Having seen the ideas for this book discussed online for the last couple of years, it was with great anticipation that I finally got to read it. And it was worth the wait. The island of Nantucket, for some unexplained reason, takes a header into the timestream and winds up in 1230 B.C. The residents of the island then have to face the consequences of being completely cut off from the society they were a part of and the resources they depended on.
Steve does an admirable job of showing how the residents do just that. His viewpoint characters are of course the primary movers and shakers of the island (Would you really want to read about Joe Smith who spends his days weeding the grain fields?) and the U. S. Coast Guard Eagle which also made the trip. The main characters are fairly well rounded, with interesting lives and thoughts. Happily they are also well drawn so that you do not get confused about exactly who is talking or thinking at any particular time. This is very important since the book skips around to different POVs several times in each chapter. And the chapters can cover many months at a time.
A major part of what make the book so interesting is the amount of detail that is present. First there are the historical portions, some of which Steve had fairly free license with, since there is little information available about large parts of the world during that time period. But the knowledge we do have, along with Steve's additions to it, is integrated into the flow of the story quite well, adding to the enjoyment rather than detracting. The other kind of detail is Steve's familiarity with the island of Nantucket, both its character and inhabitants and the kind of resources that would be available to use after the Event.
If you are interested in Alternate History, military history, or just plain adventure, you should be sure to pick this one up. And do not feel too bad when you are finished reading it, he is working on two more in the same universe.
The eagerly awaited sequel to Island In The Sea Of Time, I am afraid it is not quite as good as the first. The ideas and action are still there, but the execution is not quite as good. The first few chapters were confusing to read since they moved back and forth between 8 A.E. (After Event), the start of the new book, and earlier times. The idea wasn't bad since it showed a lot of set up without pages of "As you know..." exposition. Unfortunately there was nothing setting off the various flashbacks. You could switch from a character in 8 A.E. to the same character 6 years earlier without warning. Trying to keep straight who was doing what when kept me from losing myself in the book the way I did the first one. In fairness, if the jumps had been better indicated it would have been a very effective method of getting readers up to speed.
The good news is, once past those chapters the book is every bit as engrossing as its predecessor. Lots of new characters to get to know, but Steve still manages to give us lots of quality time with our old friends. And the Taunting at Troy is almost worth the price of the book by itself. There is some exploration, a few battles, lots of political intrigue, and the start of what looks to be a very nasty war. Add in a few myths come to life and the opening of the North American continent and you have a very fun ride. If you haven't picked this one up yet, you should, especially if you liked the first one.
The long awaited finale to the Island trilogy. It has everything expected from the first two books, gripping combat, interesting characters, and several twists and turns in the convoluted plot. It also still has the somewhat confusing jumping about in the timeline in the midst of chapters. And it has the final fate of William Walker and his empire.
That fate has resulted in some discontent among fans of the books. It has been called a deus ex machina by a couple of people, which I do not agree with. It was foreshadowed and set up throughout the book, sometimes quite subtly. But it was also unsatisfying. You are reading along, engrossed in the action in Egypt, Babylon, the North American west coast, and suddenly, it is over. You didn't see it coming and you feel like there should be something else there. It was quite frustrating.
None of that means you shouldn't buy the book. While Walker's fate was somewhat unsatisfying, there is plenty in it that is a lot of fun. The Battle of Roark's Ford, the adventures on the N.A. west coast, the unfolding of the Republic of Nantucket's military strategy are all a pleasure to read. And the best part is the open hooks left for more books.
Marching Through Georgia was the first thing of Steve's I ever read. Even after almost ten years it remains very powerful and disturbing. Those are features that it shares with all of the Draka books, although in some ways Under the Yoke is the most disturbing. These books show what Alternate History is best at, showing us just what humanity is capable of under different circumstances.
These are some military SF from Steve and David Drake. Not destined to be considered as classic literature by future generations, but a fun read with some depth behind them.
The newest book in the Raj and Center series. Unfortunately it is not as successful as the earlier books. The idea of Raj and Center interacting with a Roman era society is intriguing, but the actual execution doesn't live up to the promise. A large part of the problem is the lack of an ending. Starting the book with the expectation of a satisfying ending then having the story stop right in the middle is very frustrating. Especially since the first book, The Chosen, did have the complete story in one book. If the authors are going to complete the story in the next book, I hope it does not take as long to get it out as this one did.
Other than the lack of an ending, the story is pretty good. The details of the various cultures in the book seem very authentic, but that is to be expected considering Steve's current Island books and David Drake's various books set in the Roman Empire. The two of them should be very familiar with the mindsets of the people and societies at the technology level depicted in this book. Parts of the story seem to be part of a pretty standard storyline, but the authors do mange to throw in a few surprises, which are all the more welcome because of the seeming predictability.
It is hard to say this is a must have book, since the story isn't finished. If you are willing to wait for the next book to see how things work out, then pick it up. Prior experince with both authors earlier works leads me to take the chance.
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