Parts I absolutely loved but too many parts that were beyond me and way too difficult to understand. Interesting characters though. I would probably try the sequel. ( )

At the beginning, I really thought I was going to enjoy this book. Sure, it was self-referential, name-dropping the Matrix, Sliders, Men in Black, etc., which seemed to be a forecast that the reader could expect some similarities to those works. Will this be too much of a copy, I worried. I needn't have. Because in those stories, something happens. In this book, well... The main character is August, who discovers that there are multiple universes besides his own and that he belongs to a family of people who are, dum-dum-duh! Players in the Contest of Worlds! And then, for the next 200 pages or so--I admit I only made it to 216 out of 328 pages; this is the only book in years that I have not felt like finishing--August does a whole bunch of nothing. His family constantly hints about the Contest and their roles in it, with frustrating frequency, but never quite actually share anything substantial.

For all its modern science and references, the dialogue and plot remind me of some of the more over-the-top cheesy drama of E.E. "Doc" Smith or early Heinlein. Sort of golly-gee chauvinism, with people falling in love (and bed) at first sight, big man protecting little woman who is actually a rocket scientist, but she kind of likes it when he acts like that... You get the picture.

The Contest of Worlds bit, from what I gleaned of it, reminds me much of Moorcock's multiversal war that is clearest in his Blood/Fabulous Harbors/The War Amongst the Angels trilogy. But unlike in those books, where we witness the war between factions that runs throughout the multiverse, in this book people mostly just talk about it.

Bottom line: This book was not my cup of tea. If you enjoy pages filled with what sounds like cutting-edge physics and philosophy, this book might fit your tastes. For me, I need a little more action and a little less 30's-era attitudes with my sci-fi philosophy. Maybe I should watch the Matrix again.... ( )