Otherland Vol. 4- Sea of Silver Light

Tad Williams

Average Rating 5/10 (1 Review)

Otherland is a realm of the imagination where anything can happen, a triumph of technology, an infinite carnival of delights both subtle and vile...

Otherland is owned and controlled by a secret cartel,The Grail Brotherhood. And the sinister Brotherhood's motives in funding and developing this electronic wonderland are not at all straightforward.

So when a small band of adventurers penetrated Otherland's defences the Brotherhood moved swiftly to destroy them.

Fleeing through woven realities, the adventurers escaped the City of Golden Shadow, crossed the River of Blue Fire and found true answers at the Mountain of Black Glass.

And they survived - just.

But now, as Otherland prepares to execute its terrible purpose, the deadly hunt closes in. Desperate and afraid, the adventurers struggle to avert the coming disaster and to reach safety in the Sea of Silver Light - but the Brotherhood is waiting...

In the Otherland series, Tad Williams' extraordinary imagination and storytelling skills have combined to create a rich, powerful and utterly compelling tale. It is one of the most remarkable works in the history of genre fiction.

Review by Chrissi (310801) Rating (5/10)

Review by Chrissi
Rating 5/10
Well, when Nigel told me that this had come out, I had this sinking feeling, thinking that I have to read it as I've struggled my way through the first three volumes, so I really should finish the series.

Well, the characters are still wandering around but now the system is under the control of Dread, and Jongleur is travelling with Renie and !Xabbu. The alliance is uneasy and relies on mutual defence, but tensions are very evident, and Jongleur is not giving up any of his secrets. Olga, the ex-children's entertainer becomes a greater character in this story, investigating Jongleur's empire from the outside, at the behest of the voices of the children. She travels to the corporate headquarters to try to find out what is drawing her there, assisted by Sellars and Ramsey, now in hiding with the Sorenson family. It all muddles along until the last 200 pages, when it finally comes together.

Unfortunately this is too late to redeem the series, as good as the last pages are, they do not make up for the preceding 3,500 pages of tedium.

The ending is good, it really is, and perhaps some people may really enjoy it, but overall it just depressed me and made me annoyed. It is a fairly accurate barometer that when I read a book I normally have it with me everywhere (in a padded bag, just for protection, you know...). But every day that I read Tad Williams Otherland series, I bought a newspaper to read with my lunch, rather than read the book. Says it all really...
Chrissi (31st July 2001)