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The Map of the Sky (Trilogía Victoriana #2)

3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 · rating details · 567 ratings · 150 reviews

The New York Times bestselling author of The Map of Time returns with a mesmerizing novel casting H.G. Wells in a leading role, as the extraterrestrial invasion featured in The War of the Worlds is turned into a bizarre reality.A love story serves as backdrop for The Map of the Sky when New York socialite Emma Harlow agrees to marry millionaire Montgomery Gilmore, but only...more

Hardcover, 594 pages

Published September 4th 2012 by Atria Books

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Mar 18, 2012 Jm_oriol rated it 3 of 5 stars

#cifituits #EMDC Terminado. Me ha gustado más que el mapa del tiempo, aun así no termina de convencerme el estilo del autor, con ese narrador/cortador de rollo que se ha buscado. Creo sinceramente que es mucho mejor haber leido El mapa del tiempo antes, sino te pierdes buena parte de la historia, y a la vez es muy incongruente con la historia de Wells en el anterior libro.

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Mar 26, 2012 Aramys rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dudaba entre tres o cuatro estrellas, al final cuatro porque pesan mas las partes que me han gustado que no al contrario. Esta es una novela que contiene tres novelas, tres partes tan diferentes, que casi son tres historias distintas. La primera parte es la que mas me ha gustado, una expedición a la Antártida llena de aventuras y terror, una primera parte que hacia augurar una buena dosis de emociones el resto de la novela…

Pero no es así. En la segunda parte, la que menos me ha gustado, el autor...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Wendy Dearum rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Me resultó muy entretenida, el autor hace gala de una exquisita prosa y sus descripciones son largamente detalladas, confieso que debido a ello, hube de retroceder un poquito sobre algunas líneas para no perder el hilo de tan rica narración.
Raro pareció encontrarme al término de la primera parte con un "final alternativo", mero recurso del gran universo imaginativo del autor, aunque innecesario a mi parecer.
La historia da saltos cuánticos, a veces tan inconcebibles que en algún momento parecía e...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Jessica Knauss rated it 5 of 5 stars

As I write more reviews, I realize that my favorite books are the devastating ones. The Map of the Sky by Félix J. Palma is devastating almost from the first page. So many times hope raises its meek head only to be struck down by ineffable powerlessness. I don't read sci-fi or horror, and some of the scenes are so terrifying that I sometimes wondered what I was doing reading this thing. Answer: I was compelled. The book addicted me completely and -- I'm not sure if it's because of the length or...more As I write more reviews, I realize that my favorite books are the devastating ones. The Map of the Sky by Félix J. Palma is devastating almost from the first page. So many times hope raises its meek head only to be struck down by ineffable powerlessness. I don't read sci-fi or horror, and some of the scenes are so terrifying that I sometimes wondered what I was doing reading this thing. Answer: I was compelled. The book addicted me completely and -- I'm not sure if it's because of the length or in spite of it -- I never wanted it to end. In this book the reader witnesses the complete genocide of earthlings, and yet the universe is full of awe, so that, like Emma, I want to look at this "map" and savor its imagination.

The plot itself is a virtuosic piece of mapping out a story. I could never tell exactly where it was going (and I just love that), but in the end the pieces fit together so well I thought I must have been distracted not to see that that was how it was going to turn out. I haven't read the first book, The Map of Time (but I will now, as soon as I can), but the references to the events of the first book were easily understandable in terms of plot.

Criticism? Perhaps one could say the female characters aren't well developed, but if you think about it, the males aren't that developed, either. Rather, the characters represent different concepts, as witnessed by a couple of different characters commenting on the "roles" they and their companions play during these crucial events. The represent things like love, the ability to dream, hope, strength, and also their corresponding opposites as well as the human capacity for redemption. The ending especially proved that the author knows real love. Some readers (those who haven't really loved) will probably find that the end rings a bit false, but it resonated strongly with me. Tied up in the philosophizing about love is something I've never seen before, which is a logical conclusion about what time travel would mean to the traveler, and that was simultaneously a delicious mental exercise and another devastating emotional experience.

It's clear that Palma and his able translator Nick Caistor love books from the Victorian period. The language is very much of this time, which some readers might find boring or impenetrable. I thought I would be one of those readers, but I wasn't. I couldn't resist a book in which H. G. Wells has the opportunity to speak with Edgar Allan Poe or Charles Dickens or -- well, I won't say any more, so as not to spoil it. This was one of those books my husband was astounded to see me read, and possibly more astounded as I told him about all the incredible occurrences and exciting ideas in it. If you're like me, you'll want to be in a discussion group for this one.

