NEW VIDEO: The Coming War With Japan...That Never Came

Someone once wrote a book predicting that America and Japan would go to war again and I read it so you don't have to!

Book Review: Oathbreakers by Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry

How did the Carolingian Empire fall? You might want to check out Oathbreakers by Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry to learn the answer.

Book Review: United States of Japan and Mecha Samurai Empire by Peter Tieryas

Trying something new with this video. From now on, I am going to be doing short-form videos on topics of my choice in between my long-form Patreon requested videos. To begin with I am going to review the United States of Japan and Mecha Samurai Empire by Peter Tieryas (and I really do hope I pronounced your last name right, Peter).

Top 5 Favorite Alternate History Stories of 2018

Another year of alternate history. Now let's find out which ones I thought were the best.

Review: Napoleon Victorious by Peter G. Tsouras

Do you ever read an alternate history book and wish you knew more about the actual history the book is referencing? That is how I felt reading Napoleon Victorious by Peter G. Tsouras.

Tsouras has made a name for himself in alternate history by writing what ifs on various battles and wars and how they went a different way and Napoleon Victorious is no exception. In this alternate history, Napoleon Bonaparte escapes his imprisonment from Elba, but he makes some better decisions on the road to Waterloo and that, coupled with many other changes to history, allows Napoleon to defeat Wellington's army, make peace with the Seventh Coalition and ensure that his empire lives on.

And no it's not a spoiler to say that is what happens. I mean what do you expect from a book called Napoleon Victorious? This is a story where the journey is definitely more important than the destination (although I won't spoil the post-battle epilogue, which ends in a delightful bit of historical irony) and we are with Napoleon every step of the way in this alternate Hundred Days. We see him rebuild his armies, gather his Marshals, obtain intelligence, reform the French government, make secret deals with dissatisfied Saxons, use aerial reconnaissance and outmaneuver the British and Prussians before the final moves at what is called in this alternate timeline: the Battle of Mont St Jean.

Remember kids: only winners get to name the battles. Thus it's Mont St Jean, not Waterloo, in this alternate timeline.

The book itself is written like a fake history book (i.e. For Want of a Nail), complete with real and fictional sources (including some from the author's doppelganger, so it's good to know Tsouras gets work as a historian in other timelines). From my point of view it is a well-researched and written novel. Unfortunately, as I mentioned already, I can't comment on how plausible the scenario is because I don't know enough about the Napoleonic wars to say anything with any real certainty. I certainly have a general understanding of the era, but only in its broadest strokes.

Nevertheless, Napoleon Victorious did what any good alternate history does: it made me want to learn more about what I don't know. I really want to pick up a history book about Napoleon and if any readers of this review have any recommendations, please share them in the comments. Plus Napoleon Victorious still did enough hand-holding (and provided some very helpful maps) that I didn't feel completely lost even if I didn't always know why so-and-so general was important.

Honestly there is not much bad I can say about Napoleon Victorious. The only thing that comes to mind is that because of the number of things that went better for Napoleon in this alternate timeline some alternate historians may find Tsouras' scenario to be implausible from a technical point of view, but truth be told that didn't bother me.

If you love reading history so much that you even enjoy fake history books, then I can heartily recommend Napoleon Victorious.

Review: Through Darkest Europe by Harry Turtledove

I've been a fan of Harry Turtledove since the beginning of my dive into alternate history. Now while I recognize that many of his long running series are some of the best in the genre, I personally enjoy his stand-alone novels more. Its hard to explain why exactly, I just feel like the author can really tell an interesting and emotional story when he limits himself to a single novel. Great examples, in my humble opinion, include Ruled Britannia, In the Presence of Mine Enemies and Joe Steele.

So, of course, when I heard about Through Darkest Europe, I wanted to read it as soon as possible. It is set in a timeline where the philosophical underpinnings of the Christian and Muslim worlds are reversed. Thus in this alternate history, Islamic theologian al-Ghazali advocates for a more rationalist Islamic religion that promotes learning and science. This causes the Muslim nations of the Middle East and North Africa to be the center of the developed world, the drive behind all modern technology and the ones who explored/colonized the planet. Meanwhile, St. Thomas Aquinas promotes Christian fundamentalism, which means that over time Western Europe falls behind the rest of the world and Christianity remains mostly isolated to a single continent.

