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What Made Me Read It It's the sequel to book #1 "Paradox - On the Brink of Eternity". Even though the first book was disappointing and hard to read, the shocking cliffhanger (the death of the entire crew of the Helios and the start of a nuclear war between the US and China) had me curious enough to know how the author would pull it off.
The Not So Good "Paradox 2 - Beyond Eternity" was a struggle to read from start to finish and only the need to know how the characters survived their impossible predicament made me go through with it. The novel feels more like a very long essay on cosmology, physics and quantum theories with an almost non-existent plot to smooth it out. The first couple of chapters were promising, with the characters dealing with their unexpected resurrection and the enormity of their current situation, millions of years away from home in both space and time. But as soon as the new mission for the artificial intelligence network begins, the story drags considerably almost to the point of practically standing still, with chapter after chapter where the characters do nothing but stare out the window at empty space, discussing every conceivable theory ever developed on the creation of the universe. 85% of the book just went way over my head and I found myself frequently skipping whole paragraphs.
As for the characters, Grace and Wendy once again lack any kind of development and are little more than background wallpaper and sexual innuendo for their male counterparts. Ed and David take center stage but with Ed only capable of communicating through screams and curses, while David has turned into a know-it-all whose only function is to spit out all the scientific jargon in existence.
Final Rating "Paradox 2 - Beyond Eternity" is a hard science fiction novel with an overabundance of technical terms and scientific theories. Recommended for those with an interest in theoretical cosmology and quantum physics. ( )
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The Not So Good "Paradox 2 - Beyond Eternity" was a struggle to read from start to finish and only the need to know how the characters survived their impossible predicament made me go through with it. The novel feels more like a very long essay on cosmology, physics and quantum theories with an almost non-existent plot to smooth it out. The first couple of chapters were promising, with the characters dealing with their unexpected resurrection and the enormity of their current situation, millions of years away from home in both space and time. But as soon as the new mission for the artificial intelligence network begins, the story drags considerably almost to the point of practically standing still, with chapter after chapter where the characters do nothing but stare out the window at empty space, discussing every conceivable theory ever developed on the creation of the universe. 85% of the book just went way over my head and I found myself frequently skipping whole paragraphs.
As for the characters, Grace and Wendy once again lack any kind of development and are little more than background wallpaper and sexual innuendo for their male counterparts. Ed and David take center stage but with Ed only capable of communicating through screams and curses, while David has turned into a know-it-all whose only function is to spit out all the scientific jargon in existence.
Overall, a very dissatisfying and difficult read.
Read the full review on: https://literaryportals.blogspot.com/2019/01/book-review-paradox-2-beyond-eterni....
Final Rating "Paradox 2 - Beyond Eternity" is a hard science fiction novel with an overabundance of technical terms and scientific theories. Recommended for those with an interest in theoretical cosmology and quantum physics. (