Mountain of Black Glass (Otherland: 3)

by Tad Williams
(1999 | 689 p)

In "Mountain of Black Glass," book three in Tad Williams' "Otherland" tetrology, the sci-fi saga continues.

An overly simplified summation of a very complicated plot:
Children around the world are being lost to unexplained comas, including Renie Sulaweyo's baby brother, Stephen. Researching Stephen's condition leads Renie to the Otherland, a massively complex virtual reality network. Its architects? A secretive group who refer to themselves as the Grail Brotherhood. In an attempt to save Stephen, Renie and her friend, !Xabbu, find a way into this exclusive network. Once there they discover others who are on similar quests. But in an even more nightmarish twist our adventurers soon learn that they are stuck on the network – and although the environments are simulated, the dangers are all too real.

Which brings us to book three:
Renie, Orlando, Jonas and their companions are still adrift in the seemingly endless simulations that compose the Otherland. The members of this mismatched group, fractured early on in the series, are braving many obstacles as they try to find their lost friends. During the course of their misadventures each are summoned to "Priam's Walls" by a mysterious woman who is somehow part of the system in which they're trapped. In their quest to reunite the group and reach their destination they encounter a re-created Ancient Egypt that is alive with warring gods, an entire world that exists in a giant house, and even Homeric Troy. Will our heroes be strong enough to survive and make a stand against the Brotherhood?

My take:
I absolutely love complex world building and juicy make believe. Tad Williams gives me all of that and then some. I will admit to being slightly bogged down about halfway through this tome. There are so many characters and plot lines that my brain needed a breather. But once I came back to it I was instantly hooked again. This tetrology is for those who love epic science fiction* and revel in richly detailed narration. If you prefer a short and sweet novella don't touch this series with a 10-foot pole. You've been warned.

*Is epic science fiction a genre? If not, it should be.