Book Description
American Freedom and Justice vs. The Tyrannies of the Seventeenth Century

The new government in central Europe, called the Confederated Principalities of Europe, was formed by an alliance between Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, and the West Virginians led by Mike Stearns who were transplanted into 17th-century Germany by a mysterious cosmic accident. The new regime is shaky. Outside its borders, the Thirty Years War continues to rage. Within, it is beset by financial crisis as well as the political and social tensions between the democratic ideals of the 20th-century Americans and the aristocracy which continues to rule the roost in the CPE as everywhere in Europe.

Worst of all, the CPE has aroused the implacable hostility of Cardinal Richelieu, the effective ruler of France. Richelieu has created the League of Ostend in order to strike at the weakest link in the CPE's armorits dependence on the Baltic as the lifeline between Gustav Adolf's Sweden and the rest of his realm.

The greatest naval war in European history is about to erupt. Like it or not, Gustavus Adolphus will have to rely on Mike Stearns and the technical wizardry of his obstreperous Americans to save the King of Sweden from ruin.

Caught in the conflagration are two American diplomatic missions abroad: Rebecca Stearns' mission to France and Holland, and the embassy which Mike Stearns sent to King Charles of England headed by his sister Rita and Melissa Mailey. Rebecca finds herself trapped in war-torn Amsterdam; Rita and Melissa, imprisoned in the Tower of London.

And much as Mike wants to transport 20th-century values into war-torn 17th-century Europe by Sweet Reason, still he finds comfort in the fact that Julie, who once trained to be an Olympic marksman, still has her rifle... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (61)

Not nearly as good as 1632...
I was substantially disappointed by this second installment of Flint's brilliant 1632.About two thirds of the way through this very viscous novel I began to ask myself when the payoff would happen. It never did.The material was dense, probably historically accurate, but BORING.Like it was written by a committee.

Most novels have some flat spots, but the author(s) usually reward your persistence and patience.Not so here IMHO.

And the afterward is a curious thing...Flint waxes enthusiastically about his committee approach to 1633 and further installments of his original 1632 novel. But its almost as if he's attempting to deflect criticism of this approach in advance.

To me, novels are mostly entertainment.1633 reads like a history text.Instead of an afterward by the author, 1633 should have provided a bibliography.

So much talk but where's the story?
While 1632 had a real story and a heavy dose of history, 1633 was one chapter after another about nothing. Flint spends entire chapters of this 600 + page book of characters hashing out why they should use wood and not steel, going East and not West, and on and on.
Europe is gripped in wars as empires battle each other and Flint spends page after page after page with how a radio works.
The characters don't develop or grow and have as much depth as the paper they're printed on.
I gave up on the book and Eric Flint.

If you want to read alternate history, go somewhere else. If you want a soap opera on paper where you can fast forward two or three chapters and not miss anything, this is the book for you.

Picks up where 1632 left off
An excellent sequel... having won breathing space in Germany the New United States must now face new enemies organized by Richelieu. This one has seemingly everything left out of 1632: naval battles, diplomacy, flying machines, the Tower of London and even a touch of cloak and dagger.As an alternate history 1633 is first rate.

A great continuation of the story; gets somewhat bogged down in detail.
1633 lacks some of what made me love 1632 so much.Mainly, there is much less action and much more politics than in the previous book.The first ~500 pages are spent setting up for a dramatic clash between the forces of Cardinal Richelieu and Emporer Gustavus that only begins to develop at the end of this book (and will be concluded in 1634: the Baltic War).Actually, throughout almost the entire book, none of the characters seem to be in very much danger, instead just pondering and planning for future dangers.

The majority of 1633 is spent detailing the "up-time" American's efforts to influence the fate of Europe.Diplomatic missions to England, Scotland, and the Netherlands take up much of the book but don't contribute much in the way of action.The beginings of a navy and air force are interesting to read about but don't really influence the story much until the very end (but when they do its excellently intense).

