This may be odd for a longtime AH fan, but I only just started reading SM Sterling's Islands on the Sea of Time series. I know it's not true AH, but I'd be interested in knowing what other people think of Sterling as a writer/researcher, as this is my first exposure to him. My initial impression is that he's a much more polished writer than Turtledone and at least as good a historical researcher. Also, I've made it through the first two books of the trilogy and found the narrative quite strong, inspite of the multiple POV characters and scenery switches.