What do you think?
Rate this book
The Green and the Gray
Tree-hiding Greens and mountain-hiding Grays hide in Manhattan, alien refugees from a cataclysmic war, until two teens from opposing sides find both species have survived. On a cold October night, Roger and Caroline Whittier accept an unexpected burden at gunpoint: Melantha Green 12, the Peace Child ready to die, prevented by NYPD Detective Thomas Fierenzo.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published August 26, 2004
66 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Zahn
481 books8,515 followersTimothy Zahn attended Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1973. He then moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and achieved an M.S. degree in physics in 1975. While he was pursuing a doctorate in physics, his adviser became ill and died. Zahn never completed the doctorate. In 1975 he had begun writing science fiction as a hobby, and he became a professional writer. He and his wife Anna live in Bandon, Oregon. They have a son, Corwin Zahn.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
January 18, 2025
I am absolutely stunned at this book. Timothy Zahn wrote a book that works on just about every level.
The book has incredibly deep themes, a compelling mystery, creative twists, excitable action, relatable characters, and excellent worldbuilding.
The whole set up of the Greens vs the Grays is obviously supposed to be referencing Shakespeare, but since it had the backdrop of New York, it really reminded me of "West Side Story" in a few ways (not in the romantic ways, but in the gang vs gang story).
The mystery in this book is superb. Zahn has recently taken to doing super complex mysteries in his Icarus Saga, but I would say this is his absolute best usage of mystery in any of his books. The setup, the twists, the payoffs, all are handled magnificently! And he has that penultimate chapter that reveals everything in all the best ways.
The characters of Roger and Caroline worked really well here, as humans that would make the book more relatable for the reader. I also felt so much empathy for Melantha, who is just going through such incrediblly complex emotions and events for a 12 year old child. (the book literally starts of with an attempted/thwarted child sacrifice).
I also really liked the character of Fierenzo, who as a detective adds a special splash of new energy to the book.
The worldbuilding behind the Greens and the Grays aliens was just incredible.
I have so many thoughts on the themes, which were deep and complex and interesting, and yet so accessible and not ponderous at all. To discuss them or reference them specifically would be to spoil the book, so suffice it to say that the themes here are just wonderful all around.
The book is also action packed, and I LOVED the action here.
Overall, this is an AMAZING Book. I don't know the last time I've done this (its been years), but I'm giving this book a full 10 out of 10.
The book has incredibly deep themes, a compelling mystery, creative twists, excitable action, relatable characters, and excellent worldbuilding.
The whole set up of the Greens vs the Grays is obviously supposed to be referencing Shakespeare, but since it had the backdrop of New York, it really reminded me of "West Side Story" in a few ways (not in the romantic ways, but in the gang vs gang story).
The mystery in this book is superb. Zahn has recently taken to doing super complex mysteries in his Icarus Saga, but I would say this is his absolute best usage of mystery in any of his books. The setup, the twists, the payoffs, all are handled magnificently! And he has that penultimate chapter that reveals everything in all the best ways.
The characters of Roger and Caroline worked really well here, as humans that would make the book more relatable for the reader. I also felt so much empathy for Melantha, who is just going through such incrediblly complex emotions and events for a 12 year old child. (the book literally starts of with an attempted/thwarted child sacrifice).
I also really liked the character of Fierenzo, who as a detective adds a special splash of new energy to the book.
The worldbuilding behind the Greens and the Grays aliens was just incredible.
I have so many thoughts on the themes, which were deep and complex and interesting, and yet so accessible and not ponderous at all. To discuss them or reference them specifically would be to spoil the book, so suffice it to say that the themes here are just wonderful all around.
The book is also action packed, and I LOVED the action here.
Overall, this is an AMAZING Book. I don't know the last time I've done this (its been years), but I'm giving this book a full 10 out of 10.
September 9, 2018
I just finished re-reading “The Green and the Gray” by Timothy Zahn. It is somewhat of a cliché to call a book a “page turner”, but that really was the case for me with this one. The story is well written, with enough suspense and plot twists to keep me up late at night reading it, yet still believable enough for me to enjoy the book without undue suspension of disbelief.
