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Ten years ago, the twentieth century and the Bronze Age were tossed together by a mysterious Event. In the decade since, the Republic of Nantucket has worked hard to create a new future for itself, using the technological know-how retained from modern times to explore and improve conditions for the inhabitants of the past.Some of these peoples have become allies. Some have turned instead to the renegade Coast Guard officer William Walker. And for ten years, the two sides have tested each show more other, feinting and parrying, to decide who will be the ones to lead this brave new world into the future.
The final battle lines have now been drawn. And only one side can emerge the victor.
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More of Stirling’s exciting swashbuckling excitement…high marks for that. BUT!
The first 2 books in the trilogy restricted the date jumps to the chapter beginnings; but this book, the last one, jumps the dates AND locations multiple times within each chapter. And, instead of labelling each subsection-within-the-chapter with the appropriate date/location Stirling (or the publisher?) congregates all of the dates/locations at the front of the chapter, leaving us to figure out where/when we are from the context. I admit to having difficulty placing the strange names in context—when you couple that with where-the-hell-are-we?: California, Patagonia, Spain, Greece, Connecticut it becomes very confusing and not at all fun anymore. I found show more myself leaving a bookmark at the start of each chapter for appropriate reference to when/where we are.
With that out of the way…we come to Stirling’s real writing weakness: he doesn’t know how to end the series. The battles are going bad-to-good based upon our modern ability to think-out-of-the-box (i.e. in novel ways) and were quite enjoyable. And then the entire series ends when the “all powerful bad guy” is conveniently/fortuitously poisoned by a side-character—who is only rarely mentioned in the books, and doesn’t even belong there in the first place. Who is Helmut Mitler? I have no memory of him from the first book, and only one or two brief sentences mentioning him in book 2. At no point do I recall any mention of how a left-over Nazi a) survived WW2; b) was drafted into Walker’s retinue AND was still young enough to function. What did I miss? Is his existence in the story solely to provide a convenient death, at the right time, to end the story? Talk about cop-out! Stirling has the same problem with the succeeding Emberverse series… “we’ll just take a quick jaunt into never-never land, kill the evil there and return home lickedy-split to live happily ever after”. In both series the dénouements take place so quickly that it took me a while to realize that the stories had ended. There was no catharsis for me. Between this, and the “German”, I have to lower my rating for this book. show less
The first 2 books in the trilogy restricted the date jumps to the chapter beginnings; but this book, the last one, jumps the dates AND locations multiple times within each chapter. And, instead of labelling each subsection-within-the-chapter with the appropriate date/location Stirling (or the publisher?) congregates all of the dates/locations at the front of the chapter, leaving us to figure out where/when we are from the context. I admit to having difficulty placing the strange names in context—when you couple that with where-the-hell-are-we?: California, Patagonia, Spain, Greece, Connecticut it becomes very confusing and not at all fun anymore. I found show more myself leaving a bookmark at the start of each chapter for appropriate reference to when/where we are.
With that out of the way…we come to Stirling’s real writing weakness: he doesn’t know how to end the series. The battles are going bad-to-good based upon our modern ability to think-out-of-the-box (i.e. in novel ways) and were quite enjoyable. And then the entire series ends when the “all powerful bad guy” is conveniently/fortuitously poisoned by a side-character—who is only rarely mentioned in the books, and doesn’t even belong there in the first place. Who is Helmut Mitler? I have no memory of him from the first book, and only one or two brief sentences mentioning him in book 2. At no point do I recall any mention of how a left-over Nazi a) survived WW2; b) was drafted into Walker’s retinue AND was still young enough to function. What did I miss? Is his existence in the story solely to provide a convenient death, at the right time, to end the story? Talk about cop-out! Stirling has the same problem with the succeeding Emberverse series… “we’ll just take a quick jaunt into never-never land, kill the evil there and return home lickedy-split to live happily ever after”. In both series the dénouements take place so quickly that it took me a while to realize that the stories had ended. There was no catharsis for me. Between this, and the “German”, I have to lower my rating for this book. show less
I felt like this was a good story but in the last third when I saw the setup for how it was going to end I was not happy. The ending is contrived and weak, with a character added in this book that had only a brief one line mention in book 2 before becoming the major antagonist of the end game in the final book.
Very disappointed with this third book. It starts out great but the whole thing ends in less than 50 pages of a 630 odd page book. It end in a confusing series of half page vignettes, adding yet more characters to the hundred odd that you are supposed to remember.
It is like the author started out with good intentions and wrote a great 4/5 of a book and then he threw up his hands and ended it as quickly as possible...leaving some hints of an other book but frankly I have had enough.
