2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heading Into a Good Direction, January 4, 2011
Unlike the first book the Terra Incognita part two ends very abruptly. This isn't a bad thing but makes waiting till the third book release very painful! If your reading this review I will assume you've read the edge of the world and will not be spoiling much! This book starts off 6 years after the events of the first book. If you haven't read the first book in a while no worries Kevin J. Anderson has a nice recap of what has taken place prior to. Look forward to seeing many of the characters returning and playing a bigger role in this book such Criston, aldo and some that you may think are long gone..... The book is filled with sea monsters and epic battles while the war between Terra and Uraba keep escalating bigger and bigger. If your dieing for more sea exploration this book does a great job taking you into even more magical places that even posses more wonder than the skeleton island! The plot is thickening, secrets and starting to spill, and the Gods may be more than a story! This was a fast fun read and I would recommend it to any person looking for a great adventure book! May The Compass Guide You!
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4.0 out of 5 stars
UNLIKE MANY OTHERS - I ENJOYED THIS ONE, July 20, 2011
I almost didn't continue the series because of many of the poor reviews. But I was having difficulty finding something to read, so I said what the heck (well that's not quite exctly what I said, but you get the idea). I admit much of the "magic", "sorcery" and Sea Monsters are a bit over the top, and yes it's a bit predictable - but if you can take it in stride the book is worth the read. Don't be too critical.
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11 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing, June 26, 2010
The second book in Anderson's fantasy trilogy abnegates many of the features that made the concept and execution in the first book interesting, even compelling.
(1) The two religions competing over Ishalem are almost expressly equated to christianity and islam, quite removing the interesting possibility, so well sustained in "Edge of the World", that they are protestantism and catholicism. The allusions to political intrigue that alone reflect the church of Rome are too heavy-handed to be interesting.
(2) The very subtle elements of fantasy in the first volume are strengthened: sea monsters, aquatic ex-humans, magical spells all play an unnecessarily strong role.
(3) The continuing characters lose most of their complexity and conflicting motivations, intentions, and actions. They become parodies of their earlier selves.
To be fair, perhaps all this is quite intentional, because Anderson's world has entered a dark and unsubtle period. But even if so, the third book will either end in light -- the stronger presumption -- thus even less subtly than what we have had so far; or, if not, it will be a total waste of fantasy, since our own world as it is is quite dystopian enough not to require fantastic treatment.
But the second volume is disappointing enough that when the end comes, it's all too likely I won't bother to read it.
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