1633 is very well-researched and you'll actually learn a lot about 17th century European politics and living conditions.The characters are great and the whole idea of a small American town changing the course of history retains its appeal.

Overall, while the story is well-writen, fun and interesting, you're left with a very incomplete feeling after finishing.A lot of build-up for very little action and a lot of story still to tell.

Good Continuation...Keem Em' Coming!
Suffice it to say that if you read the very good novel "1632" you'd have wanted to make a beeline right for the sequel "1633". And I can't blame you for it...I had to special order this book because neither the library or the local bookstores carried it. This is a very good read, make no mistake, but coming off of the much easier to read and faster paced 1632 one may be surprised by the changes contained within.

For starters where 1632 covered the citizens of Grantville's sudden appearance in central Germany of the 17th century, and the related effects of it's possession of advanced weapons, medicine, science, and knowledge of future events, here we have a book focusing more on the diplomatic and political angle, interspersed with the story of Grantville's struggle with the possibility of oncoming plague and the development of a working Air Force and Navy. There's much more plot depth and characters that were overly stereotypical in the first novel (ie; Simpson) are given actual personalities, and on this latter account the story gains much.

I need to go ahead and get it out of the way though. You see, I'm one of those charlatans who thinks there's entirely too much politics and not enough action in the book. Before the public stoning begins allow me to illucidate. Politics is an interesting subject, no doubt, but there are so many different threads of it running rampant through the book that it's difficult to keep track of all of it. So much in fact that I was almost forced to grab a pen and paper to write character's names down and their ultimate goals for power grabs in the New Europe...ordinarily this is something I only do for the Russian literature of the late 19th century (just for keepin track of all the names), but I was almost forced to it here. I found myself laboring through entire chapters of the book forced to read what I considered some rather dull, pages long descriptions of constitutional banter, interlaced with the plottings of German nobles and assorted power plays by foreign dignataries. And don't even get me started on the almost Mafia-like "Committees of Correspondance", whom, for whatever reason, I just have a tendency to really dislike for their thug-like behavior. And while I understand the CoC's reasons for hatred of nobles I find myself befuddled as to their motives and overall disposition against Gustav, whom I consider a good and noble man. Bottom line...I just don't get it. Much of the book is like this, and borders on needing accompanying Cliff's Notes.

Several plots have broken off from the main book as well. A diplomatic mission to Cardinal Richelieu, primary foil for the new European republic, results in my appreciation of this character (who it appears is maligned far too much on various "Three Musketeers" movies), a man who is honorable, cunning, kind, and dangerous in equal parts. A separate diplomatic mission takes place to England, largely dealing with the group's incarceration in the infamous Tower of London, as well as the introduction of later historical figure Oliver Cromwell. I very much look forward to that plot development as the portions of history I've read on the man tend to impress me.

As to the action portion those parts of the book are wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed the formation of Grantville's Air Force, and being a US Air Force veteran myself, felt pulled in and filled with wonder. Likewise, I really enjoyed the improved character of Simpson, whom I think a perfect fit for the job of Admiral of the US Navy's two Grantville-Class ironclads and I cannot wait to see them in action. The book culminates in a large sea battle which had me turning pages furiously and results in the death of a much loved character from the first book.

I very much enjoyed the book, but found it tedious in many places. If you were rooting for more high-technology cause/effect events to unfold you may be disappointed, but certainly not enough to dissuade you from finishing. The 1632 universe is fascinating and I look forward to the continuing saga of Grantville! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

excellent alternate history, diverse characters, well written
I like both the prequel Shadow of the Lion and this book a lot. I do not always have the patience and concentration for this type of book, very long, many strands, many characters, definitely not a quick read. But well worth it, the ideas, the people, the religious background, the historical intrigue, all very well done, quite gripping and easy to read once you have the characters and places fixed in your mind. For those who like a lot of intelligent politics and strategy in their fantasy, highly recommended.