I take comfort knowing that in some alternate universe, I translated this book for the English-speaking market, and in another, I wrote the original version.(less)

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Apr 29, 2013 Charlotte rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mostly held my interest--H.G. Welles one of the major characters, and that piece worked amazingly well (or Welles...). One of the better post-modern spins I've read in the past decade. The plot suffered from Neal Stephenson syndrome: those extraneous 100-or-so pages that drag things down.

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Dec 15, 2012 Mickey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: won-from-goodreads, books-i-own, first-reads, 3-star, books-read-2012

Won on goodreads Firstreads. Yah!!

This is the sequel to The Map of Time. I found this book really slow from the beginning until about half way through. It wasn't as good as the first one but still had some exciting and unique ideas. I liked it a lot just not as much as the first but it's still an incredible read. If you liked the first book then continue with the second but don't hold your breath it's not as good as The Map of Time.

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Apr 29, 2013 Jürgen Zeller rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wem das Buch "Die Landkarte der Zeit" von Felix J. Palma gefallen hat der sollte sich unbedingt dieses Buch kaufen und lesen. Im Umkehrschluss gilt aber auch wer es nicht mochte wird auch mit "Die Landkarte des Himmels" seine liebe Mühe haben und nicht glücklich werden. Dieser Roman ist konzeptionell ähnlich aufgebaut, ist sprachlich und literarisch auf dem selben hohen Niveau und ist wahrlich ein sprühendes Feuerwerk von überbordender Phantasie und unglaublichen Abenteuern. Wer das obenerwähnte...more Wem das Buch "Die Landkarte der Zeit" von Felix J. Palma gefallen hat der sollte sich unbedingt dieses Buch kaufen und lesen. Im Umkehrschluss gilt aber auch wer es nicht mochte wird auch mit "Die Landkarte des Himmels" seine liebe Mühe haben und nicht glücklich werden. Dieser Roman ist konzeptionell ähnlich aufgebaut, ist sprachlich und literarisch auf dem selben hohen Niveau und ist wahrlich ein sprühendes Feuerwerk von überbordender Phantasie und unglaublichen Abenteuern. Wer das obenerwähnte Buch nicht kennt darf natürlich mit diesem Werk beginnen, wobei es besser wäre den ersten Band der geplanten Trilogie zu kennen. Gesucht werden tapfere und furchtlose Leser/-innen für eine Expedition zum Südpol und ins viktorianische London. Der Auftrag: Suche nach dem Mittelpunkt der Erde, Bekämpfung der Invasion vom Mars und das Entflammen eines wärmenden Feuers der Liebe. Vorsicht: Extreme Kälte, unermesslicher Schrecken und permanente Gefahr. Eine Rückkehr in die Realität kann nicht garantiert werden. Lohn: Gefühlsaufruhr, ein unerklärlich aufblitzendes Lustgefühl und tiefe Zufriedenheit im Erfolgsfall.

Lieber Leser/-in, stell Dir vor, auf dem Mars gäbe es intelligentes Leben das uns in technischen Belangen weit überlegen wäre. Und stelle Dir weiterhin vor, der Mars wäre ein sterbender Planet weil seine Bewohner ihn während der langen Existenz bis zur Erschöpfung alles Ressourcen ausgebeutet haben. Die höher entwickelte Spezies steht vor dem Aussterben und die Erde bietet am ehesten die Lebensbedingungen um zu überleben. Die Marsmenschen beschliessen sie gewaltsam zu erobern! Die Erdbewohner sind den Invasoren hoffnungslos unterlegen... Ein gewisser H.G. Wells hat so einen düstern Roman im Jahr 1898 geschrieben. Dieser namhafte Autor tritt denn auch gleich zu Beginn in Erscheinung und er begleitet uns über die ganzen 900 Seiten hinweg. Sein aufsehenerregendes Werk spielt dabei eine wichtige Rolle. Wenn Du lieber Leser es schaffst die Geschichten so zu lesen als lebtest Du im Jahr 1898 dann wirst Du feststellen, dass dich von den Sternen unermesslicher Schrecken zu treffen vermag!

Gleich zu Beginn hat der Schriftsteller H.G. Wells die einzigartige Gelegenheit die geheime Wunderkammer des Naturgeschichtlichen Museums zu besichtigen und dann gehts ab ins Jahr 1829 auf eine unglücksselige Südpolexpedition. Welches Grauen hat die die Besatzung in den Eiswüsten heimgesucht? Dann gibts die einmalige Chance die Marsinvasion in Echt mitzuerleben! Ein wahrhaft danteskes endzeitliches Schauspiel! Aber was wären all die Abenteuer ohne die grosse Liebe? Nichts, denn die Liebe ist das das Einzige, was wirklich unveränderlich bleibt in den wechselnden Landschaft des Universums. Hoffentlich wird sie in keiner der endlos möglichen Welten jemals erlöschen.

