The Great Game: The Bookman Histories, Book 3 [Mass Market Paperback]

Lavie Tidhar (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 31, 2012 | Series: Bookman Histories

When Mycroft Holmes is murdered in London, it is up to retired shadow executive Smith to track down his killer - and stumble on the greatest conspiracy of his life. Strange forces are stirring into life around the globe, and in the shadow game of spies nothing is certain. Fresh from liberating a strange alien object in Abyssinia - which might just be the mythical Ark of the Covenant - young Lucy Westerna, Holmes' protégé, must follow her own path to the truth while, on the other side of the world, a young Harry Houdini must face his greatest feat of escape - death itself.

As their paths converge the body count mounts up, the entire world is under threat, and in a foreboding castle in the mountains of Transylvania a mysterious old man weaves a spider's web of secrets and lies.

Airship battles, Frankenstein monsters, alien tripods and death-defying acts: The Great Game is a cranked-up steampunk thriller in which nothing is certain - not even death.

File Under: Steampunk [ End Of Days | Only The Beginning | The Ark | Insane Thrills ]

e-book ISBN: 978-0-85766-200-2

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Bookman:

"The Bookman pokes at the fat and waddled body of steampunk with its walking cane and leaves it on the roadside with its fresh take on Victorian London without loosing any steam on its way." - Loudmouth Man

"The Bookman is a delight, crammed with gorgeous period detail, seat-of-the-pants adventure and fabulous set-pieces." - The Guardian

"This is a steampunk gem... Bring on a sequel, Tidhar! I'm craving to know what happens after the ending!" - SFF World

About the Author

Israeli-born writer Lavie Tidhar has been called an "emerging master" by Locus magazine, and has quickly established a name for himself as a short fiction writer of some note. He has travelled widely, living variously in South Africa, the UK, Asia and the remote island-nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, and his work exhibits a strong sense of place and an engagement with the literary Other in all its forms.

Lavie is also the creator of the acclaimed website dealing with SF writing from non-English speaking countries, World SF News. The author lives in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Angry Robot; Original edition (January 31, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 085766199X
• ISBN-13: 978-0857661999
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #994,965 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Bookman Chronicles series February 20, 2012

By Philip K. Jones

Format:Mass Market Paperback

This is a series of three novels set in a "Steampunk" Universe that includes a large population of Nineteenth Century fictional and historical characters. By `large,' I mean that I lost track during the first volume and merely took occasional notes during the later volumes. For example, Chief Sitting Bull appears in the same volume as Erich Weiss, aka Harry Houdini and Irene Adler is a Scotland Yard Inspector, keeping her eye on Fagin and Oliver Twist. The three volumes in the series are, respectively, "The Bookman," "Camera Obscura" and "The Great Game." All three volumes are, more or less, stand-alone publications. On the other hand, I have a number of questions after completing the third volume, so all of the answers are definitely NOT included in the books.

The main theme of the series revolves around Mycroft Holmes and his Intelligence Organization. Many other Sherlockian characters appear as well as an unruly mob of other personages. One really needs a scorecard to keep track. The author also has a habit of making readers work for understanding of the environment. Every once in a while, some character will summarize a part of history, either recent or ancient, so that readers can orient (not `orientate') themselves. Mostly, though, the characters talk about more immediate concerns as do people involved in active lives so readers are left to catch up on their own. I found this aspect more interesting than most fictional settings because it makes a reader think. Meanwhile, the action continues and events keep happening.

The three volumes occur in 1888, in 1893 and in 1899. Many characters appear in all three volumes and some explanations are offered. I retain a number of serious questions, such as "What happened to Smallpox" and "Where did Amerigo Vespucci learn to pilot a ship?" There are also open questions about who is on which side of what. There seem to be more `sides' than players and there are a real ocean full of players. Needless to say, the action takes place all over the place and even in some unexpected places.

At base, this is an action series. Agents, counteragents, retired agents and secret agents wander in and out, change sides, switch masters and shoot it out with each other at the drop of a hat. It is difficult to bring up any subject without revealing some of the mysteries that are part of the story. As an example, there was a revolution in France in the late eighteenth Century. It was called "The Quiet Revolution." Doctors Frankenstein and Jekyl are working together, sort of. Milady DeWinter and the Comte de Rochefort are still (or again) in business, working for the French Government, in between other clients. One hint, when the author talks about a "Vespucian" you can translate that as "American."

This is a fun series. There are lots of interesting characters, stolen from everywhere, as much action as can be kept track of and a whole slew of questions left unanswered. Familiar characters pop up in the oddest places for even odder reasons and familiar places all look just a little bit odd. If you can figure out what actually happened, please drop me a note. I'm still a bit puzzled.

Reviewed by: Philip K. Jones, February 2012

5.0 out of 5 stars Tidhar is now among my favorite authors March 2, 2012

By sara t

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

After having read The Bookman, I ordered Camera Obscura and pre-ordered The Great Game. I had fallen in love with the alternative history Mr. Lavie Tidhar had created in the first book and knew I would enjoy whatever came next. I was not disappointed. Each book is written in a style befitting of its protagonist, and each protagonist is unique. Each book is its own, fulfilling experience and each book left me wanting more. I highly recommend reading them in order since the protagonists' worlds do overlap a bit and references are made to prior books' characters and occurrences, almost as a nod to fans.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Game Reviewed April 29, 2012

By Arthur T. Altman

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Very imaginative original book. His short storie are better. He tends to be a little vorbose. He still is worth reading. Arthur Altman