Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
New York: Tor, 2007, c2006
Pages
356
Description
Kage Baker's trademark series of SF adventure continues now in a direct sequel to The Life of the World to Come. Mendoza was banished long ago, to a prison lost in time where rebellious immortals are "dealt with". Now her past lovers: Alec, Nicholas, and Bell-Fairfax, are determined to rescue her, but first they must learn how to live together, because all three happen to be sharing Alec's body. What they find when they discover Mendoza is even worse than what they could imagined, and enough for them to decide to finally fight back against the Company.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2006-09-19
Physical description
356 p.; 6.5 inches
ISBN
9780765354617
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User reviews
LibraryThing member ChrisRiesbeck
3 for big fans of the Company series, 2 for those interested enough to want to see how it will turn out. By this point in the series, there's no hope of following what's going on if you haven't read the previous books. Baker continues telling the story she wants to tell, at the pace she wants to
Unfortunately, while Mendoza returns, it's not the confident, inquisitive, forceful Mendoza of the earlier novels, but a confused "I don't know what's happening but I'll stand by my man" pawn. I appreciated how Baker developed major conflict between Alex and Joseph, both with good intent as far as we can tell, but it felt contrived in the end. I found myself more interested in what might be going on in yet another plotline involving a character named Suleyman, most because of how little of it there was.
So if you've been following along, keep reading. It's fun and in a distinctive voice. Just more of the same which is always a little less than we hope for.
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keep, with whatever digressions she feels like. For me, the series lost focus when the female botanist Mendoza from the early books disappeared from view. Much like the Little House series, this disappearance was necessary to develop other characters who are and will be critical to the grand finale, but the Alex / Edward / Nicholas plotline, while interesting, was far less engaging, and the Joseph plotline was too thinly developed. Unfortunately, while Mendoza returns, it's not the confident, inquisitive, forceful Mendoza of the earlier novels, but a confused "I don't know what's happening but I'll stand by my man" pawn. I appreciated how Baker developed major conflict between Alex and Joseph, both with good intent as far as we can tell, but it felt contrived in the end. I found myself more interested in what might be going on in yet another plotline involving a character named Suleyman, most because of how little of it there was.
So if you've been following along, keep reading. It's fun and in a distinctive voice. Just more of the same which is always a little less than we hope for.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
I've been working my way through this series slowly. (No rush now, since there's no more to come... :-( )
The last few entries into the series have been wildly divergent, focusing on different characters, times, and places - but with 'The Machine's Child,' the different strands of this time-travel
The botanist Mendoza's three true loves: the 23rd-century aristo Alec Checkerfield, the Elizabethan religious zealot Nicholas, and the Victorian assassin Edward, are all stuck in one body, sharing (and bickering over) control and consciousness.
Mendoza is (unfortunately) stuck in an amnesiac 14-yr-old body for the bulk of the novel. As the strongest character in the series, this creates a void where her forceful passions would have been...
Still, it was fascinating to see Baker bring elements of her epic together here, and lay more clues as to what horrific events may occur in 2355.
I've managed to avoid spoilers so far... on to the last two books, soon!
The last few entries into the series have been wildly divergent, focusing on different characters, times, and places - but with 'The Machine's Child,' the different strands of this time-travel
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story rejoin. The botanist Mendoza's three true loves: the 23rd-century aristo Alec Checkerfield, the Elizabethan religious zealot Nicholas, and the Victorian assassin Edward, are all stuck in one body, sharing (and bickering over) control and consciousness.
Mendoza is (unfortunately) stuck in an amnesiac 14-yr-old body for the bulk of the novel. As the strongest character in the series, this creates a void where her forceful passions would have been...
Still, it was fascinating to see Baker bring elements of her epic together here, and lay more clues as to what horrific events may occur in 2355.
I've managed to avoid spoilers so far... on to the last two books, soon!
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LibraryThing member Antares1
The Machine's Child by Kage Baker follows along her popular Company series. It's probably one of the weakest in the series. The character of Alec has never really been a favorite of mine. In this book, Alec seeks to recover his long lost love, the cyborg Mendoza. He continues to plot the downfall
Baker's projection of the future is unfortunately foreseeable given today's climate of political correctness and governmental tyranny over environmental issues. In this book, however, her usually crisp characterizations fall short. The Alec/Nicholas/Edward all in Alec's body just becomes wearing. Mendoza has completely lost her cynical edge. Josef has traded in his careful plotting for impulsive actions. Suleyman and Latiff seem to be just cameo appearances.
I can see why this book is necessary to set things up for the final confrontation. I just wish the characterizations hadn't had to suffer for the effort. If you haven't read the other books in the series, this is not the book to start with.
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of the company, while Josef, now a rogue cyborg disconnected from The Company, reconstitutes his father, the cyborg that recruited him. Plus other appearance by cyborgs we've met along the way. Baker's projection of the future is unfortunately foreseeable given today's climate of political correctness and governmental tyranny over environmental issues. In this book, however, her usually crisp characterizations fall short. The Alec/Nicholas/Edward all in Alec's body just becomes wearing. Mendoza has completely lost her cynical edge. Josef has traded in his careful plotting for impulsive actions. Suleyman and Latiff seem to be just cameo appearances.
I can see why this book is necessary to set things up for the final confrontation. I just wish the characterizations hadn't had to suffer for the effort. If you haven't read the other books in the series, this is not the book to start with.
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LibraryThing member rocalisa
Mendoza was banished long ago, to a prison lost in time where rebellious immortals are "dealt with." Now her past lovers: Alec, Nicholas, and Bell-Fairfax, are determined to rescue her, but first they must learn how to live together, because all three happen to be sharing Alec's body. What they
It is getting harder and harder to comment on Baker's Company series without major spoilers as I get closer and closer to the resolution.
