Rating: 
Summary: Just barely enough plot to hold interest.
Review: Not a terrible book but somewhat disappointing. Much more could have been done in terms of storyline and character development. The ending was a letdown.
Rating:
Summary: A good read, some interesting history, but wooden people
Review: Benson did the 14th century better than the 21st which says something about this book _ She's good at historical research but not polished enough to give us more than wooden contemporary characters. Overall, it's an interesting read if you don't take the characters too seriously. One example: a Jewish doctor in 14th century Spain suffers all sorts of indignities for his faith, yet gives it up with little remorse for the love of a fair English maid. At least give him a little Jewish guilt ...If you want to read about a plague, try Stephen King's "The Stand.'' King's 1,300 pages are effortless; Benson's 650 are tortured and should be no more than 400.
Rating:
Summary: Decent first novel with some flaws
Review: I picked up this novel because it looked incredibly similar to one of my favorite books of all time, Connie Willis' The Doomsday Book. Like Willis' novel, Plague Tales competently manages to weave together two different stories about plagues threatening two societies 700 years apart. The characters are sympathetic, and while the plot does occassionally bog down, it for the most part moves at a decent pace. For a first go, Benson's engaging novel has understandably drawn some good reviews. However, there are some problems with the book. About 400 pages into the book, Benson introduces a fantasy element that is completely at odds with the realism that permeates this novel. In an interview Benson has stated that this element is religious in nature, one that is supposed to make one of the main characters rethink God's presence in the world. I, however, found this intrusion highly jarring and annoying -- especially since it helps bring resolution to the novel's events. Also, there are too many unanswered questions and loose ends left over -- these are the type of questions and threads that usually form the basis of a sequel. Normally, I don't mind when authors produce a sequel or write a book intended to start a series. However, I don't like it when the novel is blatantly left open for a sequel when it's not advertised as the beginning of the series. (Benson's website also mentions that she is indeed writing a sequel). Apart from these two flaws, I'd recommend the book to most people. Those who read this might also want to pick up Willis's novel and read them back-to-back for an interesting contrast in how two authors handled similar material in different fashions.
Rating:
Summary: A good distraction
Review: Overall, this was a good book. I especially liked how Benson alternated chapters in telling the two stories. I expected to get confused trying to switch back and forth between two stories but Benson kept both plots simple enough to follow. I was, however, disappointed with the ending. I thought it would come to a more stupendous conclusion, tying up all the loose ends and tying together the two plot lines better. Instead, the ending seemed anticlimatic, much like Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain. All in all, The Plague Tales is a good distraction from the monotonies of daily life.
Rating:
Summary: VERY UNORIGINAL
Review: I've read something too similar before: The Doomsday Book (1964). If you want more sci-fi and more in-depth history, I recommend you try the original story. But not a bad effort in any case...
Rating: 
Summary: Overall a fun, interesting read.
Review: Although I enjoyed this book there were several shortcomings. First I would have preferred Ann Benson staying with the sci-fi theme instead of the sci-fantasy. Secondly, referred to often, "The Outbreaks" could have been described in better detail. And my final complaint were the characters from the "Future" seemed much less interesting and developed compared to their Medieval counterparts. I really enjoyed Alejandro and the King's Court. In spite of those disappointments it was a fast and exciting journey. I look forward to the sequel!!
Rating: 
Summary: Bloated Multi-Genre "Adventure"
Review: "Plague Tales" is a novel that starts out with a good premise, is reasonably well researched, and fails through an inept execution. The cover blurb says "historical novel and futuristic adventure". The novel is two love stories, mild Sword n' Sorcery fantasy, and (again) mild Science Fiction. I'm not certain what genre that places it. I suspect the author wanted to write three novels and decided to write them all at once. "Plague Tales" has several good points, but in general it is just so "bloated". It runs for almost 700 pages. This could easily have been cropped to 500, if the author had used less then three adjectives per sentence. The technology and background history are uneven. The epidemiology is better than the history or "far view" technology. I personally wondered how the Eucalyptus tea sipped in the first chapter reached Mediaeval Span from undiscovered Australia or how one "wiped out the memories completely" of a PC. In addition, the use of magic undermines the tech and a technological future the use of magic. Finally, the novel lacked "hard edges". Even grim situations are "nice". In the middle ages, life was cruel, brutish and short. The author's middle ages read like a costume ball. In a future ravaged by antibiotic resistant pandemics life was also cruel and short. Yet, the Soccer Moms keep a stiff-upper lip. A good editor might have saved this novel. "Plague Tales" has just too many words to read to reach the few good parts. There ought to be a law that first novels be 350 pages or less. In addition, the author spread herself too widely over too much history, characters, and technology. There are better books to read at the beach.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent read
Review: Although I'm not finished reading it yet, I considered staying home from work to do so! I was wary when I first started as I'm not particularly fond of jumping back and forth between centuries/characters, but Ann Benson managed to mesh the 2 plots seamlessly: At the end of each chapter I'm always sorry to leave that story behind, so of course I excitedly plunge into the other plot to get back to the previous one, and the cycle continues... I'm a real fan of historical fiction with a medical background, and this book reminds me of the Noah Gordon series that begins with The Physician. If you liked this book, I'd highly recommend jumping into Gordon's works. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: This is one fun fast story combining mystery and SF
Review: If you are hooked on medieval mysteries and time travel, then Benson's book is one of the best. Altho, I don't consider her as good a writer (yet) as Michael Critchton, she is certainly his equal in story telling talent. I wouldn't be surprised if she could ultimately equal Michael's social commentary and humor, which was at its peak in "Sphere". I am eager to see what Benson produces next!
Rating:
Summary: Whoo Hoo!!
Review: Absolutely stupenderiferous! I had a great time. I wished the book would never end. I give this book a 9.5.
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