No Present Like Time
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Book Details
Written by Steph Swainston.
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Editorial Review (from Amazon.com)
Another year in mankind's war for survival against the insects. God is still on holiday, the Emperor still leads and his cadre of immortals are still quarreling amongst themselves. It is known that the insects are reaching the Fourlands from the Shift but now mankind just has to do something about it. And in the meantime attention shifts to new lands and a naval expedition is launched. And Jant, the Emperor's drug-addicted winged messenger is expected to join it. Just perfect for a man terrified of ships and the sea. Steph Swainston's trilogy is building to be a landmark of modern fantasy. This is a wildly imaginative, witty yet profound fantasy, peopled with bizarre yet real characters.User Reviews (1) Login or create an account to write a review.
Fence thinks this book is Good.
I really enjoyed the first in this ‘verse, The Year of Our War, and while I didn’t like this one quite as much is still makes for a great read. Our hero, once again, is Jant. A member of the immortal Circle, dedicated to serving the Emperor San and the Fourlands, protecting them. Five years have passed without attack from the Insects, and Jant is clean. Although still a drug addict. And with his wife’s affairs, and San’s orders that he, phobic about the sea as he is, is to be sent on a mission across the ocean, well, lets just say that the call of escape and drugs is getting harder to ignore.
Jant is the main attraction in reading this book, his character is so perfectly written you’ll have no problem believing in him. Some other aspects do suffer a little. As the only being with the ability to fly, you’d think he might revel in it. And he does, but this isn’t conveyed very well. There is no sense of delight, or wonder in his flight. Actually, this sort of writting is absent as regards other emotions too. And that is possibly why it didn’t grip me the way the first book did.
Still, worth a read, and I love the cover art too. But I do like my simplicity in book design.