Ruled Britannia

Oct 27, 2012 Jim Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

One thing I’ve noticed about Harry Turtledove is that his mind-blowingly brilliant ideas and concepts are often let down by clunky delivery and wooden dialogue. Not so in this case. However, my one real gripe does concern Turtledove’s attempt to weave Shakespearean style language into the book. The problem here is that he isn’t always consistent and that jars somewhat. With that proviso, this is an exciting and absorbing story and one full of indications that Turtledove has done his background r...more

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May 11, 2011 Sue Bursztynski rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've read and re-read this one and I'm re-reading yet again. To be honest, many of Harry Turtledove's alternative universe books confuse me, with the multiple viewpoints; this is one of a number that only have two viewpoints. In this case, the viewpoints are those of William Shakespeare, living in an England occupied by the Spanish when the Armada succeeded, and Lope de Vega, a playwright who was Spain's answer to Shakespeare, who, in this novel, is one of the occupying soldiers. Shakespeare has...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Danielle Reily rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a lot of fun. I really enjoy reading books about the Tudor monarchy and the time period surrounding it, it's really interesting to think about what might have happened.What if the Spanish Armada had overrun England and imprisoned Queen Elizabeth? If the Inquisition came to England and the Spanish and Irish troops controlled the English people? The book starts ten years after the Spanish have taken control. Most of the Engish people are outwardly submissive to the Spanish regime an...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Lisabet Sarai rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was excited when I discovered this book at a library sale. Alternative history is a favorite genre of mine, and this fat, juicy-looking novel featured a promising premise. What if instead of England defeating the Spanish Armada, Spain was victorious? Mr. Turtledove sets his story in London nine years after Spanish soldiers have occupied Britain. Elizabeth I has been imprisoned in the Tower of London. Isabella, daughter of Philip the II of Spain, rules the country in her stead. Agents of the In...more I was excited when I discovered this book at a library sale. Alternative history is a favorite genre of mine, and this fat, juicy-looking novel featured a promising premise. What if instead of England defeating the Spanish Armada, Spain was victorious? Mr. Turtledove sets his story in London nine years after Spanish soldiers have occupied Britain. Elizabeth I has been imprisoned in the Tower of London. Isabella, daughter of Philip the II of Spain, rules the country in her stead. Agents of the Inquisition prowl the city like members of the KGB, on the lookout for Protestant heretics who fail to go to Mass, eat meat during Lent, or celebrate Christian holidays according to their old calendar rather than the one imposed by the Pope.

The plot centers around William Shakespeare - yes, THAT Shakespeare - a meek and mild guy who's trying to eke out a living as a playwright and actor in Richard Burbage's company. Then he is drawn into a plot by remnants of the old English power structure, asked to write a secret play that will inspire the British to revolt and drive out their Spanish masters.

Alas this moderately good idea for a book was spoiled, for me at least, by the writing. First of all, the events of the book do not in any way merit its length. The tale meanders along, with detailed but repetitious descriptions of the filth, misery and violence that characterized London in 1597. Shakespeare fears for his life but believes he has no choice but to keep writing his subversive play. Other well-known figures show up: the Spanish playwright Lope de Vega, Will Kemp the Clown, Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe. One has the feeling that the author wants to wallow in the time period and doesn't care all that much how he manages it.

By far the most aggravating aspect of the book, however, is the fact that Mr. Turtledove takes lines from Shakespeare's plays and puts them into the mouths of his characters - not just Shakespeare himself, but everyone else as well. And he doesn't just do this occasionally, but constantly! Even when they're not quoting the Bard, the characters use similar language - but to someone who has even a passing familiarity with Shakespeare's oeuvre, the quotes show up like flares, out of context and totally interrupting the flow of the story.

I did finish the book - it wasn't bad enough to make me quit in the middle. However, I'll think twice before reading anything else by this author.