For those who are looking for the continuation of this series:
I found this info hard to find - there is an excerpt of the book at the end of the ppbck edition of This Rough Magic, but it also does not say clearly that it is a sequel in this series:
Dave Freer has written "Mankind Witch", alone, which is part of this series, and his website says that he plans two more.

I regret that this is not to be found here in some reference (i.e. tag the book as an Heirs of Alexandria series book) or put on the website of Mercedes Lackey, or Baen, I like this story and its people, and I will read Mankind Witch as soon as I find it. Maybe others will find this useful info.

"Rough but Sweet"
This is the following tale of "The Shadow of the Lion". It takes place in Corfu rather than Venice. Actually, it is an alternate reality inwhichmagic persists and good and evil emesh the characters in a struggle for supremacy. The strength of this tale lise in the character development, especially of Maria and Benito. Most of the carryovers from the previous book are developed and humanized except Francesca, who seems a bit wooden and Marco and Katerina, who are reduced almost to caracatures. However it is in many ways a superior tale, and if you likked the first book, you will love this one.

Only okay
First off, I will admit that I didn't read the first book. I didn't know there was a first book until about halfway through. However, I wasn't very impressed. I generally love Mercedes Lackey so I can only attribute the lackluster performance of this book to the other authors. I felt there was too much jumping around to the different groups which made me confused as to who was where and with whom. In addition, I wasn't much engaged with many of the characters.

I also thought the blood sacrifice descriptions were a bit much. I understand wanting to make the evil characters really loathesome, but I don't think it added anything to the story to describe the sexual activities and satanic human sacrifices. To me, it cheapened the book, as if the authors couldn't write anything more engaging. Besides if they had cut out all that description, the book would have been much shorter. Long books are not, in and of themselves, bad, but they have to be extremely well-written in order to keep from lagging. This book lagged and lost steam a few times throughout.

At the same time, the plot was reasonably interesting and the characters fairly well developed. I knew from the beginning who Benito would end up with, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Happy endings are good in my opinion, and this book had that even with the bittersweet background. That's why it gets three stars instead of two.

Couldn't put it down
A captivating sequel to 'Shadow of the Lion'.I read all night!

Excellent
I read this book without reading the first one.

Very very good, quick paced, with enough background that you can read it without reading the first.

I have been a long time Mercedes Lackey fan, this book just confirms and renews my faith in her:) ... Read more

Book Description
Now in Paperback Unlike any other fashion designer at work today, Paul Smith has managed to combine a flair for eccentric, subversive detail, a dedication to the highest standards of craftmanship, and a business and marketing sense that has made him simply the most successful designer in British history. But this publication is not a fashion monograph; it is not a catalogue of suits. Rather, imagine Paul Smith's brain on a page: cleverly original and often humorous thoughts and ideas, perfectly executed, not just on the back of a man or a woman but in shop windows, in advertising campaigns, in toys, photographs and souvenirs brought back from travels throughout the world that became the inspiration for the look of a season. Words and images crash together in striking contrast to reveal the passions and amusements of a designer committed to both modesty in his pursuits and stunning innovation. Designed by Alan Aboud, Art Director for Paul Smith for more than a decade, complete with specially inserted posters and comic book, this publication will bring together observations, images and, in its own unique design and production, all of the extraordinary qualities possessed by Paul Smith himself. ... Read more

Product Description
A pictorial book of the murals of Toppenish, WA. Heavy weight paper. ... Read more

Book Description
Conquered by the Jao twenty years ago, the Earth is shackled under alien tyranny - and threatened by the even more dangerous Ekhat, one of whose genocidal extermination fleets is coming to the solar system. The only chance for human survival is in the hands of an unusual pair of allies: a young Jao prince, newly arrived to Terra to assume his duties, and a young human woman brought up amongst the Jao occupiers. But, as their tentative alliance takes shape, they are under pressure from all sides. A cruel Jao viceroy on one side, determined to drown all opposition in blood; a reckless human resistance on the other, which is perfectly prepared to shed it. Added to the mix is the fact that only by adopting some portions of human technology and using human sepoy troops can the haughty Jao hope to defeat the oncoming Ekhat attack - and then only by fighting the battle within the sun itself.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Prepare for the journey.....
Probably one of the most realistic alien invasion books ever and I'll be looking for the next in the series, if any.The aliens are TRULY ALIEN and therefore more scarey.The invasion is told in retrospect, but reads like what would really happen--a few cities wiped off the map, but most retained for "use."

