1634: The Baltic War (The Assiti Shards) by David Weber, Eric Flint
|
List Price: Our Price: $13.95 You Save: $12.05 (46%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $3.09 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of 1634: The Baltic War (The Assiti Shards)
Book Review: Another Wonderful Chunk of Alternate History
Summary: 5 Stars
Like its two direct predecessors, 1632 and 1633, this is a delightful romp thru the middle of the time of the thirty years war, specifically the early to middle 1630's.
These three, and the several collateral books in the 'series':
1634: The Galileo Affair (The Ring of Fire),
1634: The Ram Rebellion (Assiti Shards),
1635: Cannon Law (Ring of Fire),
Ring of Fire (Assiti Shards),
The Grantville Gazette,
Grantville Gazette II,
Grantville Gazette III,
future issues of the Grantville Gazette
and doubtless many more to follow, all great fun, really constitute not a series, but one huge hypernovel, variously called (collectively) 1632, 163x, Assiti Shards, or Ring of Fire, and incorporating at least three of the four basic plots, The Little Tailor, The Yellow Brick Road, and numerous instances of Boy Meets Girl; in this volume, Eddie-Anne Cathrine and Thorsten-Caroline.
While these books can be read and greatly enjoyed in any order, the best plan is to read 1632 first, then 1633, and thereafter read the 1634, Grantville Gazette, and Ring of Fire titles (in any order, except read The Galileo Affair just before going on to the 1635 titles, beginning with Cannon Law, (direct sequel to The Galileo Affair).
I refer to the other books as collateral because the story lines of those books are more or less peripheral to the story lines of 1632, 1633, and 1634: the Baltic War. Besides being very enjoyable in themselves, these stories enhance and supplement the three 'mainline' volumes.
Every one of these books is a very enjoyable action-adventure story, and every one just incidentally gives you fascinating insights into the social and cultural milieu of one or more of the nations of Europe in the 1630's. HISTORY TEACHERS TAKE NOTE!
And finally, some of you, those who like computer games, may want to get
Eric Flint's 1632 Resource Guide and Role Playing Game
watziznaym@gmail.com
Book Review: Long over due
Summary: 5 Stars
After 2 year wait 1634: The Baltic War is finally out. This is an interesting marriage of 2 very good authors with different writing styles, life experiences, and (most importantly) politics. Of course in comparison to 17th Century European politics, they seem like radical socialists, nae, almost anarchists. I wish our congressmen would learn from these two politically active authors. I wish I knew how they delegate characters and storylines, although I am sure Stearns is definitely Flint's character, as is the recking crew, and Mr. and Mrs. Simpson are definitely Weber's, they have seamlessly written a very complex novel into one complete whole that ties up most of the loose ends from 1633, of course not all, because I believe they have at least one more novel to go. I think mood has one of the telltale signals to author hints, Weber tends to more seriousness, Flint owns irreverency, although both are guilty of both in this book. I hope the next comes out much faster.
What makes this book, and series fun, is the blending of history, politics, social commentary, and action into one very fun and fast paced story. The use of minor characters throughout the book to flesh out the story, and make political and social commentary is what makes it great.
Book Review: excellent Ring of Fire entry that specifically follows 1633
Summary: 5 Stars
The Baltic War, which exploded the continent into two hostile armed camps, last year (see 1633) remains hot. The United States of Europe, allied with the Grantville, West Virginia's transplanted Americans, prepares a counterattack on the League of Ostend allied monarchies (France, Spain, England, and Denmark). The League's rulers fear the democratic wave brought forth by the time traveling Americans, as that would end their privilege and status of power.
Meanwhile Grantville's Admiral Simpson continues to develop ironclad ships to break the naval blockade that the League of Ostend has imposed on the Baltic. Grantville's Mike Stearns begins a rescue of diplomats incarcerated by Charles I in the Tower of London. Rebecca Stearns negotiates with the Prince of Orange and the Spanish Cardinal-Infante to join their side of the conflict. Finally in Copenhagen, POW USE naval officer Eddie Cantrell tries to convince the Danish monarch to pull out of the Ostend alliance even while he flirts with one of the king's offspring. As fronts open seemingly everywhere, Europe remains tied up in the first continent wide war to end all wars.
