Rating: 
Summary: WARNING: MAY CAUSE SLEEP LOSS IN SOME READERS!
Review: Otherland, the first in a 4 part epic, is an intricately, tightly woven technomystery set in the not too distant future of Virtual Reality that will not let you put it down! Lush, realistic characters, who's humanity and compassion are put into sharp relief against a backdrop of cold, hard and very powerful technology. The band of unlikely heroes are pitted against an unseen greedy power mad superich cartel known only as "The Grail Brotherhood". Lead by a paradoxically frail, yet tenacious woman computer professor, Renie Sulaweyo, and helped by her spiritual bushman friend, !Xabbu, the heroine attempts to find out the secrets behind the mysterious coma her VR surfing younger brother has fallen into. As she, along with her friends, begin to peel away the layers of the mystery, the truly evil nature of the Grail Brotherhood begins to show itself in the form of paranoia, arson and murder. Many characters, on seemingly separate paths, converge and the stakes become even higher, as the group begin to realize that their very lives are now at risk! It is for these very reasons that I loved this book, and I began to care deeply about these people. Among them the lonely, but strong willed Renie. Deep and whimical !Xabbu, and the wonderful Orlando, who finds courage and strength in VR that he can not have in RT. I found myself hanging on every page to see what would happen next! And of course, being set in VR, ANYTHING could, and does happen! For those out there that do not have the patience or mental memory simms (!) to follow so many story lines, I don't recommend this book. But, if you can keep up, you will find yourself so immersed and so thoroughly enveloped in this epic tale, you will not be sorry! A fantasy, yet so close to us all in the icons and tools we use today, which makes the story so easy to slip into! Bring on the next tome! I have even found myself playing a casting game. Who will they get to play the parts in the movie? Someone call Steven Spielberg or Ridley Sc! ott!
Rating:
Summary: EXHAUSTINGLY GOOD
Review: Okay, first off, why the hell are people complaining about its size. Like were suposed to congratulate people on reading it. Guess what, if it was to big, then why in the hell did you pick it up in the first place? That out of the way I would like to say how incredibly awsome this book was. Every sentence seemed to be a story in itself and was there for good reason. I can't wait to read Vol.2 of Otherland, and I will definetly pick up Williams other fantasy novels to read. All these books should hold me over until THE GOD of fantasy, lord Robert Jordan gives his faithful fans book 8 of the Wheel of Time. A series that contains quite possibly the greatest books ever written....
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent tale which captivates the imagination
Review: Tad Williams spins an incredibly deep, rich story in this book which is masterful in its complexity. Layer upon layer of detail, many threads of plot all interweaving, so that just as you THINK you've figured it out, you're thrown for a loop again. I found it hard to put down, because it was so fascinating, but at the same time, had to read it it slow chunks to give my mind time to process it all. People who like to read fast and get it done with -- this is not for you. This book is like a glass of fine wine, you sip slowly and appreciate all of the flavors over time. Unfortunately this can lead to losing a portion of the audience if you have a short attention span. Sometimes it's a bit too complex, but overall, it's another great book from a very talented author.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay, Tad. I'll give you one more shot.
Review: I received this book as a gift from a friend who knows I read the occasional "quest" novel/saga. It takes a lot to impress me: few can measure up to a Tolkein or even a Donaldson (excusing his first Covenant book as a learning experience.) But with this book, Tad Williams seems a bit undisciplined in the genre. It IS meandering, not like an unstructured trip we explore along with the characters, but more like a somewhat confusing look over the author's shoulder as he considers and rejects paths for his plot. Still, he manages to pull all the threads together -- plus several we have no experience with and no empathy for (why did you do that? save new characters for the next volume, don't introduce them in the last chapter!) -- in the final 50 pages. The concept as illuminated by the end of the volume still suggests an intriguing premise for the follow up, but by no means guarantees it. A book of this sheer magnitude which ends so abruptly is bound to lose a few followers in the TWO YEARS we are forced to wait for volume two. Careful, Tad and DAW Books -- I and many others have abandoned series before because the wait between volumes renders the previously absorbed info far too distant and fuzzy, and we stop caring. That all being said, I will read volume two because the author DOES have some talent in spinning a yarn, albeit ramblingly so. But if volume two, available now, does not demonstrate that he has learned a bit more about his craft and about sensitivity to readers' stamina and patience, don't expect me to be waiting in line in the year 2000 for volume 3.
