Reviews for The Shades of Time and Memory (Wraeththu Histories Series #2)

The average rating for The Shades of Time and Memory (Wraeththu Histories Series #2) based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-11-02 00:00:00 Steve Bowman I loved parts of this story, but it's got a higher angst level than other Wraeththu books Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS. Rating: 9/10 PROS: - The characters in these later books (the Histories) seem more personable to me than many of the characters in the original Wraeththu trilogy. Their reactions are more humanlike and less removed, less controlled. Even the older characters who were present in the original books seem less distant in these volumes. - Constantine's writing is amazing: not only is her characterization deep, but her descriptions of physical settings and abstract, metaphysical ideas are lyrical and captivating. - One of my favorite aspects of the Wraeththu series is the romantic relationships that emerge, and I was delighted by several of the pairings that occur in this book. One character in particular has been present since the first book and finally finds his chesnari (partner/soul mate) in this book. - With each new Wraeththu volume I read, I find it incredibly interesting to see how much further Constantine develops the story--how the new characters turn out (especially when they're the children of existing characters), what new plot developments will happen, how everything ties into the original stories, etc. - The author includes explanations of essential events from the earlier books when such information is necessary to keep new readers from getting confused. I thought her inclusion of these explanations was less intrusive in this volume than in the first Histories book, The Wraiths of Will and Pleasure. CONS: - One of my least favorite features of the original series is present in this book also. Two of the characters who have been through hell and back and are finally united at the end of the original trilogy are once again separated for the majority of this book. Not just separated physically, either: throughout this story, each of them doubts repeatedly whether the other is still in love with him. Angst is much more prevalent in this book than previous ones. - Sometimes it's hard to see how all of the disparate storylines fit together, and I found it difficult to get through certain chapters because I simply wasn't as interested in the characters in them as I was in the characters of other chapters. Overall comments: I adore this series. The world Constantine has created becomes grander and more beautiful with each additional volume, and she continues to add multi-layered characters at such a rate that I've reached a point where I'm starting to have a hard time keeping track of everyone. I didn't wholeheartedly enjoy reading the parts of this story in which the characters are so emotionally miserable, but it ends well, and I'm now looking forward to reading the final installment.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-09-01 00:00:00 James Kearns I don't know what else to say but that I love Constantine's Wraeththu world! I only started reading them a few years ago, so am "behind", which is why I just got to this one. It was wonderful to dive back into the world created here, and I loved the characters anew in this episode. The world is so unique that I loved every minute of reading about it! As always, these books are dense and take a while to read, but it's more than worth the journey!