Unlike some of this author’s other works, this story is set in the present day, in New York City. It features two sets of aliens, passing as humans, who have lived there for many years, unaware of each other’s presence. They have recently found each other and some factions in each group are either trying to avoid a war or gearing up to win the war.
Into the midst of this volatile situation comes a young married human couple who attempt to protect a 12 year old girl who is from one of the alien factions. As they do so, they are thrust into the midst of the upcoming confrontation with each group attempting to find the girl. In the process, the couple (Roger and Caroline Whittier) learns of the true story of the aliens’ origin, history and how they came to our world, including details the aliens themselves were unaware of. They, along with a NYPD detective (Thomas Fierenzo), end up playing a pivotal role in attempting to defuse the situation before it means the death of thousands of aliens and humans.
There is a fairly large cast of characters, so some are developed more than others. However, the main point of view characters, Roger, Caroline, and Detective Fierenzo, are all fleshed out well and you really care what happens to them by the end of the book. In the course of the story Roger and Caroline end up needing to learn to understand and appreciate each other better to effectively work together. The changes to the Whittier’s marriage are not a major part of the story, and you can largely ignore it if you want to, but I personally found it added a more believable dimension to the characters.
At times I re-read books that I recall were really well written, typically after 5-10 years have gone by. When I do so a novel seems to come short of what I had hoped for, perhaps because of high expectations from recalling how good it was. However, in the case of this book, I found that it was actually more enjoyable than I recall it being when I read it in the past!
I must admit that I tend to like most books by Timothy Zahn, so I did not come to this novel completely unbiased. However, like any other author, some of his books are better than others. I think this is one of the best of his I have read to date.
Unlike some of this author’s other works, this story is set in the present day, in New York City. It features two sets of aliens, passing as humans, who have lived there for many years, unaware of each other’s presence. They have recently found each other and some factions in each group are either trying to avoid a war or gearing up to win the war.
Into the midst of this volatile situation comes a young married human couple who attempt to protect a 12 year old girl who is from one of the alien factions. As they do so, they are thrust into the midst of the upcoming confrontation with each group attempting to find the girl. In the process, the couple (Roger and Caroline Whittier) learns of the true story of the aliens’ origin, history and how they came to our world, including details the aliens themselves were unaware of. They, along with a NYPD detective (Thomas Fierenzo), end up playing a pivotal role in attempting to defuse the situation before it means the death of thousands of aliens and humans.
There is a fairly large cast of characters, so some are developed more than others. However, the main point of view characters, Roger, Caroline, and Detective Fierenzo, are all fleshed out well and you really care what happens to them by the end of the book. In the course of the story Roger and Caroline end up needing to learn to understand and appreciate each other better to effectively work together. The changes to the Whittier’s marriage are not a major part of the story, and you can largely ignore it if you want to, but I personally found it added a more believable dimension to the characters.
At times I re-read books that I recall were really well written, typically after 5-10 years have gone by. When I do so a novel seems to come short of what I had hoped for, perhaps because of high expectations from recalling how good it was. However, in the case of this book, I found that it was actually more enjoyable than I recall it being when I read it in the past!
I must admit that I tend to like most books by Timothy Zahn, so I did not come to this novel completely unbiased. However, like any other author, some of his books are better than others. I think this is one of the best of his I have read to date.
February 9, 2019
This is so far my favorite book by Timothy Zahn. It has a good premise two alien groups---the Greens and the Grays---live in New York city undetected by human kind. The two groups have been growing more nad more hostile towards each other. The two groups have abilities humans do not--but are human in appearance. And if hostilities begin, many human bystanders will be endangered.
Then a human couple on the way home from the theater encounter a gunman--and also a twelve year old girl, who they take to the temporary safety of their apartment. Now humans are involved between two groups of aliens---
Won't tell more but it was a really good page turner for me. Igave it five stars with no hesitation at all--and I seldom do that. Out of print but well worth looking for and very highly recommended for any science fiction reader.
Then a human couple on the way home from the theater encounter a gunman--and also a twelve year old girl, who they take to the temporary safety of their apartment. Now humans are involved between two groups of aliens---
Won't tell more but it was a really good page turner for me. Igave it five stars with no hesitation at all--and I seldom do that. Out of print but well worth looking for and very highly recommended for any science fiction reader.
January 25, 2020
Zahn tells a story intriguing from the start. His premise, a gang war between two alien clans living under the radar in New York city, is propelled by a number of human characters whose authenticity makes it easy to sink into such a familiar/unfamiliar backdrop. I found the relationships between individual characters compelling as well, especially as the humans and aliens interact. Zahn's world is well thought through, and I was pleasantly surprised by a twist later in the book (even though this is my second time reading).
My main criticism would be Zahn's affinity for lengthy conversations between characters that start to smell of info dumps after a while. I could especially do without conversations in which characters seemingly sit around analyzing events that we have just experienced with them. My gut feeling is that those kinds of plot 'eurekas' given out in those conversations are better left to the reader's own detective work. Much of the information we learn from these conversations serves only to decrease the tension that I feel in the book's "climactic" moments.
That said, The Green and the Gray was an engaging read. I would recommend this to anyone, and especially to fans of sci-fi or fantasy who have more strategic or politically leaning interests.
My main criticism would be Zahn's affinity for lengthy conversations between characters that start to smell of info dumps after a while. I could especially do without conversations in which characters seemingly sit around analyzing events that we have just experienced with them. My gut feeling is that those kinds of plot 'eurekas' given out in those conversations are better left to the reader's own detective work. Much of the information we learn from these conversations serves only to decrease the tension that I feel in the book's "climactic" moments.
That said, The Green and the Gray was an engaging read. I would recommend this to anyone, and especially to fans of sci-fi or fantasy who have more strategic or politically leaning interests.
June 1, 2012
One of the few (only?) books Zahn wrote that's set in modern-day/near-future Earth. Intricate and interesting. Two feuding alien species plus sympathetic and not-so-sympathetic humans, plus mundane cops. There are several factions and it gets a bit tied up in the middle. The characters have a long conversations attempting to figure out other characters' motivations, and then two chapters later they do it again from three other angles....and then a chapter later they do it again and by that point I'm lost and along for the ride. Which may have been the point, but for me as a reader it's exhausting. There's a neat twist in the backstory of the aliens that I enjoyed immensely. I also enjoyed the journey of the husband and wife heroes.
April 14, 2013
Please vote on list Best Timothy Zahn novels.
A little different from Zahn's other novels being that it is set on a near-future Earth. This isn't a bad thing though. The plot is still engaging and the book is well-written, but one thing I was disappointed in was the characters. In all the previous books by Zahn I've read I really liked the characters and felt connected to them, but in this book I didn't feel anything for the characters. Still a solid read, but not my favorite by Zahn.
A little different from Zahn's other novels being that it is set on a near-future Earth. This isn't a bad thing though. The plot is still engaging and the book is well-written, but one thing I was disappointed in was the characters. In all the previous books by Zahn I've read I really liked the characters and felt connected to them, but in this book I didn't feel anything for the characters. Still a solid read, but not my favorite by Zahn.
August 23, 2014
This book reminded me why I consistently very much enjoy Timothy Zahn. Solid pacing, enjoyable story, easy to read -- he's a great cheeseburger author. (That is, not filet mignon or escargot or scotch, but still pretty damn satisfying.)
PS: The cover of this book is simply awful, and made me slightly ashamed to be seen reading it. So it goes.
PS: The cover of this book is simply awful, and made me slightly ashamed to be seen reading it. So it goes.
May 2, 2016
An engaging story, and I enjoyed the fact that those characters who got caught in the middle of this crazy, weird situation applied logic and acted like reasonable people instead of running around yelling that this couldn't be happening. Unrealistic perhaps, but if so, exactly the kind of escape from reality I want in a story.
