1634: The Baltic War (Weber / Flint)

1634: The Baltic War, David Weber and Eric Flint (2008)

This was a welcome and wonderful conclusion to 1633.

The thing you might notice is the colon in the title. The 1632 universe had taken off by this point. There are multiple books set in the year 1634 and they happen concurrently, but not as oddly as, say, A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons.

If you are starting this series, and this universe, I recommend that you read this book immediately after 1632 and 1633 before branching out. One of the complaints I had about 1633 was its cover depicting a warship on its cover, but the warship wasn't ready to go by the end of that book.

In this book, Admiral Simpson finally launches his ironclads and sails off to the Baltic to win Denmark for Sweden. In the meantime, the Grantville delegation in the Tower of London needs to be rescued, along with Oliver Cromwell.

But the natives of the time period have not been idle as winter set in. They had started to emulate the up-timers, for once they see that a thing is possible, then their own scientists can try to make such things happen. It also helps that up-time books, particularly books on technology, are sold at a premium on the black market. Thankfully, for the people of Grantville, and the members of Emperor Gustavus Adolphus's army, navy or air force (yes, he has an air force!), mass production is not in place yet, so superior weapons will be limited to a few companies of soldiers.

I wish I had written this up in a more timely manner, so I could've listed more about the characters and the story lines, which is really why I have this blog in the first place more than reviews. (I mean, who is actually reading this?)

This one took a while, mostly because I was lugging a huge hardcover on the subway, and it isn't the greatest thing to hold onto when I'm falling asleep. There's also a lot to keep track of, but it's worth the effort. History is getting rewritten and the timelines are diverging. People aren't dying when they were "supposed to". The painter Reubens is aware of the masterpieces he created in the "other" universe and now has no interest to create them here because they would be derivative.

I'm taking a break from this for a while now, but I wouldn't be opposed to read more.

Side note: Eric Flint was a Guest of Honor this past spring at HeliosphereNY, a new science-fiction convention in Rye, NY, held in March 2018. I was in attendance. There was a "1632 Mini-Con" occupying one of the conference rooms for the entirety of the weekend. There were discussions on the tech, the world, and, of course, writing. Many newcomers have been published in the Grantville Gazette. The idea did intrigue me, but I needed to get more familiar with the world. (Not the characters, those are reserved.) It's something to consider, but I need to familiarize myself with more of what has already been written.

1633 (Weber, Flint)

1633, by David Weber and Eric Flint, 2014

The second in the Ring of Fire series, 1633 offers a lot of promise with its gleaming cover comprised of a knight on horseback backed by a naval vessel, ready for war. It delivers on the action, but it doesn't (quite) on that image. However, it does give you an idea where this is going.

After the events in the first book, the Powers Than Be in Europe have stopped blaming deviltry and witchcraft and accept the fact that Grantville is here and that a new entity, the United States, now exists in Germany. They have brought weapons and technology from the future. They also brought back history textbooks. (And other library books with more information than your average high school history text might actually have.)

Having the knowledge of a possible future changes the course of "present" events. France and Spain, seeing that the results of a pointless, prolonged conflict, skip the Franco-Spanish War of 1635-59 and turn their attention to other targets. Richelieu is still cunning and angling for power.

At the start of the novel, representatives of Grantville are scattered about the continent on diplomatic missions, which go about as well as one could imagine in those troubled times. War is inevitable. However, Grantville hasn't rested on its laurels. It started developing an Air Force (by first reinventing the airplane) as well as a Navy, under the direction of John Simpson, who goes from mere antagonist to major player.

If you liked 1632, you'll probably like this one as well as it takes Grantville and its people to the next step. (If you didn't like 1632, then don't waste your time. If you didn't read 1632 then go back and find it because this one won't make any sense.)

It isn't as standalone as the first one. Obviously, you need the background from the prior book, but also there's a bit of a soap opera feel, making sure that the favorite characters are there, even if there isn't much to do. There are the brushes with historical people and events, which either have to be mentioned/acknowledged as happening or setting up future events. Where the first book had a satisfying finish but was open-ended for the series, this one has a major finale that doesn't disappoint but it doesn't end the story that it started. It's one battle: the war is still going on, and the steps Grantville is planning haven't been taken yet. Yes, I wanted to see the Old World's shock at seeing the full force of the United States Navy, instead of just a few speed boats with guns. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) Again, look at the cover of the book!

I'll probably take some time off to read other things before getting back to the series. But, yeah, I will probably be back to this series, at least for another book. The major question in this chaotic shared-world series may ultimately be: Just which book is the next one?