Rating: 
Summary: A Sequel That Never Lets Up
Review: Never have I hungered for a book more than this. After consuming City of Golden Shadow like it wasn't really 770 pages,I was hooked. I could hardly wait to find out what Renie and !Xabbu, Orlando and Fredericks, not to mention Paul and Gally were facing. Tad Williams continues to fascinate with an endless array of brilliantly diverse characters and settings. Read the editorial review for a synopsis, but trust me when I say you cannot put this book down. The bags under my eyes attest to the sacrificed sleep as I breezed through this volume. Williams continues to weave a murder mystery, a future shock tale and a "this could happen, if we aren't careful..." reality check into a homogenous story that twists and turns. Only the too brief appearance, and too convenient disposal of Dread's victims and the death of Renie's mentor seemed contrived. The rest of the book fairly flew through my brain nightly. I am already set to begin volume three. It is easy to see why it will take four books to complete this story. Tad William's characters are like a spice rack full of different, tasty flavors waiting to satisfy your mental pallette. Enjoy it!
Rating: 
Summary: So Many Worlds...So Many Pages
Review: Williams's second book in the Otherland series is perhaps what one might expect from a second book in a long series (or to put it in Tad's sense, the middle chapters of a very weighty novel)--that is, more character development, group fragmentation, and opportunity to more fully describe the world and the situation in which the characters are thrown. Sometimes the story seems to get away from him--the wild liberty the VR tale allows in terms of setting, time, and situation makes Williams sometimes wallow too much in the *fantasy* and the *possibility* of his world (and indulging in the conceit of writing in the worlds of others) without much regard to the development of the plot. Sometimes you wonder if the heroes are ever going to get anywhere, and whether their journey has any meaning at all. I understand that this is part of the plot, but it is sometimes a little frustrating to a reader. What makes the book all worthwhile, however, is the claririty and meticulousness of Williams's world. The prose is colorful and fun, and the virtual playgrounds are pleasant to imagine. Is Williams trying too hard to teach us some kind of message? Is the inevitable result of realistic sci-fi fantasy? Is he getting too existential for me? Williams makes his own mistakes easy to swallow with his well-crafted imagery, seemingly broad knowledge of myth, literature, art, and arcana--and the often gripping story. Fans probably won't get lost and will find that the pages whip by (I read this 650-page book in two days, so I didn't have time to forget), but the casual reader might want to tread carefully on these waters, or at least wait until they can read the whole 2,500-page novel in one long block. One additional comment: Is Tad getting a little too close to Stephen King's Gunslinger series for comfort?
Rating: 
Summary: 4 stars - but only just
Review: I enjoyed this book much more than the first, mainly because it was not as long. Long books don't usually daunt me, but CoGS was so SLOW!!!! Anyway, this book was still slow, and a little boring in a lot of places (especially the kitchen, though that could be funny too). I wish something of real substance would happen, though. All they did was go through endless simulations. And how I detest the Oz simulation! I'll never see the wizard of Oz in the same way again. I wouldn't reccommend this book for anyone who likes fast-paced action, because there was little of that.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book Series For Those With Plenty of Reading Time!
Review: Great second book, some surprises along the way, like the way they're handled though. Am pleased with the way Williams subs objectionable words with techno-profanity. Just gotta say, this series does not lock! He has the ability to create such a complete world for each of the realms that you gotta wonder if he's actually part of the Brotherhood :) The length is starting to wear on me and make me feel like poor Orlando (in some ways), but I'm really excited about being able to go through the whole thing without gaps of several months between the volumes. Oh, as for this particular book, I just gotta say it's got a cool cover, some of the worlds seem a bit hokey though (there's something more than a little weird about dancing vegetables). Still waiting for the others to learn about Frederick's true identity (I anticipate odd things, I know) and I got the feeling that !Xabbu (I care enough to put the exclamation point yes, but I still can't pronounce it) is getting lost in the growing cluster of new characters, but I am anxious to see how all this plays out. Great so far. Much recommended to the disgrustled ex-Sliders (myself included), Stargate SG-1 lovers crowd (ditto).
Rating:
Summary: An excellent continuation of a wonderful fantastic story!
