A Meeting at Corvallis

Border hostilities have been building for some time as the warlord of Portland tries to expand his empire throughout the post-change Pacific Northwest Territory. The prior books in this series provide valuable background in the development of the distinct cultures and tensions that are at play in this volume. Todd McLaren returns with a calm narration, interspersed with faster-paced, intense descriptions of skirmishes and major military confrontations. McLaren draws on a rich store of accents to create the characteristics and personalities of the separate cultures that have emerged. He moves smoothly between dialogue, internal monologues and asides, graphic description of battles, and detached observation of political intrigue. J.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

July 10, 2006
Stirling concludes his alternative history trilogy that began with Dies the Fire
(2004) in high style. Some U.S. survivors of "the Change" that destroyed all modern technology just want to enjoy balanced, wholesome lives in tune with nature, such as former Marine Mike Havel's Bearkillers, who warily defend their territory in cooperation with peace-loving neighbors, especially Juniper MacKenzie's pagan clansfolk. Not far away, however, ex-history professor Norman Arminger is building a fascistic, neofeudal empire with himself as Lord Protector. The inevitable conflict builds, through layers of scheming and skirmishing, into full-scale war. Characters are cut from good quality cardboard, but the real interest lies in watching the different cultures exploring ways to solve problems. The story begins slowly, with detailed descriptions of scenery and armor. But readers will discover that the massive thing is
moving after all and realize how much it resembles one of the cavalry charges the novel describes—gorgeous, stirring and gathering such earth-pounding momentum that it's difficult to resist.