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War, it seems, is never out of fashion.
 Harry
Turtledove is known for his novels setting out alternative histories
of the American Civil War and the two World Wars. Turning that idea
on its head, the Second World War has been transposed to a place
called Dervalai. Just like the Balkans, the land mass is a hotchpotch
of countries with ever-changing borders.
Each country distrusts its neighbour. The neutrality of one country,
Zuwayza, is tested nearly to breaking point when Kaunian refugees
turn up on its shores. Other countries are already over-run and
they have to make their own peace with their conquerors.
Despite the strangeness of the setting, with fearful dragons overhead
(the real Spitfires) and leviathans patrolling the seas, basic human
nature remains the same. Instead of feeding people into gas ovens
to make them disappear they are used as human fodder to create huge
amounts of destructive magic against opposing armies.
Algarve uses the Kaunians, their enemies but the King of Unkerlant
uses his own subjects taken from expendable groups such as the old
and the sick.
There are several 'viewpoint' characters brought forward from the
two previous books, notably the Forthwegian Ealston and his Kaunian
girlfriend Vanai, whom he is harbouring from his own people ready
to send her to the Front. There are many other characters that represent
all sides of the conflict and the human moral dilemma.
The war, engulfing everybody, continues and does not seem to be
reaching any conclusion. However, on the tiny island of Kuusamo,
Pekka and her fellow theoretical sorcerer, the elderly Ilmarinen
are developing the most powerful and deep magic - this world's equivalent
of a hydrogen bomb.
The realities of modern warfare are recognisable. Ethnic cleansing
is given a new and even deadlier dimension. In this reality, the
Mages use the life force of unwanted ethnic groups to inflict greater
hurts on their enemies.
There is also indifference and sometimes the willing collaboration
of the conquered populations. The problem with the book is the multitude
of characters. There were too many to get to know. The chapters
are sub-divided to follow each protagonist through a short period
of their life.
This is confusing and the 'cast list' at the front together with
the map is a handy addition. There is repetition of their history
and motivation and this is irritating and intrusive. The vocabulary,
particularly that of the soldiers, is limited. The continual use
of the word 'whoresons' to describe the opposing forces is inane.
The target audience may well enjoy this latest instalment. There
is some debate about which countries in this fantasy version represent
the participant countries of WW2. The moral decisions about the
use of people to create ultimate destruction will no doubt reach
some conclusions in the final instalments.
Taking a period of history which is so well documented and placing
it into an entirely new context is an interesting premise and deserves
to be fully explored. However, I was disappointed in the structure
of the book. The characters felt too separate from each other and
rather like several stories than a complete and integrated narrative.
Overall I would be unlikely to seek out this story again as I do
not feel sufficiently interested to find out what happens next.
Sue Davies
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