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A review by ninjamuse
Eagle and Empire by Alan Smale
4.0
In brief: Gaius Marcellinus is uneasily towing the line between loyalty to the Roman Empire, the Cahokians and their Hesperian League, and himself when news arrives that the Mongols are, at last, coming. Third in a trilogy.
Thoughts: This was another fun read and a very good close to the trilogy. Smale didn’t disappoint on anything, from continually raising the stakes and throwing Marcellinus into hot water and the threat of the Mongols and the grandness of the battle against them, to his consistently strong and complex characterization of the Native characters and the ending itself. There were several moments where I genuinely worried things were going to end horribly and lots of moments where I was rooting for people to succeed despite the odds.
This book read a lot more like epic fantasy than the last couple, though it’s still solidly alternate history, and I enjoyed Smale’s multiple references to the two world wars. In addition to his portrayal of indigenous societies and peoples, I also continued to dig the pro-Native, anti-colonialist themes to the story and the way Smale juggled characters’ opinions on the matter. It’s also clear that he really though the battle, and battle techniques, through, which I appreciate.
I’m now looking forward to seeing what Smale comes up with next!
Warnings: The only (Central and East) Asians are bad guys by dint of being Mongols or allied with them and there is a Chingis Khan=Hitler parallel. Some racist and sexist characters, some of whom don’t learn better. The Mongols and their allies take slaves. Smale is a White man writing Native and female characters, though he’s done a good job of avoiding the pitfalls in my books. If you can’t handle fantasy-style epic battles, this is definitely not for you. Ditto Native peoples with hang-glider air forces.
7.8/10
Thoughts: This was another fun read and a very good close to the trilogy. Smale didn’t disappoint on anything, from continually raising the stakes and throwing Marcellinus into hot water and the threat of the Mongols and the grandness of the battle against them, to his consistently strong and complex characterization of the Native characters and the ending itself. There were several moments where I genuinely worried things were going to end horribly and lots of moments where I was rooting for people to succeed despite the odds.
This book read a lot more like epic fantasy than the last couple, though it’s still solidly alternate history, and I enjoyed Smale’s multiple references to the two world wars. In addition to his portrayal of indigenous societies and peoples, I also continued to dig the pro-Native, anti-colonialist themes to the story and the way Smale juggled characters’ opinions on the matter. It’s also clear that he really though the battle, and battle techniques, through, which I appreciate.
I’m now looking forward to seeing what Smale comes up with next!
Warnings: The only (Central and East) Asians are bad guys by dint of being Mongols or allied with them and there is a Chingis Khan=Hitler parallel. Some racist and sexist characters, some of whom don’t learn better. The Mongols and their allies take slaves. Smale is a White man writing Native and female characters, though he’s done a good job of avoiding the pitfalls in my books. If you can’t handle fantasy-style epic battles, this is definitely not for you. Ditto Native peoples with hang-glider air forces.
7.8/10