Reviews

Fluß aus blauem Feuer by Tad Williams

spinnerroweok's review against another edition

4.0

This is my fourth book to finish this year and the second in the Otherland series. This is less a series of books than it is one book divided into four volumes. So, if you haven't read Otherland: City of Golden Fire, get that on first.

This book is a fun mash up of sci fi, fantasy, and cyberpunk. I don't want to get into the details because they would only be spoilers for the first book, but imagine Star Wars meets War Craft meets Oz meets the Matrix. The cast is really diverse and its members have so many different motivations and hidden objectives, that you can never be sure who is going to do what and why.

I will definitely continue on in this series. I recommend, but read the other book first.

heather_g's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

 

Listened to the audio book, unfortunately it was such a long time ago that I read the first book in the series, it took me quite a while to remember what the story was about. But once I figured that out I was able to appreciate the multiple characters and storylines. Still a bit confusing since there is so much going on, but props to the author for keeping it straight!

agruenbaum's review against another edition

4.0

Not in love with this series yet, but I am trusting the author to deliver like he has with his hard fantasy books. Interesting characters and curious possibilities. I will take a couple book break, and continue with the series again.

rora114's review against another edition

3.0

Stalled out reading this series. Again.

Got half way through this book and got distracted by more interesting things. Again.

thoeroesa's review

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

uminoria's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

cheyenneb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was a great 2nd book in the series. The wY Williams opened up the world while still keeping so many secrets from us was great. I still loved almost every single POV in the book and was pulled in to every one very quickly. I am looking forward to diving into the second half of the series. 

rhganci's review against another edition

3.0

Well, really REALLY good seems better to describe the potential that Otherland has, but the second volume of the quartet was a bit underwhelming. Every time Marissa asked me how my book was, I replied with something very middle-of-the-road: “it’s all right”; “it’s pretty good”; “it’s okay.” There were, at a few junctures, flashes of brilliance and the kind of fun telling a story in this type of setting typically indicates. Unfortunately, those scenes came toward the beginning and middle of the book, and not really at the end, which just seemed to pass over some mysteries, addressing them only haphazardly. Highlights include the flight from the giant mantis in the bug-world (when the mantis just decides to bypass the staircase all together and climb up the center column around which the stairs wrap was far scanny, if I’m using that term correctly), the first few minutes of Paul’s trip to the Venetian carnival, and the subsequent flight from the carnival, though all that did was create more confusion by adding more powers to the already nebulous Citizens already populating the network. The romance between Vaala (or Penelope, or the bird-woman) has taken a hiatus, and was barely mentioned if at all. Though by having that pairing step into the role of husband-wife, Williams may have kept that fire alive, but romance in Otherland seems to be outside the author’s storytelling scheme. Orlando is finally realizing that Fredericks is a female, the scene in which he makes the connection that half-naked Fredericks = half-naked girl worked pretty well without being creepily homoerotic. As a whole, however, the book really lacked the plot that the first one did, and seemed more about showing the reader what kinds of freaked-out things people would do with virtual reality rather than getting to the crux of answering the question of “What the heck is going on with the Grail Brotherhood ganking children from RL?” That’s the question I have, the one that I want answered, and everything else, though entertaining, is just not that engaging.

beccajreads's review against another edition

4.0

It may be full of filler material and it may be incredibly long and it certianly witholds giving the reader any answers, but I think that is what makes this book/series so great. There's just SO much stuff going on, so many things that are possible because of the net, and Williams is showing us just how complex this world is.

I mean, sure it would have been nice to get a few more answers or links between certian events and characters, but it doesn't take away from the brilliance of the book. As with the first book the writing is excellent.

And I did enjoy exploring the different simulations, especially when they reference other books/films that I like!

tmobil's review against another edition

4.0

Favorite Quotes

She had to find her own story, and she could make it whatever shape she thought best.