The plot itself involves two investigators from the Maghreb (which appears to be a powerful state located in North Africa), a Muslim named Khalid al-Zarzisi and his Jewish partner Dawud, being sent to the Grand Duchy of Italy (minus Sicily). They are there to help the Italians deal with the Aquinists, a fundamentalist Christian sect that preaches a new "Crusade" against the godless Muslims and all of their modern trappings, like tolerance of other religions and feminism. As you can expect, it hits the fan fairly quickly and Khalid and company now have to figure out how to stop an all out religious war from spreading across the world.

Through Darkest Europe reminded me a lot of Matt Ruff's Mirage, which I didn't read, but I did read about the setting. In that book it was North America that was the stand in for the Middle East, while in Turtledove's book its Europe. Frankly, I find Turtledove's switch to be more plausible and to be fair he did do a good job with the world-building, even if there was some parallelisms (we even got a Hitler analog because alternate history). Nevertheless, the cultural changes this Muslim majority world instituted (from the style of business dress to polo being the world's most popular sporting event) were fun and believable.

Honestly the part of the story I had trouble with the most were our heroes. I just found them to be passive observers at best who were only there to tell the reader what was happening at the time. They mostly just reacted to what was happening around them and the "advice" they gave to the Italians about how to deal with their terrorist problem was often of the "well duh" variety. They were still likable characters and I did care what happened to them, I just wish they did more to drive the plot forward.

So yeah Through Darkest Europe wasn't one of Turtledove's best, but it wasn't the worst either. If you are a big Turtledove fan, then I recommend you check it out. If not, maybe check some of the other Turtledove novels I mentioned before reading this one.

Review: Black Chamber by SM Stirling

I have a confession to make: I don't like spy thrillers. They are just so...boring. All of the sneaking around, coded talk and lavish parties...yawn. Its why I could never get into Tom Clancy and why I tend to abandon alternate histories that use that type of plot. For me to really enjoy a spy thriller, there has to be something unique about it. So what does today's subject got? Well its written by SM Stirling...good start. And its set in a timeline where Theodore Roosevelt won a third term as president...okay, you hooked me, lets take a look at Black Chamber, book one in Tales from the Black Chamber.

Black Chamber is set in a timeline where William Howard Taft, then President of the United States, dies of a heart attack before he could be nominated again as the Republican presidential candidate in the 1912 election. With Taft gone, the Republicans have no choice but to nominate Theodore Roosevelt, former American president who in our timeline ran under the Progressive Party in 1912 after he failed to secure the Republican nomination. In this timeline, however, Roosevelt gets the nomination, defeats Woodrow Wilson, changes the name of the Republicans to the Progressive Republicans and sets about driving America out of its 19th century attitudes as soon as possible.

Fast forward to 1916 and President Roosevelt's reforms have revolutionized the country. New possibilities have been opened for women and POCs, while industrial and technological development is encouraged by the federal government, which sits on any robber barons or traditionalists who might try to stymie change. Mexico has also been invaded in response to a raid by Pancho Villa and is now a protectorate of the United States, which has to deal with an insurgency against their rule there. Meanwhile, the Great War rages in Europe, but Germany is doing a tad better than they did in our timeline, having managed to capture Verdun. Nevertheless, their unrestricted submarine warfare has angered President Roosevelt and it is only a matter of when America will enter the war on the side of the Entente.

As preparation for this, our hero, Luz O'Malley Aróstegui, is tasked with a secret mission that will take her to the heart of Germany. Posing as a Mexican insurgent willing to help the Germans fight America, she meets with a German agent who takes her to the middle of Saxony where she witnesses a weapons test that can finally break the stalemate on the Western Front...and make America think twice before challenging the coming Pax Germanica.

