The United States of Atlantis

I usually try to read a series in chronological order; that didn't happen this time. My husband had obtained the book, but, for some reason, had not gotten the others in the series. I was very familiar with Turtledove, but not this series. Anyway, I picked the book off our shelf and found it very enjoyable.

Yes, it is a basic retelling of the American Revolution with almost no "alternative" alternative history, but I also thoroughly enjoy "regular" historical fiction, so I'm not bothered by that fact.

I will also noted that I try to read most series in order because, otherwise, the books after the first one won't make sense otherwise. That's not the case here. Turtledove does a great job explaining the role of each of the characters in show more the great scheme of things. show less

Disappointing.

I enjoyed most of the first book in this series, but I noted in my review that the last section was little more than a retelling of the French and Indian War in our own timeline. To me, this is lazy alternate history, if you can even call it alternate history at all; nothing has changed except the setting and the characters, after all. It's straight fiction. If it was being sold as straight fiction, then it would be better; as it is, it's not alternate history.

But I held out hope that the next book would be different. Then I saw the title, and began to dread reading the book. I checked it out of the library, though (as I did the first one), and settled in for a read.

I won't be finishing this one. It is a fictionalized show more retelling of the American Revolution. It got to the point where I was writing down the parallels with our own timeline on a slip of paper I had with me. There's the Ben Franklin character, the Sam Adams firebrand patriot character, and the George Washington "unwilling general" character. I'm not very far in, and I can already predict how it's going to play out.

I love Turtledove's books. I enjoyed Ruled Brittania. I enjoyed In the Presence of My Enemies. I enjoyed Guns of the South. But I'm not investing the time in another extended series that only proves that no matter what happens, the grand sweep of history really doesn't change. An alternate history that isn't alternate is not what I'm looking for, and I'm very disappointed in this offering from "The Master of Alternate History." show less

A very straight retelling of the American Revolution. I don't see what moving it to Atlantis added to the story. It might as well have been done as a historical fiction book.

This is a retelling of the American War of Independence, with the Marquis de la Fayette as a general commanding a French army supporting the United States of Atlantis in their independence from George III.

I enjoyed this book, and I gave it four stars.

Continuation of the alternate history series about Atlantis.