the_pale_woman's reviews
481 reviews

I'm invested. I'm here. I'll be here for the next one. If anything, I'm just pissed I didn't save this until JK completes the series. The ending hinted at a lot of theories I've been speculating about from the beginning, and I literally can't wait to read what happens next. Most of the books I read don't live up to my internalized speculations, but I got a good feeling about this one. This series is going to be one of the greats. 

By far, the best vampire tale I have read. I wouldn't say I'm an expert on vampire fantasy, but I've read a decent amount. I was disappointed by the Interview, entertained by the Lot, cringed at Dresden, and regretted the time I spent reading a terrible teenage vampire drama. So, my track record with vampires is relatively poor compared to other creature concepts. For the most part, I've found the concept lacking mystery and depth. 

In EOTV, Kristoff creates the perfect world and plot for these fantastical fucks to thrive. He takes almost every detail and trope you can think about vampires and arranged them into a near perfect adventure. It's filled to the brim with blood, sex and violence as any good vampire tale should be. But what really pulled me into this story was the attention to detail. Details about the characters, the world, the narrative. It just feels intentional, and I find that easy to respect and enjoy. 

My only real criticism is the reuse of some of the one-liners. Yes, it might be a great line, but you're making it less impactful by using it again. I could see another view on this would be that it's a little too realistic. Some people repeat themselves constantly. They have the same line they use again and again. They either do it unconsciously or because they just really like saying a particular phrase. However, in a book, it doesn't feel realistic. It can feel a bit lazy or like a comedian who repeats the punch line cause he thinks you might have missed it the first time. I'm not saying these particular lines pop up repeatedly. It was only two or three times, but I wish it had been only once. 

To completely reverse my stance on repeats, the creative cursing is much appreciated in a story of this nature. I will forever think "fuck my face" anytime I think about this series. 

I would highly recommend this read whether you're into vampires or not. Especially to readers looking for "grim dark fantasy". 

If I were to rate this book separately from its companions, I'd say it might be about a 3. However, when reflecting on this series as a whole, I see that it is more than the sum of its parts. No one book is carrying the weight of this story. Yes, you get all the answers by the end. But those satisfying answers are not where the true magic of this story lives. 

I'm generally not one to quote, but I think this one bit really brings the whole idea into focus. 

"After all, is it not the way we humans shape the universe, shape time itself? Do we not take the raw stuff of chaos and impose a beginning, middle, and end on it, like the simplest and most profound of folktales, to reflect the shapes of our own tiny lives? And if the physicists are right, that the physical world changes as it is observed, and we are its only known observers, then might we not be bending the entire chaotic universe, the eternal, ever-active Now, to fit that familiar form? 

"If so, the universe, from the finest quantum dust to the widest vacuum spaces, does indeed have a shape. It begins 'Once upon a time.' 

"And if it is true, then only we humans, poor, naked semi-apes crouching in the thin light of our single star, marooned on the rim of a minor galaxy, can determine whether there will be a 'Happily ever after.'" 

The forces that shape the story of Otherland are multidimensional. Then add in the concept that by observing it, you shape it. I don't just mean you as the reader but the characters as well. It almost makes me want to read it again. To see what I wasn't seeing when I was just experiencing it. I like to think it might be some quasi meta masterpiece. But the sad fact is that it was slow. Added depth might not compensate. 

While in the end I found a lot of food for thought here, I'm not fully confident you will too. I might recommend this series, but I don't think you would thank me for it. This is basically a 4000-page book. There is no, read one book now and pick up the next later. I think your only chance of enjoying it is plowing through. It's a little slow at times and mysterious to frustration. But there are bits of gold too. Plus, some sci-fi predictions that might be a little too close for comfort. 

I found this book to be more enjoyable than the first two books in the series. It benefited from more structure and a tighter focus. This whole series revolves around a VR world called Otherland, but that setting wasn't utilized to its potential, in my opinion, until this book. The second book takes you to many worlds, but it feels too predictable and too chaotic all at the same time. It even acknowledges its use of old ideas, so that particular story aesthetic was very much intentional. While I understood and gained insight with that intent, it failed to add any enjoyment to that sequence of worlds and events. 

This third book felt much more imaginative even though it only visited a few worlds. The use of existing worlds was more satisfying as well. You might even enjoy it more than me if you're more knowledgeable about the Odyssey and the Iliad. Beyond that, this book felt more rounded, more thought out, and more substantial. It has me excited to continue and conclude this beast of a sci-fi series. 

I think I like the concepts and ideas in this book rather than the actual story. There's a lot you can do with a virtual reality setting, and this book travels through a few compelling places. I like thinking about how I would build my own personal virtual playground. I know it would be cooler than what these milk toasts came up with in this book, but maybe it would come across as a nightmare to an outside observer. When you create the monster, it's not as scary. 

This VR world hopping takes center stage in this book, and everything else takes a back seat. I didn't feel any movement with the plot or characters. I actually like most of the characters, and I find their situations interesting. The problem is that I don't feel like there is any real development happening. Their relationships feel static, and the plots move so slow that they might as well not be there. By the end, I'm like, did we get anywhere? No. I'm starting to think this story is just a bunch of vibes. I think I'm okay with that, but I can't help wanting more out of it.  

