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jonathanpalfrey's review
3.0
This novel, the first of a series, is set in an alternative history in which William Howard Taft died prematurely in 1912 and Theodore Roosevelt therefore won the US presidential election of that year; which has an immediate major effect on US history and a knock-on effect on world history.
However, in terms of story, it’s primarily a spy thriller; and most of it is set in 1916. Don’t expect to see much of Roosevelt: he’s mostly offstage, appearing only at the beginning and near the end.
Good things about this book:
1. It’s an entertaining if somewhat bloodthirsty adventure story, the sort of thing that does well at the cinema. In fact, it’s quite a cinematic story.
2. Stirling researches his books obsessively: every little detail seems to have been carefully researched. On the whole, I like and appreciate research, although you may find some of the details superfluous.
Bad things about this book:
1. I find the scenario seriously unconvincing, because it diverges from our history at multiple points. Alternative history is normally written by changing one fact of history and dramatizing the consequences. In this story, various different facts of history are changed: Roosevelt’s re-election is merely one of them. It is of course quite possible that an alternative world might have multiple points of difference from our own; but each point of difference requires a suspension of disbelief, and in the end the alternative world doesn’t feel sufficiently plausible. To put it another way, I don’t believe what I’m reading.
2. There are plenty of minor characters, but only three major ones, and they’re all over-talented. The heroine is ridiculously over-talented; I doubt that a 25-year-old has had enough time in her life to acquire and maintain so many high-level skills. Additionally, she’s beautiful and athletic and bisexual, the only heir of a wealthy family, and a personal friend of President Roosevelt, who knew her late parents.
Overall, this is an over-the-top implausible spy thriller; I quite enjoy rereading it now and then, but it’s not one of my favourite books. I don’t enjoy it much as alternative history, because I don’t believe the alternative history in it.
It’s amusing to see Omar Bradley mentioned briefly near the end of the book, as a “very young major” in a prominent position. He was 23 in 1916, and in our history he didn’t reach the rank of major until 1924, but in this one he was evidently spotted and promoted early. I don’t mind that: it’s a plausible indirect side-effect of Roosevelt’s re-election.
However, in terms of story, it’s primarily a spy thriller; and most of it is set in 1916. Don’t expect to see much of Roosevelt: he’s mostly offstage, appearing only at the beginning and near the end.
Good things about this book:
1. It’s an entertaining if somewhat bloodthirsty adventure story, the sort of thing that does well at the cinema. In fact, it’s quite a cinematic story.
2. Stirling researches his books obsessively: every little detail seems to have been carefully researched. On the whole, I like and appreciate research, although you may find some of the details superfluous.
Bad things about this book:
1. I find the scenario seriously unconvincing, because it diverges from our history at multiple points. Alternative history is normally written by changing one fact of history and dramatizing the consequences. In this story, various different facts of history are changed: Roosevelt’s re-election is merely one of them. It is of course quite possible that an alternative world might have multiple points of difference from our own; but each point of difference requires a suspension of disbelief, and in the end the alternative world doesn’t feel sufficiently plausible. To put it another way, I don’t believe what I’m reading.
2. There are plenty of minor characters, but only three major ones, and they’re all over-talented. The heroine is ridiculously over-talented; I doubt that a 25-year-old has had enough time in her life to acquire and maintain so many high-level skills. Additionally, she’s beautiful and athletic and bisexual, the only heir of a wealthy family, and a personal friend of President Roosevelt, who knew her late parents.
Overall, this is an over-the-top implausible spy thriller; I quite enjoy rereading it now and then, but it’s not one of my favourite books. I don’t enjoy it much as alternative history, because I don’t believe the alternative history in it.
It’s amusing to see Omar Bradley mentioned briefly near the end of the book, as a “very young major” in a prominent position. He was 23 in 1916, and in our history he didn’t reach the rank of major until 1924, but in this one he was evidently spotted and promoted early. I don’t mind that: it’s a plausible indirect side-effect of Roosevelt’s re-election.
ogreart's review
4.0
Interesting alternate history where Teddy Roosevelt won the 1912 election. Follows the adventures of a female spy for the Black Chamber, the US spy agency, as she attempts to thwart a German plot to win the the Great War in one fell swoop. Lots of action. Lots of thought went into what could have happened in that timeline. Looking forward to more.
hanakorodgers's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
As a non-historian with an average-at-most understanding of military strategy and WWI, I found this to be an entertaining and action-filled read. Too plot driven with a standard story arch for my own taste, but well-written and quick. I enjoyed it more once I decided I would not try to understand the military strategy or historical references impacted by the prologue. A great read for anyone looking for entertainment and light what if pondering, but perhaps too unrealistic for someone wanting more.
k7aay's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
larisa2021's review
3.0
Enjoyable listen with a female James Bond level spy. Looking forward to the next audiobook.
judya's review
3.0
This was a difficult novel to get started. First of all, one needs to sort out one's knowledge of early 20th century history in terms of the twists introduced by Stirling. Next came the character of Luz, whose thoughts become expressed in three different languages, and whose sexual preferences are as convoluted.
