Customer Reviews

1635: The Eastern Front (The Ring of Fire)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book was a bit of a disappointment. Flint has done much better work in this series.

First, it is clearly a stage setting book. The amount of action feels less than the other books in the series. People are moved hither and yon according to the whims of a director and a script that we don't see. The stage is being set for the next book ( or two ) in the series.

Second, the narrative drags in places. There is too much expository, too much politics in action and too much dictation by Flint to the reader.

Third, Gustav Adolph was becoming the bull in the china shop which seems to limit what Flint wanted to do or where he wanted to go. The reader may or may not agree with Flint's solution to that issue.

That being said, I read it in one night just to know where the player were going and how the stage would be set for the next book. Flint is not yet at the stage where his laundry lists are interesting reading. But, he is getting there. If you are willing to accept the three caveats I list and want to be ready for the next book, then this is a must have.

This book starts off with that same, perfect build up formula, those of you reading this review know is an Eric Flint joyride. For several painful books, this series has languished in Dreeson incident and political intrigues, but this is the 30 years war and it is again time to fight some battles. Flint does not disappoint here. He summarizes events for those who might be catching up, but you need 1632, 1633, the Ram's Rebellion, and maybe some of the Italian stuff to get the real feel for this, but the Dreeson incident gets 6 direct references, all couched in language that does not disappoint if you fell asleep during those novels.


*Minor Spoiler, mostly just an expansion on the blurb*

This is Eric Flint's book though, and he's got a ride for you. This is not a three stooges trek, this is a story in four main perspectives that follows the CoC, an Assassination plot, a war campaign featuring newly minted General Mike Stearns (and a new Colonel we all know) and something else that would be a spoiler. There are several other characters handled, but those 4 mains really move this story and advance us several months and several major plot points forward. I'd encourage anyone wanting to read this book to finish the earlier books through Canon law, at the very least, before challenging this, and Ring of Fire one and two, the Gazette 1 and maybe even Gazette's 2 and 3 first.


Why did I give it 4 stars?

Because like many books coming from Baen and even Tor where Weber is publishing, need a better copy editor. The first few sections are great, but while I am not a perfect grammarian, any copy that gets through this mangled hurts the readability of the book. We're buying hardback, please fix this before it gets to mass market or paperback. These aren't mere flubs, they're some passages that make you write the correction in the book in pen instead of pencil, so someone else doesn't have to stare at a page for a few minutes and try and figure out what that set of sentences meant. These are isolated incidents though, worsening in section 5 if I remember correctly and plaguing the book until the end with slightly less frequency. Other than that, this is a book for the keep pile, in dust jacket it joins the other books and I am again proud to continue reading the series.

I agree with the other book reviewer that this is not one of Eric's better works, it almost seems a series of interesting sketches for a couple of books. I find there's a dearth of character interaction and discovery in comparison with most of the other novels and stories in this series, I miss that. That said, this book seems to have been designed to really shake things up in the 1635verse. It certainly achieved that goal. I have no idea what's going to happen next to whom. So the stage is certainly set for interesting events (just like the proverb: "May you live in interesting times." If you enjoyed the main books of this series written or directly co-written by Eric Flint you might have some issues with this book but will find it necessary for the direct sequel published next year in 2011. If you are more of a fan of the stories/books written with or by Andrew Dennis, Virginia deMarce, David Caruco, Gorg Huff & Paula Goodlett, you may find this book less enjoyable.

The last book in the Ring of Fire series was about as enjoyable as swallowing shards of dirty glass. But with Virginia DeMarce no longer dragging things down like an anchor this book manages to bring back a lot of what is good about the 1632 books. Sadly, a few of the old problems linger.

In terms of good there's a lot to like. Mike Sterns is again at the forefront which is great since he's a character that's very easy to make things happen around. Mike's a bit uncomfortable in his new role as a general but he plays it smart like he always does and it's clear that in time he's going to be just as dangerous on the battlefield as he was in politics. Mike's tough solutions to problems are a bit of a theme in the story and seeing his own worry at just how ruthless he was willing to be provided a good and very needed human moment.

As is usual there are a lot of characters and a lot going on. I'll not remark on them all. But while the book does skip around a lot there's interesting things happening everywhere from Poland to Sweden to Saxony. And by fully taking back the story Flint even manages to salvage the Huguenot subplot from the last book.

On the downside I think that Flint isn't sure what to do with Gustav apart from have him running around taking over as much of Europe as possible. This seems a far cry from the very smart man we met in the first book. To be fair Flint seems to be trying to do something new with Gustav but just what is unclear.

The main problem with this book, however, is that it's clearly a set up. While there are some climaxes few things are fully sorted out. That leaves a LOT of things that will have to come together in the next book which is a bit worrisome.

Also on the downside Flint's asides into the history of the 17th century world, long-winded run downs on politics and who is related to who and how remain. But to his credit Flint seems to have realized that casual readers don't find all this as interesting as he does so the details on such things are keep much shorter which is most refreshing. Flint even takes a little poke at himself in that regards with Rebecca's own observation that the wordy title she's considering writing would "only be of interests to academics like herself." Thankfully both she and Flint opt to make their works a bit more accessible to the common person.

All in all if you're a fan of the Ring of Fire books pick this up. While not without flaws it's a return to much of what makes the series enjoyable.

As my long-winded title suggests, The Eastern Front breathes new life into the 1632 series and is also more than suitable penance for the atrocious collaboration with Virginia DeMarce, the Bavarian Crisis and The Dreeson Incident (the latter of which I couldn't actually finish). That said, if you haven't read them prior to this, DON'T. Flint includes entirely suitable precises to incorporate any vital information from them into the Eastern Front.

