Pam UphoffRecensioni

How do I say this

First, this is book twenty. Two zero. Do not think you can start here and have any idea what the heck is going on.

Second...it's not a story. It has many of the elements of a story, but it also has a lot of holes. This is more backstory than story. Introducing characters and filling in their history.

There just isn't a strong plot tying it together. There is a theme - young men finding their calling - but it is very loose.

I love this world. I love the writing. But I cannot simply point at this book and say "You have to read this" so it's not 5-star, and without the full support of the books before it is almost unreadable, so it can't be 4.

I will be buying whatever the next book is as soon as it is released.

This is book 21 in the series, so definitely don't start here. You won't have a prayer of understanding what is going on.

...And that is my problem with the novella. Even though I ^have^ read all of the previous selections, I had to wrack my brain to figure out some of the references. If I had just finished a full re-read of the series it may have been better. I simply felt that there were a lot of holes - not plot holes, information holes. It's not accessible to a casual reader of the series.

It's as if the author forgot that the reader isn't quite as in tune with her world as she is.

Let me also say, I am buying the next book in the series anyway. I like the world and the writing. The hints at future plots were tantalizing.

I simply can't recommend this to anyone who is not a die-hard fan.

Let's be honest

I'm going to buy the next in this series. I really like the world.

But.

From a short story point of view, or even blended novel, this is not the best. I got confused a few times at who was doing what; there was at least one sequence where the exact same thing happened because it was viewed by two different people, but it was mere pages apart and the different viewpoint didn't change the words enough. The cast of characters is enormous. Add in the confusion that the magic brings...

But.

I ^really^ like the world. Cover-to-cover in a few hours when I should have been doing other more important things. And reading this makes me want to start the whole series over again. The writing is clear, the plot meanders along in a sensible fashion, and there are interesting things happening.

But.

I just can't give it four or five stars.

So, read it if you like the world. You won't be disappointed. If this is your first 'taste' of Wine, better to start nearer the beginning.

This is decent short story

In a vast universe of stories. Focusing on the horses with a minor mystery to move the story. Set on the Oner world and featuring Rael and Paer.

Improved

This novel deals with some of the issues from trying to organize a cross dimensional force to deflect some of the baser nature of man. There is a consistency to the narrative that is an improvement over some of the previous novels in that even the separate viewpoints all lead back to the central plot. All of the threads tie together.

Still not a good idea to jump in on book 26, but it is easy to read without a deep and fresh understanding of everything before this. It feels more like a novel than a bunch of shorts crammed together.

Strong start

But it leans a little too heavily on knowledge of prior series to function well as the start of a new line. A little short on the world building as a result. The problem is too many characters with big back stories. No real info dumps, which is a plus, but I suspect a newcomer would be a bit behind the curve.

I still enjoy Ms Uphoff's work and pre-order every time she posts a new volume. She has good characters and makes them work to move the plot. This is almost on par with Dancer of the One, which I consider to be the best of that series to date.

Nice bits

If you are not a long time reader of this series...don't start here. It won't make any sense.

I enjoyed seeing the 'bad guys' split up a bit and settling in to new worlds. I especially like how they were maturing in some cases. Moving the main 'team' back to Cometfall is good to bring the story back together a bit.

Should have been the start of a new line

This mostly takes place on the planet with the Arbolian gods. Excellent beginning. I wish this had been labeled as separate from the 29 book series, as this is the perfect opportunity to do a mini-restart on a branch.

If it is possible, I would advise the author to pull this novel and restructure/explain things so that it acts as a new line of its own.

It bogs down a bit during the chase sequence as it is not always clear who is where and with whom.

I would also like to see a little work on paragraph construction. There are times when it seems as if characters are rambling, the paragraphs become so long.

If it seems very critical...I ^really^ liked the plot and characters in this book. It could easily become outstanding.

I have bought and read everything in the Wine of the Gods universe. I will buy whatever comes next.

Truly, this is one of the best in the series in a while.

I didn't need this

I needed sleep. Or maybe studying. Instead, I am finishing a book at 3am.

The bad: if you haven't read both of the previous books, and maybe some of the main series books, you will be lost. (That's also good, because no time is spent on extensive recaps). There doesn't appear to be an arc to the story, but the progression is logical.

The good: adding the scholastic analysis of everything on top is awesome. Really clever character moments with Ebsa and Ra'd.

Let me say again: having professors assign essays to analyze current events in the book was excellent. It added a surprising level of depth.

Recommendation: as if you need me to tell you to read this if you have been reading all along.

Moving things along

It's fun to watch politics that don't concern you.

All of the action is between The One World and Disco Central.

Man I love this series.

* a few minor proofreading issues. Nothing terrible.

