Review: Interesting Idea good execution.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 3, 2014
I could easily tell, as the author explained, that this book was written over a long time. In my imagination I could hear the author saying, like a teenager in a bull session with friends in his basement... ‘Oh! Oh! Then the guy could do this!’ And the next chapter is written.Ryans, the billionaire industrialist, scientist with expertize in numerous areas, military strategist and soldier, ripped muscleman, (Tony Stark & Indiana Jones on steroids) protagonist is difficult to believe in and never meets any challenge in the book that even remotely comes close to testing his abilities as the villains in the book are very simple, flawed, and easily overcome. Similarly the social and technological issues that the explorers from earth seek to change fall as easily. You need a primer cap for modern rifle cartridges? Presto! Tomorrow one chemist and one mechanic can make the tools to make the tools to make the tools that are needed while refining the materials that somehow are always readily available to do the job… by tomorrow!Why four stars then? Overall the book was an amusing romp over many ideas about what might happen when a 21st century group meets a 14th century group by an author who superficially has researched many aspects of our culture. He got stuff sufficiently right in the areas that I know that I cringed at the stuff he got somewhat wrong. I liked the book but, unlike the 1632 series, I will not be eagerly awaiting a sequel to this book.