Based on my reading of other books by these authors, the guts of COURSE appear to be by Wentworth.The thoroughly delicious inner monologues of the Jao and the descriptive passages of their physique are in that same supple style as seen in STARS ON STARS.

But the first chapter seems to lack pizzaz and most importantly, it lacks a hook to impell the reader foward to the next chapters.Still, once you get past that, you're in for a ride.So strap yourself in tight.Enjoy.

emminently readable
Excellent attempt at reconciling disjoint culture and thought processes.The main antagonist was displayed early with a bit too much emotional anthropomorphism.As the story evolves, other aliens follow suit.Has some valid earth historical contrast and comparison.

Could have been an earth based war story.Read for fun!

One of the 10 best sci-fi books I've read
I won't go into details of the plot, since others have done that.Suffice it to say that this story seems so real you could almost believe it really happened in an alternate universe. I'm not one of those New Age groupies that feel all ETs are our space brothers, so I found the idea that our world was invaded by force quite believable. As was the fact that the aliens had different factions that fought amongst themselves. Why should ET be any different than humans?

For a very realistic take on an extraterrestrial intervention check out the Allies of Humanity.

Gripping alien political intrigue on Terra
I'm constantly on the prowl for sci-fi portraying convincing scenarios of human/alien contact. "Empire" is one of the best of such. The Jao are a fascinating species who come alive because of the level of imagined detail the authors have devoted to them, and because there is potential for "association" between them and humans. With the other aliens, the Ekhat, no bridge of understanding is possible, and these weirdly "musical" monsters provide a common enemy for humans and their Jao conquerers to unite against. But the question is whether the threat of annihilation will be enough to overcome the rivalries in the complex Jao organizational system and the bitter determination of earth's indigenous peoples to resist their fierce occupiers from the stars....

"Empire" does take its time establishing the main characters and the situation in which they all find themselves. But the investment in that steady build-up rewards the patient reader as the action revs up to a blazing fire fight in the sun. Don't stop there though. Then comes the Jao Naukra (enquiry/trial/calling-to-account) where consequences including death are risked by the leaders who exceeded the usual boundaries of authority. The forwarding of a "third way" at those proceedings reminds the reader that thinking outside the box may solve seemingly insoluble political/social/species conflicts. And although a courageous young Jao male and human female spearhead the push for groundbreaking changes, "Empire" does not forget that great revisions are often planned for by "elders," sometimes very Machiavellian ones.

This novel meets the very highest sci-fi standards. A sequel of some type would be wonderful -- perhaps set forty or fifty years in the future, permitting Aille and Caitlin to mature in wisdom and power in the reality they help create and their offspring to be the radical thinkers and doers....just a suggestion.

Machiavellian Machinations
This one was intriguing, exciting, maddening and fun right from the beginning. It was also hard to put down.

The venue is Earth, at about our present level of technology. The time is about 20 years after an alien invasion. Humanity was conquered by the alien Jao and now lives a precarious existence. The existence is precarious because humans don't really understand their conqueror and the conquerors don't really understand humans. Any infraction is punished mercilessly but there is no rancor in the punishment. There is no rancor except from the alien who commands earth. He hates humanity. That makes the situation tense.

