Customer Reviews

Kalvan Kingmaker

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
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John Carr does a thoughtful and often exciting job of continuing H Beam Piper's Lord Kalvan saga. This is a direct sequel to Great King's War and continues the themes of the expanding conflict created by Lord Kalvans arrival in and transformation of Hos-Hostigos. While not the place to start the series it is great to see it continued by a good author with a superb knowlege of Piper's work. Carr play's well in other people's universes - note his new book, Battle for Sauron, which gives us a vital chapter in Jerry Pournelle's CoDominium universe. Check out his website, hostigos.com.

In Kalvan Kingmaker, John F. Carr continues his homage to H. Beam Piper's Paratime hero Lord Kalvan, a.k.a. Pennsylvania state trooper Calvin Morrison. Building on the action from the authorized Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen sequel--Great Kings War co-authored with Roland Green--Carr's Kingmaker begins after Kalvan has defeated the armies of the Great Kingdom of Hos-Harphax, which had been backed by the theocratic Styphon's House. Now Kalvan's Great Kingdom of Hos-Hostigos faces the full might of the Holy Host of Styphon, led by the fanatical and ruthless Archpriest Roxthar, as well as hordes of barbarian nomads driven from the Sea of Grass by Styphon's Grand Master Soton and the Order of Zarthani Knights.

Meanwhile, the events of Kalvan's Fourth Level Aryan-Transpacific Sector timeline become increasingly embroiled in political turmoil among the First Level Paratimers responsible for Kalvan's accidental transposition to this alternate world. Paratime Police Chief Verkan Vall--undercover "out-time" as a key military advisor to Kalvan--has begun to suspect that a vast criminal organization of First Level Paratimers--the "Wizard Traders" of Piper's short novel Time Crime--has begun to exploit timelines in the Styphon's House Subsectors adjoining Kalvan's own timeline.

Carr, editor of four anthologies of Piper's work (Paratime, Federation, Empire, and The Worlds of H. Beam Piper) and described by long-time collaborator Jerry Pournelle as "a recognized authority on the life and works of H. Beam Piper," uses his extensive familiarity with Piper's Paratime setting to craft a compelling story that begins to move beyond Kalvan's ongoing struggle with Styphon's House to a brewing crisis at the very heart of First Level Paratime civilization. The story continues in Carr's Siege of Tarr-Hostigos.

John F. Carr is a fine writer but this did not seem his best. King Kalvan has had some time to consolidate his power after beating his enemy's back. His enemies in Styphon House have caused some major attacks from barbarians and Zarthani Knights however to cause him problems throughout the book as well as a overzealous wife. Carr has established minor story lines to keep the reader interested as well as the major Kalvan story.

But that is the problem of the book, the characters are not being so well developed. The book's conversations seem to be an afterthought not a way of getting the reader involved. The idea of armies moving across these vast distances is not really believable. After 29 years in the military I know moving a unit in vehicles is hard enough over well paved roads. His fast moving army that is at best foot and horse propelled over dirt roads is not completely believable. The biggest issue I have is it seems this book is only used as a stepping stone to the next book. Seems he could have left a cliffhanger without doing it repeatedly the entire book.

Anyway, this book is worth buying as it continues the story. I do enjoy books by authors Carr and Green and hope the next re-establishes the Piper vision ; Siege of Tarr Hostigos.

John F. Carr is a fine writer and its apparent that this series for him is a work of love. This story line started so many years ago by deceased write H. Beam Piper about a contempory Pennsylvania state trooper tossed into a alternate world has made for some fine reading. The idea of the indespensible man is common in alternate worlds history but few have caught and held my attention like this series since first reading the orignal Lord Kalvin of Otherwhen as a teen.

King Kalvan has had some time to consolidate his power after beating his enemies first major counter attack back. His creations and social improvements are rippling across the Great Kingdoms in both good and bad ways. His enemies in Styphon House have caused some major attacks from barbarians and Zarthani Knights however to cause him continual headaches. The Paratime Police also have problems of their own as their HomeLine social problems are starting to boil over. So Carr has several minor story lines bubbling along as well as the major Kalvan story.

But that is the problem of the book, the characters are not being so well fleshed out and it shows. The book's conversations between characters seem shallower and the battle scenes less intense. The idea of armies moving across these vast distances that happens in this book seem harder to believe as new sub plots appear.

Anyway, this book is worth buying as it continues the story. Whil not the best book of the series, one will need it to clearly understand the latest work by authors Carr and the returning Green; Siege of Tarr Hostigos.

In Kalvan Kingmaker, John F. Carr continues his homage to H. Beam Piper's Paratime hero Lord Kalvan, a.k.a. Pennsylvania state trooper Calvin Morrison. Building on the action from the authorized Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen sequel--Great Kings' War co-authored with Roland Green--Carr's Kingmaker begins after Kalvan has defeated the armies of the Great Kingdom of Hos-Harphax, which had been backed by the theocratic Styphon's House. Now Kalvan's Great Kingdom of Hos-Hostigos faces the full might of the Holy Host of Styphon, led by the fanatical and ruthless Archpriest Roxthar, as well as hordes of barbarian nomads driven from the Sea of Grass by Styphon's Grand Master Soton and the Order of Zarthani Knights.

Meanwhile, the events of Kalvan's Fourth Level Aryan-Transpacific Sector timeline become increasingly embroiled in political turmoil among the First Level Paratimers responsible for Kalvan's accidental transposition to this alternate world. Paratime Police Chief Verkan Vall--undercover "out-time" as a key military advisor to Kalvan--has begun to suspect that a vast criminal organization of First Level Paratimers--the "Wizard Traders" of Piper's short novel Time Crime--has begun to exploit timelines in the Styphon's House Subsectors adjoining Kalvan's own timeline.

Carr, editor of four anthologies of Piper's work (Paratime, Federation, Empire, and The Worlds of H. Beam Piper) and described by long-time collaborator Jerry Pournelle as "a recognized authority on the life and works of H. Beam Piper," uses his extensive familiarity with Piper's Paratime setting to craft a compelling story that begins to move beyond Kalvan's ongoing struggle with Styphon's House to a brewing crisis at the very heart of First Level Paratime civilization. The story continues in Carr's Siege of Tarr-Hostigos.

This is another book in the tales of King Kalvan an his struggle in an alternate reality. It is well written by Mr Carr and his partner Roland Greene. Highly recommend