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Feb 02, 2011 Cass Morris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: scifi-speculative, historical, historical-tudor

The premise of Harry Turtledove's alternate history tale, Ruled Britannia, is that the Spanish Armada did manage to take over England in 1588. Philip II installs his daughter Isabella and her consort Albert on the throne of England, imprisons Elizabeth in the Tower, and returns England to Catholicism. Ten years later, Philip is dying, Elizabeth is yet imprisoned, and while most of the populace complies with the will of their Spanish overlords, a current of discontent still runs beneath the surfa...more The premise of Harry Turtledove's alternate history tale, Ruled Britannia, is that the Spanish Armada did manage to take over England in 1588. Philip II installs his daughter Isabella and her consort Albert on the throne of England, imprisons Elizabeth in the Tower, and returns England to Catholicism. Ten years later, Philip is dying, Elizabeth is yet imprisoned, and while most of the populace complies with the will of their Spanish overlords, a current of discontent still runs beneath the surface.

The driving plot of the book centers on William Shakespeare, presented as a humble playwright and an actor of middling skill, whose talent for composition gains the attention of those in high places. First, William Cecil, Lord Burghley, commissions Shakespeare to write a play to inspire the English people to an uprising. Loyal to Elizabeth, Burghley has been planning a revolt to occur after Philip's death, but he wants words to inspire the masses to back his maneuver. For the topic, he chooses a story out of Tacitus: Boudicca, the Iceni queen who revolted against the Romans in the first century. At nearly the same time, one of the Spanish dons requests that Shakespeare craft a play to be a fitting epitaph to King Philip. Shakespeare writes both, and the company rehearses both, not knowing which they'll actually mount. During the process, Shakespeare finds himself wishing the task had been given to another man -- especially as the bodies of those who might impede his progress start piling up around him.

Turtledove includes lots of nice historical touches, and the cast of characters is well-researched and comprehensive. The book does a wonderful job bringing the world of early modern theatre to life, even with the adjustments made for the alternate history. Burbage and Kemp are major characters, with references to Burbage's family's theatrical history and to Kemp's Nine Days' Wonder. Marlowe's still alive and writing plays at the beginning of the book, and he seems torn between admiring Shakespeare's talent and sourly resenting that it has eclipsed his own. His probable historical murderers, Ingram Frizer and Nicholas Skeres, play shadowed but critical roles, clearing the path for Shakespeare's success and Cecil's rebellion, as does Thomas Phelippes, historically one of Francis Walsingham's intelligencers, here a cunning double-agent. Robert Devereaux, known to our history as the traitorous Earl of Essex, makes an appearance towards the end of the book. Shakespeare's opposite number throughout the book is Lope de Vega, one of Spain's most prolific authors, whose reputation there is second only to Cervantes. Turtledove takes him out of his native land and brings him ashore with the Armada. The English theatre fascinates de Vega, and he becomes friends, of a sort, with Shakespeare and Burbage. His presence threatens the production of Boudicca, however, as the company clearly cannot rehearse with him hanging around. His presence augments the tension behind Shakespeare's dilemma and keeps the action clipping along at an exciting pace.

The book is a goldmine for the Shakespeare-lover. Turtledove sprinkles his characters' dialogues with lines from Shakespeare's plays, and recognizing them can be a bit of a game to go along with following the main plot. I almost wish I'd kept a tally of how many I found while I was reading. While extremely clever, however, they could be a bit overwhelming in places, and occasionally they did seem somewhat forced, as though Turtledove just really wanted to include that line no matter how. He managed not to stray into seeming kitschy or cutesy with the references, however (which is not something that can be said of all novels featuring Shakespeare as a character); on the whole they were quite sly without feeling obnoxious. I also took issue with a few of the choices Turtledove made -- for instance, having the company play Macbeth in 1597. I'm not arguing the date itself -- in an alternate universe, I'm willing to entertain all kinds of shifting around of chronology. But Macbeth would just plain never have been written without King James on the throne, so that element jarred me out of Turtledove's mostly-seamless historical diversion. I'm also not positive that Turtledove fully understands what iambic pentameter is and how it works, that it's more than just ten syllables to a line -- some of the lines he invented for Boudicca and King Philip don't scan properly at all, even though he discusses them as though they're perfect iambic lines. Despite those nitpicks of mine, however, his alterations generally hold together as a reasonable presentation of the early modern theatre world under slightly different conditions than we know it.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Ruled Britannia. Turtledove does an excellent job of relating the ability of language to move hearts and inspire an audience. He also gets his reader emotionally invested in the characters and their dire straits; by the end of the book, I passionately wanted to see Shakespeare and the company present Boudicca, and I wanted the rebellion to succeed, but I also cared about what happened to de Vega and the other side characters. Turtledove presents the humanity on both sides of the conflict quite well. The climax of the book is thus both thrilling and emotionally moving. I can cheerfully recommend Ruled Britannia as a delightful read to Shakespearean enthusiasts and other Anglophiles looking for high-quality brain candy. (less)

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Mar 19, 2011 Schmacko rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a fun, long reimagining of history, giving Shakespeare a questionably central role. In Turtledove’s book, the Spanish Armada conquered the English (and the Dutch) to take over England, interrupting Elizabeth I’s reign (and locking her in the Tower of London). So, the English are under Spanish, Catholic and Crusader rule. Yuck, right? It’s especially difficult for Shakespeare as his plays still need to entertain and sell, but now he has to also worry about not raising the ire of the Inqui...more This is a fun, long reimagining of history, giving Shakespeare a questionably central role. In Turtledove’s book, the Spanish Armada conquered the English (and the Dutch) to take over England, interrupting Elizabeth I’s reign (and locking her in the Tower of London). So, the English are under Spanish, Catholic and Crusader rule. Yuck, right? It’s especially difficult for Shakespeare as his plays still need to entertain and sell, but now he has to also worry about not raising the ire of the Inquisitors.

This is where Turtledove’s history gets a little grand with the Bard. Turtledove – who is a legendary historical fiction writer – imagines Shakespeare being forced to write two plays that could change the course of this imagined history. One is for Spanish King Philip, who is dying; the Spanish conquerors know WS is a great writer, so they assign him to glorify their dying monarch. The other is a retelling of Boudicca, a mythology about a 1st century queen who defied Roman rule (Shakespeare’s mysterious English patron hopes this one play will raise up the inhabitants to force out their oppressors).

This is where Ruled Britannia stretches the bounds of plausibility. What I‘ve always understood was that Shakespeare was only a playwright – toward the end of his life, he was even highly regarded – but he didn’t change the social or political landscape. The idea that a stage work could rally an immediate rebellion (whether successful or not) is a funny and entirely impractical one. Remember, theatre was considered a cruder, immoral, base profession – even Shakespeare noted English official hostility - except for Elizabeth I, who liked theatre - and his contemporaries often commented that actors were on par with prostitutes and thieves.

Given the conceit that a play can lead an instant uprising against the powerful, though – and let’s be honest; this is speculative fiction, so it can take some license – Ruled Britannia is a frolicsome and crafty novel with lots of lively (if characterized) players. There is a lothario Spanish captain, a budding playwright, who must spy on his literary hero Shakespeare between his many dalliances. Shakespeare will, of course, give this lovable cad a spot on stage. There is Hungerford, a gritty company dresser who helps Shakespeare plot the political alliances of writing and rehearsing two incendiary plays with opposite aims. Rival playwright Christopher Marlowe makes a splashy, wonderful showing. In fact, the book is chock full of enjoyable, labyrinthine tangents provided by the many colorful actors, soldiers, politicians, clergy and common people.

What adds to the tension is Shakespeare’s work ethic, and his commitment to creating two great – if politically opposite – plays. Their strengths and weaknesses will help decide whether the Spanish or English will have control over the island by the end of the novel.

Turtledove knows he doesn’t have a gift with Shakespearean iambic pentameter, and yet he does a commendable job recreating the two plays. For those of us who know WS well, we’ll hear bits of Hamlet and his other King plays. Boudicca is mostly based on WS’s contemporary writer John Fletcher’s unfinished version; it also shows Fletcher wasn't always as subtle as Shakespeare. Probably the most wincing aspect of these neat stage sections is that Turtledove doesn’t understand the meter of iambic pentameter, making for some sloppy, hard-to-read prosy.

The rest of the long novel – did I mention the tangents? – is written in a modernized version of Shakespearean common language. Being the historian he is, Turtledove shoehorns a little too much fact and artifact into these sections, grandstanding a bit. It definitely shows the author did his homework, and the reader gets a clear feel of the world, even the re-imagined bits. It also bogs down an already epic story at times. Still, if you’re looking for a long, winding reinvention of Shakespearean and Elizabethan history, Ruled Britannia is certainly an enjoyable dive.
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Jun 25, 2012 Ioana rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think I could easily become a fan of the 'alternative history' genre; or as I like to call it 'history fanfiction' :)

