Into the Darkness by Harry Turtledove

[25or6to4]

I've just finished reading "Into the Darkness" a fantasy World WarII AH. There's a series of about six available so I'm wondering if anyone has read them and if they get better or worse.

[Prunesquallor]

About the best thing he's ever done.

[tom]

Actually, technically speaking, this is not AH.

[25or6to4]

Actually, technically speaking, this is not AH.

I guess it's more of a WWII mirror.

[NapoleonXIV]

Well??......

[fortyseven]

While i liked it, it too closely resembles WW2 and there's too many viewpoint characters. I haven't read the others because of this.

[Mr.Bluenote]

While i liked it, it too closely resembles WW2 and there's too many viewpoint characters. I haven't read the others because of this.
I actually liked the parallel to WW2, but the many viewpoint characters are a drag though. I would recommend the series, as it is well writen and fun in a wierd way - took me some time to get used to the sticks (magic rifles of sorts).

Regards and all that!

- Mr.B.

[Prunesquallor]

While i liked it, it too closely resembles WW2 and there's too many viewpoint characters. I haven't read the others because of this.

That's its strength. As I've remarked before, Turtledove isn't a very inventive writer. But the problem of using his ingenuity (a different thing from inventiveness) to shoehorn the events of WWII into a world of wizards and dragons suits him down to the ground.

[25or6to4]

Originally posted by Prunesquallor
About the best thing he's ever done.

Better than American Empire??

[Archangel Michael]

Better than American Empire??

The problme with his AE series is that he uses to much paralleslisim to OTL. Thee are some originial things, and things that were in history and left out (Night of the Long Knives, for example). I, personally, thought it was a good book, but not perfect.

[aktarian]

Interesting at the beginning, getting predictable later. Start of war was interesting, with others ganging on "Germany", but later events unfold a lot like WW2 (Barbarossa, battle for Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk....). Also "Jews" are interesting touch.

National specifics are a bit too much (all Algarvians are red haired, Unkerlantners (or is it Fortwegians?) don't shave, peopel of same culture have same tastes in food which widelly differ from others...).

Standard reintroduction of characters (come on, if I'm reading 4. book in series chances are I read other 3 as well and know characters).

I read some of Turtledove's fantasy books (as oposed to AH). I personally don't like how he portraits majority of women as easy.

SPOILER ALERT

Liberation of Norway adds interesting touch. OTOH they had to do something with absence of N African front.

[Trotsky]

SPOILER ALERT

Liberation of Norway adds interesting touch. OTOH they had to do something with absence of N African front.

But there was a North African front . . . . it was in the subzero Land of the Ice People, with all the hairy women and folks who eat animal flesh. Fernao and Sabrino both hated the place.

[north_star]

Reading his "World war: In the balance" right now. I love it, and intend to continue reading his books.

[Trotsky]

Yep, the Worldwar books are pretty top notch. My favorite character is Molotov.

[aktarian]

But there was a North African front . . . . it was in the subzero Land of the Ice People, with all the hairy women and folks who eat animal flesh. Fernao and Sabrino both hated the place.

Yes and it was abandoned relatively soon (and volountary), about year ahead of schedule.