John Payton’s Reviews > Children of Strife > Status Update
John Payton
is 58% done
I no longer believe that I would understand this story better had I read the first two books. Tchaikovsky is deliberately writing to confuse the reader.
— 17 hours, 13 min ago
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John’s Previous Updates
John Payton
is 25% done
Okay - I can get behind the oligarchs who can't get anything done because they can't work together. And that they were responsible for the degradation of Earth.
I kind of like the mantis shrimp.
And I think I could appreciate Alice. if only I could figure out her frickin' TIMELINE.
— Mar 31, 2026 10:31PM
I kind of like the mantis shrimp.
And I think I could appreciate Alice. if only I could figure out her frickin' TIMELINE.
John Payton
is 24% done
What's the timeline here? When is Alice buried on the planet, in relation to when she's on the ship? Is Katt the same as Kern? WTF is going on here? The shifting POV and unclear timeline is throwing me off.
— Mar 31, 2026 10:02PM
John Payton
is 15% done
Is the part with the terraformers a true prequel, or is it in the simulation?
Which character woke up underground? Aliice, or Cot?
Can the narrator do any other characters?
What's the point of this story?
— Mar 30, 2026 09:36PM
Which character woke up underground? Aliice, or Cot?
Can the narrator do any other characters?
What's the point of this story?
