Rating: 
Summary: A gate to another world, in a book that goes nowhere
Review: "Conquistador" is S. M. Stirling's finest work of fiction. It's a delicious romp through the alternate history and alternate dimension subgenres of science fiction. Stirling offers an engrossing, spellbinding look at what if Hellenic civilization survived to dominate most of the known world, and that America would not be discovered until 1946 due to travelers from an alternate dimension, namely, ours. To his credit he has two splendid protagonists in California Fish and Game warden Tom Christianson and Adrienne Rolfe, the mysterious heir of a fortune discovered by her grandfather in 1946. But Stirling's other main characters are credible, three-dimensional characters. Unlike some other reviewers I am not going to spoil the plot, but will say that this is one of the best works of its kind that I've come across. Fans of Stirling's earlier work, and those who are admirers of alternative history will find this a superbly crafted tale.
Rating: 
Summary: Read and Toss
Review: Conquistador is a good book; a book that passed the time, but it is a book that I will NEVER read again. The premise is great, lots of new ideas, but also lots of little implausibilities and wasted potential. My biggest complaint, however, is Stirling's treatment of the Native peoples in his new world.The natives are the servants (a polite word for low paid and exploited slaves) and they are the "bad guys" (shades of 1950's cowboys and indians). I can understand the attitude of the characters that were born in the depression. People raised in a different time had different morals and ethics. The problen is that the protagonist and all of his cronies seem to buy right into the exploitation with only token resistance. Even ignoring the shabby treatment of the natives, the story seemed somewhat lacidasical. Sterling took the easy way out of each confrontation and situation that the characters faced. I found it much too predictable for a science fiction story. Overall, a good beach read. Take it on vacation to read and then toss it as soon as your done. Maybe you'll even get lucky and be able to snap up my copy at the used book store.
Rating: 
Summary: Good if you irnore certain facts
Review: Doesn't it feel a bit odd that the people of this new world 1. Just happen to find a portal to the new world in the first place in a move that is never explianed
2. Manage to wipe out the vast majority of the Native American population and apparently not have a problem with it
3. Are trying to recreate a society(the south of the late 18th and early 19th cwntury that never really existed in the first place Overall-Ignoring my three basic problems this actually an ok book. I try to read this author all the way through, God knows I try but somehow his books always start strong, than fall off, than get strong agian. I really don't know what my problem is must be my short attention span. Part of my also wants to like this book, but than another part can't stand the charecters. With the possible exception of the 1970s graduate student he was cool and probably the only time I laughed in the entire book.
Rating:
Summary: Good if you irnore certain facts
Review: Doesn't it feel a bit odd that the people of this new world 1. Just happen to find a portal to the new world in the first place in a move that is never explianed
2. Manage to wipe out the vast majority of the Native American population and apparently not have a problem with it
3. Are trying to recreate a society(the south of the late 18th and early 19th cwntury that never really existed in the first place Overall-Ignoring my three basic problems this actually an ok book. I try to read this author all the way through, God knows I try but somehow his books always start strong, than fall off, than get strong agian. I really don't know what my problem is must be my short attention span. Part of my also wants to like this book, but than another part can't stand the charecters. With the possible exception of the 1970s graduate student he was cool and probably the only time I laughed in the entire book.
Rating: 
Summary: Has Some Great Non-Fiction Woven into a Novel!
Review: I consider Conquistador the very best alternate history/parallel universe novel that I've ever read. Stirling got nearly everything right in this novel. Most importantly, he managed to weave a lot of useful non-fiction into a fictional storyline (in this case natural history, small unit tactics, ecology, small arms, and much more). I can personally attest that this feat is harder than it appears at first glance. (I did something similar in my novel of the near future, "Patriots: Surviving the Coming Colapse.") Most writers that attempt to include non-fiction in a novel fail miserably--often exhibiting a tendedncy to bog down the storyline. But here, S.M. Stirling pulls it off nicely and provides a novel that is informative yet is hard to put down. I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing entry by an author I generally like
Review: I've enjoyed Stirling's other books quite a bit. This one spends way too much time exploring the ecological and political aspects of the alternate universe and way too little time on characterization and plot. The characters are shallow and way too "perfect". Everyone's good looking, smart, and athletic with a good sense of humor. I'm really having to force my way through to the end. I hope Stirling doesn't go the way of Turtledove, but after this I'm not optimistic.
