Christin White reviewed All These Worlds by Dennis E. Taylor (Bobiverse, #3)
The Bobiverse
4 stars
In one sense, All These Words feels like a pretty standard expansion of the series. We get more bobs, the alien races get a bit more depth, and humanity starts to find its footing in a wider galaxy. All delivered with the same entertaining storytelling that made the first two so charming.
But where All These Worlds really excels is its growing heart. Time is passing rapidly and the Bob's effective immortality provides an emotional challenge as the ephemeral mortal lives they have come to character about change, age and begin passing away while our protagonists largely stand still. The books haven't spent that much time building complex narratives around secondary characters, but Taylor still manages to impart a level of emotional authenticity that was only hinted at in the first two books and adds hints of genuine sadness that can be felt resonating while all the other exciting events …
In one sense, All These Words feels like a pretty standard expansion of the series. We get more bobs, the alien races get a bit more depth, and humanity starts to find its footing in a wider galaxy. All delivered with the same entertaining storytelling that made the first two so charming.
But where All These Worlds really excels is its growing heart. Time is passing rapidly and the Bob's effective immortality provides an emotional challenge as the ephemeral mortal lives they have come to character about change, age and begin passing away while our protagonists largely stand still. The books haven't spent that much time building complex narratives around secondary characters, but Taylor still manages to impart a level of emotional authenticity that was only hinted at in the first two books and adds hints of genuine sadness that can be felt resonating while all the other exciting events streak past.
All These Worlds feels like it's completed an arc in many of the lives of viewpoint Bobs but leaves of room for another new arc to begin and threads still to be written. I'm looking forward to reading the fourth and fifth book to see where it goes next.