Nun, unsere Weltgeschichte beweist klipp und klar das nie eine feindliche Invasion vom Mars stattgefunden hat. Wie will der der Autor Felix J. Palma wieder aus diesem apokalyptischen Strudel an Ereignissen herausfinden? Er findet tatsächlich einen Weg, aber den darf ich an dieser Stelle natürlich nicht verraten.

Der Roman ist meiner Meinung nach fantastisch geschrieben. Es gibt zahlreiche tiefgründige Passagen und literarische Perlen die mich berührt haben. Der Autor neigt zu Sätzen und Abschnitten, die würdig sind, in Stein gemeisselt zu werden. Zwischendurch hat er wie ein Troubadour aber leider den Hang zur Geschwätzigkeit was die Erzählungen etwas in die Länge zieht. Schriftsteller sind ein latent vorhandenes und unterschwelliges Thema und ihre Stellung die in weniger hohem Ansehen ist als die der Wissenschaftler, obwohl ihre Vorstellungskraft deren Erfindungen oft weit übertrifft. Ihre Arbeit ist gar nicht hoch genug einzuschätzen. Sie bringen die Menschen zum Träumen; auch all jene, die allein nicht träumen können. Und die Menschen brauchen Träume. Gibt es eine bedeutendere Arbeit als diese?

Ich hab den Roman gerade eben zu Ende gelesen und genau genommen bräuchte ich ein paar Stunden der Ruhe, damit das Karussell in meinem Kopf aufhört sich zu drehen und ich den Kopf soweit klar bekomme die Geschichte rational zu beurteilen. In meinem Zustand euphorischer Behaglichkeit vermischt sich die Realität mit Phantasie und der Magie die in guten Büchern zu Hause ist. Ich bin überzeugt, dass die wahre Geschichte unserer Zeit nicht von den Zeitungen oder Historikern geschrieben wird. Die wahre Geschichte ist für die meisten unsichtbar, sie verläuft wie ein unterirdischer Bach im Dunkeln und in aller Stille und nur ein paar Auserwählte kennen sie wirklich. Falls es denn nur eine kontinuierlich und nicht parallel verlaufende Zeit in den drei Dimensionen gibt...(less)

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Jan 28, 2013 Jonathan Scobie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Unfortunately, rather than improving on the best aspects of "The Map of Time", this novel exacerbates its worst features. Yes, length is one of them, but more worrying is the tendency to turn intertextuality into plagiarism. The entire first section set in Antarctica is a palimpsest of that SciFi horror movie classic "The Thing"; while the alternative 1900 set in a London colonised by evil aliens borrows heavily from "The Matrix"; not to mention the fact that both novels simply rework K. W. Jete...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Asaviel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Meine Meinung:
Nach "Die Landkarte der Zeit" ist dies nun also der zweite Band der Trilogie, die den Leser mitnimmt auf eine phantastische Reise. Dieses Mal ist es aber nicht die Zeit, die mit Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft im Mittelpunkt steht, sondern der Weltraum - Mars und Mond. Beinahe ebenso wie von der Zeit ist der Mensch schon seit je her vom Weltraum fasziniert.
H.G. Wells ist als Charakter, aber nicht als Protagonist hauptsächlich das Verbindungsglied zwischen beiden Bänden. Zusätz...more Meine Meinung:
Nach "Die Landkarte der Zeit" ist dies nun also der zweite Band der Trilogie, die den Leser mitnimmt auf eine phantastische Reise. Dieses Mal ist es aber nicht die Zeit, die mit Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft im Mittelpunkt steht, sondern der Weltraum - Mars und Mond. Beinahe ebenso wie von der Zeit ist der Mensch schon seit je her vom Weltraum fasziniert.
H.G. Wells ist als Charakter, aber nicht als Protagonist hauptsächlich das Verbindungsglied zwischen beiden Bänden. Zusätzlich trifft man auf der "Landkarte des Himmels" noch ein paar weitere Personen, die man in Band eins kennen lernen durfte. Man muss aber dazu sagen, dass trotzdem eine unabhängige Lektüre beider Bücher möglich ist. Charmant weist der Erzähler zu Beginn der Geschichte daraufhin, dass er davon ausgeht, dass nicht alle mit auf Zeitreise waren und so wird kein Bestandteil dieser Reise direkt auf der ersten Handlung aufgebaut.
Derjenige, der sich nun aber schon zum zweiten Mal in Félix J. Palmas Welt begibt, wird sich dort sofort wieder zurecht finden, denn der aufwändige Schreibstil wird beibehalten. Es gibt Perlen der sprachlichen Gestaltung, die gerade mich als Germanistin staunen lassen. Pagemarker an Pagemarker markieren wunderschöne Sätze, die malerisch Welten, Menschen und Gefühle beschreiben. Dann treten aber auch immer wieder kürzere und längere Passagen auf, in denen sich der Autor völlig zu verlieren scheint. Die Liebe zum Detail wird eins ums andere Mal gepflegt, so dass diese Seiten das Buch nochmals um einige hundert Seiten zu verlängern scheinen. Es ist jedoch anzunehmen, dass auch dies ein gewollter Kunstgriff des Autors ist. Beeindruckend, aber an manchen Punkten auch immer mal wieder anstrengend und dann auch ermüdend. Ein ständiges Auf und Ab zwischen der Lust an der Vollendung der Sprach und dem Frust das Buch zur Seite zu legen.
Leider konnte mich der erste Teil dieses Mal nicht ganz so gefangen nehmen wie Band 1. Aber auch hier hatte ich wieder das Gefühl, dass der Autor sich innerhalb des Buches steigert, das - wie schon gewohnt - wieder in drei Teile untergliedert ist. In jedem von ihm lernt der Leser neue Charaktere und neue Abenteuer kennen.
Alles in allem ist dies wieder ein atemberaubender Roman mit einer so verzwickten Geschichte, mit Ausflügen ins Weltall und mit Handlungssträngen, die nicht das sind, was sie zu sein scheinen und den Leser damit immer wieder hinters Licht führen. Und obwohl man schon befürchtet, dass der Autor irgendwann doch selbst den Überblick verloren haben muss, gibt es am Ende eine sinnige und befriedigende Auflösung.

