After carving a place for itself in war-torn 17th century Europe, the modern time-displaced town of Grantville, West Virginia has established its new mission and identity. Yet some have been left behind—people like goodtime Bernie Zeppi, courageous in battle, but a bust in life.
Bernie gets his second chance when he’s hired to help Mother Russia modernize. Now war with Poland is afoot and Russia is about to get a revolution from within—three centuries early! It’s do or die time for good-time Bernie. His task: to save the Russian woman he has come to love and the country he has come to call his own from collapse into a new Dark Age.
-
Product ReviewI don't typically read Grantville Gazette, so hadn't seen the story before. I thought the author did a great job applying "1632" changes to the russian psyche and logically following the threads logically. Nice Job!
Posted on
-
Product ReviewI had read some of the early short stories this book was based on but stop buying the gazette for a while now so I enjoyed this. However, I have found the last few books in the series crap which (especially anything Virginia DeMarce touches, A. Dennis is mediocre) I have not bought the last few. This one I found closer to the first few books . It really sets up what I think is a more interesting alternative history than the main narrative.
I think most people fell short changed because it was not new material if one follows the gazette. Really I think the content in the book no from a gazette should of been published in the Gazette and let thous you don't follow subcribe enjoy the serial.Posted on
-
Product ReviewAs mentioned by the other commenters, most of the story is already available in the Gazzette, however it is smoothed out some.
The changes in the story were more disconcerting though, Anya the spy, my favorite character is reduced to just another chambermaid, I kept expecting an ending revelation that she was still a spy, but it never came.Posted on
-
Product ReviewDisappointingly short. A good quarter or more of the book is just set-up and background, and then the actual story is there and gone before you know it. It's still good, if not on par with the earlier '33 or '34 books, but it's not worth the ARC price and it may not be worth the normal price either. Try to find it in a library when it comes out, or borrow it from someone else.
Posted on
-
Product ReviewIt's a nice read, but most of it can be found in the gazettes, reading progression is more based on asking yourself when the story in truth will start and thus peeking at the next chapter, and the next then truly being captivated by the story. The ending converges towards another few books, it's more a large introduction to a subseries. A subseries that considering the ending of this book will be very interesting indeed. Still, all in all not really worth 15 dollars.
Posted on
-
Product ReviewVery disappointing. Most of story already in Gazette as part of Butterflies .... Should have left it as a serial in the Gazette.
Posted on
-
Product ReviewI'm really getting tired of repackaged short stories. Like the latest ROF book, there's not really anything new here for true fans. Very disappointed.
Posted on
-
Product ReviewI enjoyed this new addition to the 163X world. It offered up many of the same elements that I enjoyed about prior books; strong female characters, humor-especially in the juxtaposition of up-time versus down-time sensibilities, an interesting take on the "what if the Ring of Fire had landed in some other country in 1631?", and a view of how the Ring of Fire might be perceived further removed from it's German epicenter. It is a little like The Eastern Front because it feels like half a book. Funny how I criticize this series for that but give Weber, Stirling, and many others a pass for doing the same thing.
Posted on
-
Product ReviewCompared to the rest of 163x series whole book feels lame. Characteristion is shalow and cartoonish, for a bit i tought it was a parody. In one word LAME.
Posted on
-
Product ReviewI am very disappointed. 80% of the story has already been published in various gazettes.
Plus the characters are very stereotypical and uni-dimensional.
The one big change--who is the political officer also was a bad one. The initial choice, presented in the Gazettes was far more interesting and realistic.Posted on