*It's recommended to read the first book in the series: Stone Spring*

This fictional look at an alternate history of the British Isles takes place thousands of years after the building of the great wall. A miles long linear city has now sprung up on the wall itself but a deadly drought is causing people to panic. The wall, a wonder of the world, has held Bronze age empires at bay but the Greeks are growing in interest and they're at the door.

There's a lot of focus on ecology and can seem somewhat slow and formulaic at points. ( )

Not too bad. But in the normal Baxter way, the first book was better ( )

Bronze Summer is the second book in author Stephen Baxter’s Northland Trilogy and centuries have passed since the first story. The British Isles are still connected to the European mainland with the ocean being held back by an enormous wall. The connecting land has become a rich farming and trading country. With both drought and famine gripping Eastern Europe and Asia, traders are arriving that see these Northlands as a key to their future. Meanwhile, a volcanic eruption in Iceland is chilling the air and heralds a change to the ecosphere.

The author continues to excel with his research into ancient cultures and the natural history and he uses this information to build a world that feels authentic and real. Peopled by powerful characters the story is gripping and smart. The story follows a number of various characters from survivors of the Icelandic volcano, traders from eastern Mediterranean and people of the Northlands.

Although I found this book to be a little over long, this imaginative prehistoric saga continues to hold my interest and I am looking forward to the concluding volume. ( )