Fazit: Wer mit dem ersten Band seinen Spaß hatte, wird auch hier sicher einige schöne Lesestunden verbringen. Gleichzeitig muss man viel Zeit und viel Aufmerksamkeit in dieses Buch investieren - wie schon aus dem Vorgänger bekannt. Mehr als einmal war ich versucht das Buch für immer zur Seite zu legen und nicht zu beenden. Ich habe es bis um Ende geschafft, aber ob ich die Kraft für den letzten Band habe, dessen Veröffentlichungsdatum noch unbekannt ist, weiß ich nicht.
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Jan 05, 2013 Anthony Pacifico rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the second in a trilogy by Palma, with the first being the Map of Time.

I'm not sure how to describe this book. Historical fiction? Historical science fiction? A love story set amidst horror and destruction? Historical fantasy? While I'm not sure exactly how to categorize this novel, I will say that I enjoyed it. I didn't find it as enthralling as the first book, the Map of Time, but Palma writes in such a powerful way that his writing style and skills overcome any lags in the story.

In 18...more

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Dec 15, 2012 J.M. Cornwell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Victorian horrors and thrills built on the bones of established fantasy.

Herbert George Wells intends to meet the American writer who wrote a sequel to War of the Worlds and Wells intends to give Serviss a large piece of his mind. Wells is livid at not only how it was done but also that Serviss turned his book into a showcase for American excess. When Wells and Serviss meets, the American excites Wells’ passions and his curiosity in a different way, a way that ends with an inebriated Wells being...more Victorian horrors and thrills built on the bones of established fantasy.

Herbert George Wells intends to meet the American writer who wrote a sequel to War of the Worlds and Wells intends to give Serviss a large piece of his mind. Wells is livid at not only how it was done but also that Serviss turned his book into a showcase for American excess. When Wells and Serviss meets, the American excites Wells’ passions and his curiosity in a different way, a way that ends with an inebriated Wells being led to London’s Museum of Natural History to see a real Martian spacecraft and a dead Martian. An accident, a cut, and a drop of blood fuel a new trilogy of stories that begins in Antarctica and ends with a Martian invasion. As with The Map of Time when Felix J. Palma used H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine as the basis of his trilogy of tales, once again Palma goes to Wells to find inspiration for The Map of the Sky.

Not content with using Wells as his only inspiration, Palma adds Edgar Allan Poe, The Thing from Outer Space (also known as The Thing, a 1950s science fiction tale of horror), and a bit of Jules Verne to the mix. It seems there are no stories, writers, or movies that will not be used to fuel Palma’s trilogies, and yet The Map of the Sky is still fresh, if a bit over written in the Victorian style.

As soon as I realized the genesis of the first part of this trilogy came from the movie, The Thing, I expected a rehash of the movie. What I found was a fresh viewpoint and characters, although some retained the original names, although the story was set in Antarctica instead of the Arctic. Though there were no planes, flame throwers, or electricity, Palma managed to dispatch the alien with dynamite—and then stopped dead and rewrote the ending so that the Martian would end up in the London museum for Wells to awaken. Sheer guts and a bit of genius changed my mind, and I continued to read.

