A review by cmbohn
1633 by David Weber, Eric Flint

3.0

Themes: war, religion, politics, patriotism, technology, love, expansionism, free will vs. fate
Setting: Westphalia, London, Amsterdam, new West Virginia 1633

This picks up more or less where 1632 left off. The new American-Sweden alliance has won a temporary victory over the German and Spanish forces. But Cardinal Richilieu is quick to spot the new threat to his own power and figure out how to manipulate things to his own advantage. He sets up a new alliance with Spain against the Americans. Meanwhile, the Americans are trying to establish diplomatic relations with England and the Netherlands. It's not going well. So the Americans work even harder preparing for the coming war.

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as 1632 and Ring of Fire. The politics and the behind the scenes maneuvering take up too much time and the personal relationships not enough time. Towards the end of the book, though, the politics finally fade into the background and we got on with things. It's a tough conclusion, but a good one. Just the reminder that war is brutal and breaks your heart. I'm giving it 3 stars. I'm glad I read it, but I don't know if I'll continue with the series.