Readalong - Novels of the Change 2.1

Cover art by: Johnathan Barkat Photoshop Credit: Stephen Fischer

     After a bit of a break we have finally finished Against the Tide of Years.  In this post we will be discussing the entire book, as opposed to half like we did with Island in the Sea of Time which means we are now 2/15 of the way through our Novels of the Change reread/ readalong (although there is a new novel coming out in September 2016 which will change our goal to 16; here’s the link to the new book on Amazon) If you missed the previous discussions you can find them here (1.1) and here (1.2); and the description of the project here.   

    I did not enjoy Against the Tide of Years as much as I loved Island in the Sea of Time.  Part of what I loved about Island in the Sea of Time was the description of how the Islanders adapted to being in the past.  Against the Tide of Years starts 8 years later and by now the Islanders have pretty much figured out how to survive and are exploring their world.  I did feel that this second novel in the series spreads itself way too thin.  There are multiple story lines going on.  Many groups of people are doing different things.  It did get a bit confusing at times.  I also feel that this novel was all about war, war and more war.  We did not get to see into the characters lives nearly as much as we did in Island in the Sea of Time.  It’s still interesting, seeing the characters developing their fledgling nation.

Marian and Swindapa’s family is adorable.  They are by far my favorite characters.  Alice Hong is the most evil character in the entire novel.  Seriously, she frightens me.  I’m still greatly enjoying the historical aspect of these novels.  Reading about historical events and wondering what changes will occur because of the Islanders, and Walkers, influence is fascinating.

Discussion Questions: (If you are reading along and want to join the discussion feel free to answer these questions, or pose your own questions, in the comments.)

BookGirlR revealed her favorite (and the scariest) characters .  Who are your favorite characters from this novel and why?

What was your favorite part of Against the Tide of Years?  Why?

As we move ahead into the final novel of the Nantucket series what are you hoping to see happen? 

** Join us Saturday  7/23 for a discussion of chapters 1-14 of On the Oceans of Eternity, and remember for more regular updates on BookGirlR’s reading progress follow us on twitter @bookgirlr **