There are too many characters...too many senarios. The book could have done without the west coast USA thread all together and not suffered at all. I also hated the author using a character's first name sometimes, last name others and even nicknames at times. show more It made the storyline confusing many times.
If it were not for the first 4/5's of the book being quite good, I would have given this book a lower rating. Also the death of the bad guy, Walker, seemed to be almost n afterthought...very disappointing show less
It is like the author started out with good intentions and wrote a great 4/5 of a book and then he threw up his hands and ended it as quickly as possible...leaving some hints of an other book but frankly I have had enough.
There are too many characters...too many senarios. The book could have done without the west coast USA thread all together and not suffered at all. I also hated the author using a character's first name sometimes, last name others and even nicknames at times. show more It made the storyline confusing many times.
If it were not for the first 4/5's of the book being quite good, I would have given this book a lower rating. Also the death of the bad guy, Walker, seemed to be almost n afterthought...very disappointing show less
This is the final book in the Nantucket trilogy, a series that begins with the island of Nantucket being thrown back in time from 1988 A.D. to 1250 B.C.
I’ve had mixed feelings about the trilogy. It was a fun premise, and there was a lot to like about the story. I particularly enjoyed the encounters with ancient cultures and watching the characters figure out how to survive and accomplish their goals with limited modern materials and resources. On the other hand, there were a lot of battles, to an extent that they felt tedious and repetitive to me.
The third book was no different in terms of my reaction. I really liked some parts, but there were other parts that made my eyes glaze over. I thought the more interesting parts were earlier show more in the book, and things got more tedious toward the end. I was reasonably satisfied with the ending itself, although there were some cliché aspects to it.
So… I enjoyed the series at times and was annoyed by it at other times. I’m glad I read it, but I’m definitely ready to move on to new things. show less
I’ve had mixed feelings about the trilogy. It was a fun premise, and there was a lot to like about the story. I particularly enjoyed the encounters with ancient cultures and watching the characters figure out how to survive and accomplish their goals with limited modern materials and resources. On the other hand, there were a lot of battles, to an extent that they felt tedious and repetitive to me.
The third book was no different in terms of my reaction. I really liked some parts, but there were other parts that made my eyes glaze over. I thought the more interesting parts were earlier show more in the book, and things got more tedious toward the end. I was reasonably satisfied with the ending itself, although there were some cliché aspects to it.
So… I enjoyed the series at times and was annoyed by it at other times. I’m glad I read it, but I’m definitely ready to move on to new things. show less
Nothing surprising in this one, as it is the continuation of the Nantucket event series. The Republic is still battling for control of the ancient Earth with William Walker and his allies. Will the goodness, cleverness and strategy of the Republic win versus Walker's dictatorship? I bet you can guess the answer, but even so, these books are fascinating.
This is the third book in S.M. Stirling's "Nantucket" series, where Nantucket Island and its 7000 inhabitants are mysteriously transported from March 1998 to 1250 BC, and covers events in years 10 and 11 "after the event".
The war between Nantucket, allied with the population of Britain, Babylon and the Hittite empire against William Walker, ruler of Mycenaean Greece, allied with Tartessos in southwest Spain, and Egypt, continues and incorporates the Trojan War. I do wish that fantasy authors could control the urge to include a restaging of the Battle of Rorke's Drift (as seen in the movie "Zulu") virtually scene-for-scene - I've lost count of the number of times it has appeared in fantasy books - and Stirling certainly didn't find the show more strength to avoid the incident (unsubtly, the Nantucketer commander is even named O'Rourke!). Some satisfying battles are fought, but you can tell that Stirling was getting a little fed up of the scenario by the end - Walker gets his comeuppance in the last couple of dozen pages from somewhere completely unheralded, and the ending seems to me to be something of a deus ex machina. Although the story is pretty well complete by the end of the book, there are a couple of strands which could lead to a sequel if Stirling was so minded. show less
The war between Nantucket, allied with the population of Britain, Babylon and the Hittite empire against William Walker, ruler of Mycenaean Greece, allied with Tartessos in southwest Spain, and Egypt, continues and incorporates the Trojan War. I do wish that fantasy authors could control the urge to include a restaging of the Battle of Rorke's Drift (as seen in the movie "Zulu") virtually scene-for-scene - I've lost count of the number of times it has appeared in fantasy books - and Stirling certainly didn't find the show more strength to avoid the incident (unsubtly, the Nantucketer commander is even named O'Rourke!). Some satisfying battles are fought, but you can tell that Stirling was getting a little fed up of the scenario by the end - Walker gets his comeuppance in the last couple of dozen pages from somewhere completely unheralded, and the ending seems to me to be something of a deus ex machina. Although the story is pretty well complete by the end of the book, there are a couple of strands which could lead to a sequel if Stirling was so minded. show less
We get to see the death of Walker and many of his followers through the wars that had to be fought to achieve it. No major character deaths on the Nantucketers side. He could easily come back to this as a series since Walker's eldest daughter did survive and has hate for the Islanders in her heart. Could be interesting to see how he were to take the storyline into a new alternative future.