This book is the first I've read by Turtledove and I aim to read more. It started off great and continued just as lively, had some memorable passages, but weirdly enough, precisely towards the end, when things got 'heated', so to speak, it veered slightly into 'boring and predictable'.
Additionally, I found the character of 'Cicely' much too 'ahead of her time' and 'awakening fi...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Encruzilhadas Literárias rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: catarina, saída-de-emergência

Nunca fui fã de literatura histórica. Mas o facto desta Inglaterra nunca ter existido cativou-me, como aqueles "ses" que brincam na parte de trás da nossa mente. Se isto tivesse acontecido, se aquilo não se tivesse passado. Como me ofereceram o livro pouco tempo depois, fiquei curiosa e quis começar a ler, como sempre a vida pôs-se pelo meio, e só agora tive tempo para o fazer.

Adorei o livro, segui Shakespeare em cada passo da sua revolução, suspirei com ele e suei com ele. Fui cúmplice, devo ad...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Catarina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed-library-etc, historical, wierd-but-good

Nunca fui fã de literatura histórica. Mas o facto desta Inglaterra nunca ter existido cativou-me, como aqueles "ses" que brincam na parte de trás da nossa mente. Se isto tivesse acontecido, se aquilo não se tivesse passado. Como me ofereceram o livro pouco tempo depois, fiquei curiosa e quis começar a ler, como sempre a vida pôs-se pelo meio, e só agora tive tempo para o fazer.

Adorei o livro, segui Shakespeare em cada passo da sua revolução, suspirei com ele e suei com ele. Fui cúmplice, devo ad...more

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May 11, 2013 Derek Van Hise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another fantastic alternate history novel by Harry Turtledove. While this is not a part of a series, it is pretty long. But the characters are great and the idea of a Spanish-ruled England is a fascinating story. The idea of the main character being William Shakespeare (the bard himself) is interesting. The Spanish Inquisition is killing more people while Shakespeare is given a task to try and unite the people to overthrow the Spanish with an epic play. I won't spoil the details or ending, but I...more

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Mar 21, 2010 John rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is an alternate history novel in which Spain's Armada was successful. After ten years of Spanish rule, the English are ready to revolt, and William Shakespeare is enlisted to write a play to stir the masses. Turtledove writes an entertaining story full of humor and quotes from Elizabethan plays. In addition to Shakespeare, the novel features his fellow players, Christopher Marlowe, Nicholas Skeres and Ingram Frizer, William and Robert Cecil, and most interestingly, the Spanish playwright an...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Colin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: good-sci-fi-and-fantasy

I guess "alternate-historical fiction" falls under "sci-fi/fantasy." I just re-read this masterpiece after a lapse of 6 years or so, and find it is even better than I remembered! An alternate history in which England languishes under Spanish rule after the victory of the Spanish Armada, and William Shakespeare as a main character - with his voice convincingly represented - makes this a wonderful bit of fiction. I got it from my local library in paperback - I wish I had not given away my hardcov...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Sam Marchello rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed

3.5

For my own reference, my edition was 557 pages.

Any ways, this book is an odd ball, but in a good way. To be honest, I'm still very new to Turtledove's work, and a lot of his stuff has been meh to good, but never amazing to me. This book actually broke the threshold for me, as most of what I've read by him has been very hard sci-fi.

In Ruled Britannia, Shakespeare is a badass who you don't want to f*ck with. I loved that aspect of the book and on numerous occasions I found myself laughing out...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Elliott Walsh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a wonderful alternative history in the milieu of Elizabethan England, except that Elizabeth is confined to the Tower, King Phillip II of Spain has installed Queen Isabelle on England's Throne, and Master William Shakespeare is embroiled in a plot to unseat her. Top marks for unique and imaginative writing, top marks for nailing the flavor of olde english in the descriptions and dialogues. The plot is a mite ponderous to develop, so one star marked off, but stick with it. It does satisfy...more

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Oct 04, 2010 Gunner1956 rated it 2 of 5 stars

Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove.

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I’m a great fan of Turtledove’s works of alternative history but I’m usually sceptical about his fantasy and sci-fi outpourings. Nonetheless, the man is the recognized king of alternate history and this is where his acknowledged strength lies. Therefore, I was a little confused and more than a little apprehensive as Guns of the South is part alternate history, part sci-fi and part fantasy – I normally distrust cross-genre books because authors have a tend...more Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove.