Review: All sci-fi/Fantasy fans should read this series!!! I'm impressed with this series; Willians seems to be doing his homework! The story is on the epic-scale, and no detail is missed. I enjoy the characters, the story is among the best original plots I've ever read, and the writing style of Tad Williams reads like a well-oiled machine. (is that an appropriate allegory?)My only peeves are: 1. it's taking a long time for these books to get written! But I would much rather wait, and get 100% quality, then something done lickety-split with lots of holes. TWO: The main character, Renie, gets awfully whiney, exasperated, and self-punishing. Her loser-attitude gets annoying after a while. But fortunately, there are other characters and sub-plots as well so it comes in small doses.
Rating:
Summary: Just doesn't get any better...
Review: ...than this. One of the best series of books ever. Can't remember being bored for a single page in all 4 books.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not on the level of CoGS
Review: After blazing right through City of Golden Shadow, I immediately started on River of Blue Fire. After the cliffhanger that was CoGS ending, I went right through the first few chapters of RoBF, but unfortunately, this second volume just does not have the momentum that CoGS did. It's in this book that we actually see the nature of the Brotherhood's vast conspiracy, but since it's only in glimpses and hints this book will put you in the dark more than its predecessor.
The main problem with this title is that it really tends to dwell. Once they enter "Oz" the story really slows down and the characters just kind of sit around and stew in the situation rather than trying to do something about it.
Even though it's the second part of a series, I think RoBF is just as introductory as CoGS. It does have its problems but I definitely recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Blue Fire is Brilliant
Review: What a treat it was to stumble upon Tad Williams' Otherworld Series. Volume 2 is even more exciting and complex than the first one, and the characters become more sympathetic and realistic. I am amazed by the diffirent virtual worlds that the author creates and explores, and the various literary and cultural references are fun to watch out for (see if you can find the quotation from the movie Blade Runner). Of course, upon finishing this book, I immediately picked up Volume 3. Onward through Otherland!
Rating:
Summary: Finally Book Two..
Review: Now that may sound like an odd title for this book that has been out for years but, when I first got the original book it was still in the gold cover with the pyramid building on front with the spacecraft flying around it. i waited on bated breath for about two years to find the second book after the cliff hanger in the first book.. SO when I picked this up I of course delved into it knowing what to expect.. But, I did not and should have expected the further introduction of even more characters, more plots, and more suspense.... You really need to stay on top of this series by taking the time to really read it.. not just skimming it.. The plots weave around eachother forming the mysterious Otherworld and the horror that it holds for some of our characters and the promise it holds for others. Again we find ourselves with our heroes from CoG intwined and stuck within the Otherworld simulation trying to find there way out.. We start to see the romance bloom with !Xabu and Renie.. and we see the tension build with Orlando and his disease.. And then there is the Grail brotherhood and there goals.. That will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat praying that this never happens in Real life...
Rating:
Summary: Is this series for you?
Review: After reading some of the reviews of this book and after getting over my initial anger, I write this review to hopefully help those of you out there decide whether or not this series is for you. At first I wondered how anyone could dislike the Otherland books, for they are rich in detail, imagination, and mystery. But I realize not every book is meant for everyone, so maybe this will help you decide whether you will be wasting your time or jumping into a great adventure.
River of Blue Fire is perhaps the best of the 4 books in the series. It takes you into world after world after world. I absolutely loved the moments when the characters reached new gates, wondering what Tad Williams could possibly pull out of his hat this time.
This is a novel to be savored, not zoomed through. The plot doesn't necessarily move forward as quickly as some would like; the mystery still remains illusive. Like reality, Renie and her friends flounder about the Otherworld system, not knowing where to go, what they're looking for, how to find information, or how to navigate the system. Had they figured any of this out so soon would have been incredulous.
What is wonderful about this book is the imagination, the creativity. If Williams had included 100 more worlds, I would not have been satisfied. I wished I could be with the gang and see all they see, do all they do in each world. Williams describes the worlds so vividly that I was upset each time he switched to another character's storyline. Yet soon that new character was all I wanted to read about.
Having a knowledge of classic literature enhances the reading, for many of the worlds are set within the pages of famous novels (which I won't reveal so as to not ruin the suprise). In fact, reading the series has caused me to run out and buy a few of these books to update my knowledge of what is going on in Otherland.
Again, if you're looking for a book to read quickly and with a satisfying conclusion, look elsewhere. If you're looking for something to immerse yourself in, read this series.
I, for one, read the last page of River of Blue Fire and immediately ran out to buy the 3rd book, Mountain of Black Glass, which is unusual for me because I tend to take a break from a series to read other books before I continue on. I didn't want to spend one night without being able to jump in with Renie and all the others and see where the adventure might take me.
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