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A review by subplotkudzu
Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
4.0
As we move through the series I find I really enjoy three things:
1) how travel is its own character in this - something to be explored and discussed rather than glossed over, which does wonders for capturing the feel of the time period
2) how Novik set up Lawrence to be on the right side of moral history just by placing him with the other people who in real life occupied that space, but that his growth is not sudden or painless. He still has a lot of unlearning to do.
and
3) I can very seldom guess where any of this is going to go, which is great!
Novik continues her very enjoyable alt history here, and I loved watching the Prussian campaign of the Napoleonic wards play out from the losing side and the sheer shock clearly displayed about what was happening. It may start to strain credulity that Temerarie's falling into Lawrence's hands is the inciting incident that shifts the alt-history off of its parallel path to our own, but I suppose he is the star of this particular show.
1) how travel is its own character in this - something to be explored and discussed rather than glossed over, which does wonders for capturing the feel of the time period
2) how Novik set up Lawrence to be on the right side of moral history just by placing him with the other people who in real life occupied that space, but that his growth is not sudden or painless. He still has a lot of unlearning to do.
and
3) I can very seldom guess where any of this is going to go, which is great!
Novik continues her very enjoyable alt history here, and I loved watching the Prussian campaign of the Napoleonic wards play out from the losing side and the sheer shock clearly displayed about what was happening. It may start to strain credulity that Temerarie's falling into Lawrence's hands is the inciting incident that shifts the alt-history off of its parallel path to our own, but I suppose he is the star of this particular show.