From science fiction to neo-feudal Faerie fantasy, this novel is part adventure story, part thoughtful exploration of characters. The pace is a little uneven at times, but it's quite readable. A number of misfits choose to Exile themselves from the Galactic Milieu, using a one-way gate back to the Pliocene Era on Earth. What they don't know is that modern humans aren't the only strangers who've wound up there. Each of the newcomers handles the unexpected developments differently, some more intelligently than others. Some are also more likeable than others. May weaves a number of stories together, though some are left dangling for later. The first of a series, this is not self-contained, but it ends at a reasonable place. ( )

This was a really difficult book for me to get through. May jumped from location to location, and from person to person in narrating her plot. She's really a fabulous writer, so I don't understand how this book was written by her--it's like suddenly she started writing after drinking quarts of coffee or something. I recommend reading Intervention by her instead. I found it far more enjoyable a read due it's character development, and it's consistent and interesting plot. ( )

A one-way time travel gate to the Pleiocene epoch in Earth's distant path allows malcontents of the Earth's future to make a new beginning in a simpler society. What they find there is unexpected.

I expected to like this book - it has a focus on anthopological and social issues, and lots of geology/Earth sciences, plus I tend to like books set in the distant past. It starts strongly, with some background introducing us to the future Earth lives of each of the group of malcontents who will travel through the portal. This builds up slowly but informatively to their arrival into the Pleiocene epoch, which is also well recounted. There are perhaps a few too many characters to become properly familiar with them, and none of them is especially likeable, though female gladiator Felice is intriguing (until the last part of the book, where her character is wholly represented by her longing for a golden torc). I can't quite put my finger on why, but something in the writing seemed rather smug and affected, but I persevered because the plot was interesting. However, from page 268 onwards into Part III things just get.... naff. This is the part in which the plot speeds up considerably, unfortunately at the expense of plausibility. The song that finishes section II is not a good sign: the author has scored it for SATB in the Appendix, and the language looks like Tolkien's Elven. Sure enough, in Part III things start going increasingly fairy tale, and not in a good or humorous way, in my opinion. Hasty narration doesn't improve matters: some ugly goblin-like creatures challenge former paleobiologist Claude to tell them what they are. He glibly diagnoses them as mutants, tells them to move away from the nasty irradiated rocks, become more sociable with the more normal members of their race & to seek a geneticist. I think my response would be to rip his head off, but they seem to take it in their stride and be quite grateful for the advice.

I won't be bothering with the sequels. ( )

The invention of a limited use time travel device allows some of the pressure to be taken off Galactic Milieu society, as misfits, rogues, adventurers and criminals have somewhere to go, other than the safe, structured worlds of the Milieu.

We follow the eight person strong Group Green as this journey back in time and are soon shocked to discover that the past is ruled by a alien race, the Tanu, who all have metaspychic abilities, and are fighting an ages old enemy. They recruit and use humans for labor and for breeding which they are having considerable problems with due to genetic radiation damage.

Each of the eight people deal with this differently, and eventually come into their personality roles. Operant humans are not supposed to go through the time gate, but not all of Group Green are metapsychially powerless.

Another surprise is that the Tanu have technology that activates latent metapsychic abilities, and use this as a carrot to get some of the humans to work with them.

http://superprose.blogspot.com/2006/12/galactic-milieu-many-coloured-land.html ( )

The invention of a limited use time travel device allows some of the pressure to be taken off Galactic Milieu society, as misfits, rogues, adventurers and criminals have somewhere to go, other than the safe, structured worlds of the Milieu.

We follow the eight person strong Group Green as this journey back in time and are soon shocked to discover that the past is ruled by a alien race, the Tanu, who all have metaspychic abilities, and are fighting an ages old enemy. They recruit and use humans for labor and for breeding which they are having considerable problems with due to genetic radiation damage.

Each of the eight people deal with this differently, and eventually come into their personality roles. Operant humans are not supposed to go through the time gate, but not all of Group Green are metapsychially powerless.

Another surprise is that the Tanu have technology that activates latent metapsychic abilities, and use this as a carrot to get some of the humans to work with them.

http://superprose.blogspot.com/2006/12/galactic-milieu-many-coloured-land.html ( )