September 13, 2019
I’ll admit that The Green and the Gray is an interesting concept. Two factions of humanoids living in secret in New York, holding on to a tenuous peace because a war would devastate their respective families. Baking this into a bit of urban fantasy was interesting for a while (the action helped). However, there’s so much filler in this book that makes me wonder if authors who write in this genre are required to hit a specific word or page count to even be published. Perhaps I’m just used to snappier action and less retreading of facts that the reader knows, but the characters don’t.
There’s certainly a lot of mystery that needs to be solved and a lot of world-building that needs to happen for The Green and the Gray to make sense. As with any standard story of this type, certain aspects of the strange events and people fuel the first part of the intrigue. That is until some of the connections and revelations become obvious before their reveals to the characters. Sure, the fantasy elements eventually have logical explanations, but sometimes just having a suspension of disbelief is enough without having to go into all the details of everything.
What strikes me the most with The Green and the Gray is how textbook and cliché the plot plays out. Of course, judging by the cover and the title, this book was probably meant to be more on the “pulp” side and not to be taken as seriously as other high fantasy books. Considering how it’s just another Romeo and Juliet (albeit very loosely related to the Shakespearean source material), I’m surprised there wasn’t more drama involved. Then again, using normal humans to tell the story lessened some of the impact of the cultural differences between the two groups. This couple drove the story, but because of this, it felt forced most of the time.
An overly wordy urban fantasy but not without its merits, I give The Green and the Gray 3.0 stars out of 5.
For more reviews of books and movies like this, please visit www.benjamin-m-weilert.com
There’s certainly a lot of mystery that needs to be solved and a lot of world-building that needs to happen for The Green and the Gray to make sense. As with any standard story of this type, certain aspects of the strange events and people fuel the first part of the intrigue. That is until some of the connections and revelations become obvious before their reveals to the characters. Sure, the fantasy elements eventually have logical explanations, but sometimes just having a suspension of disbelief is enough without having to go into all the details of everything.
What strikes me the most with The Green and the Gray is how textbook and cliché the plot plays out. Of course, judging by the cover and the title, this book was probably meant to be more on the “pulp” side and not to be taken as seriously as other high fantasy books. Considering how it’s just another Romeo and Juliet (albeit very loosely related to the Shakespearean source material), I’m surprised there wasn’t more drama involved. Then again, using normal humans to tell the story lessened some of the impact of the cultural differences between the two groups. This couple drove the story, but because of this, it felt forced most of the time.
An overly wordy urban fantasy but not without its merits, I give The Green and the Gray 3.0 stars out of 5.
For more reviews of books and movies like this, please visit www.benjamin-m-weilert.com
January 4, 2022
This was readable, and I suppose it's not technically sillier than his Quadrail series, but it's silly in a less interesting and entertaining way. It's a Tim Zahn book; you don't read it for well-drawn characters and believable interactions. The characters are all pretty much copies of the same person which happen to have different priorities, as you'd expect. Also there are a lot of them, they're poorly described, and halfway through I stopped trying to keep track. I just remembered that the Greens all have Greek(ish) names and the Grays mostly have Germanic names and honestly they're all similar enough that I didn't miss much. There were factional divisions between them where "Cyril" wanted this but "Aleksandar" wanted that but I was damned if I was going to keep track.
I was torn between two and three stars here, since I only finished it because I had some serious downtime and nothing else to do. It's not offensive or awful, but I feel like Zahn could do better. It's all about a war about to break out, but there's precious little fighting, what fighting there is is lackluster, the climax isn't built up very well and the resolution is unbelievable. Also, seriously huge plot holes (I'll avoid big spoilers here but stop reading if you want it pristine):
*Probably somebody like Roger should have wondered why these two groups look enough like humans to hide out among us. It's still not clear to me why that is.
*I'm not sure why they're hiding in the first place, since they have incredibly valuable and marketable talents. You'd think somebody would have tried approaching the government with offers to become basically the best spies and soldiers who ever lived.
*If they're so concerned with staying secret, they probably shouldn't be contemplating a war that could cause thousands of human deaths as collateral damage. Somebody's going to investigate that, and they're going to be really mad.
