I've mentioned here before that my sister in law and I share similar tastes in books. We see each other once a year and typically we exchange books at that time. She loaned me "Good Omens" by Terry Prachet and Neil Gaiman and started my love of all things Neil about 6 years ago. I still have the book! At our last family get together I loaned her my Otherland collection from Tad Williams. For those of you who don't know, Tad is a very verbose writer and takes great pains to paint his world in your mind. The first time you read him, you can easily get overwhelmed by the amount of imagery he creates outside of the storyline. In today's world of instant gratification, he has never taken a short-cut on imagery in order to get the story completed. In fact, he takes his sweet time telling the story, typically one that is so inter-meshed with plot twists that you never really get the full picture until the climax of the story. I've read two of his series thus far (The Dragonbone series, and Otherland) and am currently working on the third (Shadowmarch) and I'm always pleasantly surprised when I get to the end. Admittedly, the first book is always the most frustrating because he always uses that one to open up all of the holes in his story and he scatters loose ends freely in the wind. Linda (my sis-in-law) had already read the Dragonbone series and started reading the Otherland series a few weeks ago. She kept me up to date on Facebook as she read through it.
I'm glad she enjoyed it. Typical Tad Williams though. If you can get through the half way part then you are home free. I hope Linda doesn't mind that I posted her reactions here, but I felt that it was the best way to get an honest reaction to the books. I should review them here as well, but that will have to wait until another day. Unless of course I can get Linda to do it...
Linda: Hi T I'm halfway thru the 1st otherland book and I still have no clue to whats going on here lol
Me: The first one doesn't start to come together until about 3/4 of the way through (and even then you'll be puzzled). It keeps drawing you along, but you won't really get it until the forth book.
Linda: OMG hope I can make it thru lol
Linda: I just started the 3rd otherland book. the traveling from world to world is getting slo...w ,wish it would move just a bit faster . I have got a stack of about 15 to read behind this series . To many books and not enough time.
Linda: Just finished the 3rd otherland.. It took alot of concentration. And I didn't want to see Orlando die.. I was hoping .. Now do I take a break or finish the series.. Hmm!! Think I will continue..
Me: But he has to die. However, I think the ending will surprise you.
Linda: hope so
Linda: Done with Otherland . Loved it, amazing story .Tad Williams should donate his brain to science . Thanks never would have read it if you didn't give it to me. P.S is it me or do you never comment back when someone posts to you. ?
Me: LOL. Sorry, the comments are automatically emailed to me and I'm just figuring that out. I hoped that you would like it. It takes him a while to get to the end of the story but when he does you typically go, WOW. Can wait for the next one in his shadow series.
Linda: me either.
I'm glad she enjoyed it. Typical Tad Williams though. If you can get through the half way part then you are home free. I hope Linda doesn't mind that I posted her reactions here, but I felt that it was the best way to get an honest reaction to the books. I should review them here as well, but that will have to wait until another day. Unless of course I can get Linda to do it...