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I’m a great fan of Turtledove’s works of alternative history but I’m usually sceptical about his fantasy and sci-fi outpourings. Nonetheless, the man is the recognized king of alternate history and this is where his acknowledged strength lies. Therefore, I was a little confused and more than a little apprehensive as Guns of the South is part alternate history, part sci-fi and part fantasy – I normally distrust cross-genre books because authors have a tendency to cock up one of rulebooks. However, I was in for a pleasant surprise and once again Turtledove knocked my socks off with an innovative and imaginative storyline. The Guns of the South examines the issues and personalities surrounding the American Civil War through the perspective of a Confederate States that successfully wins its bid for independence due to interference from mid 21st century time travelling white supremacists (hence the picture of Robert E Lee holding an AK-47on the front cover) who are attempting to change their present by interfering in a historical juxtaposition that is counter to their aims.

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The plotline from NY Times Lit Review: “In 1864, the south is in desperate straits as the north finally selects active generals and begins to push its final offensive. But strange merchants arrive with a deal for the Confederacy. They offer a new gun, the AK-47, for a price of only $50 Confederate, and can make hundreds of thousands available. Automatic weaponry can hardly help making a huge difference and Grant's Wilderness campaign, far from a costly stalemate, becomes a huge Confederate victory with Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia smashing straight through to Washington D.C. The merchants have an ulterior motive, however. They are an extremist racist group of Afrikaners (the AWB) from our own near-future who intend to use the south as a launch pad for their own war against rights for the African American and for blacks everywhere.”

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Despite this time travelling element, which heavily influences the plot, the story is a close examination of the actual historical personalities, ranging from Abe Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest and a wide range of actors pulled from actual historical records. Turtledove spends time illustrating the actual motivations of the Civil War far beyond the usual simplification that it was only about slavery. Another interesting point is the contrast between the characterizations of the time travelers versus the native citizens of the time period. I found the distinctly different attitudes fascinating..... especially the attitudinal differences between the "gentlemanly" and “honourable” manner of the historical figures, and the ruthless zealotry of the interfering time travellers who routinely engage in tactics ranging from blackmail to assassination and genocide to further their goals.

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Certainly an unusual plot line but a superb read nonetheless. In fact, I’ve never read a bad Turtledove alternate history.

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Strongly Recommended!

Cheers
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Sep 25, 2010 Libby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: unforgettable, favorites

When it comes to creating alternate history, Harry Turtledove is THE MAN! Nobody does it better, as he proves once again in this tale of England conquered by the Armada and lying uneasily under Spanish rule. Will Shakespeare, like his fellow Londoners, is just trying to make a living when he is asked by William Cecil to write a play. Writing plays is what Will does, but Cecil wants a particular play, a cunning piece of sedition, intended to incite rebellion against the Spanish, in favor of Eliza...more

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Nov 28, 2009 Bill Ward rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-history

This is a great story of Elizabethan England, in an alternate universe where the Armada was a success and the Spanish invaded and held England. In the book, England has suffered under Spanish rule for ten years, and the main character, William Shakespeare, gets wrapped up in plots and schemes on both sides of the issue. Another main character, Spanish Lieutenant Lope de Vega, gives us insight into the Spanish side of the story.

I've been a big fan of Harry Turtledove's alternative history books f...more

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Nov 09, 2008 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

A facsinating read. I truly enjoy Mr. Turtledove's alternate histories, and this one did not disappoint.

The language got a little too intense sometimes (I found towards the end that I was actually replacing "thou" and "thee" with their modern-day counterparts), but the story itself was strong.

I'll admit, picking up this novel, I didn't have a whole lot of information on Shakespeare (beyond what I retained from school). That didn't much matter, though, because the Shakespeare that the reader is i...more

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Aug 10, 2008 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This really was a decent book. The plot kept moving at a decent pace so there was no more than maybe two or three slow spots of a few pages throughout the books. I *loved* the characterization of Shakespeare.

It falls short of 5 stars because of Turtledove's choice to have the English talk in, well...English. Real English...with thees and thous and such. The Spanish used modern dialect, but the English used Shakespearean English, which made for a very slow read. I don't need to fly through a boo...more

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Apr 02, 2008 Srochat rated it 4 of 5 stars

I confess it -- I'm a sucker for alternate history. And this one was especially fun.