*It's not clear what happened to the majority of their species who stayed behind when the Manhattan contingents made their voyage.
Overall, this gets a meh/5. I know Zahn can write a good adventure story, he just didn't this time.
I was torn between two and three stars here, since I only finished it because I had some serious downtime and nothing else to do. It's not offensive or awful, but I feel like Zahn could do better. It's all about a war about to break out, but there's precious little fighting, what fighting there is is lackluster, the climax isn't built up very well and the resolution is unbelievable. Also, seriously huge plot holes (I'll avoid big spoilers here but stop reading if you want it pristine):
*Probably somebody like Roger should have wondered why these two groups look enough like humans to hide out among us. It's still not clear to me why that is.
*I'm not sure why they're hiding in the first place, since they have incredibly valuable and marketable talents. You'd think somebody would have tried approaching the government with offers to become basically the best spies and soldiers who ever lived.
*If they're so concerned with staying secret, they probably shouldn't be contemplating a war that could cause thousands of human deaths as collateral damage. Somebody's going to investigate that, and they're going to be really mad.
*It's not clear what happened to the majority of their species who stayed behind when the Manhattan contingents made their voyage.
Overall, this gets a meh/5. I know Zahn can write a good adventure story, he just didn't this time.
May 26, 2025
Timothy Zahn can't write a bad book. And if he has, I haven't read it. To be nitpicky about this book is difficult, because it's really well done and exceptional. However, there are a few major points working against it.
First and foremost, set in present-day Earth, I really expected more disbelief from the characters. While I know by the sheer nature of fiction, we can't really know how people will behave when faced with the impossible, in this story it felt like everyone was just a little too quick to accept the Greens and the Grays. Even the hardened detective character (who overall I really liked) was way to quick to accept the new rules of the game that come with the aliens. Just a little more disbelief would have been nice.
Secondly, this book is a prime example of the dangers of telling, and not showing. Much time is spent on the relationship between our two protagonists, and while their dialogue and activities were wonderfully done, the descriptions of their thought processes is far too heavy on the telling, and far too light on the showing. After a while, it began to really bother me, and by the end, it was just too much.
Thirdly, I shouldn't have to keep a book face down every time I get up from it, because that cover has to be among the worst designs I've seen in a good long while... and I collect Star Wars EU novels.
Overall though, someone looking for an easy read or relaxing story can enjoy what Zahn has to offer here. The story is interesting, characters compelling, and pace ever-flowing. It's a good book, and I'd be glad to read it again!
First and foremost, set in present-day Earth, I really expected more disbelief from the characters. While I know by the sheer nature of fiction, we can't really know how people will behave when faced with the impossible, in this story it felt like everyone was just a little too quick to accept the Greens and the Grays. Even the hardened detective character (who overall I really liked) was way to quick to accept the new rules of the game that come with the aliens. Just a little more disbelief would have been nice.
Secondly, this book is a prime example of the dangers of telling, and not showing. Much time is spent on the relationship between our two protagonists, and while their dialogue and activities were wonderfully done, the descriptions of their thought processes is far too heavy on the telling, and far too light on the showing. After a while, it began to really bother me, and by the end, it was just too much.
Thirdly, I shouldn't have to keep a book face down every time I get up from it, because that cover has to be among the worst designs I've seen in a good long while... and I collect Star Wars EU novels.
Overall though, someone looking for an easy read or relaxing story can enjoy what Zahn has to offer here. The story is interesting, characters compelling, and pace ever-flowing. It's a good book, and I'd be glad to read it again!
June 29, 2023
TGATG is not one of Timothy Zahn's better novels, but it's still enjoyable. We do see several of Zahn's typical foibles here (spoilers):
- Villains who are willing to pause and explain their schemes at length;
- Extensive dialogue during the climactic showdown involving the aforementioned villains explaining their schemes and the heroes revealing hidden counter-schemes;
- Hand-waving technology and world building.