This one was interesting. I'm not even sure what to rate it. It's the type of book that offers more questions than answers. More beginnings than endings. To put it simply, this is not a complete story. It felt more like an introduction to this story than the actual beginning. I love big books, but at almost 800 pages even I found myself frustrated with the lack of progress. Plus, right when I felt we were getting somewhere, the book just ended. It's not the worst offense when there are three sequels available to immediately dive into. But still. 

The writing style reminds me a lot of Stephen King. More broad details and less chaotic than King but close. It's as if Williams has a similar cadence. I think if you're a fan of The Stand, you might like this. 

One big problem I had with this was listening to it on audio. The narrator is fine, but the edit didn't bother to add any pause between perspective shifts. The shifts are so abrupt that you become momentarily confused about what's happening. Or you start thinking that you missed something. I think this would be far less confusing to read physically. 

Really fantastic read. It's a slow burn of a book. This story felt more refined than Shogun, but it had the same vibe. Alpha male loves an Asian woman and fueled by that love he bends history around him. The ending felt abrupt, similar to Shogun, but this time, it felt more like a true ending or beginning for this set of characters. I've just recently been getting into historical fiction, so I don't have a ton of experience in the genre, but it's really clicked with me. Big books full of complicated characters and plots are exactly the type of read I'm looking for. I think if you're interested in asian history and you like books like The Pillar of the Earth you would really enjoy this. 

I've been reading this asian saga chronologically, so I read this book directly after finishing Shogun. I normally read in publication order, but it seemed like this might be the right call for this. Shout out if you have an opinion on a reading order. I'm not that knowledgeable about these time periods in asia, so I thought it might help me to keep the histories straight. 

This was a great read. If you're a fan of sci-fi, you should be reading this series. While not yet complete, I forsee completing Hadrian's story in the next two years if the author keeps up the pace. I haven't read most of the shorter works, but I plan to read those soon. It would be nice if those works were more easily accessible.

I think the author and fans put too much emphasis on the fact that this book was originally combined with the previous book before the publisher made the call to split it up. Why does that matter? What's done is done. I don't think these books suffered much from the split. If anything, it probably made certain plot points more impactful. 

One criticism I had with this particular installment was the actions and dialog of a few select side characters. It felt a little disjointed from the way these characters behaved in the past books. I was also questioning these characters' intelligence more than once. Where are their plans and contingencies? 

When I first started this series, I was sure that our narrator was unreliable. I felt like he was trying too hard to justify his actions. I'll admit that I tend to read too much into plots and subtext. However, the way Hadian explains his tales makes me question what he isn't telling us. My husband thinks I'm reading what isn't there, but in Ashes of Man, I felt that even more strongly.

My big piece of damning evidence here is when Valka says she wants to have kids. I did not see the character development that would have me believe that is what she would want to do after these events. I think this is just an example of where Hardian will be justifying future actions. He's going to clone her or make a child with her DNA. I think if he didn't put that line in there, it would feel like his future actions were wrong. Which under my assumption they are. Another moment that feels very similar is when Valka and Hadrian plan to run away. I don't think this really happened. I think Hadrian just looks back and wishes he would have left with her. Maybe she asked to leave, but he refused. And now, writing his story is too ashamed to include the detail.

 Overall, this story doesn't feel like a man just wanting to get the truth out there. It feels like a man who wants to justify what others view as mistakes. 

I really enjoyed this read, but it's not a book that I would lightly recommend. This is a pretty slow book. It will not spare you the deatils. I could see a less patient reader, finding it a bit much. Especially the dialog. It was written to give the illusion of translation. Giving Japanese, Portuguese, and Latin their own feel and cadence when "translated" for the reader. This structure works well, but it can feel repetitive. The audiobook isn't the best, in my opinion. The narrator put a little too much emphasis on the characters' voices for my tastes. Despite this, the story hooked me early. I would just recommend sticking with the text if you're sensitive about narrators. Because if you're a fan of big epic tales like this, I'm sure you'll find it satisfactory. To me, this was just a compelling story. I enjoyed this host of complicated characters with their endless intrigues and betrayals. I was expecting a little more out of the ending, but overall, I thought it was well done. I'm excited to continue with the series and see how it develops. 

Re-read. I originally read this right out of high school when I first started becoming personally invested in reading novels. I would pick up just about anything during that time. When I found Vonnegut, it felt like a diamond in the rough. I found it easy to relate to his cynical mindset and enjoyed chuckling at the ever-present sarcasm. Cat's Cradle was my favorite, along with slaughter-house, of course, but I'd say, after reading much of his work, I enjoyed most of it. Cat's Cradle hit me particularly hard the first time around. It felt like my kind of book. Like I was part of this karass. 

Now, after what seems like a lifetime of books, I'm sad to say it feels less profound. Time and experience have dampened its effects. There is an idea here, but I don't think it was executed to my current reading standards. I just want more and different things out of my literature today. This re-read was probably more enjoyable solely because of my personal nostalgia for it. Yes, there are some good lines and some interesting symbolism. It just didn't stick the same way it did before.