after Titan). I'm not sure I really recovered from my dashed expectations. I wanted to see the story pick up after the last one and I felt that I was left hanging.
However, due to being granted apparent immortality, Cirocco and Gaby are still along for the ride. I enjoyed seeing how they had changed since the last book and a big part of my enjoyment of Wizard was seeing the two women deal with the past eighty years in their own way.
That isn't to say the new characters are lacking; by the end of the book they were fully realized and i was invested in them. I enjoyed seeing them change as their journey went on. It's kind of amazing that I liked Robin considering how annoying her ignorance can be early on. If anything, more than Titan, Wizard excels in its characters: their feelings, their goals, their changes, their sexualities. On a less serious note, I was really happy my shipping came true by the end of the novel.
I was a bit disappointed to see that there aren't pictures (except for one in the interior cover), at least in my version. I had just gotten used to it. At the end of the book, we are treated to a diagram explaining Titanide mating. If the thought of centaur sex makes you squeemish, luckily there isn't anything graphic. If the thought of centaur sex intrigues or excites you (which may or may not intrigue/excite this reviewer), then man, do I have the book for you!
The story lends itself to another adventure, but ultimately I felt the adventure angle was similar to the first book. It's a tour of Gaea with guides this time, but still a tour of Gaea, nonetheless. There's a plot-point that can potentially shake things up, but it isn't explored to my satisfaction. It shakes up the story, for sure, but it's ultimately used to set up the third book. A bit disappointing to be sure, but I'd be lying if I wasn't excited to read on.
The jump-forward in time and the feeling of retreading might make this a bit of a hard sell, but if you loved the first book, I'm sure you'll have a great time with the insane trip that is Wizard.
scifimagpie's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, so this series has a bit of a reputation because of some of the worldbuilding, but honestly, it's worth it and it fits better than one might think at first glance. For classic-era sci fi, it's also pretty good for handling gender and queer issues, too! Not only do queer characters appear, there's discussions about privilege and identity that have both nuance and realism - and they aren't boring or preachy.
I actually had only heard about "the weird centaur thing", but I'd read some other Varley anthos and really loved them, so I had to give this a try when I found it in a used book story. It was totally worth it. If you want a realistic book with extremely well-written female characters who aren't just fetish objects, and a clever examination of fantasy tropes and the problem of divine authority along with it, this is a great choice. The representation of alcoholism and relationship dynamics is also nuanced and excellent.
The book's pace is quite meandering, and a good half the story is worldbuilding in a way. If you struggle with that, I wouldn't recommend this series, but if you're down for something hazy, trippy, yet sweet and earnest, and still not lacking in sophistication, then this is a very worthy series.
I actually had only heard about "the weird centaur thing", but I'd read some other Varley anthos and really loved them, so I had to give this a try when I found it in a used book story. It was totally worth it. If you want a realistic book with extremely well-written female characters who aren't just fetish objects, and a clever examination of fantasy tropes and the problem of divine authority along with it, this is a great choice. The representation of alcoholism and relationship dynamics is also nuanced and excellent.
The book's pace is quite meandering, and a good half the story is worldbuilding in a way. If you struggle with that, I wouldn't recommend this series, but if you're down for something hazy, trippy, yet sweet and earnest, and still not lacking in sophistication, then this is a very worthy series.
claycates's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
mad_frisbeterian's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jayshay's review against another edition
3.0
Hmmm I compared Titan (Book 1 of the Gaea trilogy) to Riverworld and Ringworld, but another apt comparison would be to Ursula Le Guin's The Left hand of Darkness, though leaning more towards the feel of communes of alternate living the 70s.
Book 2 starts off slow, because of the concealed nature of the quest, I really didn't feel like things had picked up until the narrative went underground. (Yes, man-centaur action just gets me going...) This does feel like a middle book, with I presume Demon doing the big wrap up, though at least for two of the characters this feels like a complete story. Again, there was more adventures combined with examinations of disability and sexuality.
Book 2 starts off slow, because of the concealed nature of the quest, I really didn't feel like things had picked up until the narrative went underground. (Yes, man-centaur action just gets me going...) This does feel like a middle book, with I presume Demon doing the big wrap up, though at least for two of the characters this feels like a complete story. Again, there was more adventures combined with examinations of disability and sexuality.
judetheunbeliever's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.0
riduidel's review against another edition
3.0
On pourrait voir dans cette histoire un récit initiatique ou une quête de salut, et ça l'est. Mais il y a aussi un complot, et une vision du sexe extra-terrestre aussi complexe que réjouissante. C'est vraiment une bonne histoire, même si certains rebondissements apparaissent assez classiques. Mais est ce du classicisme par banalité ou par référence ? Je penche pour la seconde hypothèse. Parce que bon, l'auteur n'est clairement pas un amateur, et chacun des éléments classiques me semble être un clair clin d'oeil.
Cela dit, ce second tome est à mon sens un peu inférieur au premier.
Cela dit, ce second tome est à mon sens un peu inférieur au premier.
zivan's review
4.0
This is a second book in a trilogy. So expect the usual lack of a definitive conclusion at the end of this one. Just take into account that you'll probably want to read Demon as well to get the whole story.
This trilogy has aged well since the emphasis is on the characters, and almost the entire book takes place within the microcosm of Gaea.
Any missing technology can be attributed to restrictions place by Gaea on what happens withing her wheel.
As with the rest of the series there is graphical description of sex so if this offends you or you plan on getting this book for a child, take that into consideration.
This trilogy has aged well since the emphasis is on the characters, and almost the entire book takes place within the microcosm of Gaea.
Any missing technology can be attributed to restrictions place by Gaea on what happens withing her wheel.
As with the rest of the series there is graphical description of sex so if this offends you or you plan on getting this book for a child, take that into consideration.
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