Honestly, because of those needless books, this series was on its last chance with me. If I hadn't so thoroughly enjoyed the Baltic War. That said, Flint was back in fine form. It inspired an "AGHH! There isn't enough book!" feeling for me I haven't had with this series since 1633. Flint does leave you craving more and I now eagerly await the Saxon Uprising

I was very disappointed with this book for many of the reasons others have posted. I especially don't like turning previously wiley and inventive protagonists into blindly arrogant, complacent and predictable automatons walking into disaster after disaster. It seems that Flint had a goal in mind and that is what you get; goal setting without achievement.

I have pretty much given up on this series. While this book is readable, it did not satisfy in any way. In fact I set it down twice with no intention of finishing it, I was so dissatisfied, but finally did finish it.

That's my story and I am sticking to it.

This book is essentially a prequel to whatever story the author wishes to tell next. Nothing interesting happens with anyone you might care about. A war is being fought, with focus on tactics and strategies in an abstract way, which only deepens the core problem of not caring how it all turns out. For the most part, "things happen" to the characters, but the characters neither appear to affect events or even be affected by events.

Yes, something "significant" happens to a "significant" character (without spoiling the plot as others have done), but that's all the book is. The author needed a significant event to happen, and wrote text around it to fill in details, but it never gets to the point of telling a -story-. Instead, there is a recitation of events, loosely-connected snapshots of what happens, with some favorite characters making appearances, but still never quite -doing- anything. Part of the problem is that the characters -couldn't- do anything significant or meaningful, yet, because they all have to sit around and wait for the author to finish the recitation that culminates in the "significant" event, at which point the book ends.

The author would have done better to just start telling the story he -really- wanted to tell, and allude to the events depicted in this book, without actually reciting them in detail.

Do not buy this one. It is worth reading, so check it out of the library, but don't encourage this trend of splitting single books into two to double the price. If you love this series as I do you will enjoy this first half of the story. The second half, 'The Saxon Insurrection' may be a complete book. I have not read it yet. One can only hope. Eric Flint has dropped his none to popular co-author and returned to excellent writing with this half a book. Had he finished it, it would no doubt deserve four or five stars.

This book is not the place to start the series. Start with 1634: The Baltic War (The Ring of Fire) or earlier. The title of the next book 1636: The Saxon Uprising: N/A (The Ring of Fire) blows part of the plot. Frankly the plot is a bit weak (I hate spoilers so I am putting my views in a comment). The politics and people are well thought out and written. This is not a big battles book and primarily focuses on Mike and Jeff gaining experience as commanders in battle. There is one major bobble in that in previous books all the officers were issued flint locks not the much less reliable and much harder to manufacture wheel locks. Several other relatively minor but annoying editorial inconsistencies and bobbles. Some of these lead me to think that this was written in part by more than one author.

Three years after the city of Grantville, West Virginia was mysteriously transported to the middle of Germany during the 30 years war, the Americans have played a powerful role in Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus's successes (and survival). Austria has been humbled and now licks her wounds, looking for a chance at revenge. The French, under Richlieu are reluctant to renew hostilities, but Gustavus has enemies available. Specifically, Brandenberg and Saxony have rebelled. Gustavus's plans go beyond those German principalities, though. He intends to conquer Poland as well.

After three years of warfare, the weapons, vehicles and tools that the Americans brought back with them have been exhausted. But the ideas and technologies they introduced to early 17th century Europe continue to spread. Rumor has it that the Turks have adopted a crash technology program. Certainly the French did, with their development of a primitive but effective breech-loading rifle--something not readily available even to the Americans and their allies. Ideas of religious liberty and freedom have also spread. In particular, the Committies of Correspondence promote democracy everywhere, even (perhaps especially) in areas where they are unwelcome.

Further Swedish conquests certainly appear to offer potential for more liberty, more democracy, a faster spread of the kind of Enlightenment civilization the Grantville Americans have attempted to bring to Europe. But former union leader and now general Mike Stearns knows that democracy is tough to impose by force and that democracy remains threatened even in the "United States of Europe" (which encompasses most of what is now Germany).

Author Eric Flint continues the series he began with 1632. This book starts slowly, with long scenes involving people talking to one another, explaining things that they probably should already know, admiring what beautiful houses they now own, and generally going on with lives that may be highly satisfactory but don't really interest me. The story picks up when Flint finally throws us into the war with easy conquests of Saxony and Brandenburg, but increasing problems in Poland.

In the sub-genre of time-travel technology-related stories, the 1632 series does an excellent job dealing both with the benefits and limitations of late 20th century technology in the 17th century context. Ultimately, it isn't the miracle weapon that defines history, it's the people and their ideas. Flint does a good job discussing the spread of Enlightenment-era ideas such as freedom of religion and democracy, together with a recognition of the evils of slavery and serfdom, and the horrors of anti-Semitism. Intriguingly, Flint's heroes are not great political geniuses (although Stearns is moving in that direction) but ordinary people thrown into unusual circumstances and forced to cope. For the most part, even his villains are not really bad people (although many of them are rather stupid). Rather, they see themselves as people forced to take extreme measures to do the right thing. The group of French Hugonauts intent on framing France for assassinations to create a war they believe will destroy Richlieu are a great example.

After several books written by Flint with co-authors, it's interesting to see Flint taking a solo effort. Unfortunately, some of the dialogue-heavy nothing happening but talking heads style that Flint colaborator Virginia DeMarce brought to the series seems to have stuck. The first half of this book could have been trimmed dramatically without losing any story value and with major improvements to readability. 1635: THE EASTERN FRONT has some thought-provoking ideas, and it represents what I think is a conscious (and welcome) break from the style of writing that puts a superhuman protagonist through her paces. I just wish Flint's editors pushed him harder to get to the story.