You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
I like the concept of this series, and it was an enjoyable read. People always seem to be fascinated by the idea that some elite group really runs the world, and The Company series puts a neat futuristic spin to it. Overall it brought up some great issues, namely what happens when you interfere with history. However, as the story developed I became increasingly irritated with the main character, Mendoza.
She's narrating her own story from some time in the undisclosed future, looking back on herself as a teenager. She keeps hammering in the old "I was foolish when I was young" concept, so much so that it begins to grate. Young Mendoza comes off as one of those people who's a little too pleased with how smart she is. Really, how can you sympathize with someone like that? She sets herself up for a big spill when she falls in love with someone she shouldn't--Nicholas Harpole, a sixteenth-century protestant who is almost fanatical in his faith.
It was painful to watch Mendoza and Nicholas attempt to force their worldviews on one another. I mean, really, how different could these people be? Mendoza is a not-entirely-human immortal being (an arrogant one, at that) who has been educated by twenty-third century standards. Nicholas still believes in spirits. When he uncovers her true nature, he literally can't compute. What do you think is going to happen? You guessed it, disaster. I won't go into the details.
Perhaps Mendoza's character will become less irritating as the series goes on. One of these days I'll investigate.
She's narrating her own story from some time in the undisclosed future, looking back on herself as a teenager. She keeps hammering in the old "I was foolish when I was young" concept, so much so that it begins to grate. Young Mendoza comes off as one of those people who's a little too pleased with how smart she is. Really, how can you sympathize with someone like that? She sets herself up for a big spill when she falls in love with someone she shouldn't--Nicholas Harpole, a sixteenth-century protestant who is almost fanatical in his faith.
It was painful to watch Mendoza and Nicholas attempt to force their worldviews on one another. I mean, really, how different could these people be? Mendoza is a not-entirely-human immortal being (an arrogant one, at that) who has been educated by twenty-third century standards. Nicholas still believes in spirits. When he uncovers her true nature, he literally can't compute. What do you think is going to happen? You guessed it, disaster. I won't go into the details.
Perhaps Mendoza's character will become less irritating as the series goes on. One of these days I'll investigate.
This book has some of the fizzy attitude of Heinlein's novels, without the dose of eccentricity. Also, the plot respects the book's time-travel rules, which I appreciate.
There is a slight loss of focus in the middle section but the end was very good. I think I will keep reading.
There is a slight loss of focus in the middle section but the end was very good. I think I will keep reading.
Very good - page turner to the end. An interesting mix of sci-fi and historical fiction. Wish the ending was stronger, though.
Will definitely keep reading the series
Will definitely keep reading the series
In spite of the "chick lit" feel this book sometimes has, it is one of my favorite novels of The Company. Mendoza remains my favorite character throughout the series and her broken psyche never ceases to be interesting (until the last book where everything goes a little weird).
A great book, and a great series. If you like SF, read this. Intelligent, heartfelt and humorous, the whole series is full of twists and turns as the protagonists struggle to maintain themselves and to make sense of their world. Who are the heroes, and who are the villains? Who can be trusted, and how will it all end? Just read it!
I read this book ages ago, and thanks to Goodreads managed to track it down again to reread. The world building is really top notch. Despite the fact that Baker is writing about time travel and cyborgs, this is not an adventure novel. The plot chugs along thanks to pivotal conversations and realizations, not gun battles and outlandish scenarios. I can see how it might be disappointing to someone who expects more action and excitement in their scifi, but the quiet exploration of past times and philosophy is just really well done. And now that I know there is a whole series, I'm off to obtain the rest.
fun, original, quirky. time travel outside all the ordinary tropes, and a passionate love story into the bargain. good stuff.
A strong 3.5 stars for me. It’s more fantasy than science fiction, as there’s no science, but I’m a sucker for time travel (if you could call this that).
This book is an odd one - lots of religious rhetoric, and precious little detail about the actual sci-fi parts of the book, immortality and time travel. Mostly just historical fiction/romance. Our protagonist even spends most of the book in her own time and almost her own place. The book not only doesn't really discuss the sci-fi, it doesn't even use it to drive the plot (ie: she time travels and then we have a historical fiction book).
That said, if you're interested in religious developments and reformations/counter reformations in Spain and England in the 16th century, this is a nice little slice off the side of that history. There are some really fascinating theological discussions. ... and also a man voicing the thoughts of his penis. This book has it all, except actual science.
Note: our protagonist is a 16th century Catholic in Spain who has no problem with the Inquisition until she gets caught up in it (she was also a child and didnt understand a lot of it). Her narration occasionally indicates that context with comments about Jews and Muslims and Protestants. I wasn't surprised by that being present in dialog, but the internal monologue was occasionally more biased than I expected.
CW: it's the Spanish Inquisition, there's torture, though our protagonist is spared some of the more grisly methods.
That said, if you're interested in religious developments and reformations/counter reformations in Spain and England in the 16th century, this is a nice little slice off the side of that history. There are some really fascinating theological discussions. ... and also a man voicing the thoughts of his penis. This book has it all, except actual science.
Note: our protagonist is a 16th century Catholic in Spain who has no problem with the Inquisition until she gets caught up in it (she was also a child and didnt understand a lot of it). Her narration occasionally indicates that context with comments about Jews and Muslims and Protestants. I wasn't surprised by that being present in dialog, but the internal monologue was occasionally more biased than I expected.
CW: it's the Spanish Inquisition, there's torture, though our protagonist is spared some of the more grisly methods.