"Ruled Britannia" takes place 10 years after the Spanish Armada defeated Queen Elizabeth's fleet and successfully invaded England. Now officially a Catholic country (with Spanish troops and Irish mercenaries in the street to keep it that way), the country is growing restive as two great figures near the end of their life ... King Philip of Spain and Lord Burghley, one of Elizabeth's former advisers. The book foll...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Jota Houses rated it 4 of 5 stars

Si la Empresa de Inglaterra hubiera tenido éxito, Felipe II hubiese gobernado en Inglaterra y el joven Lópe de Vega y Carpio, soldado de la Armada Invencible hubiese tenido ocasión de codearse con William Shakespeare. El mismo autor al que los nostalgicos de la Reina Virgen le han encargado una obra capaz de prender la chispa de la rebelión que expulse a los españoles y restaure la dinastía Tudor. Otro logro del maestro de la Historia Alternativa, Harry Turtledove.

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Dec 19, 2012 Alison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well-developed plot with intriguing, all too human characters. This author really knows his history and his research is obvious. I can see exactly why he is often cited as the doyen of alternate history.

But... the were anachronisms, e.g calling a superior 'boss', which were irritations. But the thing that spoilt this book for me was the over-clever, often clunky and obscuring prose. The dialogue content was richly sketched, but it fell into "prithee, varlet" mode too often.

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May 11, 2009 Adam rated it 4 of 5 stars

great book. The writing style is a little off tempo. The quick change between modern english and shakespearian english sometimes warranted some rereading of passages to make sure that all was clear....this is a definite downfall of the book in some scenes. This by no means takes too much away from the story itself, just makes thing annoying late at night. Great read overall.

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Aug 09, 2010 Jodi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Interesting premise to this novel of Shakespeare writing in 1598 in an England in which the Spanish had successfully invaded with the Armada. Shakespeare is hired by William Cecil to write a play encouraging an uprising—much intrigue occurs which I will not relay so not to reveal too much. The story moved along at a good pace, was entertaining and a fast read.

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Aug 18, 2008 Rachael rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: specualtive-fic, favorites

I am a fan of alternate history generally and Ruled Britannia is one of the best I've read of the genre. This stand-alone novel tells the story of an England conquered by the Spanish Armada and living under Spanish rule for a decade. The plot revolves around a conspiracy to incite the populace to revolt against the Spanish through a play secretly created by William Shakespeare. Author Harry Turtledove is the largely undisputed master of alternate history fiction and here he proves he still deser...more

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Nov 14, 2008 Reid rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is an interesting retelling of history in which the Spanish Armada succeeds in conquering Britain. This is in the time of Shakespeare, and he is the central character. There is sex, intrigue, plots, conspiracies, lots of drinking, and a fascinating look at what it might have been like to perform or see a play in Elizabethan times.

A meticulously researched book, this is also its downfall at times; the attention to detail and verisimilitude bogs the story down at some points, and the language...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Ben Aaronovitch rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf-f

The central conceit is brilliant and I can't fault the scholarship or the choice of protagonists but the prose is turgid and overwritten. The Guns of the South proves that Turtledove can write a fast paced novel while retaining the fruits of his research so I guess what he needs to find is a friendly neighbourhood editor.

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Sep 05, 2008 Emily Ann Meyer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy, 2008

I attended a panel on which Harry Turtledove was participating at Comic Con in 2007. I'd never heard of him prior to that, but left determined to read some of his books as the idea behind alternative history is fascinating to me. I'd hoped, actually, to cut my teeth on one of the alternative Civil War or alternative WWII books, but it was too difficult to ascertain order and which were/were not series in the book store. So instead I picked up this one as it was a nice stand-alone.

It was amazingl...more

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Aug 27, 2009 Jason Reeser rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a nice surprise. Having given up on Turtledove for his overly slow and both too-academic/too-cheesy plot lines and dialogue, I was happy to find something that was both creative and exciting. But I love Shakespeare, so that might have helped. This was a truly good read.

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May 07, 2012 Lori rated it 2 of 5 stars

The premise of the book was interesting, but beyond that I found myself hoping I would finish this book as quickly as possible, just to get through it. The characters were flat, the plot was boring, and I think the author spent more time stuffing Shakespearean quotations into the book than anything else.

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