Customer Reviews

Timeweb (Five Star Science Fiction & Fantasy) (Bk. 1)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I really thought this book was pretty good. That is until I reread Dune (written by the author's father), I thought back to the Foundation Series (Issac Asimov, read them twice!) and then I decided Timeweb was just okay. There are SO many great ideas present in this book, Herbert has quite the web of a story, but it just seems like it was lacking in some way. Maybe I've become a science fiction snob, but Dune is such a masterpiece, it just makes Timeweb pale in comparison. Brian Herbert has a lot to live up to...
I think this book would be great for readers just beginning their venture in science fiction. There are intriguing characters, good story lines, fantastic ideas, and good old space drama. I love the idea of the timeweb, and these creatures that travel the web that have been there since the beginning of time. Some of the characters and details seem extraneous, but maybe I just haven't seen the full potential of these things, and that will come in the later books. Time will tell...
So, if you are into science fiction, you will probably enjoy this book. But after you do (or before), read Dune. And then read it again. Then read some Asimov. After that a person realizes how small they are in this universe....

The son of the mighty frank herbert has now proved without a shadow of doubt, his ability to spin an epic galactic tale not set in the Dune universe.
The galaxy of TIMEWEB has a multitude of alien species- mutati shapeshifters(who are at war with the Merchant Prince Alliance-human worlds), reptilian and mini humans that vy for control over sentient creatures known as podships, industrial ingineuists hibbil and adurians are but a few wonderfully conceived races from this book.

The Good
+ Creative use of alien species
+ Strong galactic eco philosophy without being too preachy
+ I like the use of quotes before chapters that put things into context or just make a point
+ Plenty of galactic intrigue
+ Well written(I have no idea what the previous reviewers are talking about)story flows rapidly with compact chapters that give multiple perspectives without jumping around too much.

The "Bad"
-Ending feels like it ran out of steam too fast
-having to wait a full year for the sequel(I sincerley hope that brian does not limit this to a trilogy!)
Bottom line,
This is Exceptionally great space opera

About half of this book was all I could take. Maybe it gets a lot better in the second half, but I don't have the patience to find out. Bad, exaggerated characters; repetitive narration; dull plot; potentially exciting plot elements breezed over with hardly a mention.

The review title really says it all -- and the quick product description nails it. The writing is leaden, the characters (and even the species) cliched, the plot uninteresting...

One can write good space opera without hard scifi -- just look at the Deathstalker books, which are campy and operatic and entertaining without being dull to the point of highlighting every ridiculous premise -- but it's a bit of a razor's edge. I'm afraid that Herbert and Timeweb just straddle that razor.

Note - I couldn't finish the book.

The good thing about this book is that there are some good ideas. However, I am a third of the way through the book and I don't know if I have the stamina to finish it. The story is set in a society that tries to emulate the complexity of Dune, and, to a certain extent, succeeds. However, it is let down by a writing style which veers from childish to just plain tedious. There are an awful lot of chapters where nothing much happens, except someone sits around or (wow, excitement) goes from one poorly described place to another while the author, at unnecessary length, gives us some background information that, from a better writer, would emerge from the action.

If I were to judge it by the writing alone, it would have no stars, but the two stars are for the ideas. If this were the author's first book, it might be understandable, and I would say watch out for future ones when he might have more experience, more maturity and learned how to write. However, Mr Herbert has written several others, although all or most are collaborations with other authors. I do hope Mr Herbert does learn since I suspect he has it in him to be an interesting writer.

This is one of those books that makes you wonder whether the editor and the publisher were asleep when they let it out on the unsuspecting world. A good editor might just have been able to rescue it.

And this is only the first in a trilogy. Help!

Thousands of years into the future, mankind has colonized many worlds in several galaxies while also making contact with many other sentient races; some of which have become allies and others enemies. Humanity's most dangerous foe is the shapeshifting Mutati, whose objective is to eradicate mankind at least in their galaxy

The Merchant Prince Alliance led by Doge Lorenzo del Vello rules humanity. He and his brass have no compunctions over destroying whole worlds and extinguishing species since business trumps environment at all times. A smaller ecological counter movement the Guardians has formed led by founder Noah Watanbe trying to save the environment of abused orbs. As the TIMEWEB connective tissue keeps the universe together unravels, one of the oldest and wisest souls in the galaxy, reptilian Tulyam Eshaz wonders whether Noah is the savior prophesized by his ancestors. Given time Tulyam might prove his assertion correct, but the Mutati have weapons of mass destruction they plan to use and the Mutati is planning to devastate another sector leaving Noah with no wiggle room.

In Brian Herbert's universe, many diverse intelligent races populate space with some still remaining hidden from humans for differing reasons. The protagonist is a charismatic caring leader who wins the admiration of his followers and even that of Tulyan who has seen so many over the ages return to dust. Humana's power structure is based on Italy's mercantile city-states of the renaissance where political intrigue and sexual debauchery is the norm and the lives of the less fortunate are considered expendable. The leader of the Mutati is a power mad despot making him a dictator with an anti-human cause (to hold power). TIMEWEB will remind the audience of Star Wars on even a bigger scale.

Harriet Klausner

The Story is some what cryptic in nature. There are several story lines being introduced without giving you the opportunity to really get to know any of the stories main characters well at all. The storyline has alot of potential. I hope that in the following books he takes the time to expand more on the main characters and their roles in the overall story. I must say though that I have enjoyed the book but my expectations are not quite being met.

I've read most science fiction authors, and I must say, this one is better written than many. Reminds me of Asimov in style. Not always fully formed, but intriguing none the less, and the actual story was very interesting. I did not find it at all similar to his father's writing -- some of which was very bad, and some of which was exceptional. He's developing his own voice, and that is good, considering he spent so much time emulating his father's stories. I like this universe. A few flaws here and there, but I have found that in many good books. I'd like to see this storyline continue, though I can see it fizzling out if he doesn't lay out the story just right. We'll see. Overall very good. I think the one star people wanted him to be his father -- who wrote some tripe in his time, but also wrote exceptional sci-fi. I feel bad about that. He did well, in his own style.

At first glance, this might appear to be a throwback to science fiction's so-called "Golden Age," when the men were heroic, the women were helpless, and the aliens were hideous. It's actually something far more clever, using most aspects of the old style, but adding the moral complexity and shades of gray that the modern reader desires. As with the works it emulates, the word choice and sentence structure can be awkward and unpolished, but credit must be given for an innovative approach to exposition, and the main character could be discussed in a writing class under "How to create a powerful main character without making a Marty Stu." If only the sequels were better . . .

I had hoped that Herbert as a solo writer would make me forget the atrocity his work with Anderson is. I am afraid there is a very good reason why I dislike the work of those two wanna-be writers. They BOTH can't write! This book was again a waste of money and time. Do ... not ... buy!!!