The Map of the Sky is a heady stew of the familiar spiced with eccentricity and Victorian excess that is sure to thrill, chill, and enchant. (less)

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Sep 22, 2012 Wendy Hines rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had the pleasure of reading Palma's book The Map of Time last year so I was excited to get my hands on his new release, The Map of the Sky. Palma has a distinct writing voice, one filled with deception, grace and melodic prose.

The Map of the Sky is told in three parts. H.G. Wells is perturbed about a sequel to his best-selling novel, The War of the Worlds. He didn't write it and he wants to meet the author. But the author shows Wells something that he has only imagined - an alien that was foun...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Martha Bryce rated it 5 of 5 stars

If I could be a world class writer, I would want to be a writer like Felix J. Palma or Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Both write beautiful, lyrical, intricate novels that are superbly spun and satisfying tales. Their books are long, so you can stay immersed in the fantastical world they create for a long time. often, i wish that their books would never end and that they could write far more quickly to accommodate my passion for their writing. Now to the story at hand.
Make sure that you read The Map of Time...more If I could be a world class writer, I would want to be a writer like Felix J. Palma or Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Both write beautiful, lyrical, intricate novels that are superbly spun and satisfying tales. Their books are long, so you can stay immersed in the fantastical world they create for a long time. often, i wish that their books would never end and that they could write far more quickly to accommodate my passion for their writing. Now to the story at hand.
Make sure that you read The Map of Time before you read The Map of the Sky. Palma is an absolutely brilliant, lyrical writer who pays homage to the Victorian era in which his novels are places by writing stylistically in the manner of that time. He should really thank his interpreter, too, because the translator captures every nuance of the story that Palma tells.

The Map of the Sky is told in three parts, each distinct, but intertwined. Author H.G. Wells, plays a role in each. The dire events of this novel are kicked off innocuously, as Wells meets an American writer who has published a horribly written novel using The War of the Worlds as its basis, for lunch. Wells wants to tell the man off, but when his counterpart offers to show him a real Martian, Wells is hooked. The story rapidly moves from the preserved specimen in the British Museum to back story of the museum specimen- a horrific tale of the failure of an Antarctic adventure from which only two members survived.

The second section of the novel brings Wells to the center of the story, and reintroduces a character from the last book with a new name. It’s the man who created the time travel experience that angered Wells so much in the Map of Time. This millionaire has the impunity to ask Wells to help him create the beginning of The War of the Worlds to impress the young woman with whom he has fallen deeply in love so that she will marry him. Of course Wells refuses to even answer the letter but when the initial invasion occurs exactly as Wells wrote it, both Wells and his nemesis end up as suspects in the eyes of the Special Cases division of Scotland Yard. However, this is not the hoax that was planned but the real invasion of London and the rest of the world by aliens.

The third part of the novel takes place two years later, and here the story again revisits a secondary character from The Map of Time. In this section, his tale is the center of the story, but it serves to move the whole narrative towards its outstanding, complex and absolutely brilliant conclusion.
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Apr 29, 2013 Selene rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novela

En este libro volvemos a encontrar la historia alrededor de otro de los libros escritos por H. G. Wells, concretamente "La guerra de los Mundos". Así nos encontramos con una invasión extraterrestre que amenaza con acabar con la vida humana como la conocemos.
En este libro volvemos a encontrar a personajes con los que ya habíamos trabado contacto en el primer libro, haciendo que no solo las tres partes en que está dividido este libro se entrelacen entre sí, sino que también esté conectado con el...more

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Feb 09, 2013 JulesQ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, can-t-stop-thinking-about-it

I first I agreed with a lot of other reviewers that this wasn't as good at Map of Time, which I liked reading so much that I was afraid my emotional experience was blinding me to major flaws in the book. There were two major reasons for that: 1.) I was less enchanted with the narrator in Map of the Sky, and 2.) I expected the same sort of reality/illusion topsy turvyness that Map of Time had, which I loved.

As I've been thinking about it, though, I realized that the central theme of Map of the Sk...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Estibaliz79 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tremendamente entretenida e inteligente, lo cierto es que me ha gustado un poquito menos que "El Mapa del Tiempo", no sé si por una cuestión de temática o, más probablemente, porque le falta la perfección argumental de aquella, tan bien urdida que constituye un auténtico ejemplo de ilusionismo literario.

Así pues, su puntuación se queda en un 4 1/2, pero sólo por pequeños detalles... como pueda ser el abuso del narrador omnisciente o los malabarismos temporales, llevados con algo menos de gracia...more

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May 26, 2012 Paul Pessolano rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“the Map of the Sky” by Felix J. Palma, published by Atria Books.

Category – Science Fiction/Fantasy/Mystery/Horror

The English version of this book will not be available until September 4th, and the translation from Spanish is excellent.

