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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
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
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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
Way too long of a plot. The dullness of goverment department day to day activities feels evident and isn't outweighed by the fun magical witchy scenes. Cannot believe this has sequels. Wil not read further.
Bottom Line: Fascinating timey-wimey adventure with interesting characters, sprawling milieu, and a devious plot
Three-word reviews:
Pros – scope, historical, amusing
Cons – acronyms, distractions, banking
I am a big Neal Stephenson fan, but this was a great blend of two writers with different strengths. I don’t know Nicole Galland’s work, but the writers seem to complement each other well. Only a few glaring instances of Stephenson’s style broke the surface of an otherwise smoothly plotted and well-rendered intellectual adventure. I am a sucker for heroic linguists, but I liked Milesande and I wanted her to succeed in her tricky endeavors. The historical aspects were terrific and detailed, with impressively researched asides that gave the narrative depth. Finally, although witches are an essential component of this story, the magical system is hand-waved away by confining it to a specific hidden space.
Audio book note: too many narrators made things a little confusing – I was used to a character with one voice, but when another narrator read that character, the voice was different. Also, the narration of conversations with multiple time stamps grew tedious.
Three-word reviews:
Pros – scope, historical, amusing
Cons – acronyms, distractions, banking
I am a big Neal Stephenson fan, but this was a great blend of two writers with different strengths. I don’t know Nicole Galland’s work, but the writers seem to complement each other well. Only a few glaring instances of Stephenson’s style broke the surface of an otherwise smoothly plotted and well-rendered intellectual adventure. I am a sucker for heroic linguists, but I liked Milesande and I wanted her to succeed in her tricky endeavors. The historical aspects were terrific and detailed, with impressively researched asides that gave the narrative depth. Finally, although witches are an essential component of this story, the magical system is hand-waved away by confining it to a specific hidden space.
Audio book note: too many narrators made things a little confusing – I was used to a character with one voice, but when another narrator read that character, the voice was different. Also, the narration of conversations with multiple time stamps grew tedious.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
89/100
I wasn't so sure about this one after 20 pages or so and then shortly afterward could barely put it down.
I'm skeptical of co-written books with good reason. I've recently read The Difference Engine and The Talisman and had to trudge through both. But The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. is just as gripping/enjoyable as anything else Stephenson has written.
If you like fast-paced tales of science fiction organizations developing and expanding (an itch of mine that Seveneves scratched incredibly well) you should enjoy this book. It's full of some really nice world-building, and a bunch of fun ideas about time travel and magic as well.
And just to be clear, while this includes a ton about witches and magic and references Hogwarts by name at one point, it's really very different from that series in tone and content.
I wasn't so sure about this one after 20 pages or so and then shortly afterward could barely put it down.
I'm skeptical of co-written books with good reason. I've recently read The Difference Engine and The Talisman and had to trudge through both. But The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. is just as gripping/enjoyable as anything else Stephenson has written.
If you like fast-paced tales of science fiction organizations developing and expanding (an itch of mine that Seveneves scratched incredibly well) you should enjoy this book. It's full of some really nice world-building, and a bunch of fun ideas about time travel and magic as well.
And just to be clear, while this includes a ton about witches and magic and references Hogwarts by name at one point, it's really very different from that series in tone and content.
this was a very information heavy read. i wanted to give up at some points because i was so confused but decided to push through.
the premise itself is very interesting and i really loved the first 1/3 of the book. when it became more “military operations” was when my interest in the book started to fade. overall a good book, not sure yet if i will read the sequel.
the naked vikings were hilarious and the writing from 10th century about walmart was interesting to say the least. (magnus <3 walmart)
tristan & mel!!! so cute i love them so much
erszebet’s mom: young lady you have no choice but to save magic! bad magic is better than no magic at all! *makes daughter basically immortal*
erszebet: but i don’t want to!! (teenage witch whining)
at some point i forgot what the previous name for the Pentagon/Trapezoid was and i started to think history was actually being changed in real time haha
“Going to click "send" on this now. Hopefully I will be able to update you all soon. If l do not, assume it is because the Walmart Vikings have gotten to me,”
the premise itself is very interesting and i really loved the first 1/3 of the book. when it became more “military operations” was when my interest in the book started to fade. overall a good book, not sure yet if i will read the sequel.
the naked vikings were hilarious and the writing from 10th century about walmart was interesting to say the least. (magnus <3 walmart)
tristan & mel!!! so cute i love them so much
erszebet’s mom: young lady you have no choice but to save magic! bad magic is better than no magic at all! *makes daughter basically immortal*
erszebet: but i don’t want to!! (teenage witch whining)
at some point i forgot what the previous name for the Pentagon/Trapezoid was and i started to think history was actually being changed in real time haha
“Going to click "send" on this now. Hopefully I will be able to update you all soon. If l do not, assume it is because the Walmart Vikings have gotten to me,”
slow-paced
I wanted to love this, but it really dragged.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Fun binge book that combines quantum physics and magic. There's a literal Schroedinger's cat box and witches. It's remarkably similar to Connie Willis's Oxford time-travel series but with a more interesting premise and paradox-preventing rules (magic once existed in the world, modern science eradicated it, a shady government org wants to recreate it for espionage, time travel consequences don't always "take" for reasons of quantum mechanics). Stephenson goes easy on the period details that swamp some of his other work, though the pigheaded bureaucrats are a little too infuriating.
adventurous
emotional
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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