Possibly the most interesting of the Otherland Books

books:

	• River of Blue Fire (Otherland, Volume 2) Tad Williams DAW, 1999 - 704 pages average customer review:based on 104 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Otherland....Greatest Sci-Fi Series of All Time!

I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed reading the Otherland series. In my opinion, it is the greatest epic novel ever written, even better than Lord of the Rings. I particularly liked that it was a book that was relevant to our times; I think a lot of what Tad Williams wrote may come true in the not to distant future. I simply could not put it down. Although some have complained here that he bounced around too much from story line to story line or that he could have wrapped it up in just one or two novels, I think those readers are just lazy or are part of the "I want it now" generation. I really could have cared less if he ever ended the series; I enjoyed it that much.

I have been a fan of Stephen King, Tolkien, and Asimov, and have read almost all the books they wrote. However, Tolkien and Asimov are dead and King seems to have got tired of writing the kinds of books we all loved. Anyway, I was looking for someone to fill the void and ran across the Otherland series. Thanks to Tad Williams for filling the void!

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Not Free SF Reader

After our intrepid group of investigators get deeper into the
conspiracy, they discover the vast, artificial computer network that is
involved. When they dive in, from their various locations, they find a
serious problem. They are not able to disconnect from their
environment, and are now on a quest to stay alive.

They meet more people on the way, but they do not know that a
psychopathic assassin is among them, with more control of the
environment, and an affinity for machines.

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Pretty bad compared to the others

As a person who is in the middle of reading book three I can say that this is the weakest of them. This may sound strange, but I really recommend to only skim over any chapter that involves Orlando and Fredricks on the river with the Chief (trying to keep it vague to prevent spoilers). It's 4 or 5 chapters worth of absolutely boring content. I can't really even remember what it was about. All of it but the last chapter of the story line you should skip because it's a lot like Huckleberry Finn, but they never leave the boat and nothing interesting happens.

I almost lost hope and almost never went onto number three. I'd give the other books 5/5. This one really gets a three and a half, but there's no option.

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Possibly the most interesting of the Otherland Books

In this book we finally get to see the Otherland network in some significant detail. I felt like many of the characters and themes were developed interestingly, and the worlds within the network at compelling. At the same time, it was a little frustrating because by the end of this volume I still had very little idea of what exactly was going on. Williams was very stingy with clues in this book, so while the story progresses, don't expect to have any better understanding of what's going on behind the scenes. You can only guess (and probably incorrectly) at the connections between the various themes and characters. Nevertheless, some of the best adventures and most interesting worlds (Bug World, Oz, the Kitchen, Abydos, London, Xanadu, Aerodromia, Venice...) appear hear.

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Perfect! Excellent for the Imaginative!

River of Blue Fire (Otherland, Volume 2) is an excellent follow up to A City of Golden Shadow. This book absorbs you into a new world with its own culture and people. Tad Williams does not disappoint when it comes to description or world building. The book takes virtual reality and fantasy and makes them believable.

The book follows the characters and the plot is derived from them, who are many and varied. Characters are well thought out and perfectly made. You won't be wondering why the made stupid decisions or thinking stupid things. The book goes at a slow pace and fast pace, all when necessary, but generally, you will be mystified about what will happen next, and where things are heading. Some people find the vagueness infuriating, but the suspense is strong and you will be totally absorbed by the storytelling.

Tad does not lack for imagination. The main concept of the book's virtual reality is common, but his implementation of it and description of its use is downright believable and perfect. You will follow the characters through so many difficulties and experiences, it will feel like a mental roller coaster. This book will feed your imaginative side, if you have the patience.

Many people could find this book boring, and read it skeptically. The book is much less enjoyable when read this way. You really need to be able to fall into the character's experiences to fully enjoy the book, and some people read books with a detached attitude. Readers like this or who crave action-action-action will not find the book enjoyable. I recommend this book to anyone with an imaginative side that needs feeding. This story will not dissapoint.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

New York Times bestselling author Tad Williams presents...

The mass market edition of Volume Two...

"A powerful, near-future cyberthriller."--Booklist

"Williams proves himself as adept at writing science fiction as he is writing fantasy....Fascinating." --Publishers Weekly

"An exciting addition to the growing virtual reality literature."--Library Journal

* A bestselling author--New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, London Times, Publishers Weekly

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