sphinx reviewed A Land Apart from Time (Dinotopia Universe: Dinotopia, Bk 1) on + 97 more book reviews
A magical book for dinosaur fans of any age. While appropriate for children, Dinotopia also offers much food for thought for adults, as the book is an earnest depiction of a utopia, which leaves us with many questions about how the Dinotopian society differs from our own chaotic, polluting, violent, and empathy-challenged society.
The artwork is absolutely stunning - filled with intricate detail and a high level of realism and scientific accuracy (at least for the time - no feathers are to be seen on the theropods). The artist takes architectural and cultural details from all over the world to incorporate into his fantasy realm, giving us cities that look at once familiar and foreign.
The writing is presented in epistolary style, as the journal entries of the protagonist, Arthur Denison, and this adds to the effect of realism and helps the reader feel fully immersed in a new culture and a new world. The world has internal consistency and is highly believable, making it easy to get lost in.
The characters include both humans and dinosaurs, who are depicted as having a human-like self-awareness and the ability to communicate verbally with humans, through translators, as well as using a form of footprint writing. Many small details reinforce the dinosaur-bird connection and make the dinosaurs seem vividly alive.
This book is right up there with the fantasy and sci-fi classics. Outstanding work. 5 stars.
The artwork is absolutely stunning - filled with intricate detail and a high level of realism and scientific accuracy (at least for the time - no feathers are to be seen on the theropods). The artist takes architectural and cultural details from all over the world to incorporate into his fantasy realm, giving us cities that look at once familiar and foreign.
The writing is presented in epistolary style, as the journal entries of the protagonist, Arthur Denison, and this adds to the effect of realism and helps the reader feel fully immersed in a new culture and a new world. The world has internal consistency and is highly believable, making it easy to get lost in.
The characters include both humans and dinosaurs, who are depicted as having a human-like self-awareness and the ability to communicate verbally with humans, through translators, as well as using a form of footprint writing. Many small details reinforce the dinosaur-bird connection and make the dinosaurs seem vividly alive.
This book is right up there with the fantasy and sci-fi classics. Outstanding work. 5 stars.
