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barry_x's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
4.0
****MINOR SPOILERS IN REVIEW****
This was a really pleasant surprise. It's a book I didn't have high hopes for but in the end I really enjoyed.
'The Many-Colored Land' is set in the future where humans have colonised space and have relations with other intelligent alien life. Back on Earth, a scientist effectively invents one way time travel where people and objects can be sent back to the Pliocene era (2-5 million years ago) in the exact spot. What starts as a fancy for artists and other dreamers to go back in time soon becomes an industry as all kinds of people who want to escape their life in society volunteer to go back with no idea what they will face. Over time, tens of thousands go back so there is an assumption there is some kind of society but no one knows what. It turns out when the people go back, that humans are not the only intelligent life on Earth...
What we end up with is a brilliant blend of science fiction and fantasy set on a much younger Earth. May throws a lot of ideas at the book and they pretty much all land, so we do get quite a gonzo and pulpy novel (mind control, outdoor exploration, spacecrafts and riding prehistoric animals anyone). The difference is that this book plays it straight and is better for it. The very basic premise is humans are enslaved by an alien species called Tanu (with degrees of 'enslavement' and satisfaction amongst humans at the relationship). The Tanu have a relationship to another alien species called the Firvulag who they are in conflict with (one in seven Tanu births are a Firvulag). A small party of humans we are introduced to early in the novel manage to escape and change the dynamics on this Earth.
The pacing is good, once we get a slowish start introducing each individual character, the book rattles through the story and rarely lags. As a plot it is consistently engaging without one needing to think too much about it. I did appreciate the level of detail and research May must have undertaken for the novel, you can tell she loved doing it and how 'scientific' explanations are created for various events. All the characters are suitably different, although not to deep. I didn't care to much for them, but I didn't dislike them either, and none annoyed me. Certain things like characters falling in love quickly were a bit 'meh' but the characters are there to drive the story.
I did adore the nod to folklore and mythology and thought it was delightful that we have a possible source for much of European folklore in the book. I found it especially wonderful thinking both the humans and the alien species must die out, but the oral tradition of these people creates our folklore. If we except the premise of the story, then our elves and fairies are very old indeed!
My main criticism of the book is that as you near the end you think, 'this is book 1 of 2' (there ended up being nine books written in the setting). As a consequence of this I felt a little unfulfilled, there are a whole bunch of characters who are introduced at the start, have their own arc and then get dropped in the middle of book two. The end doesn't really feel like the end of the novel.
That criticism aside, I've probably read 'book 1' of lots of series and never picked up the next. If I get the opportunity I think I'd enjoy reading more of the series.
A final note, seeing as I am reading this as part of a speculative fiction LGBTQIA+ challenge. There are a couple of lesbian characters in the book but little is explored in terms of queer themes so I think this can be tagged under 'queer representation'.
Nothing to deep in this one, but a lot of fun with a clever world and story which I enjoyed a lot.
This was a really pleasant surprise. It's a book I didn't have high hopes for but in the end I really enjoyed.
'The Many-Colored Land' is set in the future where humans have colonised space and have relations with other intelligent alien life. Back on Earth, a scientist effectively invents one way time travel where people and objects can be sent back to the Pliocene era (2-5 million years ago) in the exact spot. What starts as a fancy for artists and other dreamers to go back in time soon becomes an industry as all kinds of people who want to escape their life in society volunteer to go back with no idea what they will face. Over time, tens of thousands go back so there is an assumption there is some kind of society but no one knows what. It turns out when the people go back, that humans are not the only intelligent life on Earth...
What we end up with is a brilliant blend of science fiction and fantasy set on a much younger Earth. May throws a lot of ideas at the book and they pretty much all land, so we do get quite a gonzo and pulpy novel (mind control, outdoor exploration, spacecrafts and riding prehistoric animals anyone). The difference is that this book plays it straight and is better for it. The very basic premise is humans are enslaved by an alien species called Tanu (with degrees of 'enslavement' and satisfaction amongst humans at the relationship). The Tanu have a relationship to another alien species called the Firvulag who they are in conflict with (one in seven Tanu births are a Firvulag). A small party of humans we are introduced to early in the novel manage to escape and change the dynamics on this Earth.
The pacing is good, once we get a slowish start introducing each individual character, the book rattles through the story and rarely lags. As a plot it is consistently engaging without one needing to think too much about it. I did appreciate the level of detail and research May must have undertaken for the novel, you can tell she loved doing it and how 'scientific' explanations are created for various events. All the characters are suitably different, although not to deep. I didn't care to much for them, but I didn't dislike them either, and none annoyed me. Certain things like characters falling in love quickly were a bit 'meh' but the characters are there to drive the story.