Black Chamber was an enjoyable read...but it had issues. Admittedly I found the setting to be fascinating. Theodore Roosevelt ranks in my top 5 favorite American presidents and seeing what he might have done had he won his third term made for an interesting thought experiment. I especially liked how Roosevelt worked hard to chip away at the laws that kept women and POCs down, which is an optimistic take on the early 20th century that was refreshing to read. Furthermore, I never felt bored during the less action packed scenes of the novel, which is a plus when it comes to the spy genre and me.

That said, a lot of Stirling cliches tropes appear throughout the book. Airships, of course, make an appearance, which is something Stirling appears to love writing about so much he even included them in his book where there was human life on Venus. Luz, thought a likable character, is your standard bad-ass, non-heterosexual female character that Stirling loves to write about. Granted there is nothing wrong with that, especially when SF in general still tends to downplay anyone who isn't a straight, white person with an easy to pronounce name, but that doesn't mean I haven't seen this character before in Stirling's work.

Also I found the idea that Mexico could be subjugated so easily in just a couple of years to be a little hard to believe. The insurgency is described as almost dead by the start of Black Chamber, which is surprising considering the Philippines put up more of a fight in our timeline when the United States tried to incorporate them.

That all being said, Black Chamber is still a good book in my opinion and I am interested in seeing where Stirling is taking the story. Not to spoil anything, but Stirling seems to be trying to take the geopolitical situation of 1940s Europe and transplant it a couple decades ahead of schedule. Granted the Kaiser's Germany is not Nazi Germany, but there are a lot of hints through the book that we are going to see World War II fought with the personalities and weapons of an earlier generation...and that could be cool to read about.

Book Review: Blood and Sand by C.V. Wyk

Little late sharing this, but if you got the time, go check out my review of Blood and Sand by C.W. Wyk on Amazing Stories. Its the story of Spartacus if Spartacus was a woman.

Book Review: The Alexander Inheritance by Eric Flint, Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett

I reviewed The Alexander Inheritance by Eric Flint, Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett over on Amazing Stories. Could it be another 1632? Well...

Book Review: The Philosopher’s Flight by Tom Miller

Do you want an alternate history where magic exists, but the author doesn't skimp on the socio-economic changes? Then read The Philosopher’s Flight by Tom Miller.

Book Review: River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey

Do you want to know why I love alternate history? Its because you can write stories set in some of the craziest timelines imaginable and still have it be plausible because history is just that freaking weird. Case in point: River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey.

Top 5 Favorite Alternate History Stories of 2017

We remember 2017 on a high note by sharing my favorite alternate history stories of the year.

Book Review: Once There Was a Way: What if The Beatles Stayed Together? by Bryce Zabel

If you want to see how a rock band can change history then Once There Was a Way: What if The Beatles Stayed Together? by Bryce Zabel is a book worth checking out. Read my full review on Amazing Stories.

Book Review: A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan

A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan is an entertaining historical fantasy told through a family drama. Learn more in my review on Amazing Stories.

Book Review: All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai

What if we live in a dystopia created by an inept time traveler? Find out what that would be like in my review of All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai.

Book Review: Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

What are zombies doing in a steampunk Seattle? Find out more in my review of Cherie Priest's Boneshaker.

Anthology Review: Altered Europa edited by Martin T. Ingham

Is Altered Europa edited by Martin T. Ingham worth a read? Find out in my Amazing Stories review.

Book Review: The Sea Peoples by SM Stirling

Can you believe that The Sea Peoples by SM Stirling is the fourteenth book in the Emberverse? Geeze, I remember when there were only four Emberverse books and I thought the series was already epic then. Anywho, check out my review of The Sea Peoples on Amazing Stories.

Book Review: A Time of Need by Brent A. Harris

What if Benedict Arnold was the father of America? Find out in my review of A Time of Need by Brent A. Harris.

Book Review: At the Table of Wolves by Kay Kenyon

At the Table of Wolves by Kay Kenyon is the second book I've read this year featuring super-powered spies, but unfortunately it doesn't hold up. Read more in my review on Amazing Stories.