ISBN: 0-345-40605-2 Order from: Amazon.com
A very interesting fantasy about an alternate reality, politics, dark conspiracies and human folly.
Reviewed by David on September 15, 1998
Genre: Fantasy (Weird Science, Alternate Reality, Intrigue, Historical)
Synopsis: In the beginning of 18th century, the world has taken a left turn: just 40 years ago, Sir Isaac Newton has discovered not only modern calculus and the laws of motion, but also the foundations of Alchemy. In the middle of an "industrial revolution" driven by rapid advances in alchemy, the history is beginning to diverge from ours. Among the amazing innovations in communications, convenience and medicine, unsurprisingly an horrifying arms race is in full bloom between France and England. In this age of political intrigue, alchemical discovery and desperate and deadly conspiracies, a young English colonial by the name of Ben Franklin, and a French noblewoman educated far beyond her station are dragged into a terrifying game, where it appears that while all players are ruthless, not all of them are human.
Full Review: The novel portrays a fascinating but plausible world where the basic laws of Alchemy have been discovered, and new marvels are created not through blind experimentation but through mathematics and engineering. The alchemy is powerful but obeys certain Aristotelian laws, much like the Art in Melissa Scott's excellent The Roads of Heaven.
In the book, Louis XIV, the Sun-King is still alive through the means of an alchemical potion. The teenage Ben Franklin is busy inventing alchemical communicators, and warring England and France employ the best natural philosophers to design new weapons: to boil blood within the enemy soldiers, to turn fortress walls to glass, to convert a musket into a ray-gun.
In this world of escalating war, an embittered former student of Newton is busy creating a super-weapon, and all attempts to slow down the arms race are frustrated by a mysterious and murderous conspiracy.
The conspiracy nearly manages to kill young Ben, and to his horror he discovers that some of his enemies are not human. Forced to run, he finds new friends and new dangers far from his Boston home.
In the meantime, in France, the second point of view follows the pretty and brilliant Adrienne. Forced to hide her mathematical expertise in a society convinced that noblewomen should barely be able to add numbers, she catches the eye of the Sun-King, and is dragged into a morass of conspiracies, counter-conspiracies, assassination attempts and evil magic—magic that seems to violate all laws of alchemy.
The period, the mystical exploration and even the heroine is similar to the one of McIntyre's The Moon and the Sun. Unlike McIntyre's novel, this has at least two plot lines and is much more ambitious in scope, and therefore is less successful in developing the character of the heroine. Nevertheless, Adrienne becomes a likable and three-dimensional figure, filled with brilliance and sadness, decency and loneliness, and hints of ambiguous passions.
The main menace of the plot becomes apparent about half way through the book. But like the working of a clock triggering an infernal device, the events continue on despite the best efforts of the heroes to avert the catastrophe. The shadowy inhuman presence keeps nudging the events toward tragedy, seemingly eager to destroy humans. But the danger is much more solid than the conventional dark magic or hordes of orks. The terrifying threat is surprisingly modern, frighteningly real, and, plausibly, crafted not of dark magic but of human brilliance, hubris, fear and myopia.
This is clearly the first book of a series and cries for continuation. While there is a sort of conclusion, it ends on a very somber note, and with nothing but peril in sight. I am eager to read more about Ben and Adrienne, and their friends and teachers.
The paperback version has now been published, simultaneously with the sequel, A Calculus of Angels,
Overall: 6.5; Plot: 6.5; Characters: 6; Style: 6; World-building: 7; Originality: 7;
Copyright date 1998, Ballantine Publishing Group (Del Rey), May 1998, Trade paperback, 355 pages
ISBN: 0-345-40605-2 Order from: Amazon.com