Visitors: Pathfinder Series, Book 3

It was good. Definitely not up to par with the first book. But not as good as the second either. Didn’t really feel any worry for the characters at all.Way too much time travel break down conversations too. Like, we get it. Changing the past affects the future… but only so much as the story will allow.Was pretty hyped after the first book but meh after this one.

/* Spoliers */After I finished the book I tried to explain the plot of this book to my wife and had to laugh at how ludicrously complex it is. There are so many moving pieces and characters to follow (especially after the main characters make duplicate copies of themselves) that I couldn't give her a satisfactory overview of the story. That being said, OSC does a great job of laying out the information in such a way that you can follow it without too much mental effort.I can understand why a lot of people wouldn't like this book. Your personal connection to the characters dissipates as the book progresses; your heart might hurt a little when a copy of your favorite character dies, but you know there are plenty of other copies to take his/her place. And once the characters fully develop their time manipulation abilities, their powers are so God-like that by the end of the book there's no suspense regarding their ability to "win."BUT, if you like a good intellectual sci-fi read about time travel, the book is really engaging. I personally love the level of thought that went into this book. As I mentioned, it's complex but laid out in an easy-to-digest way. And while you might know that the protagonists are all going to win, the way in which they do so is very creative. OSC gives the characters problems that are complex enough to deal with that, even with their God-like abilities, it's difficult to guess how they'll find a solution./* This next paragraph really isn't a review of the book, just something that annoyed me personally */I hate how the copy of Rigg that gets to Earth falls in love with someone and proposes marriage so abruptly (the same thing happens in the Alvin Maker series, wherein Alvin, completely out of the blue, tells a woman twice his age that he's in love with her). There's no build up at all, and no real indication that enough time has passed for Rigg to want to propose, but he's suddenly madly in love and completely confident about expressing it openly in a public proposal. I get that a lot was going on in the book such that there wasn't really space to develop that relationship, but if you can't do it justice, just leave it out.

Ok... I had a hard time getting through the first chapter.... and a few others. This book does wrap up the Pathfinder series quite well, even if it is done the hardest way possible. At first I was quite confused with people talking to themselves and past versions as well as duplicates, but then things settle out for a bit. Then get really confusing again before settling down again. This is one of the hardest books I have read in a LONG time. However, the Pathfinder books needed a conclusion and this book concludes the series in a way that will make your head spin and give you a sense of closure at the end.Update:I have been thinking lately about how to accurately describe this book for those who haven't read it yet. With me being a Chef, I like to use food analogies when describing things to others.I think the best way to think of this book is like a 7 course dinner at a fancy restaurant that serves dishes you have never heard of before. Imagine that the first course is some sort of gastro foam, it is really strange and you don't understand it but you try it. It leaves a strange taste in your mouth, but you move on to the next dish which is something you are familiar with like salmon for example. Then the next dish is chocolate covered grasshoppers. You are hesitant to eat them, but you do it anyway hoping that the next dish is more to your taste.Imagine that this trend continues throughout the meal, a confusing and strange dish followed by something simple that you can relate to. Throughout the meal (and book) you are pleasantly disoriented and then brought back to reality. At the end of the meal, you are thoroughly satisfied.... But decide that you won't be going back to that restaurant any time soon.This is the best way I can think of to describe the book for those who haven't read it yet, it is an interesting journey that will leave you satisfied at the end... but you won't be reading it again.

I cannot believe Mr. Card’s creative imagination! It was so complex at times the story was difficult to follow. I also thought some of the chapters on the early humans were unnecessary. The culmination of the series seemed a little anticlimactic.

3-1/2 stars. The final saga in the story of Rigg, Umbo, Param and the others was overall a satisfying read. Closure was achieved and that is good. I did not not mind the way OSC bounced back and forth between the principal groups of characters as they separated to tackle the various quests to save Garden, depose the Queen, etc. Card often writes in this manner, so I did not have a problem keeping track of things. But the book seemed to lose steam during the "earth" sequences. Much of that could have been condensed or discarded altogether. The conclusion seemed a bit hurried also, probably because precious time was wasted on earth. And the "mice" became annoying after a while, but just a little bit. -- Books 1 & 2 of the series had a wandering "sense of adventure" to them which held your interest to see what would happen in the next chapter. This one, not so much. Maybe a tad too much time travel which, at times, seemed confusing. So, if you've read the first two novels, go ahead and read this one to complete the trilogy. Despite some shortcomings it's still a decent read.

I had read Pathfinder years ago, and just recently realized that this was a series. I have plowed through Ruins and Visitors and have enjoyed them as much as Pathfinder. I like the character evolution of Umbo and Rigg as they learn to master their talents. I would recommend this book series to young and old.

If you enjoy OSC then avoid this trilogy. It might have been an OK book had it not been for the time-travelling. This phenomenon & the mechanics of causality surrounding it, require continual explanation in order that the story makes sense. So much so that the book is rendered tedious & labourious.

Keeps you guessing untill nearly the end; a great climax to the trilogy.

not read yet

sooooooo boring

didn't enjoy the book - didn't flow for me and I found the time jumping paradoxes irritating