Content here is by Michael Still, mikal@stillhq.com.
This book focuses on bad popes from the middle ages, and there were some hilariously bad popes in that period. The story is interesting and engaging, even if the commentary is a bit dry in places. However, given this is a factual well references history book, it is surprisingly readable. I enjoyed it.
[isbn: 0750933372]
The Confusion is a merging of Bonanza and The Juncto, which I think is more than the mere sum of the two parts. The weaving of the stories together makes for a very readable volume, with slow patches in each individual story line being covered nicely with a switch to the other. Additionally there are a few several year gaps in the stories which would be much more jarring if there wasn’t something from the other story line in between. Overall, I think I prefer to read these two books in this con-fused manner, instead of separately.
[isbn: 0060733357]
This story follows Eliza has Jack’s actions in affect her life in Europe. Its an interesting tale, although I’m not happy with how Eliza is treated at the end.
[isbn: 0060733357]
This is a story about Jack Shaftoe travelling the world after making his poor business decision at the end of the previous book. I think it best serves as a foil to The Juncto, as the story line takes a few irrelevant turns and has some big gaps in it which are jarring.
[isbn: 0060733357]
This is the third book in the Baroque Cycle, after Quicksilver and King of the Vagabonds. Large chunks of this book are written in the form of letters, which I imagine might annoy some readers. I enjoyed this book, but you have to be in the right mood to read it because some of the prose is quite dense.
[isbn: 0060593083; 0060833181]
I thought I was reading this book slowly, until I remembered that I am reading the large page three books all in one volume version. If I had bought this book as a single paperback in a standard paper size it would have been 400 pages. This book is better than Quicksilver, with a more engaging story line and less time spent on verbose descriptions of life 300 years ago. I’m sure those descriptions will be vital later in the series, but when you’re reading them they are still a chore. This book is a page turner, even if the plot is a little hard to believe in places. I enjoyed it a lot.
[isbn: 0060593083;0060833173]