The backstory here is particularly odd. Two races of alien refugees are living in New York City, hiding in plain sight by passing as human. Both races are somehow from Earth's past and were pushed out of their ancestral homelands by encroaching humans, despite the fact that the "aliens" possess insanely advanced technology and/or superhuman abilities. Yet somehow the humans were able to drive both groups into a single region, where they ended up fighting each other and carrying that bitterness forward when they time traveled to the future (instead of across space as they thought) and ended up in NY.
Despite its flaws, I found a few aspects of the book refreshing. First, the main protagonists are an ordinary married couple - no special abilities, no military training, no fortunate connections to wealth or power. The growth in their understanding of each other and their differences is notable.
- Villains who are willing to pause and explain their schemes at length;
- Extensive dialogue during the climactic showdown involving the aforementioned villains explaining their schemes and the heroes revealing hidden counter-schemes;
- Hand-waving technology and world building.
The backstory here is particularly odd. Two races of alien refugees are living in New York City, hiding in plain sight by passing as human. Both races are somehow from Earth's past and were pushed out of their ancestral homelands by encroaching humans, despite the fact that the "aliens" possess insanely advanced technology and/or superhuman abilities. Yet somehow the humans were able to drive both groups into a single region, where they ended up fighting each other and carrying that bitterness forward when they time traveled to the future (instead of across space as they thought) and ended up in NY.
Despite its flaws, I found a few aspects of the book refreshing. First, the main protagonists are an ordinary married couple - no special abilities, no military training, no fortunate connections to wealth or power. The growth in their understanding of each other and their differences is notable.
October 23, 2023
The ebook copy I read from the library had a frustrating issue where the last word of sentences throughout the book were missing, plus some basic spelling errors that were a bit frustrating, but not enough of a problem to keep me from being able to read and enjoy this book.
it is a really interesting story, two different alien races with a blood feud living in New York and their cold war coming to a boil, though to be honest at a certain point the plot twists almost felt like they were piling it on a bit heavy by the end. the climax was nice, everyone being brought together to resolve their issues, but it still felt, to a degree, to be a bit contrived once again in how even then there had to be one last twist.
The book is told from the perspective of a few different humans who get looped into the fight, which was nice since the reader gets to see the story from the perspective of the humans who are learning these new things about these alien cultures at the same time as the readers themselves.
it is a really interesting story, two different alien races with a blood feud living in New York and their cold war coming to a boil, though to be honest at a certain point the plot twists almost felt like they were piling it on a bit heavy by the end. the climax was nice, everyone being brought together to resolve their issues, but it still felt, to a degree, to be a bit contrived once again in how even then there had to be one last twist.
The book is told from the perspective of a few different humans who get looped into the fight, which was nice since the reader gets to see the story from the perspective of the humans who are learning these new things about these alien cultures at the same time as the readers themselves.
February 17, 2023
Roger and Caroline Whittier are a Manhattan couple with a rocky marriage. Coming back from the theater they are handed a young girl named Melantha Green. Melantha is hurt and Whittier’s take her in. The Whittiers discover that two groups from another planet immigrated to the New York area in the 1920s. These groups where hostile to each other on their home planet and they take this conflict to Earth. Melantha is part of attempt to form a truce between the two groups: the Greens and the Grays. Melantha was to be sacrificed in order to from a truce. She was rescued and now the Green and Grays are ready to go to war. A war which could devastate New York. Can the Whittiers with the help of an NYPD detective. It is a great adventure. The reasons of the conflicts between the Green and Gray are complex. There are some nice twists. The Whittiers react believably to an incredible situation.
January 1, 2019
It's a logic puzzle with aliens!
Gotta love that clear writing, steady pacing, and constant cerebral challenge. I loved the characters, and everyone I loved turned out to be a major player, which is delightful. I'm so grateful that they were generally aware of their own character arcs and working hard to improve; that's such a rare find. Frankly I would read a sequel about any and all of the central cast. The aliens were well done, with a delightful twist, and as usual the sci fi elements came with some Zahn brand physics rules that I loved.
