The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson, Nicole Galland

The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. (The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O., #1)

by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland

You think you know how the world works? Think again.

21st Century America

Magic has faded from the minds of mankind, until an encounter between Melisande Stokes, linguistics expert at Harvard, and Tristan Lyons, shadowy agent of government, leads to the uncovering of a distant past.

After translating a series of ancient texts, Melisande and Tristan discover the connection between science, magic and time travel and so the Department of Diachronic Operations – D.O.D.O. – is hastily brought into existence. Its mission: to develop a device that will send their agents back to the past, where they can stop magic from disappearing and alter the course of history.

But when you interfere with the past, there’s no telling what you might find in your future…

Written with genius and complexity, this vividly realised novel will make you believe the impossible, and question the very foundations of the modern world.

Reviewed by wyvernfriend on

3 of 5 stars

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slogged through this Honestly by the end I didn't care.  This has taken me ages to finish and if it wasn't for a flu and determination I'd have a sneaking suspicion this would never have been finished.
 
I've seen a lot of reviews where people either love it or dislike it, very little middle ground on this one (so if you're reading it and you're meh about it, just move on)
 
Basic plot is a medieval linguist recruited into a secret government organisation who work with witches to do time travel and when they annoy the wrong person it all goes very pear shaped.
 
It's clever but I just didn't feel a lot of joy in reading it, more I wanted it to be done. 

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  • Started reading
  • 25 April, 2019: Finished reading
  • 25 April, 2019: Reviewed