Rating:
Summary: An epic introduction to an increadible world.
Review: The first impression was one of confusion. Not unlike the confusing twists of plot in the William Gibson "CyberPunk" books. But this minor confusion leads quickly to rapt interest. The storytelling is inspired, the complexity is immense. The comparison to Gibson is intentional, I think, as the story shifts from point-of-view to point-of-view, it becomes more and more obvious that the characters are all involved in high-tech wizardry. And the number of shifts, twists, and plots is at least as intricate as Gibson's, but there the similarity seems to end. Gibson's work is fast and furious. Tad William's "Otherland", while occassionaly rapid-firing, is as epic as "Lord of the Rings", with the apparent ebb and flow of an entire universe contained in it's pages. And with as broad a scope. In fact, that's probably the simplest description of "Otherland: Volume 1"... It's a merger of the "Lord of the Rings" with "CyberSpace". Very well done, and gripping to the end of this volume. I can hardly wait for Volume II.
Rating:
Summary: He did it again!
Review: How does he do it??? And I thought War and Peace was the longest book I was ever going to read! After reading Tailchaser's Song and Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, I never dreamed that Tad Williams could ever out do himself again...but he has! Once I started Otherland, I couldn't stop reading until I had read from cover to cover. And now I have to wait for the next segment to come out in July!!!!! I, for one, am counting the seconds until that book comes out. In the meantime...well...I suppose I'll just have to read the book again!
Rating:
Summary: Bloated. Setting up a story shouldn't take this long.
Review: I read this book after reading the reviews (to Mathew on 5/15: it's not the length of the book that is the problem, the problem is that it's 770 pages of SETUP). I gave it a 7 only because of the amount of filler. I liked the story. I like the characters. I usually stay away from cyberspace stories but this one sounded interesting. I didn't like the fact that is just ends in the middle of the story. It's unfair to the reader. This guy needs a good editor. I will probably read the next installment, but I won't read anything else by this author.
Rating:
Summary: Everything you could ask for.
Review: This is the first Tad Williams book I have read. I am not a fantasy fan but if this book is any indication of type of work one can expect from Mr Williams I am sure I will read his fantasy titles. Although the book is large it is engaging. You feel for the characters especially the crippled boy whose only escape is his alternate personality (I was actually shocked at this point in the book because it was in Such contrast to his other persona). If you like vast, intricate and varied settings, and well defined characters this book is for you. I love this book and I WANT MORE NOW!!! I have been waiting too long - I bought the hard copy the first week it was on the shelves.
Rating:
Summary: Keep up the great work Tad!!
Review: After reading all the reviews below, something struck me very odd. Almost all of the complaints about the novel had to do with its length. My response to those people is "Why did you buy a 770 page first volume if you are worried about length?". Tad Williams is notorious for starting out his series with a long expositionary volume which introduces and engrosses the reader into his world. If this series is anthing like his last one the subsequent volumes will be full of action and plot twists and intricately woven subplots. Tad is an extraordinary writer who creates vivid and complex characters. He is one of today's premier SF/Fantasy writers and all of his books are worth reading. If you are a reader who enjoys cookie cutter SF/Fantasy and just wants the author to tell a story that wont make you think too much, than Otherland and Tad Williams are not for you. Tad never underestimates his readers intelligence, and even sometimes challenges it. So if you want to read a story that is complex, and rich with character development pick up Otherland and get ready for a long but fullfilling ride.
Rating:
Summary: We know the players ,now on with the show
Review: I read otherland first,then while waiting for vol.2 read memory,sorrow,thorn books and tailchaser.I think it is evident to anyone who doesn't put their books on a scale before reading them that if you want to create a new world it takes more than 7 days or 7 pages. Williams is brilliant at creating a world that the reader can live in even when they are not reading the page.I have no problem exploring the world in a first vol. and waiting for more. This first book promises more and from past books, I'm sure we'll get it.
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