This is an excellent entry in the Ring of Fire chronicles that specifically follows up on 1633 by the same authors; thus to fully savor the brilliance of Eric Flint and David Weber in this tale, it behooves the audience to read (or re-read) the previous collaboration first. The fast-paced storyline contains several fronts in which the advanced twenty-first technology plays key roles in the war, but it is a psychological and philosophical battle for the minds and hearts of the people that is perhaps more critical to the cause of freedom and democracy. Obviously relevant, with its emphasis to transform Europe from dictatorial monarchies/oligopolies to democratic societies, 1634: BALTIC WAR is one of the best entries in one of the best ever alternate history sagas.
Harriet Klausner
Book Review: Excellent book in a outstanding series
Summary: 5 Stars
This book does not really stand alone and the series branches into some independent books that are going to be essentially separate parts of the series.
I very strongly recommend reading at least:1632 and 1633
in that order then this book.
The series has:
1634: The Galileo Affair (The Ring of Fire) this is a almost separate series or split off that occurs about the same time as this book does.
1634: The Ram Rebellion (Assiti Shards) occurs at about the same time as this book does but is a possible split point in the series and is unrelated.
1635: Cannon Law (Ring of Fire) occurs after this book and is the sequel to The Galileo Affair and is a bit of a plot spoiler for this book.
This book uses separate chapters or occasionally sub chapters to portray events that are happening together in time. There are a lot of compelling characters (possibly too many) many of who are introduced in 1632 or 1633. Some of the plot elements are also continued from 1633 as well.
I strongly recommend reading at least 1632 and 1633 first!! Besides helping make sense of this book they are very good reads.
Besides the several well done battle scenes there are a number of good plots well interwoven. Some good humor as well throughout. I really liked Eddie's (fancies himself a spy) relationship with Christian IV of Denmark (a drinking buddy) Prince Urlik (a friend) and the king's oldest daughter Anne Cathrine Kings Daughter (her mother was in a morgnic marriage) who he has a bad case of the hots for and which is reciprocated. But he doesn't think through his relationship with her father and her brother (and can't get around king's daughter. Then there is Gretchen telling to Archduchess of the Netherlands off for self pity. The events make the escape from the Tower of London plausible and there is some humor there as well.
BTW Eddie's plaint "who ordered this" is indeed from particle physics and refers to the unexpected discovery of the muon.
Overall one of the best books in the series. But it will be a disappointment to the shoot em up fan boys.
Book Review: History isn't something that stops for a breather.
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a very frustrating book to review simply because if I start praising it I'm going to run out of superlatives in a hurry.
It isn't so much a "single novel" as a set of *VERY* well-written novellas and novelettes interweaved with each other, and some of the consequences of actions taken in one story, such as the "Tower of London Rescue", have consequences for others, such as the "Negotiations With Spain" story. Flint and Weber are masters of their craft, and the joints don't show.
Aside from the fact that this book has everything a reader of this kind of story has a right to expect, combat, politics, treachery, honor, courage, and yes, just a dash of "knives in the night," neither author ever lets you forget that history is the ultimate "people-watching."
If you get this book as a hardcover, the publisher has bound a CD into it which has the earlier books in the saga on it in electronic form, so if your local bookstore is unfortunate enough not to carry the other books, you can still catch up on the saga from the eCopies, which are NOT encrypted and can be stuffed into your PDA, read on your laptop, printed, or fed into a text-to-speech engine.
I strongly recommend this book, and I'll leave you with an example of just how good the writing is. The book's ending is absolutely howlingly funny. But, to understand WHY it's so funny that when I got there I spent ten minutes choking on laughter, you have to read the WHOLE book first!
Now THAT'S good writing! Thank you, Eric and David. Please, keep 'em coming.