City of Golden Shadow (Otherland, Volume 1)

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Summary: An excellent rendering, offering a paradigm shift in sci-fi.
Review: Williams immediately immerses you in a virtual world where it is no longer "people are good, technology is bad" but rather, he has pitted good vs. evil within the network, something emminently needed in today's sci-fi. I thoroughly enjoyed this first in the series, relating to the characters and enjoying the rich description right along with the plot that brings me in and out of a world in the not-so-distant future. A highly recommended read for anyone, but especially for sci-fi buffs.

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Summary: Lots of slow sections but still a good ride
Review: Well, I've finished the first in this series of monster-sized books. Now I'm hooked. If nothing else I've devoted too much time to stop now. But many of the characters and events they've gone through pull the reader along well. Williams mix of fantasy and visions of a possible future are mesmerizing. My only criticism is that Renie's RL friends are so one tracked that after about the third or fourth time you'll learn to skim their sections. Otherwise, you'll have to endure a recap of everything they've gone through. It's almost as if Williams expects readers to start the book somewhere other than the begining. Definately read this but be prepared...there are three more ahead of you....enjoy.

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Summary: Two genres into the shower? I just read and go...
Review: This is one of the most engrossing books I've ever read. I'm a big fan of both fantasy and Sci-fi, and the concept of this book allows Williams to give us the best of both worlds! Some of the virtual realities are cliched fantasy worlds, other completely spaced out realities - and then there's the sinister core at the heart of the apple, the Grail Brotherhood. Mixed with a cool real-life killer/assassin, some cyber-tech hacking, some sword'n'sorcery, lots of great sub-plots, and you got one helluva intriguing read!

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Summary: Excellent novel!
Review: Tad Williams is an amazing writer. I loved his Dragonbone fantasy series, but I love his Otherland series even more! Creative writing is a hobby of mine, and I can truly appreciate Williams' writing style and the amazing amount of time he must have put into the Otherland series. His characters have a great deal of depth, but perhaps even more impressive is the way in which he weaves the various threads of the story together. I don't know how Williams managed to keep all the details straight, but his creation is exceptional! I highly recommend this book. Excellent, excellent, excellent! Thank you, Tad Williams, for the wonderful read.

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Summary: Good, great, awesome, the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This book is great! it and its sequqels are probably the best sci-fi books I've ever read. But they're not really that long. Read Wheel of Time. That's long!

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Summary: A SLOW RIDE, BUT WITH A GREAT VIEW
Review: i expected it to have more actual action to it. but that is just what i was expecting. but in the end i got a lot more than that. man, this tad williams guy is increadable. some parts of the book you just have to go back and read parts of it over again. it really is more of a drama. i like how tad williams has pages and pages of stuff that really has not a lot to do with the plot but it really is satasfying and enjoyable. i also like the way tad has set up multiple plots in totaly diffrent surroundings. from midevil adventure, to world war one stuff, to totaly virtual reality awesomeness.... etc etc etc. the whole book is great. the book has a lot of bad language that really isn't needed but i guess it adds to the seriousness of the plot.truly a great book. i am reading the sequel right now and enjoying it, the plots really kind of merge together in the second one. READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!

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Summary: Good stuff
Review: Now, I'm about half way through this book, but I have a few things to say about it. I think this is one of the best books ever. The story line is excelent and the characters are neat, but the part of the book that makes this a winner is the imaginative virtual world the Tad Williams portrays. It has everything in it, from a messed up cyber club with some super psychedelic stuff happening to an on-line RPG that is just plain cool. It's a confusing story that makesyou a bit disoriented at first, but come on people, isn't that half the fun? If you've ever dreamed of a life less mundane, read this book.

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Summary: Amazingly realistic! Better than Memory,Sorrow,and Thorn!
Review: What a great book! I can actually imagine this happening in the future and that is the first time I could ever do this when reading a book. When I read Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn I thought Tad Williams couldn't beat his own record. Boy, was I wrong. 5 stars definitely!!!

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Summary: Tad Williams is a master of imagery and words!
Review: The storyline is simple enough: a "virtual" world is created for the filthy rich and around the world children everywhere are falling victims to its cause. A band of heroes enter this virtual world, this "Otherland," in hopes of saving the day. Complex character interaction and constant switching of smaller storylines has left this reviewer on the edge of his seat wondering what happens next! A great read!

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Summary: Take me to Otherland!
Review: The only thing that disappointed me about this book was discovering that it was part of mega-ology. I just wasn't prepared for the reality of waiting for books to discover the ending. It is completely readable, engaging and I was thoroughly "sucked in". The descriptions are lush, the characters are engaging, the mystery is engrossing and unlike other stories, I didn't have the ending, nor even most of the characters, figured out before reading their destinies. The last half of the book had me turning pages in frenzied anticipation. Now I'm jonesing for the next hit of Otherland. I have read The Dragonbone Chair trilogy and so was intrigued by another large tome by Mr. Williams. If one is a fantasy or sci-fi fan, this is a good way to spend a few days or a week of non-stop reading. Gee, I guess I'm a fan!