There is a reason for the conquest beyond mere imperial desires. The Jao are at war with the Ekhat. So is everyone else in the galaxy who is not Ekhat. This is for the simple reason that the Ekhat regard all other life as an abomination and wish to cleanse it from the universe. This is not a healthy situation for anyone who is not Ekhat. Unfortunately, humanity does not understand the extent of the problem and many of them do not even believe in the existence of the Ekhat. Many regard them as some sort of Bogeyman used by the conqueror to keep the subject races in line.

The Jao themselves are not completely unified. They are organized into great clans and political alliances and often let those ties overshadow the common good. So it is that the ruler of earth is of one clan and the Jao sent to serve as one of his top deputies is of the clan most at odds with his. This leads to even more clashes of will and ultimate goals.

Although this book deals with conflicts on many levels, it is mostly about indirect manipulations. Human factions try to manipulate each other to their desired goals. Jao factions do the same thing. Humanity tries to manipulate the Jao and the reverse is also true. When larger, even great schemes are laid on top of this cauldron of scheming, things get really complex. It is said that Byzantine court intrigues maid Prince Machiavelli look like an amateur. The machinations in this book put the Byzantines into the same category. It is all wonderfully intriguing.
... Read more

Book Description
Originally published in 1902, this volume is comprised of an excellent collection of articles and testimony in defense of the trust, and an important annotated bibliography. Included is an article by James Bridge who served Carnegie as literary assistants from 1884 to 1889. Another article is written by Charles Flint, "the father of trusts," a merchant, banker, and trustifier who equated free business enterprise with natural law. James J. Hill writes on "Combinations and the Public." ... Read more

Book Description
Beginning a new blockbuster series set in the "Honorverse"-the universe of Honor Harrington. The Star Kingdom's ally Erewhon is growing increasingly restive in the alliance because the new High Ridge regime ignores its needs.Add to that the longstanding problem of a slave labor planet controlled by hostile Mesans in Erewhon's stellar back yard, a problem which High Ridge also ignores. Finally, the recent assassination of the Solarian League's most prominent voice of public conscience indicates the growing danger of political instability in the Solarian League - which is also close to Erewhon. In desperation, Queen Elizabeth tries to defuse the situation by sending a private mission to Erewhon led by Captain Zilwicki, accompanied by one of her nieces. When they arrive on Erewhon, however, Manticore's most capable agent and one of its princesses find themselves in a mess. Not only do they encounter one of the Republic of Haven's most capable agents - Victor Cachat - but they also discover that the Solarian League's military delegation seems up to its neck in skullduggery. And, just to put the icing on the cake, the radical freed slave organization, the Audubon Ballroom, is also on the scene - led by its most notorious killer, Jeremy X.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

A Fine Addition to the Honorverse
Although Honor Harrington plays a peripheral role in this book, it's great to visit the Honorverse.

Honorverse Just Keeps Getting Better
I was frustrated, having run out of "favorite" scifi authors to read, when a buddy of mine sent me a box of Honorverse books by David Weber. Those I read were GREAT. Now, I've read even more. But this book, Crown of Slaves,co-authored with Larry Flint, is tied for my favorite. It's set in the universe of Admiral Lady Dame Honor Harring, Dutchess and Steadholder Harrington. But our favorite leading lady makes only a cameo appearance. This story centers on Princess Ruth, Berry Zilwicki, her father Capt. Anton Zilwicki (RMN) his surprising alliance with Victor Cachat (Republic of Haven, mortal enemy of the Star Kingdom of Manticore) and a new star - Thandi Palane.The story is fast paced, intriguing, well written, with Weber's usual superb character development.

David Weber is masterful. Few authors can create an entire universe to compete with the greats - Issac Azimov, J.R.R. Tolkien and Frank Herbert, but Weber succeeds. And - he demonstrates a keen sense of hard science fiction (more so in the other Honorverse novels), politics (his strong suit here) and military and intelligence tactics (again, well demonstrated here).

Flint, I'm sure, is responsible for the character development of the Zilwickis, Thandi Palane (one of my new favorite characters), Cachat and the other leading characters in this book. I would guess that Flint is also responsible for the fast-paced action in this book - which moves much more quickly than Weber's later novels.

