Otherland 2: River of Blue Fire

"River of Blue Fire" picks right up where "City of Golden Shadow" left off...which is to say, on the edge of your seat! It submerses us in a world which we don't want to leave. It does not have the lagging plot of a middle-of-a-trilogy novel, and I can't wait for the remaining chapters. This is already a true classic-level read...highly recommended and well worth the hard-cover price.

I enjoyed this book much more than the first, mainly because it was not as long. Long books don't usually daunt me, but CoGS was so SLOW!!!! Anyway, this book was still slow, and a little boring in a lot of places (especially the kitchen, though that could be funny too). I wish something of real substance would happen, though. All they did was go through endless simulations. And how I detest the Oz simulation! I'll never see the wizard of Oz in the same way again. I wouldn't reccommend this book for anyone who likes fast-paced action, because there was little of that.

After blazing right through City of Golden Shadow, I immediately started on River of Blue Fire. After the cliffhanger that was CoGS ending, I went right through the first few chapters of RoBF, but unfortunately, this second volume just does not have the momentum that CoGS did. It's in this book that we actually see the nature of the Brotherhood's vast conspiracy, but since it's only in glimpses and hints this book will put you in the dark more than its predecessor.
The main problem with this title is that it really tends to dwell. Once they enter "Oz" the story really slows down and the characters just kind of sit around and stew in the situation rather than trying to do something about it.
Even though it's the second part of a series, I think RoBF is just as introductory as CoGS. It does have its problems but I definitely recommend it.

I have read and enjoyed the entire book now... That is to say, all four books of this one immense volume. That is why I say to be prepared! The first three books do not have clean 'everything gets resolved' endings. They are simply somewhat random stopping points for this character rich tale. But as you finish the final volume, Mr. Williams brings everything together masterfully, with a suspence that rivals the most twisting of mystery novels. It is also believable sci-fi, without the need for 'galaxy far-away' civilizations and incomprehensible alien technologies to make it work. Otherland is a testament to the sci-fi genre.

Tad Williams has done a great job with this book, slow read as it may be he is dedicated to ramping up the reader to invest an interest in the characters for who they could be and not what they seem to be. The description of the Otherworld brings to mind novel penned by John Myers Myers called, Sliverlock, JMM's characters flitter from one novelistic land and into another with the turn of the page leaving the reader to guess where they are, at least in TW novel the villian, of all people, was kind enough to tell us what worlds we might wander into, but left just enough unsaid so that we wanted to pick up the next two books and continue on the journey. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy a high fantasy with a twist and a dash of Techno-babble.

Tad Williams continues the story from volume one and starts to get to the core of the story. The book (even though it is one of those middle-books) is even better than the first one. Williams really manages to make you care about the fate of his characters. I cannot wait to get the next book of this series !

I have nearly finished the third book in this series and I must say I have found it hard going. I really enjoyed the first book and I'm quite sure the last book will be good. But there is one book too many in this series. Volumes 2 and 3 should have been edited down to one volume as there are just too many environments the characters, and therefore the readers, are taken through, and as a result I feel the story bogs down. Limited to three volumes this would have been a much better paced story. But I suppose the publishers are getting richer making us buy an extra book.

The Otherland epic continues quite nicely with this volume. Williams has upped the stakes with several of the numerous plotlines and manages to tie up one or two of them.(While creating about six or seven to replace them.) The only gripe I have is the waiting for the next work.

I dont know why I started reading this book? Once I did, however, I just could not put it down. The tale is fabulous. The technology quite logical given the pace of computer generated science. The only negative is the remaining volumnes are not written yet. I understand that there is one or two remaining. I want them published now! And I don't want them to end!

This whole shebang could have been written in 1000 pages. It is good, could be great if it wasn't so drawn out and, at times, unfocused.
I have liked both books but the story gets tedious after the fourtieth virtual world that the characters experience.
A good editor would have pared these four books down into one tight, cohesive but massive story in one book.

I loved this continuing book by Tad Williams. The story takes a while to get used to, but you get the sense that this will be a joy ride. I found that the characters grow on me and that I care about them. I have been waiting to read the second of four books for sometime. I can't wait to see how Mr. Williams is going to end this story. I hope that the ending mirrors real life as much as the story has. I have little patience waiting for the next release of the series.

After the first volume of this series, though I don't like continuations, I was looking forward to this book. After finishing it, I think I would have been better off stopping after the first. None of the major questions or conflicts were answered or resolved. Early on I had the impression I'd just be passing time until I started the third book to find some answers and that's how the book ended. I'm not sure I'm even going to bother with the next book because I've found out there's a fourth book to be written. This definitely looks like another V.C. Andrews (Floweres in the Attic) for those people familiar with that author.

The first book was riveting - you could not put it down. This one is almost as good - I found I could not put it down but I was getting little tired of yet another VR world. The detail and depth that Tad goes to really brings the worlds alive which I think carries the book through the repetitive "and then they came to world #25". I am hanging out for the next installment and hope we start to see things move along a little quicker.

The first book was riveting - you could not put it down. This one is almost as good - I found I could not put it down but I was getting little tired of yet another VR world. The detail and depth that Tad goes to really brings the worlds alive which I think carries the book through the repetitive "and then they came to world #25". I am hanging out for the next installment and hope we start to see things move along a little quicker.

Was recommended to this series by a coworker and loved every page. It started out a little slow but once it got going it was an amazing ride. If you like sci-fi or cyberpunk, or drama, or mystery, or thriller type novels then give this series a try as it does all of these at one point or another!!!

This can only be decribed as a masterpiece. I have read the first two books and am waiting for the third to be published and it is agonizing! This story just grabs you and emerses you in the richness and vibrancy of Tad Williams' world. But with the parallel that this could be our near future adds intrigue and the suspision of our fellow man. In other words a must read.

This is the most refreshing story line to hit the market in years. I don't mind waiting for new volumes it gives me time to read them over again and compare with his other hits like memory, sorrow, and thorn trilogy of which seems much more on the hobbit theme. I'm impressed with Williams vision into the future and can't wait for volume 3. Great research and imagination on Williams part.

Watch out becouse things that you can find in this book can really happen... I don't know if I can be happy about it or sad. One thing is for sure: the whole story or better the whole concept of the story works horribly real! It makes me wonder if my life is real or somebody just dreamed it up...