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Kage Baker, The Children of the Company
Tor (2005) ISBN: 0-765-31455-X
Score: -2
Sixth Company book; a fixup of several short stories (six were published earlier, but were not included in Black Projects, White Knights). It is structurally flawed (I want to know who put pages 221-222 in part 3 instead of part 2 where they obviously belong), and reads like, well, a bunch of stories thrown together with an attempt at a framing story (Labienus reviewing his files and reminiscing). Part of me wonders, "Is this book consistent with the previous books?" and another part of me asks, "Do I really want to know the answer to that question?"
The book is divided into four parts, each (except the second) labeled with the date of the framing story, not the actual events. Like BP,WK, we see several examples of the Company in action, and like Graveyard Game, we learn a bunch of secret stuff that may or may not be important in later books. I stand by my advice to skip the short stories and even numbered books in this series (though Sky Coyote was good, it's still not essential).
Since the book doesn't include a table of contents (or even number the chapters), I'll do that myself:
Part 1: 1863
Man of Shadows, p. 11
Victor the Poisoner, p. 45
Lost Boys, p. 109
Part 2: 1906
Son Observe the Time, p. 159
Part 3: 1906-2100
The Angel of the Bottomless Deep, p. 221
Part 4: 2225
Father of Pestilence, p. 255
Messis Vero Consummatio Saeculi Est, p. 260
Epilogue, p. 292
Short stories previously published:
"Son Observe the Time"
"The Fourth Branch"
"The Queen in the Hill"
"Black Smoke"
"The Young Master"
"The Applesauce Monster"
"Son" is probably included unaltered, and "Applesauce" is the last chapter, "Messis". Not sure about the others, but I guess "Queen" is the first part of "Victor" and "Fourth" is the last part. The middle part (the bit actually with Victor) may have been included with either or be original to this book. "Black" is likely "Angel", and "Young" might be the first part of "Lost".
Next Book: Martha Wells, The Gate of Gods
Tor (2005) ISBN: 0-765-31455-X
Score: -2
Sixth Company book; a fixup of several short stories (six were published earlier, but were not included in Black Projects, White Knights). It is structurally flawed (I want to know who put pages 221-222 in part 3 instead of part 2 where they obviously belong), and reads like, well, a bunch of stories thrown together with an attempt at a framing story (Labienus reviewing his files and reminiscing). Part of me wonders, "Is this book consistent with the previous books?" and another part of me asks, "Do I really want to know the answer to that question?"
The book is divided into four parts, each (except the second) labeled with the date of the framing story, not the actual events. Like BP,WK, we see several examples of the Company in action, and like Graveyard Game, we learn a bunch of secret stuff that may or may not be important in later books. I stand by my advice to skip the short stories and even numbered books in this series (though Sky Coyote was good, it's still not essential).
Since the book doesn't include a table of contents (or even number the chapters), I'll do that myself:
Part 1: 1863
Man of Shadows, p. 11
Victor the Poisoner, p. 45
Lost Boys, p. 109
Part 2: 1906
Son Observe the Time, p. 159
Part 3: 1906-2100
The Angel of the Bottomless Deep, p. 221
Part 4: 2225
Father of Pestilence, p. 255
Messis Vero Consummatio Saeculi Est, p. 260
Epilogue, p. 292
Short stories previously published:
"Son Observe the Time"
"The Fourth Branch"
"The Queen in the Hill"
"Black Smoke"
"The Young Master"
"The Applesauce Monster"
"Son" is probably included unaltered, and "Applesauce" is the last chapter, "Messis". Not sure about the others, but I guess "Queen" is the first part of "Victor" and "Fourth" is the last part. The middle part (the bit actually with Victor) may have been included with either or be original to this book. "Black" is likely "Angel", and "Young" might be the first part of "Lost".
Next Book: Martha Wells, The Gate of Gods