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A review by nvblue
World Without End by Sean Russell
5.0
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Note: World Without End, is technically the first book in the Moontide and Magic Rise duology, however it really is just the first volume of the book, which was split in two simply due to the length of the text. I purchased the first editions, and each is a mass-market paperback of 600~ pages, simply too much material for one volume. A few years ago DAW republished the books in a single omnibus volume.
Note 2: I really love the cover of the original book, its much better than the omnibus cover.
Wow, just wow. World Without End is astonishingly good. Perhaps its just nostalgia, but I love a good nautical novel with elements of discovery and adventure. As a kid, my favorite books belonged to this genre, R.M. Ballantyne’s books specifically, but they have aged poorly enough in my mind that I can’t enjoy them anymore. Unlike Ballantyne’s books, which generally feature a flawlessly manly, heroic, virtuous, righteous etc. main character who remains impeccable in the face of adversity, Tristam, this books main character, is flawed, lackluster, filled with self-doubts, driven by fleeting passions, but he learns to be courageous, courteous, and discards some of his youthful inexperience. I felt as if I was along for Tristam’s journey, lapping in his botanical enthusiasm and sympathizing with his naivete at every turn of the page.
Plot: 4 out of 5
Setting/Worldbuilding: 4.5 out of 5
Characters: 4 out of 5
Writing Style 5 out of 5
Personal Enjoyment: 5 out of 5
In the introduction to the omnibus edition, Russell writes:
While this is certainly a plot element, there is so much more going on in this story. Courtly drama and politics, conflicted characters, diplomatic intrigue all flow together relatively seamlessly. While it is pretty easy to figure out what the Regis plant’s function is, the rest of the plot remains rather subversive and intriguing.
The ‘romance’ in this book, if it can be called that, is a nuance filled one, and despite my general loathing of the object Tristam’s fascination, Russell perfectly counterbalances irrational emotional desire against caution and instinct.
Simply because World Without End is only the first half of the story, I can’t elaborate at length on the book, because so many things remain unresolved. I have already enthusiastically started the second volume, Sea Without a Shore.
Note: World Without End, is technically the first book in the Moontide and Magic Rise duology, however it really is just the first volume of the book, which was split in two simply due to the length of the text. I purchased the first editions, and each is a mass-market paperback of 600~ pages, simply too much material for one volume. A few years ago DAW republished the books in a single omnibus volume.
Note 2: I really love the cover of the original book, its much better than the omnibus cover.
Wow, just wow. World Without End is astonishingly good. Perhaps its just nostalgia, but I love a good nautical novel with elements of discovery and adventure. As a kid, my favorite books belonged to this genre, R.M. Ballantyne’s books specifically, but they have aged poorly enough in my mind that I can’t enjoy them anymore. Unlike Ballantyne’s books, which generally feature a flawlessly manly, heroic, virtuous, righteous etc. main character who remains impeccable in the face of adversity, Tristam, this books main character, is flawed, lackluster, filled with self-doubts, driven by fleeting passions, but he learns to be courageous, courteous, and discards some of his youthful inexperience. I felt as if I was along for Tristam’s journey, lapping in his botanical enthusiasm and sympathizing with his naivete at every turn of the page.
Plot: 4 out of 5
Setting/Worldbuilding: 4.5 out of 5
Characters: 4 out of 5
Writing Style 5 out of 5
Personal Enjoyment: 5 out of 5
In the introduction to the omnibus edition, Russell writes:
World Without End had a simple premise, though one that was somewhat original for its time. What if a young naturalist, like Charles Darwin, was sent on a long voyage to distant parts of the earth, but instead of discovering a foundational theory of biological science, discovered magic existed?
While this is certainly a plot element, there is so much more going on in this story. Courtly drama and politics, conflicted characters, diplomatic intrigue all flow together relatively seamlessly. While it is pretty easy to figure out what the Regis plant’s function is, the rest of the plot remains rather subversive and intriguing.
The ‘romance’ in this book, if it can be called that, is a nuance filled one, and despite my general loathing of the object Tristam’s fascination, Russell perfectly counterbalances irrational emotional desire against caution and instinct.
Simply because World Without End is only the first half of the story, I can’t elaborate at length on the book, because so many things remain unresolved. I have already enthusiastically started the second volume, Sea Without a Shore.