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1. In my humble opinion, the novel in this part has gained something, but it has also lost some momentum of its earlier chapters. The plot definitely has become more intriguing and more focused, but the verve of the early pages is lost. Do you agree with me?

2. What do you think of Vincent? Does he have a potential to become a character who moves the plot forward?

3. How can you explain Harry's obsession with Robert Lisle?

4. Can we judge Harry's moral standing using the standard of mortal human beings? Is he a human being in this sense?

All types of comments are welcome.

To me, the basis of personal ethics has always been that you are responsible for the consequences of your actions. But if you're born again and again, would you come to believe, eh, I can do it better next time? It does seem potentially corrupting. On the other hand, just because you know that you'll be reborn again, in the day-to-day of life, wouldn't you tend to treat your life as if it was the only one most of the time? That's how I think Harry looks at it, at least most of the time. He does seem to act as moral as most of us, really. Well, mostly.

I couldn't even remember who Robert Lisle was, but luckily the book is where I currently am so I could look. Perhaps it is one thing that Harry can control. He couldn't fix Robert but he could protect the woman (whose name I have also forgotten) from a tragic death. There doesn't seem to me any other specific event he can influence. I do wonder, however, how the world was changed by his actions on this point.

Linda wrote: "

I couldn't even remember who Robert Lisle was, ......... I do wonder, however, how the world was changed by his actions on this point."

It wasn't just Robert Lisle, each time he went to the war, I guess he killed a different set of people.

I found by this point in the book, I was becoming uneasy by a number of logical problems with the plot. I felt there were so many kalachakras who continually led an infinite number of different lives in which they all carried out different actions, such that a serious influence on the general direction of world history would seem inevitable.

And then, each time Harry starts a new life, because he changed his previous actions, he effectively enters a parallel universe. But the others who passed messages through the generations would have to enter the same parallel universe to speak to Harry even though they died at a different time. With so many kalachakras the logic of that just doesn't compute.

I then found I just had to accept these apparent inconsistencies, ignored them all, and just enjoyed the read.

Jim wrote: "But the others who passed messages through the generations would have to enter the same parallel universe to speak to Harry even though they died at a different time. With so many kalachakras the logic of that just doesn't compute."

I'm not 100% sure I understand your issue, but I think this is only an inconsistency if you think about time as being linear. To quote an overused Doctor Who line, you have to think more "wibbly wobbly timey wimey". All the Kalachakra enter a timeline together, regardless of when they died.

Here's a similar line of thought I had at one point:

Let's say there are two Kalachakra named Joe and Bob. Both are born in the same year. Joe, through a massive stroke of bad luck, tends to die of some genetic disorder around age 20. Bob tends to live to age 80 or so.

If this is the case, then, thinking linearly, by the time Bob is in his second life, Joe would be on his fourth life, right?

But that's not the case. Bob and Joe will enter the next universe together, and by the time Joe is cumulatively 40 (end of second life), Bob will cumulatively be 160 (also end of second life).

I am have to be cautious because this thread only covers half of the book. I think this is an issue to explore more in the spoilers thread. I think it is why this cannot be considered a time travel book. Replays seem to conflict with time travel concepts. I have trouble with the concept that all the Kalachakra entering the same universe together and I think the second half of the book will illustrate why!

Linda wrote: " I have trouble with the concept that all the Kalachakra entering the same universe together and I think the second half of the book will illustrate why! "

ha ha, I think I know what you're referring to but we'll discuss it later! :)

I only have one problem with it, and I don't think it's the same problem...but I have a theory or two to solve it.

Jim wrote: "I then found I just had to accept these apparent inconsistencies, ignored them all, and just enjoyed the read..."

That's pretty much how I had to read the book too. And once I got towards the last 1/4 of the book, I have definitely had some problems with it.

I think that any novel dealing with the time-line paradoxes or changing the time line has a lot of temporal problems with it. I believe because so far, to the best of my knowledge, we have not experienced true time travel, our mental inventory is not able to fully express what it is to live the same reality again and again or change the events.

I always read such novels with the the grain/pinch of salt and simply enjoy the ride. Of course, I usually find plot inconsistencies with any novel, but this is the reality of speculation. The hypothesis of time travelling is highly speculative, and with no empirical evidence such things are unavoidable. Just enjoy the ride. This would be my advice :-)

Zulfiya wrote: "I think that any novel dealing with the time-line paradoxes or changing the time line has a lot of temporal problems with it. I believe because so far, to the best of my knowledge, we have not expe..."

Sorry -- some authors manage to be consistent with their time travel theme rather than mixing up a number of theories. And while I can often just accept things that don't make a lot of sense, I did not like this book enough otherwise to overlook it in this one!