For those who have read Palma’s first book, “The Map of Time”, this is a follow-up, for those of you who did not read his first book it is imperative that you read his first novel before reading “the Map of the Sky”.

Palma, again, takes the reader on an incredible...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Paper Droids rated it 5 of 5 stars

There’s so much to love about this book – where should I begin? The plot line is delicious: there is adventure and murder aboard an ice-stranded ship in Antarctica, a horrific Martian invasion of London that mimics a certain famous writer’s novel The War of the Worlds, and an epic, tension-filled love story between a wealthy purported time-traveller and a headstrong, American dreamer. And did I mention that both Edgar Allan Poe and H.G. Wells are central figures in the whole affair? Key elements...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Lydia Presley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fantasy, fiction, scifi, favorites

I am completely in love with this series. Felix J. Palma is my hero. Seriously. I loved The Map of Time (which deals with H.G. Well's Time Machine) - so it was inevitable that I picked up The Map of the Sky with anticipation, and thoroughly expecting a story that dealt with Wells's sky-themed book like.. say.. War of the Worlds.

People, I cackled out loud several times as I read this story.

Something I've learned to appreciate, over the last year especially, is how a narrator can make or break a...more I am completely in love with this series. Felix J. Palma is my hero. Seriously. I loved The Map of Time (which deals with H.G. Well's Time Machine) - so it was inevitable that I picked up The Map of the Sky with anticipation, and thoroughly expecting a story that dealt with Wells's sky-themed book like.. say.. War of the Worlds.

People, I cackled out loud several times as I read this story.

Something I've learned to appreciate, over the last year especially, is how a narrator can make or break a story. If you, as a writer, choose to write in the first person and the character you have speaking is unlikable or annoying in any way, the narration is going to get on the nerves of your readers. If you choose third-person and that intimate moment crops up when we need to be in the head of the character, then you've made a blunder there as well.

Then there are geniuses like Felix J. Palma who give us a third-person narrator who is a character in his own right. This book is like having Palma's voice in our heads, enjoying the story right there along with us, and guessing (correctly in my case) what are reactions will be and then calling them out in the text itself. It was downright spooky at times - but a good spooky!

I knew from The Map of Time that I could expect another story intricate in its weaving, and filled with misdirection. But even knowing all of that, the misdirection was not easy to spot, and when I did spot it, I fully expect that Palma intended it to happen at that time because just a page later it was brought to light so matter-of-factly I felt foolish for feeling a bit jubilant.

I am not going to talk about the plot, other than to tell you that in three distinct sections, Palma writes such a complete story that is committed to all of the details, that even if you are dying for the answers, it's impossible to not thoroughly enjoy the ride in getting to them.

This book was fun, pure and simple, and I am loving that the covers were flashy enough to catch my eye and make me pull them off the shelf.(less)

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Aug 20, 2012 Angela rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-titles

Felix J. Palma’s debut steampunk novel, ‘The Map of Time’, was an international bestseller but its release met with lukewarm reviews and it seems that Palma’s follow-up to that novel, ‘The Map of the Sky’, is destined for more of the same. Unfortunately, although this second novel has a lot going for it, it misses the mark in its entirety. Failing to learn from the mistakes he made with his first full-length novel, Palma simply tries to do too much in one book. Even outlining just the plot in le...more Felix J. Palma’s debut steampunk novel, ‘The Map of Time’, was an international bestseller but its release met with lukewarm reviews and it seems that Palma’s follow-up to that novel, ‘The Map of the Sky’, is destined for more of the same. Unfortunately, although this second novel has a lot going for it, it misses the mark in its entirety. Failing to learn from the mistakes he made with his first full-length novel, Palma simply tries to do too much in one book. Even outlining just the plot in less than 300 words is a struggle! In ‘The Map of Time’, Palma introduced readers to a character based upon legendary sci-fi writer, H.G. Wells. Wells appears again in ‘The Map of the Sky’, this time joined by literary compatriot, Edgar Allan Poe. Following the publication of Wells’ famed ‘War of the Worlds’, the writer meets a stranger in a pub who offers to show him proof of extraterrestrial life. Unable to resist, Wells follows the stranger to the British Museum and there has his own close encounter. Whilst there Wells also discovers the journals of Antarctic explorer Reynolds and his crewmates, including Poe, who detail the first discovery of an alien beast and its implications for humankind. This narrative forms the most compelling part of the novel. Sadly, this brilliant piece of storytelling is drowned out by the ensuing madness, which includes a Victorian millionaire staging a fake Martian Invasion to impress the girl of his dreams and convince her to marry him, and H. G. Wells travelling through time to save the world from the Martian menace, co-opting another hero from the past and changing the history of the world forever. There are many flaws in Palma’s storytelling - the narrator, a kind of circus ringleader, is infuriating and serves only to distance readers from the action; the narrative is disjointed and difficult to follow; and the amount of historical detail Palma injects into his story, while fascinating, serves only to distract from the main plot and confuse the reader further. The book is also just too long - at 600 pages, there is just too much going on for one single novel. I have read a reasonable amount of steampunk and I love the style and atmosphere of this genre and the ways in which it weaves history into the narrative. However, in my opinion this is not a terribly successful foray into the genre. A shame, as I hear that Palma's short stories are something marvelous. Don't write him off as an author, but perhaps look for his shorter fictions. (less)

