The Videssos Cycle, Volume II by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Harry Turtledove's first major series under his own name was The Videssos Cycle, originally published in four volumes
in 1987. Del Rey has recently re-released the books in a two volume trade paperback edition. The second volume includes
the novels The Legion of Videssos and Swords of the Legion. Putting these two books in a single volume reinforces
the structural differences between them and the first two novels in the series.
The Videssos Cycle, Volume I by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Steven H Silver
The first two novels of the Videssos Cycle (The Misplaced Legion and An Emperor for the Legion)
have been collected in an omnibus volume, offering a new generation of fans an introduction to the history-based fantasy with which
Harry Turtledove initially built his name. The basic premise of the series has a Republican Roman legion shunted from Gaul to a land in
which magic works and the political culture is reminiscent of the Byzantine Empire into which Rome would eventually evolve.
Atlantis and Other Places by Harry Turtledove
an audiobook review by Dale Darlage
Called a "Master of Alternate History" by Publishers Weekly, Harry Turtledove continues on that track
with a set of 12 short stories. Topics and eras range from pre-history to the Peloponnesian War to the Byzantine
Empire to World War II, along with two stories set in modern times.
Hitler's War by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
The assassination of Konrad
Henlein in 1938 gives Hitler the excuse he needs to follow his desire to invade Czechoslovakia. England
and France are appalled by the German aggression, and refuse to sign the treaty offered by Hitler. Even though
neither side is really ready for another big war, the die is cast, and before anyone can pull back, an alternate
take on World War II is well underway.
Give Me Back My Legions! by Harry Turtledove
an audiobook review by Gil T. Wilson
Harry Turtledove explores the circumstances surrounding one of ancient Rome's greatest military disasters, The Battle
of the Teutoberg Forest. This is the battle in which the German, Arminius, defeated Augustus Caesar's appointed
governor of Germany, Publius Quinctilius Varus, keeping Rome out of Germany. Although well-known for his alternate
histories, Turtledove chooses historical fiction as the best format to tell about this history-changing battle.
Return Engagement by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
The time is the Summer of 1941, and in this world the Confederate States of America were never brought into the union. The last
time the CSA fought the USA, was about 20 years ago, but a surprise bombing raid on the US capital, Philadelphia, proves
to be the opening salvo of a new, and very bloody conflict. The megalomaniac President of the CSA, Jake Featherstone
is shown to be much more closely modelled as an American Hitler.
Through the Darkness by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Ian Nichols
This is a novel of war, a vast war, fought on many fronts, but mainly in Unkerlant, an enormous continent of many different
races. All the conventions of the fantasy novel are here; dragons and magic and strange and wonderful natural forces. The plot
is enormously complex, and the back-story in the novel is really not quite sufficient to explain how it has all come about. The
writing is as skilful and detailed as anything Turtledove has ever written...
The Center Cannot Hold by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by David Soyka
While historians traditionally focus on major trends and events -- the wars, the political debates, emergent religious doctrines,
technological advancements -- and the exceptional figures who shape them, one branch of scholarship takes a different approach in
examining how these various historical eddies affect the everyday lives of "regular" people. The workers, the soldiers, the families
whose lives are dramatically changed or disrupted -- sometimes immediately, sometimes incrementally -- because of the larger
social, political and scientific upheavals.
Ruled Britannia by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Remember: the Spanish Armada did not overthrow England at the time of William Shakespeare. As far as we know... If it seems impossible
to imagine a Britain governed by Spain and victims of the Inquisition, just give it a few pages and this novel will
likely have you wondering, too. In London under the heavy hand of Spain and the Vatican, life for an actor and playwright is one lived under
sufferage. All plays must be approved by the Master of the Revels and some topics are simply avoided by a smart man who wants to
keep his liberty and his head.
Colonization: Aftershocks by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
This is the latest novel in a series that began with Worldwar: In the Balance, and portrays an Earth in which an
alien invasion interrupted World War II. By the time of this book, it is
the 60s, much of the planet is occupied by the aliens, known to
themselves as The Race, to humans as the Lizards. The author
does a masterful job of meshing his world's history with our own, and it's a lot of fun spotting the differences in people's
lives.
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Walk in Hell by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Nick Gevers
The 2nd volume of four, this novel is an exhaustive account of a First World War grown even more monstrous
than its factual counterpart. There is a cool precise cruelty to this vision, the perspective of an historian
with few sentimental illusions and with a profound understanding of inexorable historical process; this is deeply
impressive, a rigorous antidote to the whimsy that so easily infects alternate history.
Darkness Descending by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Steven H Silver
In Into the Darkness, the author began to relate the history of a massive war on the magical continent
of Derlavai. The cultures and causes of the war had distinct parallels with both World Wars of the 20th
century. Here, he plays up the parallels with World War II even as he shifts his
focus from the field of battle to the societal changes which are occurring because of the world-wide war being fought.
American Front by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Mark Shainblum
The author knows history, and he knows it well. When he spins an alternate history
scenario, you just know that it's been carefully thought out and is
historically plausible. As well, his characters, often derived from genuine historical sources,
are sympathetic and real. You genuinely believe in them, you feel for them, you care about what happens to them.
Household Gods by Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Rich Horton
Nicole Gunther-Perrin is a recently divorced lawyer in present-day Los
Angeles. Her life seems to be falling apart. Her husband left her for a
blond bimbo. Her daycare provider just quit. And she has been passed over
for a partnership at her law firm, while the man she has just collaborated
with got his partnership. Everything in our world seems slanted against
women. So she makes a half-hearted prayer to a plaque featuring the Roman gods Liber and
Libera to send her back to Ancient Rome, where, she imagines, women had
equal status with men. And they comply...
Colonization: Second Contact by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by A.L. Sirois
This is a continuation of Turtledove's Worldwar series.
If you like series books and want to stick around to see
how it all comes out, then by all means settle back with a
big cup of ginger tea and have a go.
Into the Darkness by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Although the battles hold up well for the single book (of a projected 6-book series), they'll begin to grow stale
long before the final book. Fortunately, the author introduces enough
subplots, magical, political, and romantic, that he should have enough to focus on
as the series moves towards its end.
Departures by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Steven H Silver
For readers who have not read any of the author's work, Steven recommends
this collection to get a feel for the wide range of stories
this author has to offer. For people who only know him through his novel-length
work, he also recommends it to show how masterful he is when
it comes to writing short stories.
How Few Remain by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Alexander von Thorn
George Custer and Teddy Roosevelt fighting the British in Montana. Abraham
Lincoln preaching socialism in Chicago. Samuel Clemens arrested for
sedition. Trench warfare on the Ohio River. This story bursts forth from the
first page and pushes ahead with the force of a speeding train. How Few
Remain is a compelling and entertaining story and a thoughtful study of
some of the core issues of American history.
How Few Remain by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Typical of Turtledove's alternate history novels, this one sports a large cast of
historical characters such as Abe Lincoln, Sam Clemens, Theodore Roosevelt,
Frederick Douglass and Stonewall Jackson. They allow Turtledove to present different
viewpoints of the situation and add depth to the world he has created without seeming
to give any single individual an unreasonably open or broad mind. For it isn't a
black-and-white story.
Between the Rivers by Harry Turtledove
reviewed by Steven H Silver
This novel covers familiar Turtledove ground work, however it does so
in a manner which is frequently fresh and inventive. It does a fantastic job of depicting
a Mesopotamian culture and the elements of humanity breaking free from the rule of gods and superstition.
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