1633 by Eric Flint
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm a big fan of history, and rather than seeing this become a period novel of Germany intersecting with West Virginia, I was delighted to see some rather serious ramifications rocking all of Europe.

What? Speedboats and two-seater aircraft flying into the navies and armies of 1633 isn't enough for me?

No. It isn't. But imagine the power that a local library from the future would have over the real history of the past and what it would mean to the people actually having MADE the history? Imagine if Oliver Cromwell was imprisoned before he ever became a revolutionary?

This is anti-determinism at its best, and it gets nicely chaotic.

Sure, we have a few great battles here, with a few courageous people with modern high-tech against period armies, but I was more into the historical craziness. I had a great time. And there is also a more nuanced political commentary going on here, as well as economic. I find myself thinking much more about what I would have done in that time period, knowing what I know.

And isn't that the best part of this kind of novel? It sparks our imagination. :)

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