A review by bschlotz
The Coldest War by Ian Tregillis

4.0

I started this book as a bit of a guilty pleasure, since the preceding book in the trilogy was so over the top and dismal (in tone, not quality). It's basically sociopathic nazi x-men vs lovecraftian british blood warlocks - one of those "wouldn't it be awesome if" alternate history books. But instead of being all epic good vs evil, it unfolds as a very unpleasantly human exploration of ends and means. All the main characters came out of the first book morally shattered, and in this one it only gets worse (as wwII turns into the cold war, with all the existential crisis associated). It's a trainwreck of impossible choices and counterplots, set against crumbling marriages and families. But somehow it was really really good? I don't know if I'm doing this justice.