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Charles Stross
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Book
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Publisher | Tor | ||
ISBN | 9780330460934 | ||
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Reviewer
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Ann
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Synopsis
The six families of the Clan rule the kingdom of Gruinmarkt from behind the scenes, a mixture of nobility and criminal conspirators whose power to walk between their world and ours makes them rich in both. Braids of family loyalty and intermarriage provide a fragile guarantee of peace, but a recently ended civil war has left the families shaken and suspicious. Miriam, a hip tech journalist from Boston, discovered her alternate-world relatives with explosive results that shook the worlds. Now, as the prodigal Countess Helge Thorold-Hjorth, she finds herself ensnared in schemes and plots centuries in the making. She is surrounded by unlikely allies, lethal contraband, and, most dangerous of all, her family. With her modern American attitudes, she's not sure she can fit in, or if she even wants to, but to stay alive, she really has no choice...Praise for "The Family Trade": 'Quirky, original and entertaining...could be "The Godfather" of all fantasy novels' - Kevin J. Anderson. 'Light, loaded with tongue-in-cheek humour and deftly plotted' - "Guardian".
Review
Book 2 of the Saga of the Merchant Princes series with an alternate universe theme continues the story of World Walker Miriam Beckstein. Best not to attempt this until you have read the first one, The Family Trade, otherwise you'll feel a little lost and it's just not as interesting. This introduces a third world and completes the story of book one.
Interesting idea, travel through pattern, but not enough exploration of the differences between the worlds. Clever echoing of main stream Chinese writing, but to my mind too much ‘politicking'and belief is stretched in some of the escapades.
Quite gruesome in places, and killing off one of main characters - presumably to give more room for manoeuvre in later books - not satisfying. Nevertheless a reasonable read.
Incidentally, hate the cover, the central element of which looks like a cartoon face rather than the pawnbroker's sign!
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