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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Tras la guerra mundial, la nueva guerra fría y las historias de espías son la premisa de esta novela corta que te deja un poco a medias. Un punto menos por el obvio product placement.
Stalin’s Hammer: Rome is the first in a set of serialised novellas from John Birmingham. I managed to pick it up at the introductory price of $2.99 (it’s since reverted to $4.99).
So, I am ashamed to admit, this is my first Birmingham – but it won’t be my last. Set in the alternate history of the Axis of Time series, it focuses on Stalin’s attempt to derail the future as the uptimers have foretold it.
But Stalin’s machinations largely take a back seat in this instalment. The setting is Rome, segregated much like Berlin was in our timeline. The West on one side, the communists on the other. We follow the adventures of two uptimers Prince Harry, commando, heir to the future English throne and Pavel Ivanov, ex–Spetsnaz, freelance spy, as they attempt to uncover Stalin’s plans. There’s action and intrigue aplenty - a nice intro to the alternate history and it sets up some interesting plotlines for future resolution.
Birmingham’s style is engaging and the take on history inventive. I would have liked more of the story, but I guess that’s the point of serialised fiction, to get you to want to read more. It falls more into the camp of the post war spy fiction category in terms of pacing, the short nature of the medium really doesn’t allow for an escalating run up to a techno thriller ending.
I’ll be coming back for more.
So, I am ashamed to admit, this is my first Birmingham – but it won’t be my last. Set in the alternate history of the Axis of Time series, it focuses on Stalin’s attempt to derail the future as the uptimers have foretold it.
But Stalin’s machinations largely take a back seat in this instalment. The setting is Rome, segregated much like Berlin was in our timeline. The West on one side, the communists on the other. We follow the adventures of two uptimers Prince Harry, commando, heir to the future English throne and Pavel Ivanov, ex–Spetsnaz, freelance spy, as they attempt to uncover Stalin’s plans. There’s action and intrigue aplenty - a nice intro to the alternate history and it sets up some interesting plotlines for future resolution.
Birmingham’s style is engaging and the take on history inventive. I would have liked more of the story, but I guess that’s the point of serialised fiction, to get you to want to read more. It falls more into the camp of the post war spy fiction category in terms of pacing, the short nature of the medium really doesn’t allow for an escalating run up to a techno thriller ending.
I’ll be coming back for more.
Read the Axis of Time and loved them all.
However, this is awful... Don't go in to this Axis, please don't!!!
How I review...
1 star - binned it before half way, please don't write anymore!!!
2 stars - finally binned it after really trying, I mean really trying and I hate to not finishing someth....
3 stars - finished it but boy was that hard work on times, it just about hooked me back in as I was about to dump it
4 stars - great book but it lacked something, something, can't put my finger on it but.... something
5 stars - want more, more books, more movies about the books, more movies about the authors and the making of the movie, just more!!!
However, this is awful... Don't go in to this Axis, please don't!!!
How I review...
1 star - binned it before half way, please don't write anymore!!!
2 stars - finally binned it after really trying, I mean really trying and I hate to not finishing someth....
3 stars - finished it but boy was that hard work on times, it just about hooked me back in as I was about to dump it
4 stars - great book but it lacked something, something, can't put my finger on it but.... something
5 stars - want more, more books, more movies about the books, more movies about the authors and the making of the movie, just more!!!
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a short story that is clearly part of a bigger story. There is no conclusion to this novel and that is disappointing. This is just the opening part and that is frustrating. It's time line is in the altered reality created in [b:Weapons Of Choice|72989|Weapons Of Choice (Axis Of Time, #1)|John Birmingham|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320409875s/72989.jpg|70652], but set ten years later. That fact makes it interesting to read, but I just can't get past the frustration of a no conclusion.
Only problem - it's a novella, so finished way too quickly. MOAR WORDS, AUSSIE.
Good simple story flow with usual bouts of JB brilliance, but the narrative also felt a bit rushed. I also think it was let down a bit by the regular references to modern products or memes; there was little of this in the original trilogy and they were stronger books.