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Posted by: Primo84
I would rather a much more fresh approach at the moral implications of the S2 project, if it had to be such the star of the show. I understand how another perspective would be important in further showing how polarizing an event it is, but repackaging the same bullet points of the ordeal and presenting it instead from an unfavorable PoV, and doing that alone, isn't very interesting. Osman literally just read out what we as readers have known since FoR, and had these characters we're supposed to care about give their opinions on it. It's interesting, but it was presented poorly and for far too much throughout the book with little development on the dynamic. It just got stale. On top of being jarring and uninformative from a lore perspective.
I liked some aspects of Glasslands, and even thought it had a lot of potential but just fell flat on its face. Lucy's little subplot, while beginning stupidly, became rather adorable and introspective. That was the best the characterization got, especially when the book hit its highest note with the punch scene. That was rather well done.
But Glasslands never got moving. Nylund left the gang in a literal Forerunner playground, and they are out without much fanfare or exploration. I suppose Traviss is leaving the majority of the Forerunner exposition to the Greg Bear trilogy, but still, that was a missed opportunity.
The book was at its best when the characters interacted fluidly. The build up for the Mendez-Halsey fight was organic but amounted to little: the main payoff from the outburst was more information we already knew. And it's hard to care for Halsey in relation to Miranda. It's just so out of the blue in the book.
However, circling back to the new characters, they were vessels. It was established rather early. This is why I found so much objectionable in your original post: you lauded the characterization but I found it monotonous and uninformative as well. I was waiting for something to happen with Osman but her actions belied the hype: I was expecting much more from her throughout Glasslands than I got. Especially because she voices such strong opinions in her head but doesn't take much action or start it.
I suppose you could say wait for the next book, but that doesn't make me feel better about what was left on the table for Glasslands.
I'm not against characterization and a slower and more methodical story. I loved Cryptum. But Glasslands missed the mark on too many occasions, especially when it came to the characters and the universal lore. It had its moments, but they came too few and far between.