I can't say I loved the book, but some of the characters, especially Ciera, were fascinating. I just found Luz too over-the-top for that era.
[Spoiler warning ahead]
Perhaps in view of the recent Russian Novichok attacks, the premise of chemical warfare brought to American shores by the Germans struck to close to home. That said, as are all of Stirling's works, Black Chamber is extremely well-written, and certainly thrilling. I just wish he'd return to his Island on the Sea of Time series.
I can't say I loved the book, but some of the characters, especially Ciera, were fascinating. I just found Luz too over-the-top for that era.
[Spoiler warning ahead]
Perhaps in view of the recent Russian Novichok attacks, the premise of chemical warfare brought to American shores by the Germans struck to close to home. That said, as are all of Stirling's works, Black Chamber is extremely well-written, and certainly thrilling. I just wish he'd return to his Island on the Sea of Time series.
brettt's review
1.0
In a lot of ways, alternative history fits oddly on the sci-fi shelves, since a lot of it reads more like historical fiction than anything with spaceships, aliens or ray guns. Authors work in it for several reasons, one of them being the chance to write that kind of historical fiction without worrying about the speedbumps provided by actual events. Sometimes these "allohistorical" novels try to show us something about the way real history worked by shifting actual events to another stage. Harry Turtledove did this with a ten-volume series that gave the Confederacy a victory in the original Civil War and then moved the major conflicts of both World Wars to the American continent, complete with its own horrifying Holocaust.
S. M. Stirling has written several kinds of alternative history novels, and his most recent Black Chamber falls squarely in the first camp: It's a historical spy romp through a tweaked version of World War I that has Teddy Roosevelt back in office when William Howard Taft dies before he can win the Republican Party nomination for president in 1912. Roosevelt makes decisive moves to strengthen America and implement his progressive agenda, and among those moves is the creation of a spy agency known as "the Black Chamber."
A top Chamber agent is the Irish-Cuban Luz O'Malley, who is posing as an Irish-Mexican rebel allied with the Germans (Roosevelt invaded and annexed portions of Mexico) in order to gain information on a secret German weapons plan. Luz has to work with the German agent Horst von Duckler while keeping him at arm's length so he doesn't discover who she really is -- although he's rather delightful to have around. Ciara Whelan, an American working with Irish rebels against England and also aiding the Germans, will play a role as well, but on whose side?
Chamber opens with several high-octane set pieces as Luz cements her faux-alliance with Horst by fending off attacks from "enemy" agents. But once it gets to the actual German weapons plot things bog down considerably, as Stirling over-indulges in flashbacks and musings from Luz about her own history and the state of the world. Her own close ties with Roosevelt allow her to reflect on how his re-election has made almost everything better all the way around. The reality is most of the book between that point and the final act kickoff could be chopped from the book and leave the story arc no worse off. Luz's impossible competence leeches the narrative of suspense and life, and her impossible 21st century outlook amongst the backward provincials helps not at all.
Stirling can write some great adventure yarns within a tweaked but plausible world, as in The Peshawar Lancers. He can play with fun characters and create a different reality with just a few strong strokes, as in that book and his "Lords of Creation" duology. Why he does neither here in favor of a clunky narrative, drab characters and evangelizing for Teddy-knows-best progressivism (with a dollop of authoritarian sauce) isn't at all clear.
Original available here.
S. M. Stirling has written several kinds of alternative history novels, and his most recent Black Chamber falls squarely in the first camp: It's a historical spy romp through a tweaked version of World War I that has Teddy Roosevelt back in office when William Howard Taft dies before he can win the Republican Party nomination for president in 1912. Roosevelt makes decisive moves to strengthen America and implement his progressive agenda, and among those moves is the creation of a spy agency known as "the Black Chamber."
A top Chamber agent is the Irish-Cuban Luz O'Malley, who is posing as an Irish-Mexican rebel allied with the Germans (Roosevelt invaded and annexed portions of Mexico) in order to gain information on a secret German weapons plan. Luz has to work with the German agent Horst von Duckler while keeping him at arm's length so he doesn't discover who she really is -- although he's rather delightful to have around. Ciara Whelan, an American working with Irish rebels against England and also aiding the Germans, will play a role as well, but on whose side?
Chamber opens with several high-octane set pieces as Luz cements her faux-alliance with Horst by fending off attacks from "enemy" agents. But once it gets to the actual German weapons plot things bog down considerably, as Stirling over-indulges in flashbacks and musings from Luz about her own history and the state of the world. Her own close ties with Roosevelt allow her to reflect on how his re-election has made almost everything better all the way around. The reality is most of the book between that point and the final act kickoff could be chopped from the book and leave the story arc no worse off. Luz's impossible competence leeches the narrative of suspense and life, and her impossible 21st century outlook amongst the backward provincials helps not at all.
Stirling can write some great adventure yarns within a tweaked but plausible world, as in The Peshawar Lancers. He can play with fun characters and create a different reality with just a few strong strokes, as in that book and his "Lords of Creation" duology. Why he does neither here in favor of a clunky narrative, drab characters and evangelizing for Teddy-knows-best progressivism (with a dollop of authoritarian sauce) isn't at all clear.
Original available here.
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