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The Broken Universe (2012)

by Paul Melko(Favorite Author)

3.62 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1429946601 (ISBN13: 9781429946605)

languge

English

genre

Science Fiction

publisher

Tor Books

series

Universe

review 1: Loved it! Just finished it last night and although it didn't have the ending I'd expected, it had a very satisfying conclusion and I was not disappointed. Yes, this is a sequel, and overall I'd really recommend reading the Walls of the Universe first. It is NOT essential to reading this one. But ... it would be helpful.Melko did a remarkable job of populating a book with multiples of the same characters (about 5 or more Johns, Caseys, etc.). One reason they do NOT becoming confusing is because there are really only John Farmboy and John Prime as the main characters. And although there are multiple other Johns, they blend like a backdrop. The same for the other multiples: only a couple of them become major players. So don't be put-off by that idea.The book does develop the... more first half with one adversary and purpose and then grows into greater challenges in the second half. This is not a problem to me (as it was to one reviewer) but shows the growth of the story's entire concept. It created a stronger novel feel by the author recognizing and exhibiting the next level of dangers for this young group of travelers. A thrilling ride through multiple universes!
review 2: Broken Universe is the sequel to alternate universe novel The Walls of the Universe. In The Walls, Farmboy John’s doppelganger (himself, from an alternate universe; John Prime), gave him a device that would allow him to move from one alternate universe to another (the universes being identical but for different decisions made, with small or large consequences), but wouldn’t allow him to move back, including to his home. The Walls ended with Farmboy John figuring out how to build a gate of his own to allow backward travel between the universes. Farmboy John, Grace, Henry, and their doppelgangers begin to use the device and its replicas to begin building a cross-universe business empire. Complications predictably ensue.I can’t exactly say that Broken Universe picks up where The Walls of the Universe drops off, because it changes the last scene of The Walls, without explanation and without need. Presumably it was done to inject some oomph into Broken’s open, but it was jarring to read directly after finishing The Walls. It’s also just lazy writing; Melko could have easily created the desired emotion without rewriting his earlier work. This is, unfortunately, a significant complaint for Broken. Plot, logic, and scientific holes abound.The first half of Broken is, like the middle third of The Walls, heavy on the nuts-and-bolts of cross-universe business. I think I enjoyed it more than most in The Walls, given my general interest in business and in entrepreneurship in particular, and it continues to raise interesting questions (Is there anything wrong with stealing an idea from one universe and making money off of it in another? After all, they’re creating value in the new universe by giving them something they presumable want and would not otherwise have, and they’re doing it using technology only they have.), but much of the suspense of The Walls is lacking. When antagonists arrive offering threats to more than their business interests, they’re somewhat disappointing. On the other hand, the action sequences in the second half of the book are pretty good, and Melko doesn’t pull any punches.I would recommend Broken to anyone who thoroughly enjoyed The Walls. If you finished The Walls unsure whether you wanted to continue, you can probably live without Broken. Melko does answer a lot of the questions left from The Walls, albeit not all, and there is no obvious sequel hook. He also explores a lot of the themes of The Walls and implications of alternate universes in greater depth.Disclosure: I won an ARC of Broken Universes through a Tor.com sweepstakes. less

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