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40th out of 83 books
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38 voters
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Final Impact (Axis Of Time #3)
“The action is nonstop, the characters very real–and very different from each other–and, to coin a phrase, it makes you think.”
–S. M. Stirling, author of Island in the Sea of Time
In the year 2021 a multinational fleet–experimenting with untested weapons technology–pitched through time, crash-landing in 1942. The world is thrown into chaos as Roosevelt, Hitler, Churchill, ...more
–S. M. Stirling, author of Island in the Sea of Time
In the year 2021 a multinational fleet–experimenting with untested weapons technology–pitched through time, crash-landing in 1942. The world is thrown into chaos as Roosevelt, Hitler, Churchill, ...more
Mass Market Paperback, 432 pages
Published
December 26th 2007
by Del Rey
(first published 2006)
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What of a writer who once penned a book called He Died with a Falafel in His Hand? The conclusion to John Birmingham's Axis of Time trilogy is another imaginative and logistical tour de force (previous volumes include Weapons of Choice and Designated Targets). Birmingham has credited fellow Aussie and adventure novelist Matt Reilly (Ice Station, Contest, Seven Deadly Wonders) as an influence in his foray into popular fiction. The result garners broad praise from critics, who compare Birmingham's
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Nicci
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
those who like military alternate history.
I really enjoyed reading this series consisting of Weapons of Choice, Designated Targets, and Final Impact. The format is setup like a diary with date and time, a leading topic sentence in metaphoric style to start the scene. Then there is the background information immersed in the details of the actual events giving the readers a flavor of actions. The author introduced a slightly different format for Book Two: Designated Targets. I read some complaints some readers missed the format of the...more
Ultimately underwhelming - the Japanese characters are largely caricatures, the 'temps (contemporary people) exist at best to accept the all-knowing wisdom of the 21st century refugees and clear the path for them and at worst to be obstacles or opponents. OK, that's not fair - Brasch is a 'temp who matters.
Birmingham does sensibly limit the gains the Allies are able to make - not everyone wants to listen to the newcomers, WWII ends early but the Cold War starts earlier, etc., problem...more
Birmingham does sensibly limit the gains the Allies are able to make - not everyone wants to listen to the newcomers, WWII ends early but the Cold War starts earlier, etc., problem...more
Everything that I was weak in the 2nd book was magnified in this book. Too many things going on in too many different places, with confusing jumps in timeline. I felt the characterization was weaker than the other two books, in part because of all the action Birmingham tried to get through. I got the sense that for the author, the characters were not people in their own rights but plot points to hinge the story on -- a very weak writing tool that leaves me feeling ultimately very unsatisfied.
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inal book in a trilogy that included Weapons of Choice and Designated Targets. A fleet from 2020 gets thrown back in time to 1942 right before Midway. The first two books were very intelligent, but were basically alternative-history-technothrillers. This last one is darker and ambivalent. It's two years since the previous book. At the end of the last, the Soviets and Germans agreed to a cease fire because of the threat of the western democracies. Now, 2 years later, the Japanese invaded Australi...more
Jeff
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Hard core Alt History fans, Military Sci-fi fans
Shelves:
sciencefiction
Axis of Time Trilogy: a Next Generation United States Carrier Battle Group (next generation from the one in which we currently inhabit) ripped out of time from fighting a World War on Terrorism and Terrorist states and plopped down right in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in World War II.
An unsatisfactory conclusion to the otherwise acceptable alt-history trilogy by John Birmingham. The ending was far too rushed. Several compelling story lines that had been nurtured in the first two ...more
An unsatisfactory conclusion to the otherwise acceptable alt-history trilogy by John Birmingham. The ending was far too rushed. Several compelling story lines that had been nurtured in the first two ...more
A big gap between books 2 and 3 threw me off at first. At the end of Book 2, the Japanese have control of Hawaii, Julia and Dan are together. As Book 3 starts, the Allies have retaken Hawaii and Dan is dead. These were significant events that shouldn't have happened "off-camera."
Once I got past that, it was a great tie up to the series in most respects. It left me wanting more from these characters in a "post-war" setting. Any chance Birmingham revisits "...more
Once I got past that, it was a great tie up to the series in most respects. It left me wanting more from these characters in a "post-war" setting. Any chance Birmingham revisits "...more
Final Impact, the third novel in the Axis of Time series, was my favorite book of the series. John Birmingham succeeded in the difficult task of satisfactorily concluding the series by wrapping up the numerous sub-plots and resolving a large number (but not all) of the major conflicts. The final surprise, the identification of the murderer of two military personnel (who were part of the time traveling taskforce) was a fitting end to the series.
