Turtledove, Harry

• Series: Worldwar
  • Worldwar: In the Balance (8)
  • Worldwar: Tilting the Balance (7)
  • Worldwar: Upsetting the Balance (7)
  • Worldwar: Striking the Balance (7)

    • Probably the biggest weakness of this series comes in the unfortunate titles. Not only do the titles lack creativity or much to do with the plot of each novel (the titles could easily be interchanged for each book, I think), they make it maddeningly difficult to figure out which order to read the books in. Yeah, I know, just look inside for the list. Sorry, it's a pet peeve.

      These books are another in Turtledove's usual line of alternate history novels, following several subplots that develop when a race of aliens attempt to invade Earth during World War II. My first reaction is: Who is Turtledove kidding? If an alien race can traverse interstellar space, cleaning up 1940's Earth shouldn't be a problem. Although Turtledove went to great lengths to explain this in the books, I'm still not convinced. Still, I'm willing to suspend disbelief on this major plot point for a good story, and Turtledove delivers fairly well.

      Of all the subplots, I particularly enjoyed the one revolving around the German Sikorsky, not so much because of the action involved, but rather because of the changes in his character and those around him. It's fun to cheer for the underdog human when taking on aliens, but even if the underdog is a Nazi? The reader doesn't get off so easy here. The plot in the US is also first-rate, with plenty of unpredictability. The quality here is remarkably similar to other Turtledove fare.

• The Guns of the South (8)

  • This one's a keeper. It depicts a very rich alternate history of the United States after a group of white supremacists from the future provide the Confederacy with enough firepower to reverse the tide of the Civil War in 1864. I've written a full-length review of this one if you're interested.

• Series: The Videssos Cycle
  • The Misplaced Legion (8)
  • An Emperor for the Legion (8)
  • The Legion of Videssos (8)
  • Swords of the Legion (8)

    • A Roman legion is magically transported to a similar world where the politics and ways of life are similar to Rome but magic works. The legion enters the service of one of the most powerful nations as a mercenary troop. This is basically a very engaging story of politics and war with some of the history and tradition of Rome thrown in as a bonus. There are times when it drags (though one must nod to Turtledove's sense of realism, even in a fantasy series) but all in all, it is a very well-written series that I strongly recommend, especially if you've read some of Turtledove's more recent stuff and want to see what he's done before. The Krispos books are on my shelf waiting to be read as I type this, though they were hard to find!

• Series: The Tale of Krispos
  • Krispos Rising (8)
  • Krispos of Videssos (8)
  • Krispos the Emperor (8)

    • As usual with Turtledove, this is your fairly standard fantasy/political intrigue series, a cut above most of what else is out there. Set in the same world as the very good Videssos Cycle long before the story in that series, this story follows a young peasant, his ascent to the throne and his rule. Unlike a lot of fantasy novels that only focus on a few characters, I think the difference in Turtledove's writing is that he is more aware of the "common people" in the story. When Krispos rises to the throne, most authors would just go on to discuss his crusades against the "black evil of the North" or some such, but Turtledove discusses (quite rightly) that maybe not everyone in the city is happy with Krispos, and for good reasons (in other words, just because Krispos is a "good guy", Turtledove does a good job of portraying his opponents as reasonable people instead of frothing-at-the-mouth evil lunatics...at least in most cases). This makes it much easier to empathize with the characters, I think.

      Still, there is plenty of action against various forms of evil along with the standard plots of intrigue. The second book is probably the best of the three, if I have to choose, because of the presence of a very interesting enemy. The third book is slightly weaker because the focus is taken away from Krispos for much of the book. This is definitely worth looking for in a good used bookstore.

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