Hardcover, 400 pages
Published Sept. 28, 2021 by Tor Books.
Stross' weird alternate timeline series is almost self-contained, although the rest of the series is worth reading too. The number of intertwined plots can be hard to follow without a family tree, which is appropriate for a series that started with "The Family Trade"
Realised as I was reading this that I'd started reading this series (OK, the Merchant Princes forerunner to it) well over a decade ago. I can remember reading the author's introduction to it on his blog and thinking that sounded right up my street and mostly it has been. I'm a sucker for alternate histories and parallel worlds, especially when combined with an understanding of politics and the way governments actually work, as opposed to how a lot of fiction presents them.
And I enjoyed this as the capstone to that long and sprawling series, not least because it finally got a climax and satisfying ending despite all the hurdles that have got in its way. (Seriously, the afterword's litany of what Stross went through during the writing of this makes your average Thomas Hardy plot seem like a light romantic romp) It's bumpy and unevenly paced as all the …
Realised as I was reading this that I'd started reading this series (OK, the Merchant Princes forerunner to it) well over a decade ago. I can remember reading the author's introduction to it on his blog and thinking that sounded right up my street and mostly it has been. I'm a sucker for alternate histories and parallel worlds, especially when combined with an understanding of politics and the way governments actually work, as opposed to how a lot of fiction presents them.
And I enjoyed this as the capstone to that long and sprawling series, not least because it finally got a climax and satisfying ending despite all the hurdles that have got in its way. (Seriously, the afterword's litany of what Stross went through during the writing of this makes your average Thomas Hardy plot seem like a light romantic romp) It's bumpy and unevenly paced as all the pieces for the big finales are slotted into place or kept in a holding pattern until they're needed, and there's quite a bit of infodumping en route, but the conclusions of the differing plots are good when they come.
Now, where's a streaming service looking for the next series, because an adaptation of these would be great to watch...
Stross sticks the landing here, I feel. For a series that he started way back in the early 2000s this has been quite the journey. I am inclined to say this is a strong 4.5.
Clearly he wanted to talk about revolutions and the first natural transfer of power. Throw the external pressures of a meddling alternate dimension USofA and an alien invasion from yet another dimension into the mix and you have quite the pressure cooker.
The various plot strands clipped along quite nicely and the resolution for these characters felt natural.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series from start to finish, even with saying the series at the start is very different from the end.
The whole thing is a definite recommend from me.
