This is one of those times that a sequel to an amazing book isn’t just as good, but far surpasses it. Farmer takes the world he set up in the first Riverworld book and takes the idea of a few select resurrected members of humanity trying to uncover the secrets of how and why they were resurrected. This centers around Samuel Clemens obsession of building a grand riverboat to take them to the headwaters.
Clemens is an amazing main character. He is so neurotic and filled with so much guilt and self doubts that he creates his own antagonists as time goes by, seemingly creating plot after plot. I don’t know how to to history this interpretation of him is but as a character in a book he is amazing. There are times where you feel sympathy for him, hatred, and frustration at how he self sabotages himself.
His loyal friend and body guard, the Titanthrop Joe Miller steals the show in every scene he’s in, so much so that one of the few complaints I’d ever muster of this book is that the second half uses him less and less for little apparent reason.
And of course there is the main antagonist, King John. Again, I’m not sure how true to history his portrayal here is but Farmer makes him out to be such a devious backstabbing bastard that it’s hard not to adore him as Clemens main antagonist.Show more
Review by Holden Attradies on Goodreads
Jim Says…
I loved the Riverwold series. It gripped me from page one onwards
My rating is 75/100
