The Sword and Laser discussion

So, it isn't much of a spoiler, all things considered, but (view spoiler)[Orquidea Divina dies (hide spoiler)]. This happens long before we have any reason to sympathize with them at all. Most of their story occurs long after this (page-wise) because the author decides to mash-up the past with the present. This means that the author can keep the tension of just who the bad guy is until right about the end of the book. I suppose this adds some tension to the book. But I think it also robs the emotion from what is the central event of the book. So would it be a better story if it was told more linearly?

I thought the story was wonderful told as it was.

I didn't mind the jumping around in time. I think the author handled it very well. I was engaged with the story until the very end. I ended up sympathizing with all the characters.

So maybe my problem was that I was disappointed with the ending rather than the way the story was told? I think that maybe as the atmospheric sense of mystery dissipated the book got weaker, and most of that happened in the "present" timeline. I dunno, I'm probably just searching for the reason that I felt a little unsatisfied at the end.

The jumping around was confusing for me at first since I listened to it on Audible. Once I realized what was happening, I got used to it and ended up enjoying the book.

I didn't mind it too much for this story, though jumping around can often be confusing. It was an interesting way to slowly reveal who Orquidea was & where she came from while her family was searching for clues.

I don’t mind the non-linearity, I’m just a bit confused by the huge cast of characters- it’s hard to keep everyone straight! Listening to the audiobook makes it harder to keep track as you can’t easily flip back and forth to remind yourself who someone is.

I liked the time jumping aspect of the book. Sometimes the story just seemed uneven. Too much detail and then not enough. I have an issue with all things circus related. Bad circus experience as a small child. So when that part of the story started, I had to push through. Overall, an enjoyable read for me but not sure if I would read another from this author. Would depend on the subject.

The jumping around was a low point for me in what was a good story. The large cast of family members was difficult to keep track of but wasn't unexpected.

I guess I'm in a minority here. To me the story was linear, that is, events were revealed as the story developed. It's just that the timeframe in which they were set changed as necessary. I didn't have any trouble following it.

I got confused by some of the minor characters, but there was plenty to go on. For instance going to see some of them open for a music act in one scene, then discussion of their music career in another.

Ruth wrote: "I don’t mind the non-linearity, I’m just a bit confused by the huge cast of characters- it’s hard to keep everyone straight! Listening to the audiobook makes it harder to keep track as you can’t ea..."

Yeah the characters of the children of five marriages plus their children plus her original family,.so many of them didn't matter in the end but not knowing that, it was hard to have so many thrown at me.

There is a family tree in the eBook.

Zoraida Córdova has put it up on her website,

https://zoraidacordova.com/books/the-...

It's in the print book. But when I'm encountering people in a narrative I'm probably not going to stop and compare it to a family tree.

Having managed (barely) to sort out the twisty timeline in The Light Brigade, the one here was pretty easy. But so many characters showing up at once did slow me down.

Tassie Dave wrote: "There is a family tree in the eBook.

Zoraida Córdova has put it up on her website,

https://zoraidacordova.com/books/the-..."

Well, shoot! This would have been really helpful! Oh well...

Seth wrote: "So maybe my problem was that I was disappointed with the ending rather than the way the story was told? I think that maybe as the atmospheric sense of mystery dissipated the book got weaker, and mo..."

I wasn’t as crazy about the ending, either, but I think if it had been told linearly then that would’ve telegraphed both who the villain was and how the conflict would resolve. The skipping back and forth in time helped disguise those things.