The Winds of Fate
Just finished reading "The Winds Of Fate" by S.M. Stirling, published by Baen Books.
"The Winds Of Fate" is the second novel in Stirling's "Make the Darkness Light" series - which is his tribute to L. Sprague de Camp's classic science fiction/alternative history novel "Lest Darkness Falls."
Stirling is one of the literary masters of alternative, "What If," historical novels where history takes a completely different course due to an unanticipated time travel event - in this instance a team of five American Classics scholars are "kidnapped" into the past a second before China launches a first strike in a thermonuclear war that completely wipes out civilization and humanity.
The American time travelers are now well established in the Roman Empire under Emperor Marcus Aurelius five years after they were kidnapped into the past. They all have large, Roman-style estates in what is now Hungary. Because of the innovations in tech and modern finance, they also own parts of many companies that make all kinds of things from steel to telescopes. They are innovating on their estates too, with new crops and techniques. Some of them have found partners and are raising families. They, and the Empire, are thriving. And, thanks to the military innovations and weapons they introduced , the Empire is rapidly expanding.
But after five years from their arrival date into the past, they discover that they are not the only time travelers. The Communist Chinese government also sent a team back under the ruthless rule of a Colonel in State Security using technology they stole from the West.
So a new arms race begins as Rome now seeks to expand it's empire further East and top the Chinese time travelers from remaking the past into a Communist dystopian nightmare.
Very taunt military action and interesting alternative history speculations.
Now I've seen various sources on line that stated that Stirling's "Make The Darkness Light" series is a three-book trilogy. I don't know if this is true. I did check his website and he simply states that this is a series, so for now, at least until it's proclaimed that the next book is the "final" book in this particular series, I'm going to assume that Stirling is planning to write quite a few more volumes in this intriguing series.
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Winds-Fate-Mak...
"The Winds Of Fate" is the second novel in Stirling's "Make the Darkness Light" series - which is his tribute to L. Sprague de Camp's classic science fiction/alternative history novel "Lest Darkness Falls."
Stirling is one of the literary masters of alternative, "What If," historical novels where history takes a completely different course due to an unanticipated time travel event - in this instance a team of five American Classics scholars are "kidnapped" into the past a second before China launches a first strike in a thermonuclear war that completely wipes out civilization and humanity.
The American time travelers are now well established in the Roman Empire under Emperor Marcus Aurelius five years after they were kidnapped into the past. They all have large, Roman-style estates in what is now Hungary. Because of the innovations in tech and modern finance, they also own parts of many companies that make all kinds of things from steel to telescopes. They are innovating on their estates too, with new crops and techniques. Some of them have found partners and are raising families. They, and the Empire, are thriving. And, thanks to the military innovations and weapons they introduced , the Empire is rapidly expanding.
But after five years from their arrival date into the past, they discover that they are not the only time travelers. The Communist Chinese government also sent a team back under the ruthless rule of a Colonel in State Security using technology they stole from the West.
So a new arms race begins as Rome now seeks to expand it's empire further East and top the Chinese time travelers from remaking the past into a Communist dystopian nightmare.
Very taunt military action and interesting alternative history speculations.
Now I've seen various sources on line that stated that Stirling's "Make The Darkness Light" series is a three-book trilogy. I don't know if this is true. I did check his website and he simply states that this is a series, so for now, at least until it's proclaimed that the next book is the "final" book in this particular series, I'm going to assume that Stirling is planning to write quite a few more volumes in this intriguing series.
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Winds-Fate-Mak...
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