I did adore the nod to folklore and mythology and thought it was delightful that we have a possible source for much of European folklore in the book. I found it especially wonderful thinking both the humans and the alien species must die out, but the oral tradition of these people creates our folklore. If we except the premise of the story, then our elves and fairies are very old indeed!
My main criticism of the book is that as you near the end you think, 'this is book 1 of 2' (there ended up being nine books written in the setting). As a consequence of this I felt a little unfulfilled, there are a whole bunch of characters who are introduced at the start, have their own arc and then get dropped in the middle of book two. The end doesn't really feel like the end of the novel.
That criticism aside, I've probably read 'book 1' of lots of series and never picked up the next. If I get the opportunity I think I'd enjoy reading more of the series.
A final note, seeing as I am reading this as part of a speculative fiction LGBTQIA+ challenge. There are a couple of lesbian characters in the book but little is explored in terms of queer themes so I think this can be tagged under 'queer representation'.
Nothing to deep in this one, but a lot of fun with a clever world and story which I enjoyed a lot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Rape, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, and Violence
aleena123's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
craftingrama's review against another edition
2.0
I don't know perhaps it was too colored LOL but between the book and the narrator it ended up being more white noise in the background then it was an interesting book to listen to. Matter of fact at one point when the internet hiccuped and shut off the audiobook I didn't really notice I wasn't listening to anything anymore. Half the time I was lost and at times it just didn't make sense and the lack with the narrator pretty much made this something to put a person to sleep. It might be better as an ebook but somehow I'm not so sure about that.
shai3d's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book when it first came out back in the eighties and loved it. So of course when I ran across in audio I just couldn't resist. I found that I very much enjoyed becoming reacquainted with the characters and the narrator did a fine job. I do wish that the narrator was one with the skill to give each character a different voice as it did get confusing at times.
joeure's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Very creative world building and a rich and you can tell a lot of work went into recreating Europe ca 6,000,000 BCE. I could see upgrading to 4 stars if the sequel is good, but I also don't feel especially compelled to read it right away.
thinde's review against another edition
4.0
The "Many-Colored Land" was the novel that started me on a reading frenzy that has lasted to this day. I read it in my first year of university. It was chosen mainly out of boredom and a liking for the cover art. Wow, I couldn't buy and read the rest of the series fast enough. There were "The Golden Torc" and "The Nonborn King" and they were better than the first. The last in the series, "The Adversary", was not written at that time and I spent an agonizing year waiting for it. In the meantime, I started reading other authors to feed my newborn habit.
The plot is too complex to cover in the few paragraphs that I am willing to write here. In fact, the story is expanded by several more novels that Julian May has since written. The Saga of the Pliocene Exiles mainly follows a group of people who are irrevocably exiled back in time to the Pliocene era. Not to worry, this is not a dinosaur story. This is the period between the extinction of the dinosaurs and the rise of homo sapiens, six million years ago.
Some of the group has voluntarily chosen exile to escape their lives in the twenty-first century. A century that has seen the rise of extrasensory powers in humanity and the introduction of the planet to a galactic community as a result. Our time traveling companions travel through a one-way time portal, trained and ready to start a new life in the distant past. They expect to find some sort of civilization when they arrive, presumably created by fifty years of prior time travelers. Fair warning though. To get to this point in the novel you will have to be patient as there are several chapters devoted to the short term history of each member of the group. This is necessary to tell us why they are going back but may seem, to some readers, a little dull. All I can say is stick with it.
I won't spoil it for those who I hope are going to read these books. However, I will say that the group is very surprised at what they find when they arrive safely in the Pliocene. The remainder of May's series follows each character through a rich tapestry of diverging and reconverging subplots. Our central group is eventually responsible for changing the world - and not merely on Earth, six million years ago.
The plot is too complex to cover in the few paragraphs that I am willing to write here. In fact, the story is expanded by several more novels that Julian May has since written. The Saga of the Pliocene Exiles mainly follows a group of people who are irrevocably exiled back in time to the Pliocene era. Not to worry, this is not a dinosaur story. This is the period between the extinction of the dinosaurs and the rise of homo sapiens, six million years ago.
Some of the group has voluntarily chosen exile to escape their lives in the twenty-first century. A century that has seen the rise of extrasensory powers in humanity and the introduction of the planet to a galactic community as a result. Our time traveling companions travel through a one-way time portal, trained and ready to start a new life in the distant past. They expect to find some sort of civilization when they arrive, presumably created by fifty years of prior time travelers. Fair warning though. To get to this point in the novel you will have to be patient as there are several chapters devoted to the short term history of each member of the group. This is necessary to tell us why they are going back but may seem, to some readers, a little dull. All I can say is stick with it.