This volume is in many ways a direct sequel to The Life of the World to Come, as Nicholas, Edward and Alec, all fighting for the use of Alec's body, try to work together well enough to resuce Mendoza.
I loved the book, although it didn't work out exactly as I expected it to - which I guess is the sign of a good author, that she can continue to surprise me at the point where she is beginning to pull all her story lines together and work towards a resolution. Without any major spoilers, I expected more of an action story, where it took the whole book to resuce Mendoza, rather than what I got, which was much more character oriented and focused on the relationship between Edward, Alec and Nicholas and their individual and combined relationships with Mendoza - not to mention the progression of the plans of all the other characters as the Silence grows closer and closer.
I don't think I'm giving away too much to say that Mendoza is actually rescued early on, but as is usual in Baker's world, this doesn't make for a tidy conclusion to the plotline, but the beginning of more complications.
Baker continues to keep what should be way too many balls in the air without them all colliding and crashing down. She also continues to tell a great tale that captures the reader and keeps them glued to the page.
I'm very glad I did wait to read this one until I had The Sons of Heaven waiting for me, as I was opening its pages almost as soon as I closed the covers of The Machine's Child.
I have only one real complaint - that I still don't clearly understand what happened with the Captain and Mendoza right at the very end, even now that I've finished the next book as well. It hasn't brought down my grade because I was so captivated by the book, but if someone can explain, I'd be very grateful.
The Machine's Child
Kage Baker
10/10
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find when they discover Mendoza is even worse than what they could imagined, and enough for them to decide to finally fight back against the Company.It is getting harder and harder to comment on Baker's Company series without major spoilers as I get closer and closer to the resolution.
This volume is in many ways a direct sequel to The Life of the World to Come, as Nicholas, Edward and Alec, all fighting for the use of Alec's body, try to work together well enough to resuce Mendoza.
I loved the book, although it didn't work out exactly as I expected it to - which I guess is the sign of a good author, that she can continue to surprise me at the point where she is beginning to pull all her story lines together and work towards a resolution. Without any major spoilers, I expected more of an action story, where it took the whole book to resuce Mendoza, rather than what I got, which was much more character oriented and focused on the relationship between Edward, Alec and Nicholas and their individual and combined relationships with Mendoza - not to mention the progression of the plans of all the other characters as the Silence grows closer and closer.
I don't think I'm giving away too much to say that Mendoza is actually rescued early on, but as is usual in Baker's world, this doesn't make for a tidy conclusion to the plotline, but the beginning of more complications.
Baker continues to keep what should be way too many balls in the air without them all colliding and crashing down. She also continues to tell a great tale that captures the reader and keeps them glued to the page.
I'm very glad I did wait to read this one until I had The Sons of Heaven waiting for me, as I was opening its pages almost as soon as I closed the covers of The Machine's Child.
I have only one real complaint - that I still don't clearly understand what happened with the Captain and Mendoza right at the very end, even now that I've finished the next book as well. It hasn't brought down my grade because I was so captivated by the book, but if someone can explain, I'd be very grateful.
The Machine's Child
Kage Baker
10/10
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LibraryThing member resveratrol
Not the strongest book of the series, but it picks up a good head of steam. The previous books have built upon the plot and details of the universe Baker has created. This one begins to hint at an eventual wrap up of the numerous dangling threads. Some information is revealed, but the reader is
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left wanting more. Show Less
LibraryThing member timothyl33
The penultimate book of The Company series.
In all practicalities, "The Machine's Child" is not the direct sequel of "The Children of the Company", as this book continues the story that last ended in "The Life of the World to Come." And as such, it bring this series back to the immediate story of
In all practicalities, "The Machine's Child" is not the direct sequel of "The Children of the Company", as this book continues the story that last ended in "The Life of the World to Come." And as such, it bring this series back to the immediate story of
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Alex/Nicholas/Edward and Mendoza as The Silence of 2355 approaches and the The Company prepares for the inevitable chaos that is to follow. For the most part, this book deals with the various players and villians (after being introduced in "Children") preparing for the unknown and leading up to the final book "The Sons of Heaven". Show Less
LibraryThing member JeremyPreacher
The series has moved beyond historical scifi at this point, although there is still some time-hopping. I liked this pretty well, and definitely appreciate the forward motion towards the overall resolution, but I found the multiple-personality thing really unsatisfying. I ended up liking none of the
It felt a touch bloated - probably because I found all of the Alec/Edward/Nicholas scenes so tedious - but at least it moved things along.
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characters, because they're all such petty whiners with each other.It felt a touch bloated - probably because I found all of the Alec/Edward/Nicholas scenes so tedious - but at least it moved things along.
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LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
he latest in a long line of Company novels, this book brings us onto the cusp of the Great Silence of 2355, when presumably something of cataclysmic proportions happens to either the Company cyborgs, or their devious masters at Dr. Zeus. The novel mostly concerns Alec’s uneasy truce with his two
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past selves, who now share his body, and his life with an amnesiac Mendoza . Mendoza and Alec have fallen in love four times now, but this is the first time that Mendoza did not have the upper hand. Always before she had far more training and knowledge; now the power dynamic is shifted, and it’s nice to see the switch. Other than that, little of import happens. This is the second Company novel that feels stalled, but I hope it’s the last. Show Less
LibraryThing member DLMorrese
This direct sequel to “The Life of the World to Come” picks up seamlessly from that previous novel. In this book, Alec Checkerfield, the genetically modified human and his technically dead genetic twins who now share his body, continue their search for the cyborg Mendoza in order to rescue her
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from the Company’s version of the Inquisition. The three “brothers” do not always get along but they are seemingly united in their love of Mendoza and their desire to take down the Company. The “internal” conflict between three men sharing one body can be pretty amusing. Show Less