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Jul 01, 2012 María rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Es un libro de lo más interesante, lleno de vueltas y revueltas, escrito en un estilo muy depurado y haciendo uso de un vocabulario gratamente extenso. Además, salen a lo largo de la novela escritores de la época que me gustan mucho, lo que no hace más que sumarle un cierto encanto. Aunque he de admitir que un par de insignificantes cosillas se me han hecho un pelín repetitivas (lo que quizá le habría costado un 4,5 en vez de 5 si se tratase de valoración por medias estrellas), pero en realidad...more Es un libro de lo más interesante, lleno de vueltas y revueltas, escrito en un estilo muy depurado y haciendo uso de un vocabulario gratamente extenso. Además, salen a lo largo de la novela escritores de la época que me gustan mucho, lo que no hace más que sumarle un cierto encanto. Aunque he de admitir que un par de insignificantes cosillas se me han hecho un pelín repetitivas (lo que quizá le habría costado un 4,5 en vez de 5 si se tratase de valoración por medias estrellas), pero en realidad no es algo tan importante.

El libro está dividido en tres partes de las que la primera ha sido mi preferida (con un cierto aire que me recuerda ciertas partes de Frankenstein de forma muy agradable), seguida por la tercera parte. No es que la segunda no me haya gustado, ni mucho menos, pero no me ha mantenido tanto en vilo como las otras dos.
En general es una historia de lo más completa con capítulos maravillosos y de una ocurrencia brillante. La verdad, me ha sorprendido gratamente. Es curioso que al leer la sinopsis hace algún tiempo, no me acabara de convencer y decidiera dejarlo "para más adelante", pero puesto que el tema de retrofuturismo me atrae bastante, decidí darle una oportunidad. ¡Y vaya si se la merecía! Es un libro que no se puede llegar a apreciar como se merece hasta el final. ¡Está lleno de sorpresas!

Como dato curioso diré que he leído este libro antes de "El mapa del Tiempo", que le precede en cronología. Lo he hecho así por un comentario que leí del propio autor en que proponía la lectura en orden inverso como una experiencia más enriquecedora o al menos literariamente más interesante que siguiendo el orden natural de lectura. Me pregunté ¿por qué no?, podría ser curioso, así pues éste es el primer libro que leo del autor, y con respecto a si el orden de lectura puede invertirse o no, ya lo comentaré cuando lea "El mapa del Tiempo" ;)
Lo que sí puedo decir por ahora es que, al menos "El Mapa del Cielo" es una lectura recomendable.(less)

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Oct 07, 2012 Justin Mills rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was almost a five star book for me. I can't put my finger on what kept it at four stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, it was a fun read. One of the things I appreciated the most was the author's use of time and multiple universes as concepts without letting them tangle the plot into an unintelligible mess. Palma also opens up discussions on the existence of God, predestination, and free will, adding them into the mix with the nature of time and the universe. He seems to remain largely re...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Paul Lunger rated it 5 of 5 stars

The follow up to Felix J. Palma's "The Make of Time", "The Map of the Sky" moves the storyline a bit further forward & moves us to 1898. In this story, Emma Harlow agrees to marry Montgomery Gilmore on the condition that he re-create H.G. Wells's Martian invasion from "The War of the World". Unbeknownst to everyone in the 1830s near Antarctica an encounter with real "Martians" took place & aboard that vessel was Edgar Alan Poe. When the "Martians" do land in the exact same spot as predic...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book in this series, and I do believe it is the last. Since the protagonist as H.G. Wells, it may not be, because Wells, had a lot more books he did write. As the last book was centered around The Time Machine, this one was centered around The War of the Worlds. I also think it's apt timing since the Mars Rover, Curiosity, has captured people's attention as of late.

As with the first book, I did find some problems with this one. It still branches off into other side stories, bu...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Jesse Ello' rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was an extremely disappointing sequel to Map of Time. The reason the first book was so incredible was because of the interweaving of different stories and the surprising twists. It was NOT because the characters were super interesting. They weren't bad by any means, but I really did not want to read another book about what happened to them. I was hoping for H.G. Wells to explore a new set of characters, and get to see the interweaving of different stories and twists again. But there was onl...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: firstreads

This was a FirstReads Giveaway.

