Otherland Vol 2 River of Blue Fire

by Tad Williams
634 pages
Publisher: DAW Hardcover (July 1, 1998)
ISBN 0886777771

Library Thing Info

I started this book back in February, I believe the 12th to be specific. I had some delays in finishing it, though the book cannot be blamed - life just happens.

BTW - I am trying a new format for reviews. A more “info block” at the top, with a summary and opinion. Hopefully all of them will move to that. I have a plan…….

Summary

As River opens, we join up again with the ragtag bunch of searchers trapped in an astoundingly detailed and frightfully dangerous virtual world known as Otherland. Lurking in disguise among the group is the brutally vicious serial killer Dread, trying to find information that will help him overthrow his Grail Brotherhood masters. The group follows a ubiquitous river through world after world, unable to go offline, and subject to the increasingly terrifying certainty that things in this supposedly virtual place are all too real. Meanwhile, Paul Jonas, an amnesic (but somehow pivotal) character fleeing from two sinister beings, finds more and more of his memory as he does his own Huck Finn river trip. As in the first novel, each new world that the characters enter, from Paleolithic Ice Age to something suspiciously like Oz, is fully realized and completely unpredictable.
src: Amazon.com page for Otherland Vol 2

Opinion

Tad Williams takes us back to the virtual grandness that is Otherland in vol 2 and picks up exactly where volume 1 left off. This book finds our group broken up and moved through various realities. This can be great and can be frustrating as we end up with 4 or 5 (depending on the part) story lines along with 4 or 5 side stories. Sometimes there can be 4 or 5 chapters between stories, which is about 100 pages. And if you are reading the work as slowly as I was, that can be frustrating, especially for the side stories. You find yourself asking “who is this guy again?”. If I was to read this over a couple week period, then this would have been less concerning. I read it over 2 and half months while dealing with major life changes. Maybe not the best choice.

I have to say, this reads like a “middle book”. We get some things answered and the characters are truly rich and developed and more obstacles arise. The book ends with the 3 story lines left all going toward cliffhangers. GRRRRR makes me want to read Vol3 now but I have other reading plans first.

Williams writing is very good and he does time very well. We are informed of information and watch as the characters learn things about the world and their awareness only asks more questions. Who are the Grail Brotherhood? How did all of this get started? Who are the Circle? What the hell is Paul Jonas up to?(a completely independent story line - but obviously important - and my favorite)

I am looking forward to the next volume and will try and give it a go in the fall. I have big “series” plans and I know I will need a break from this type of story for a bit.