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Stephen Michael Stirling is a French-born Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author. His Birthday is September 30, 1953. He has lived in several countries and currently resides in the United States in New Mexico with his wife. He is probably best known for his Draka series of novels and his more recent time travel/alternate history show more Nantucket series and Emberverse series. In 2014 his title The Golden Princess made The New York Times Best Seller List. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- On the Oceans of Eternity
- Original publication date
- 2000-04
- People/Characters
- Heather Alston-Kurlelo (daughter of Marian and Swindapa); Lucy Alston-Kurlelo (daughter of Marian and Swindapa); Marian Alston-Kurlelo; Althea of the House of the Wolf; Doreen Arnstein; Ian Arnstein (show all 102); Azzu-ena; Justin Clemens; Jared Cofflin; William Jefferson "Bill" Cuddy; Pete Giernas; Kathryn Hollard; Kenneth Hollard; Alice Hong; Isketerol of Tartessos; Kashtiliash IV (King of Babylon); Swindapa Kurlelo-Alston; Helmut Mittler; Odikweos (Odysseus); Ohotolarix; Raupasha; William Walker, the Wolf Lord; Augewas; Philhippos; Ekhonpa; Zena Ritter; Wayne Merrithew; Lt. Vicki Cofflin; Alex Stoddard; Ron Leaton; Erica Stark; Patrick James O'Rourke; Fancy; Capt. Cecelia Barnes; Sam Macy; Emma Carson; Telemakhos son of Odikweos; Cridzywelfa; Hantilis son of Tiwataparas; Cindy Bauerman; Kidin-Ninurta; John Iraiinasson; Tab-sa-Dayyan; Greta Hendrickson; Pvt. Kyle Hook; Capt. Mar-biti-aplausar; Jaditwara; Tidtaway; Jared Vergeraxsson; Spring Indigo; Eddie Vergeraxsson; Sue Chau; Perks (dog); Saule (dog); Ausra (dog); Kicker (horse); Alantethol of Tartessos; Ku-Aya; Rosita Menendez; Enkhelyawon; Jekhip-tilla; Kylefrax; Eruthos; Shaukerax; Victor Ortiz; Philowergos; Tarmendtal son of Zeurbenol; Joseph Starbuck; John Kotolac; Martha Cofflin; Ramses; Sam McAndrews; Miw-Sherri; Ghejo; Pvt. Vaukel Telukuo; Johanna Gwenhaskieths; Thomas Hollard; Chuck Hollard; Tanaswada Hollard; Warentehal son of Warentehal; Seurlnai; Mary Burns; Hetkdar son of Zaumin; Cdr. Arthur Jenkins; Harold Walker; Otto Verger; Cdr. Gary Trudeau; Gergenzol of Tartessos; Miskelefol; Guouwaxeus; Tekkusumu; Tudhaliyas; Jared Cofflin, jr.; Marian Deer Dancer Cofflin; Dermentol son of Allakenal; Ens. Ellen Hanson; Sarsentol son of Isketerol; Denditwara; Dakenterar; Djehuzy; Philowos; Sennedjem
- Important places
- Nantucket, Massachusetts, USA; Babylon; California, USA (alternate universe); Egypt; Greece; Massachusetts, USA (alternate universe) (show all 11); Troy; Neayoruk, Kingdom of Great Achaea (fictional); Alba (later Great Britian); Feather River, California, USA; Tartessos
- Dedication
- To my father, Alfred Bruce Stirling
- First words
- August, 1240 B.C.
August, 10 A.E. - Neayoruk, Kingdom of Great Achaea
"But Lord Cuddy, why does the interior of this furnace have to open out?" Augewas asked. (prologue)
September, 10 A.E. - Babylon, Kingdom of Kar-Duniash
October, 10 A.E. - Severn valley, Alba
October, 10 A.E. - Walkeropolis, Kingdom of Great Achaea
October, 10 A.E. - Irondale, Alba
Dr. Justin Clemens - Capta... (show all)in, Republic of Nantucket Coast Guard - Medical Corps - sipped at the thick sweet wine, mouth dry. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Everywhere - and home again -
That's our Island way! - Original language
- English
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