Book Review: When True Night Falls by C.S. Friedman

When True Night Falls by C.S. Friedman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Following the events in the Rahklands, the three survivors of the previous book head to the mysterious East to find the power behind their defeated opponent only to discover things are more complicated than they could have imagined. When True Night Falls is the middle installment of C.S. Friedman’s Coldfire trilogy as a priest, a native rakh, and an antihero sorcerer find a continent on the verge of a secret war.

After harrowing journey to the East, Damien Vryce, Gerald Tarrant, and Hesseth find the descendants of a few of colonizing expeditions along with the Church that Vryce serves though it’s structure with female leadership that Vryce isn’t bothered with. However, Tarrant and Hesseth ruin Vryce brief bout with happiness when they figure out the truth of the very unchurch like things this eastern version of the Church does as well as the fact that the women in charge are undercover Rakh manipulating humanity. These undercover Rakh are the tip of an invasion that’s second phase is taking on the guises of political leaders, including the father of Jenseny who can use the Rakh magical system thus showing that Erna is beginning to ‘evolve’ humans instead of being evolved by humans. Eventually the four meet up and journey to the south of the eastern continent where the Undying Prince reigns over a realm of humans and Rakh. Yet it turns out that there is a bigger game being played out that is only discovered after the climax of the book and the horrific fallout is witnessed. While the last hundred pages of the book, the climax, were excellent writing but the almost 500 pages to get there got to be a bit tiring with another travelogue though Friedman tried to liven things up by showing the all the undercover Rakh action. Though it’s hard to really write a good child character, but Jenseny came out well on paper and especially given how she figures into the book’s endgame.

When True Night Falls is an interesting middle installment of a trilogy, though by the end it reveals the larger game going on it does suffer from ‘middle book syndrome’ a tad. C.S. Friedman’s blend of science fiction and fantasy continues to be engaging and the ending of the book makes the reader want to see how the trilogy concludes.

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Book Review: Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

They survived the breaking of treaties, a migration from their original lands to a new home to the south in what is today Oklahoma, but after securing the rights to anything of value under their land could they survive the greed of white men again? Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann exposes how the richest people per capital in the world were targeted for death by their neighbors that nearly all got away with.

Grann frames his narrative non-fiction account of “Reign of Terror” around Mollie Burkhart, whose family was systematically murdered to gain the possession of all their oil headrights planned by her white uncle-in-law, William Hale and abetted by her own husband Ernest. The circumstances of smart Osage negotiating for mineral rights to their lands, the finding of oil, and Congressional “concern”—aka white lobbying—that the Osage couldn’t manage their newfound wealth thus creating “guardians” among local whites to manage people’s lives created the right environment for not only the planned murders of Mollie Burkhart’s family but nearly 60 total Osage in a ten-year period. Though the “Reign” officially ended in 1925 when Hale and his surviving co-conspirators were convicted thanks to the investigation by FBI agents led by Tom White, Grann reveals that Osage deaths continued into the 1930s thanks to white county and state government officials looking the other way for white guardians whose charges died “accidentally”. Whatever satisfaction the reader might feel seeing the guilty jailed is by the end of the book deflated by the affect this period had on the Osage as a whole.

Killers of the Flower Moon is a 100-year-old ripped from headlines true story of money and murder, ‘cowboys and indians’, and “white man’s burden” that David Grann puts into a narrative frame that engages the reader. If you’re into narrative non-fiction, read this book.

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Book Review: The Rise of Skywalker by Rae Carson

The Rise of Skywalker: Expanded Edition by Rae Carson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The novelization of the last film of the Disney sequel trilogy The Rise of Skywalker hit shelves four months after the film’s premiere in theaters, written by fantasy writer Rae Carson based on the screenplays written by Chris Terrio, J.J. Abrams, and Colin Trevorrow.

Faithfully following the Terrio-Abrams shotting script with elements from Trevorrow’s script tacked on where they could fit the narrative, Carson was able to add the inner thoughts of various characters to help improve the story and attempt to add details to justify the retcons and the Force power creep that just appears in this Episode of the saga. Unfortunately, Carson couldn’t figure out a way to better handle Palpatine’s return nor why he first wanted Rey dead only for her to kill him nor why he didn’t realize Rey and Ben were a dyad when he was so powerful to be a voice in Kylo/Ben’s head but not read his thoughts or understand his connection with Rey. Poe’s Force sensitivity was hinted at throughout before everyone acknowledged it at the very end which didn’t make much sense. Yet even with these negatives, Carson was able to make a better story than the film itself which to be honest wasn’t hard, but much appreciated.

The Rise of Skywalker novelization is better than the film but couldn’t answer the plot holes created by the retcons introduced in the film even though Rae Carson did her best.

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Book Review: Gettysburg: An Alternate History by Peter G. Tsouras

Gettysburg: An Alternate History by Peter G. Tsouras
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The decisions and actions that led to and occurred during one of the most famous battles in American history has garnered attention from historians and armchair generals. Gettysburg: An Alternate History by Peter G. Tsouras changes the movement of troops and the tactics of the commanders to refight one of the most consequential battles in history.

Tsouras goes with three points-of-divergence, with the first being a night attack by Ewell on Cemetery Hill that gets into the rear of the Union but is beaten back. The second is Stuart arriving in time for the second day of the battle, which changes the Confederate angle of attack on the right. Yet after brutal fight that includes Dan Sickles foolish decision to advance off the line and almost ruining the Union—again—the day ends with both sides essentially ending at their historic lines. The previous two scenarios allow Tsouras to set up a massive version of Pickett’s Charge that is barely able to break through a stretched thin, battered Union line only to be steamrolled by a Union counterattack ordered by Hancock that shatters the Army of Northern Virginia into fragments that are defeated in detail within the coming weeks. One can credit Tsouras with doing an alternate Gettysburg that goes with an overwhelming Union victory, yet how he gets there and in doing so with historical actors is a bit ham-handed that he tries to hide with mixed results. The level of detail to the battlefield is great, but unless you are an aficionado on the detailed geography of the battlefield you are guessing where the action is taking place if it’s not one of the historical major locations. The fictional footnotes very early give away the end of the battle but are a unique touch to the book.

Gettysburg: An Alternate History is a very good book for those interested in a battle narrative as well as a counterfactual occurrence from the historical outcome. Peter G. Tsouras is noted for his alternate historical writing, and he delivers in this book.

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