Editorials
Publishers Weekly
In the sequel to Timeweb(2006), bestseller Herbert (Sandworms of Dune) offers readers a space opera where interstellar travel is mostly embargoed and characters spend over a third of the book in solitary self-reflection. When the alien Parvii cut two empires off from the podship networks, the Parvii derail a war between humankind and the shape-shifting Mutati and forcibly separate many members of Herbert's large cast. Frequent viewpoint shifts and lengthy stretches of internal monologue make character development all but impossible. Neither guerrilla mystic Noah Watanabe nor his nemesis, Doge Lorenzo, are more than cartoon archetypes, and hardly anyone else has enough time onstage to acquire much depth. The short chapters also create an odd tonal dissonance, with heavy-handed philosophical musing regularly interrupted by crisp plot newsbreaks. Pacing improves somewhat in the book's second half (a grisly torture sequence marks the turning point), but in the end, ideas are spread too thin and most characters drawn too broadly to lift the novel above pulp-era comic strip quality. (Dec.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationLibrary Journal
In the distant future, the Timeweb connects solar systems, stars, and other celestial objects through a delicate infrastructure of space and time, allowing for faster-than-light travel and communication among the many races inhabiting the known worlds. But as this web begins to disintegrate, the Human Empire finds itself at war with the Mutati shapeshifters, supposedly capable of using their doomsday weapon against their enemies. Noah Watanabe, a galactic ecologist with the paranormal ability to journey through the universe, undertakes a dangerous mission to prevent a third coalition force from destroying both empires and conquering what remains. The son of the late Frank Herbert ("Dune" series) establishes himself as an expert storyteller in his own right as he continues this sf saga of war and heroism. Believable alien and human characters and a vividly imagined far future make this a good addition to any sf collection, along with its predecessor, Timeweb.
—Jackie Cassada