Rating:
Summary: Stirling's best-written book yet. 4.5 stars
Review: It's 1946. The white man is about to discover America.... Bottom line: Steve Stirling's writing just keeps getting better. This parallel-world thriller incorporates the best features of his popular Draka and Island in the Sea of Time series. Enthusiastically recommended. 1946: John Rolfe, recuperating from his war wounds,is tinkering with a war-surplus shortwave radio. !!CRACK!! The end of his basement is GONE, replaced with a sheet of rippling silver.... 2009: Tom Christiansen, game warden, is on a bust of wildlife-smugglers. The smuggler's warehouse is destroyed by incendiaries, but he find a fresh-killed man -- and a fresh-killed *dodo*.... And Steve Stirling is off and running with another of his patented reinventions of SF/F classics, here the 'virgin world next door.' As always, his research is deep, and impeccable. Details matter. His major characters come alive, and the minor ones carry their spears smoothly. The structure of the book is a police-procedural in 2009 -- Christiansen & a buddy work through an increasingly-weird wildlife-parts smuggling case -- with explanatory flashbacks in "New Virginia", as John Rolfe has tagged his virgin California. Once the wardens have twigged to the Rolfes' secret, they're abducted to New VA, and the book morphs to a political thriller -- Draka-like Elements are intent on subverting the (mostly) benevolent oligarchy that rules the new New World. One of the strengths of Conquistador is that all sides are drawn warts and all -- no shining heroes or dastardly villains here (well, a couple of the latter) -- just people playing with the hands they're dealt. And the new New World is a fabulous wish-fulfillment fantasy, that almost everyone who's gotten a bellyful of the downside of civilization has had -- but here worked out thoughtfully and carefully. Very nice. So, are there warts on this terrific book? Pretty minor ones: the secret-gate-between-worlds shtick is overdone. The food is better than I'd expect in white-boy heaven -- compare the Canadian/Northern US 'land of the bland', and the big, bland, indifferently-prepared meals in old White South Africa, to the lovingly-described feasts in New Virginia.... OK, so I'm reaching for something to complain about. This is Stirling's best-written book yet. It's (probably) #1 of a series, but comes to a stirring resolution, with a wonderful trick teaser for the next. If you've liked previous Stirling books, you'll love this one. And if you've put off trying him -- wait no longer. This is a winner. Here are some author comments, from Usenet: "I've had CONQUISTADOR bubbling at the back of my mind for a long time; since the early 80's, in fact. It's a different book than it would have been if I'd written it then, of course; I like to think my technique has improved, and I've mellowed out a bit. On the other hand, it's also not quite the same book that I would have written if the idea for it had come to me recently. Large chunks have been 'around' since its genesis. That made writing it an interesting experience; sort of like a collaboration with myself."
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[Conquistador] "right now it's a standalone, although there's potential for sequels. I'm planning on a couple of alternate-history space-and-planet operas next, though, involving alien-induced differences in the solar system which only become known on earth in the early 1960's." [Google Groups for an interesting discussion of Conquistador. Caution: SPOILERS] Review copyright 2003 by Peter D. Tillman
First published at SF Site
Rating:
Summary: Typical Eurocentric Garbage
Review: Let me start by saying that I had high hopes for this book and its premise. After the first chapter those hopes were dashed. The book is based around a society of people mostly of European descent that at most levels have a confrontational and aggressive policy towards Native Americans on the other side. Just like it occured over here in real history. Napalming a rogue band of "indians"? The book bases its storyline around a eurocentric point of view that, due to superior firepower, the indians are on the loosing end again. Lame. This book could've been so much more. Its just a case of alternate history repeating history. Lame. To much Flash-Bang and repetitive themes and not enough substance. How about a storyline where indians and "settlers" get along? If your going to rewrite a "history" try being original. I got about half way through this dump of a book and couldn't take it anymore. Not worth the effort to get to the punchline.
Rating:
Summary: No Game of Patty-Cake
Review: Overall this was pretty entertaining. The idea of starting society over with the advantage of hindsight, current technology and virtually infinite wealth is pretty intriguing. I got a little tired of hearing how big and in shape the main character was and I skipped countless paragraphs describing some plant that grand pappy Hatley mowed down to start his strip mining operation. The book did slow toward the latter third, not leaving much time for the climactic finish, which was a little disappointing, but overall it was a quick entertaining read.
Now to the subject of playing patty-cake with the natives. Several reviewers didn’t like the fact that once again the indigenous peoples were either wiped out or became virtual subjects of the “invadersâ€. Why does this need to be a feel good story where people act differently that they have for… well… ever? You take some WWII vets, put them in pre-Columbus America and all they know is working hard, taking what they want/need and rebuilding a close proximity to what they thought an ideal America was. Seems pretty realistic to me (sans the magical portal created by a radio).
Rating:
Summary: Paradise for Great White Hunters
Review: Steve Stirling has done it again: he created a new alternative world, this time a parallel one similar to the 'paratime' by H. Bean Piper. This one gets discovered by a WW2 veteran and VMI graduate who figures that he gave his due to Uncle Sam and starts to create a world to his liking. He collects an assortment of his Army buddies and desperate refugees and creates the 'Commonwealth of New Virginia'. In his 'Islander' series Stirling had a group of Americans in a new world who choose careful cooperation as their way of dealing with its inhabitants. In 'The Peshawar Lancers' it was integration, the English refugees became one more caste in their Indian empire. In this novel the colonialists, supported by their secret paratime-gate, can afford to create a dreamland. A colony that avoids the mistakes made by the imperialists since 1700 and so creates a paradise for great white hunters, a utopian Rhodesia with a small population, lots of big game and a perfect California weather. No underclass or slaves since they have modern machinery and keep their Mexican Gastarbeiter on strict time-contracts. A world with no problems, unspoiled and beautiful, almost perfect. Now if one thinks about it the catch becomes obvious very soon. A world like this could only work with a paratime-gate through which it exports minerals and imports technology. Without the gate everything would change, especially the perspective of the ruling class, the so-called 30 families. Now I wonder if there will be a sequel' Taking aside all that the novel is just great fun to read, an enchanting escape from reality. Only towards the end, when the four heroes went out to fight for this land, not at the OK coral but close, it becomes a bit silly. First through the dessert, fighting Indians, storming and shooting up an enemy camp and army, shooting down their planes ' A bit much for so few people and pages. Maybe a little less action towards the end would have made it a better book. After all on the last few pages tell a few great jokes without a gunfight' At first I did not want to buy this book because I was disappointed that it was not a sequel to 'The Peshawar Lancers' but some of the Amazon reviews awoke my curiosity. Now, on one hand I am glad that Stirling does not do a Turtledove by expanding every book into never-ending series; on the other I really would like to read a sequel one day. But then he will probably write something new, something even better. I guess I just have to keep on buying them.
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