Alan Smale

I won my copy of this book free through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

I was not sure what to expect from this book, since the blurb on the giveaway listing didn't say much, but I am glad I entered the contest for this book. This book reminds me of movies like The Gladiator, historical fiction about battles and heroes from classical times. The story is engaging and Smale does a good job of orienting his readers to the time and place of his story without straying too far from historical accuracy, and also without turning his novel into a history textbook. This would be a fun novel (and series, though I've only read book#1 and can't speak to the rest) to read while studying Classical Roman history, to bring that era to life in a way history books can't.… (meer)

Whee! This is a well thought-out alternate history, and very fun to read. Smale’s managed not only to realistically, sympathetically recreate a Native culture and to portray the impacts Roman contact could have on one (literacy! infantry! saunas!), but he also tackles big issues like ethics, racism, sexism, colonialism, and autonomy and does them well. And it’s pretty fast-paced too, for a book that spans years! With some very excellent battle scenes, a good bit of travel narrative, and a balanced romance.

Also the Cahokians have an air combat division, which sort of makes everything better, even if I have to wonder if they actually did.

7/10… (meer)

This was another fun read and a very good close to the trilogy. Smale didn’t disappoint on anything, from continually raising the stakes and throwing Marcellinus into hot water and the threat of the Mongols and the grandness of the battle against them, to his consistently strong and complex characterization of the Native characters and the ending itself. There were several moments where I genuinely worried things were going to end horribly and lots of moments where I was rooting for people to succeed despite the odds.

This book read a lot more like epic fantasy than the last couple, though it’s still solidly alternate history, and I enjoyed Smale’s multiple references to the two world wars. In addition to his portrayal of indigenous societies and peoples, I also continued to dig the pro-Native, anti-colonialist themes to the story and the way Smale juggled characters’ opinions on the matter. It’s also clear that he really though the battle, and battle techniques, through, which I appreciate.

I’m now looking forward to seeing what Smale comes up with next!

Warnings: The only (Central and East) Asians are bad guys by dint of being Mongols or allied with them and there is a Chingis Khan=Hitler parallel. Some racist and sexist characters, some of whom don’t learn better. The Mongols and their allies take slaves. Smale is a White man writing Native and female characters, though he’s done a good job of avoiding the pitfalls in my books. If you can’t handle fantasy-style epic battles, this is definitely not for you. Ditto Native peoples with hang-glider air forces.

7.8/10… (meer)