This book was fine overall but in my view wasn't a very satisfying ending to the trilogy. There were quite a lot of stories left open and the subplot it ended on (punishment for the double murder from the first book) is one of the weakest. However I still thought the trilogy overall was a very interesting read and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes alternate universe or military sci fi.
The Japanese and then the Germans, capture 2021 vessels complete with records--and history--from the future. As a result of this 'advanced' knowledge, the Japanese never engage the Allies at Midway and Germans never set out for an invasion of Russia, but instead launches and all-out invasion of Britain.
The final play out of the Transition is the new global balance of power.
The final play out of the Transition is the new global balance of power.
I highly enjoyed the final book in the Axis of Time Trilogy. i would have given it 4.5 or even 5 stars, but i was very disappointed with the lack of resolution of some of the threads and characters. I had hoped he would continue with a final book, but apparently he is done with the series.
The third book of a trilogy. Does a good job of speculating about what would happen if a naval force from later in the 21st century dropped into the middle of WWII.
I would have rated it higher were it not for the writer's saturation F-bombing.
I would have rated it higher were it not for the writer's saturation F-bombing.
I love alternate history books, Now that WWII is over I wonder if the author will continue to explore the alternate geopolitical landscape. A fun read and apart from wanting to continue a satisfying conclusion to the war.
I thought this book was the best of three and I really enjoyed the trilogy. The jump between book 2 and 3 felt strange to me. It almost made me wonder if a book was planned by later cut out. I could have used a little more wrap up at the end, but the story has to end somewhere. A really fun ride.
Cheers, Jim
Cheers, Jim
Fun if you enjoy a 1% Sci-Fi, 99% alternative history mix.
Lots of military action as WWII forces are injected with future military and communications technology.
Abounds in stereotypes, but what the hell.
Lots of military action as WWII forces are injected with future military and communications technology.
Abounds in stereotypes, but what the hell.
Excellent conclusion to the Axis of Time trilogy. Any fan of alternative history and WW2 will enjoy this series. With the world on the brink, the Allies, Germans, and Soviets race to finish an atomic bomb. This entire series has been a fun read.
This series actually got better as I went from the first to the third book. Characters became more real and I the path of World War II was fascinating.
Conclusion of the trilogy; interesting to see how it ended (and really very unclear if the image on the cover actually appears anywhere in the book)
This book brings the series limping to a sad, and somewhat unresolved conclusion.
Murphious
rated it
·
review of another edition
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review of another edition
Shelves:
sci-fiction-fantasy-horror,
historical-fiction
An excellent finish to the trilogy of WWII "alternate" history.
Have a few thoughts on this on my blog
http://nursepastorfatherhusband.blogspot...
http://nursepastorfatherhusband.blogspot...
Great ending to a series about alternative history. I loved it because this series blends two of my favorite genres: military fiction and time travel. Birmingham is a good action storyteller and this book has a cohesive ending -- unlike some authors who tend to rush the "wrap up the loose ends" parts.
a good ending to the trilogy
Axis of Time
Alternate universe
Needs a fourth book
Thoroughly enjoyed the conclusion.
Once again Birmingham has found a way to bring a war story that kicks arse! The characters are by now well understood and old friends to the reader, and wile one can be immersed in the action of the war going on around them, we are just as caught up in the relationships that have developed between some of them. I love Birmingham and his sotry-telling style....and the ending leaves us with the potential promise for more????? What do you say John????
4.0 to 4.5 stars. As a whole, this series is an incredible achievement and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to anyone who likes military fiction. This last novel, while very good, was not quite as good as the first two novels in the series (which I thought were AMAZING). Even so, it was a very satisfying ending and left the door open for the author to come back to this "alternative" history in the future. I hope he does!!!
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John Birmingham grew up in Ipswich, Queensland and was educated at St Edmunds Christian Brother's College in Ipswich and the University of Queensland in Brisbane. His only stint of full time employment was as a researcher at the Defence Department. After this he returned to Queensland to study law but he did not complete his legal studies, choosing instead to pursue a career as a writer. He curren...more
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