The only reason it didn't get five starts was because it was, I think, more impersonal than it had to be. The narrative got more excited about the logic puzzle of the plot (which I am FAR too slow to figure out) than about the characters.
Gotta love that clear writing, steady pacing, and constant cerebral challenge. I loved the characters, and everyone I loved turned out to be a major player, which is delightful. I'm so grateful that they were generally aware of their own character arcs and working hard to improve; that's such a rare find. Frankly I would read a sequel about any and all of the central cast. The aliens were well done, with a delightful twist, and as usual the sci fi elements came with some Zahn brand physics rules that I loved.
The only reason it didn't get five starts was because it was, I think, more impersonal than it had to be. The narrative got more excited about the logic puzzle of the plot (which I am FAR too slow to figure out) than about the characters.
July 16, 2022
I devour everything I can from Zahn. I'd say that of the books I've read of his, this is among the weaker; the big reveal was a bit predictable and the plot a little cliché. That said, if you're a Zahn fan, you'll enjoy it.
The real trouble was that the editing (or lack thereof) was horrendous. OpenRoad books tend to have the occasional glaring error, but this one was out of the park. It's almost as if they published a first draft that the author hadn't even read over; the amount of dialog and sentences with the last word(s) and punctuation missing was atrocious -- sometimes 2-3 per page!
Anyway, it was a fun read, and I don't know if other editions have the same problem; but don't rely on the OpenRoad edition on Kobo.
The real trouble was that the editing (or lack thereof) was horrendous. OpenRoad books tend to have the occasional glaring error, but this one was out of the park. It's almost as if they published a first draft that the author hadn't even read over; the amount of dialog and sentences with the last word(s) and punctuation missing was atrocious -- sometimes 2-3 per page!
Anyway, it was a fun read, and I don't know if other editions have the same problem; but don't rely on the OpenRoad edition on Kobo.
September 28, 2017
There were times the events and happenings completely baffled me in this story. But the way they would come together was remarkable. I dropped a star due to getting frustrated at the way you got to know everything going on with a character and how they thought right up until they had solved part of the mystery/unknown quantity, then their thoughts were kept secret until the big reveal. But that is probably just my personal quirk of not liking that part of the mystery.
Overall, I love Timothy Zahn's writing and format. The dialogue was well done and setting and characters were laid out well and clear.
Overall, I love Timothy Zahn's writing and format. The dialogue was well done and setting and characters were laid out well and clear.
July 18, 2023
This was the only Zahn book I've read set in the modern day: published in 2004, The Green and the Gray is set in post-9/11 NYC. At 500+ pages, it's a bit too long, and has a lot of stereotypical Zahn stuff like endless scenes of characters discussing what could be going on and the villains stopping to explain their plans in great detail. I liked the characters of the Whittier couple and Fierenzo the detective, though.
However, I read the ebook through the Hoopla app and the formatting was atrocious. Words and punctuation were missing all over the place. Did Open Road Media use OCR to convert this from a physical book to an ebook? Because this was not edited AT ALL.
However, I read the ebook through the Hoopla app and the formatting was atrocious. Words and punctuation were missing all over the place. Did Open Road Media use OCR to convert this from a physical book to an ebook? Because this was not edited AT ALL.
September 30, 2021
There's no denying that the book is a lot of fun, but I just couldn't believe the big plot twist that occurs midway through the book, or that it actually would make any difference to the situation.
Things I did like:
- the marriage of Caroline and Roger and how they come to appreciate each other more thanks to detective McGruff. (Not his real name.) It was a little didactic, but sweet.
- the play on Romeo and Juliet
- the cool hardware (this would make a terrific Marvel-type movie)
-Sylvia who plays a mean game of chess, and Caroline who keeps up barely
Things I did like:
- the marriage of Caroline and Roger and how they come to appreciate each other more thanks to detective McGruff. (Not his real name.) It was a little didactic, but sweet.