I won't spoil it for those who I hope are going to read these books. However, I will say that the group is very surprised at what they find when they arrive safely in the Pliocene. The remainder of May's series follows each character through a rich tapestry of diverging and reconverging subplots. Our central group is eventually responsible for changing the world - and not merely on Earth, six million years ago.
majkia's review against another edition
5.0
must be my tenth time through this series. Obviously I love it
amynbell's review against another edition
5.0
This book became an instant favorite within a few short chapters as I started to meet all the characters. I regret terribly that the author of this series doesn't want it to go to television or film, but I do understand her fear that it would not be true to the world that she created. They're all cast and mini-series-ready in my head if she changes her mind and ever wants my input.
The book starts in the future when humans have populated various planets in the universe and come to peaceful understandings with other beings in the Galactic Milleau. But, yet, even with all these planets to inhabit, there are still people who seek the ultimate escape from whatever past haunts them: exile through a one-way time portal into the pre-historic Pliocene era. People have been disappearing through the portal for 75 years when our assembled cast of characters makes its way through. One can only speculate what's on the other side.
Our characters cross over into a survival adventure journey in which the author has added just the right amount of gorgeous detail about the flora and fauna of ancient France and Germany. I actually found myself looking up vacations in the Black Forest of Germany as a result. What a stupendously beautiful area of the world.
I had to borrow the companion book for the series from the library. In it, I found an essay about the music that the author has in her head related to the series. She wrote it as an opera, and the music, which I turned into a playlist, is mainly operatic in nature: http://open.spotify.com/user/paisleymonsoon/playlist/622bqa1sKAOuU6E4A4Y7mM
One thing that bothered me a little about the series was that the author introduced what seemed like magic into what I thought was going to be a story steeped in science. But she insists that all that seems like magic really has a basis in science. I don't know that I'm completely convinced, but at least with that statement, I can go forward with a little less trepidation into the rest of the series. I could have done without the long fight scene at the end of this first book of the series, but that's just me not caring for fight scenes all that much.
I think I will have to go forward with the series, though. It's not a world that I'm ready yet to leave. And I care about what happens to the characters: Stein who dressed himself up like a Viking for the journey into the Pliocene, Stein's wine-loving pirate-dressed pal Richard, Amerie the nun, Claude the ancient paleontologist ... these are my favorites. I feel like I've become obsessed with this series more than I have with any series since The Spin Saga. But this series grabs me in a different way because it has me constantly researching references to vocabulary, music, ancient animals, topographical features, etc. And this makes the reading a much richer experience.
I think I'm going to be dreaming of Black Forest vacations for a while (but I'll probably have to settle for the cake named after it instead). Oh well, off to buy the 2nd book in the series ...
The book starts in the future when humans have populated various planets in the universe and come to peaceful understandings with other beings in the Galactic Milleau. But, yet, even with all these planets to inhabit, there are still people who seek the ultimate escape from whatever past haunts them: exile through a one-way time portal into the pre-historic Pliocene era. People have been disappearing through the portal for 75 years when our assembled cast of characters makes its way through. One can only speculate what's on the other side.
Our characters cross over into a survival adventure journey in which the author has added just the right amount of gorgeous detail about the flora and fauna of ancient France and Germany. I actually found myself looking up vacations in the Black Forest of Germany as a result. What a stupendously beautiful area of the world.
I had to borrow the companion book for the series from the library. In it, I found an essay about the music that the author has in her head related to the series. She wrote it as an opera, and the music, which I turned into a playlist, is mainly operatic in nature: http://open.spotify.com/user/paisleymonsoon/playlist/622bqa1sKAOuU6E4A4Y7mM
One thing that bothered me a little about the series was that the author introduced what seemed like magic into what I thought was going to be a story steeped in science. But she insists that all that seems like magic really has a basis in science. I don't know that I'm completely convinced, but at least with that statement, I can go forward with a little less trepidation into the rest of the series. I could have done without the long fight scene at the end of this first book of the series, but that's just me not caring for fight scenes all that much.
I think I will have to go forward with the series, though. It's not a world that I'm ready yet to leave. And I care about what happens to the characters: Stein who dressed himself up like a Viking for the journey into the Pliocene, Stein's wine-loving pirate-dressed pal Richard, Amerie the nun, Claude the ancient paleontologist ... these are my favorites. I feel like I've become obsessed with this series more than I have with any series since The Spin Saga. But this series grabs me in a different way because it has me constantly researching references to vocabulary, music, ancient animals, topographical features, etc. And this makes the reading a much richer experience.
I think I'm going to be dreaming of Black Forest vacations for a while (but I'll probably have to settle for the cake named after it instead). Oh well, off to buy the 2nd book in the series ...
christophertd's review against another edition
4.0
Has lasted well, probably I first read this 30 years ago. A bit uneven in tone at times, but a good adventure. Will now have to set aside time to re-read the others!
amycecilia's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75