If you've read other books in the Honorverse, you've glimpsed Mesa, home of the genetic slavers, Manpower, Inc., and you've seen the edges of the Solarian League. In this spin off novel, you will really enjoy the more in-depth insight into these organizations ... and, if you're a bit older, you'll appreciate the Gorbachev/Reagan-like (or maybe even Kruchev/Kennedy-like) relationship between Capt. Zilwicki and Victor Cachat. It's Brilliant!

Great Addition to the Honorverse
I did have to wonder if this would measure up to the Honor Harrington books, but I should have known better after reading the short story collections.Crown of Slaves is an excellent book which serves to further the depth of the Honorverse.Ruth and Berry are delightful as foils and a great look at intelligent teens/young adults.Weber and Flint expertly dance with Cachat's character to produce a realistic outcome.And you can hardly write about this novel without mentioning the fantastic Thandi Palane, a deadly addition.

If you weren't already engrossed and utterly absorbed by the Honorverse, you will be after this installment.

Tried to finish it twice
I Loved the Honor books, so, I tried, twice, to finish this one. I'll keep it simple. A confusing list of characters talk, and talk and talk ...... for the first half of the book.

Espionage and intrigue in the Honorverse
This book is set in the same Universe and timeframe as David Weber's "Honor Harrington" novels, sometimes nicknamed the "Honorverse." The events take place at approximately the same time as the early chapters of "War of Honor."

If you have not read any of the other books in the series: this novel is set in space and is the story of how men and women from several planets who are actually at war with one another collaborate against an unholy alliance of terrorist religious extremists, and corrupt corporations profiteering from a vile form of slavery and who are rich enough to buy governments.

If you are familiar with the rest of the series, be aware that this books has several differences from them.

With the most recent group of short stories and novels in the "Honorverse" Weber and his collaborators seem to be establishing three groups of characters and storylines, which they are all linked in a reasonably consistent manner into one history.

There is the main sequence featuring Honor Harrington herself, in which the most recent novels are "War of Honor" and "At All Costs." There is a "next generation" sequence featuring some younger officers in the Grayson and Manticoran navies such as Helen Zilwicki and Abigail Hearns. The first book in that series is "The Shadow of Saganami" which is set about a year after "Crown of Slaves."

And there is a series of spy stories, in which "Crown of Slaves" is the first full length novel. Honor Harrington does get a cameo part in the book, but the central figures are Anton Zilwicki, his adopted daughter Berry, Princess Ruth Winton, and the Havenite agent Victor Chachat.

The first main difference between "Crown of Slaves" and most of the other books in the Honorverse is that the main enemy is the genetic slavers, the companies who traffic in slaves (particularly Manpower) and the government officials they have bought.

Agents from Manticore and Grayson are practically allied with agents from Haven against the slavers, despite the fact that their countries have fought a long and bitter war. This novel falls within a period of ceasefire between Haven and Manticore but they have never signed a formal peace treaty are are still legally at war. Despite this,Manticorans such as Anton Zilwicki can and do make common cause with Victor Cachet, the star agent of Haven's Federal Intelligence Service, against the slavers.

The second main difference is that the book is about espionage, political manouvering, counter-terrorism and revolt rather than space battles. The only Manticoran naval officer who gets to fight a space battle is Captain Oversteegen, who despite being a cousin of the Manticoran Prime Minister, Baron High Ridge, definately has a mind of his own.

This is a well-written story, with a lot of exitement, a rather convoluted but clever plot, and interesting heroes and heroines, although the "bad guys" are so awful that they are sometimes a little hard to believe.

If you read the other "Honorverse" books purely for the space battles, leave this one alone. But if you like the intrigue and the characters, you'll very probably enjoy this book.

If you have not read any of the Honorverse books, but like stories of
intrigue and revolt in the far future - think Aeon Flux but slightly more cerebral and plausible - you may well enjoy it. ... Read more