- the play on Romeo and Juliet
- the cool hardware (this would make a terrific Marvel-type movie)
-Sylvia who plays a mean game of chess, and Caroline who keeps up barely
July 1, 2023
2.5 stars. I almost quit reading as the characters seem merely stereotypes, at least when they are not just shoehorned in like another folder in the overstuffed filing cabinet. The dialogue is full of exposition and outright ham-handed explaining to the reader of what is happening. The prose itself seems not up to YA level reading. The plot was predictable. Yet it moves, and somehow I wanted to keep going for that, even as we know how it will end. Afterwards I was mildly disappointed in myself. In other words it's a perfectly servicable movie script.
August 29, 2020
First of all, the cover art - yikes. I didn't realize that this book was published in 2004 until they mentioned cell phones in the story. That art is super 80's.
Ultimately, the book was okay. The character development seemed forced, there were a lot of unnecessary aspects added to the plot and back story, and the premise was somewhat cliche. But, it kept me entertained enough to get through the entire 541 pages, so I'm giving it 3 stars.
Ultimately, the book was okay. The character development seemed forced, there were a lot of unnecessary aspects added to the plot and back story, and the premise was somewhat cliche. But, it kept me entertained enough to get through the entire 541 pages, so I'm giving it 3 stars.
August 29, 2025
Another solid story by Zahn
Zahn just knows how to write a solid story every time. From the very beginning the story grabs your attention. I enjoyed this unique spin on an alien story. Its so rare to have a story you haven't heard before in some form. He still has his pension for everyone frowning all the time. He does that in all his books. He even had Vader frowning once as if anyone could see. Other than that I love his books. This is a great stand alone story.
Zahn just knows how to write a solid story every time. From the very beginning the story grabs your attention. I enjoyed this unique spin on an alien story. Its so rare to have a story you haven't heard before in some form. He still has his pension for everyone frowning all the time. He does that in all his books. He even had Vader frowning once as if anyone could see. Other than that I love his books. This is a great stand alone story.
July 3, 2019
A fantastic story is hidden behind this ugly cover. Set in post-9/11 New York, the characters include humans and nonhumans of various factions dealing with a crisis that threatens to break out in massive death and destruction. Most of the characters are likable and sympathetic. The main characters use their wits to discover what is going on as they try to protect the innocent and avoid war.
February 5, 2020
Another good Zahn stand-alone novel. Lots of twists and turns, a mystery that unfolds well over 500 pages. The overall conflict is overcome rapidly after having been built up over the course of the novel, with the ultimate solution happening in about 10 pages, however, so be prepared for a semi-anti-climatic ending.
September 4, 2019
An absolute joyride of a book. Smart characters, fascinating premise, complex conflict, all wrapped up in an intriguing and exciting sequence of events that I couldn't quite predict. Super fun and entertaining.
January 9, 2023
I loved it! The characters felt so real and alive. I also don't read many well written books where two equally main characters are married. I came because I loved the dragonback series. Clearly I need to read more from this author.
Read
January 12, 2023I'm glad I read it
Sci fi on contemporary Earth can be tricky, but this worked out wonderfully. The character development was plausible and fulfilling. The reveals were properly hinted at without being obvious, and the perspective characters were engaging. I'm very glad I read it.
Sci fi on contemporary Earth can be tricky, but this worked out wonderfully. The character development was plausible and fulfilling. The reveals were properly hinted at without being obvious, and the perspective characters were engaging. I'm very glad I read it.
February 17, 2023
A really good book!
The book was really good! It flowed very smoothly and the story was extremely intriguing. It definitely kept my interest and kept me reading late into the night. It's definitely worth a read Zahn's on has pulled it off again with a well-written story.
The book was really good! It flowed very smoothly and the story was extremely intriguing. It definitely kept my interest and kept me reading late into the night. It's definitely worth a read Zahn's on has pulled it off again with a well-written story.
October 2, 2023
Yet another example of extraordinary talent and writing in this book! Love the way the author describes the characters and their personalities in a way that makes you love them! I’ve been a fan of his work since 1991 and have yet to find a slow pace book.
July 6, 2018
Pretty good but it didn't go in as depth to the magic and technologly as I like. But perhaps others would complain about pacing if they did.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews