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timothyneesam 's review for:
The Doors of Eden
by Adrian Tchaikovsky
4/5. MI5 agent Julian Sabreur investigates an attack on top physicist Kay Amal Khan. This leads Julian to clash with agents of an unknown power – who may or may not be human. His only clue is grainy footage, showing cryptid hunter Mal, who supposedly died on Bodmin Moor while searching for the mythical ‘Birdman of Bodmin.’
The Doors of Eden is a roller coaster ride that is part spy novel, part X-Files, part Dr. Who, and entirely a delight. There are about a dozen characters to follow in a book that moves through different versions of earth’s history.
While there are almost too many characters to spend time with, some are richly drawn, though almost all exist to service the plot. Scientist Kay is a sheer delight, Julian is all very stiff upper lip, Lee is a lovable, insecure, determined teen. Others, such as henchman Lucas or Dr. Rat, have backstories but there’s not enough time spent with them to really let the characters develop.
There are a series of interstitials throughout the book, that explain the development of different species on different planet earths, and I’m glad I didn’t skip them because everything comes together at the end.
Speaking of endings, I have a friend who says that the end of a book (or a movie) is everything. I’m not sure about this ending. I loved the sequence of alternate scenarios but they started to go on, and the final one wrapped up the story but felt a bit tidy, considering the nature of the book. This brings me back to my friend’s comment about endings. I enjoyed the book so, so, so much that,as I read it, I raved about it to everyone within earshot, and I bought a copy for a friend. By the time I finished it, my enthusiasm had diminished, and I’m not entirely sure why. It’s well written, tackles big topics, has great characters, some of whom I would have liked to spend more time with. The story got bigger and bigger as the book progressed, almost too much for the book’s size. And the ending, well.
4 stars for a book that was a 5 for most of the book. I’ll suss out other books by the author.
The Doors of Eden is a roller coaster ride that is part spy novel, part X-Files, part Dr. Who, and entirely a delight. There are about a dozen characters to follow in a book that moves through different versions of earth’s history.
While there are almost too many characters to spend time with, some are richly drawn, though almost all exist to service the plot. Scientist Kay is a sheer delight, Julian is all very stiff upper lip, Lee is a lovable, insecure, determined teen. Others, such as henchman Lucas or Dr. Rat, have backstories but there’s not enough time spent with them to really let the characters develop.
There are a series of interstitials throughout the book, that explain the development of different species on different planet earths, and I’m glad I didn’t skip them because everything comes together at the end.
Speaking of endings, I have a friend who says that the end of a book (or a movie) is everything. I’m not sure about this ending. I loved the sequence of alternate scenarios but they started to go on, and the final one wrapped up the story but felt a bit tidy, considering the nature of the book. This brings me back to my friend’s comment about endings. I enjoyed the book so, so, so much that,as I read it, I raved about it to everyone within earshot, and I bought a copy for a friend. By the time I finished it, my enthusiasm had diminished, and I’m not entirely sure why. It’s well written, tackles big topics, has great characters, some of whom I would have liked to spend more time with. The story got bigger and bigger as the book progressed, almost too much for the book’s size. And the ending, well.
4 stars for a book that was a 5 for most of the book. I’ll suss out other books by the author.