The first thing I thought when I finished this book was 'how the heck am I going to review that!?' But now I've given my brain a few days to process things and it's a lot clearer. And so, as always whenever I bother to organize the contents of my head, this review is in bullet points.

* I haven't read the Map of Time, although I'm aware of its existence, and this was much more an almost sort of sequel than I was expecting. At least I assume so, like I said, I hav...more This was a FirstReads Giveaway.

The first thing I thought when I finished this book was 'how the heck am I going to review that!?' But now I've given my brain a few days to process things and it's a lot clearer. And so, as always whenever I bother to organize the contents of my head, this review is in bullet points.

* I haven't read the Map of Time, although I'm aware of its existence, and this was much more an almost sort of sequel than I was expecting. At least I assume so, like I said, I haven't read it. But there was clearly backstory that the reader wasn't privy to. Don't worry, it doesn't interfere with the story much, and will only bother you if you're the sort of person who needs to know every detail by the end of the book.

* The writing was really beautiful. I don't know how much of that was Palma himself, and how much was the translator, but the sentences sort of roll through the brain in a very pleasant way. You should be aware that it's written in the style of old-fashioned science fiction, so it does get a little wordy, but still: beautiful.

* Characters. This is bit difficult. Most of the characters weren't very likeable. I don't subscribe to the belief that all protagonists must be likeable, but it does help you root for them. Sometimes this really frustrated me: who cares what this bleeping idiot Reynolds is doing? But then: character development! By the end I really liked Wells, and Emma, and Allen, and even the detestable Reynolds turned out alright in the end.

* Plot. As you can probably tell from the somewhat garbled official description, this is a really hard book to sum up without giving away major spoilers. I'll just say this: although the pacing is a little uneven, the plot was interesting, and had enough twists to prevent it from becoming predictable. If the beginning seems a little unnecessary, be patient, it all makes sense in the end. Speaking of the end, it was fantastic! I didn't see it coming until about 3 pages before it actually happened, and it was just so cool.

The reason this gets 4 stars instead of 5 is the pacing, but overall this book was fun, interesting, and thoughtful and I'm ultimately very glad I read it.
(less)

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Jan 19, 2013 Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

In The Map of the Sky, alien cylinders appear in 19th-century London, just like in H.G. Wells's book The War of the Worlds and Wells thinks that it's been staged by a man trying to win over a woman, who's reluctant to marry him. Even though Wells just recently saw some alien artifacts that were recovered many years ago in an expedition to the Antarctic, he still thinks it's a hoax. However, it soon becomes apparent that this isn't a stunt, but a real Martian invasion. Just when all seems lost, s...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Tina Dalton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, love, mystery, sci-fi, time-travel

I just love it when I pick up a book on a whim and it turns out I've unearthed a gem. This book had everything: literary historical figures (H.G. Wells is a main character), romance, science fiction, beloved books come to life and my very favorite--time travel! The author tells the story in a style that is comfortable and endearing, and he often address the "dear reader". Sometimes he changes the story as if to say, "I didn't mean to write it like that, it actually happened like this". It sounds...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Christy Woods rated it 2 of 5 stars

I almost immediately regretted my decision to buy this book (I really need to start using my library membership again). My biggest problem with this book is the use of the omniscient narrator (not my favorite style, though it can work). I felt that I was stepping into some kind of circus sideshow, with the grandiose announcer-style narration. The thing is, it never let up and I began to feel that Palma was patronizing his readers.

I was, also, put off by the prominent role that H.G. Wells play...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Freda mans rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the first book, but thought this one was even better. From the story, to the action involved, this story had more and was more exciting to read.
Maybe I'm not so much into time travel, and aliens do something more for me. I don't know, but I do know this story was very compelling.
Imagine War of the Worlds meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers. That's basically what I took from the story. If those worlds collided, this book would be that story.
It did bring references from the first book t...more

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About Félix J. Palma

Félix J. Palma was born in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain on June 16, 1968. He attended Francisco Pacheco High School and studied Publicity at the University at Sevilla.

His first volume of stories, El Vigilante de la Salamandra (The Lizard's Keeper) showed his ability to introduce fantasy into the every day. He is also author of the storybooks: Métodos de Supervivencia (Methods of Survival), Las Int...more

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Quotes from The Map of the Sky

“Writers perform an extremely important role: they make others dream, those who are unable to dream for themselves. And everyone needs to dream. Could there be any more important job in life than that?” — 12 people liked it

“I'm convinced the true history of our time isn't what we read in newspapers or books...True history is almost invisible. It flows like an underground spring. It takes place in the shadows, and in silence, George. And only a chosen few know what that history is.” — 5 people liked it

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