Fast

Very fast paced. Ties in closely with Cannibal World from the main series.

Paer is the focus, almost exclusively. Few secondary characters have more than a token presence.

Not so much a short story as a mini episode.

The continuing adventures

Ebsa is doing his best to keep everyone alive, including a large number of scientists. Then the dinosaurs become the least of their worries.

Always fun

Pay attention

This is #32 in a long series. Don't start here.

That said, this is an excellent tidbit that is highly reminiscent of two of the best books of the series, "Empire of the One" and "Dancer". A newish minor character and some older cast make the story very enjoyable.

More serial than short story

Most of the series has more of a serial feel. Small groupings of chapters that focus on a few characters. The flying practice was amusing, and the various implications of what happens are staggering.

Empire of the One is a good starting place if you are unfamiliar with the series.

I continue to purchase as soon as they become available...and devour just as quickly.

Great stuff

A bit abrupt with the transition to the ‘final battle’, and the end kind of chops things off quickly, but still the same Empire of the One.

More of a short story than a full novel. Not a stand-alone book, as many off-screen characters and previous events are hinted at.
DO NOT START WITH BOOK SEVEN!!!

I’ve been missing this crew. Ebsa showing deeper depths, Ra’d his usual lethal self.

I will buy the next offering as soon as it’s available.

A bit disorienting at first

So many characters that are little more than names in this novel. It took a while to stabilize on a plot thread I could follow. It’s especially confusing having already read about one major event from a totally different viewpoint.

The ending was solid, though. Really, once the POV characters were reduced to two it got much easier to follow.

I still love this series. And I buy everything Ms Uphoff deigns to release. Can’t wait for the BlackPoint Clan book.

One or two spelling errors; nothing terrible. A few places with confused grammar.

Brisk

It all flows a bit quickly. Not enough time to really develop any of the newer characters.

I buy every bit of the series she releases. I love this universe.

Good, but

I almost wish Pam would settle down and write a full novel. Almost. These tasty morsels barely whet my appetite.

It feels more like a serial than a true short story or novella.

Oh, damn. Now I’m going to go read the whole series again. I don’t have time for that!!!

Another One

More episodic than a true novel. Izzo and Ahja are the stars.

I tend to not give five stars for anything unless it’s truly superlative. I love this universe and the characters, it just gets a bit chaotic at times.

Still buying as soon as it’s released. I pay money to read this series. Best recommendation I know.

Best of the series

Probably the most coherent storyline. This reads very much like a novel. Even the frequent references to events in the previous book don’t detract from solid plotting. Very much the most self-contained book of the series.

Backfill

Tying off a lost thread from way back in book 1 of this series. Also, revisiting some old friends in Montevideo. Quick and straightforward.

This is an amazing series

The early books (1, 2, & 3) are a bit of a mishmash, as they cover a lot of time and actually change worlds. The characters are important and some of them are still around through the whole set.

Book 1 is setting up the whole show. Deep back story explaining how some talented individuals came to be and how they came to be defined as they are.

Book 2 sets up some of the new world and lays foundations that will - after the have been broken up a bit - inform the society and world to come.

Book 3 introduces the new society and world, but it is also setting up the parents of the next generation. That’s where things really start to get interesting.

The *Wine* in the series title doesn’t actually show up until late in book 2...or maybe 3. But the impact it has...wow.

While the series is at 37, many of the entries are short stories of collections of shorts, covering single adventures.

Sometimes it feels more like a serial than a series.

I have and will continue to purchase each release as soon as it comes out.

A tasty morsel

Ra’d is the only truly recurrent character, though others show up in various forms, especially towards the end.

...and now I have to resist re-reading the whole series,...again.

Added dimensions

I actually wanted the survivors to struggle a bit more. They almost had it too easy getting water and a balanced diet.

‘Elected Tyrant’....lol.

This is an alternate world for R’ad and his family. Seeing what a Warrior can do without restraint.

Coming of age

First, this is an interesting look at some second order effects of both Xen’s spying and the genetic abilities for power being unevenly distributed. Fun ideas for civil engineering Cometfall style add a flourish to the fun.

There were a few times when the events of one chapter didn’t precisely match the preceding chapter. Some typos, too. Nothing terrible, just a bit picky on my part.

Definitely part of the ongoing story and not a true standalone novel.

I re-read this series in fits and starts to ‘cleanse my palate’ after reading bad novels from other authors. Something about the multiverse and the writing makes sense to me and inspires my brain.

“Dancer” is the most direct precursor of this novel and an excellent starting point, though “Empire of the One” could be a great entree to the series and is immediately prior to “Dancer”.

I buy every book this author publishes. Best recommendation I can give.