Would you like to be a scholar and make five dollars per review?
Click here to submit a review!
Review Summaries
"
Ballantine, Aug 2001, 27.95, 503 pp.
ISBN: 034540565X
By 1918 the Great War fought in North America and Europe led to the victory of the United States and Germany over the allies. With that success, the United States takes control of the continent by taking territory from the weakened Confederate States and turning Canada into a colony.
President Roosevelt facing a socialist reelection challenge led by Upton Sinclair sends venerable war hero General Custer to apply tight military rule over Quebec. Unbeknownst to the President and the General is that a rabid angry nationalist plans to kill Custer.
Meanwhile in the Confederate States, sergeant Jake Featherstone tries to stir support using demagoguery by blaming blacks and the United States for the abject poverty wracking his decimated nation. Due to his charismatic personality, his Freedom Party gains rapid support even as they splinter an already divided nation further.
Harry Turtledove continues his massive tome documenting an alternative historical time line with the start of a new series, American Empire. The story line of BLOOD & IRON returns survivors from the Great War tales struggling with a new era of “peace” in which it seems many people prefer a return to the recent days of war. The current tale is exciting and loaded with non-stop action. However, new readers will struggle to gain a foothold as the events of the previous series impact this plot since Mr. Turtledove keeps his time continuum valid and reliable, but quite complex. Old fans will have a field day with the revised “Roaring Twenties”.
Harriet Klausner
"
Harriet Klausner, Resident Harry Turtledove Scholar
Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!
Overall Review
Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into
dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 20% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- alternate history
Spying & Investigations
Yes
What is main char. doing?
- finding an assassin (political)
Political power play
Yes
Political plotlets
- saving govt/kingdom from external overthrow
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- warrior/knight
Age:
- 60's-90's
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Earth setting:
- 20th century
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
TOP SCHOLAR: