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A review by suzemo
The Coldest War by Ian Tregillis
3.0
<p>This is the second book in Tregillis's YA-Alternative timeline Milkweed trilogy.</p>
<p><br />Instead of picking up right after the events of the first book, we pick up about 20 years later. Everything has gone to hell -</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In this timeline, the USSR pretty much has all of continental Europe under control and is waging a bitter cold-war with England. The US is busy being super-isolationist (and had never entered the war). The Soviets captured Gretel and Klaus at the end of the war with Germany, and are now running their own super-power/Xmen division.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In England, Marsh's life has fallen apart (with a disastrous marriage to boot), Will is being an utter ass (I seriously hate his sanctimonious hypocrisy). Everyone (who's still alive) gets back together for a fantastic reunion of Soviet busting fun when Klaus and Gretel make it back to England to defect.</p>
<p><br />Klaus, I think, is the only one I really care for, or at least, to me, is the only sympathetic character in the book. We find out that Gretel isn't just a sociopath, but a sociopath with an end game, and everyone else just seems to be limping through their lives, trying to hold what little they still have together.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But still, everything is super gritty, war (and life) is hell, and at no point do you feel happy during this book.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I love that even though it's a middle book in the trilogy, it doesn't suffer from middle-book-itis at all. It's fast paced, just as solid as the first work (if not more), and is very tightly and smartly written.</p>
<p><br />Instead of picking up right after the events of the first book, we pick up about 20 years later. Everything has gone to hell -</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In this timeline, the USSR pretty much has all of continental Europe under control and is waging a bitter cold-war with England. The US is busy being super-isolationist (and had never entered the war). The Soviets captured Gretel and Klaus at the end of the war with Germany, and are now running their own super-power/Xmen division.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In England, Marsh's life has fallen apart (with a disastrous marriage to boot), Will is being an utter ass (I seriously hate his sanctimonious hypocrisy). Everyone (who's still alive) gets back together for a fantastic reunion of Soviet busting fun when Klaus and Gretel make it back to England to defect.</p>
<p><br />Klaus, I think, is the only one I really care for, or at least, to me, is the only sympathetic character in the book. We find out that Gretel isn't just a sociopath, but a sociopath with an end game, and everyone else just seems to be limping through their lives, trying to hold what little they still have together.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But still, everything is super gritty, war (and life) is hell, and at no point do you feel happy during this book.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I love that even though it's a middle book in the trilogy, it doesn't suffer from middle-book-itis at all. It's fast paced, just as solid as the first work (if not more), and is very tightly and smartly written.</p>