A Change of Regime

Rating:
Summary: Surprising and Important
Review: I must admit I approached this book with some misgivings after being given a copy by an enthusiatic friend. First, I am not a fan of alternate history and second, I have read more than enough about WWII and the Third Reich. But I was very pleasntly surprised; what Stroyar has done is to produce that rare and beautiful thing an allegory.
By taking us out of our complicated world, Stroyar drops us in an alternate reality where the moral choices, without being less complicated are just that little bit more starkly delineated. Importantly the choices that Stroyar's characters wrestle with are not abstract hypothetical ones but the ones we today face: when is violent opposition to tyranny legitimate; are the human rights of one group of humans less important than another and, vitally important for the USA today, how far can sel-defense go before a country loses the moral high ground and ceases to be worth defending.
Stroyar provides no canned answers to these questions, but after reading this book you may find your own answers subtly (or sometimes not so subtly) shifted,
Sure this book works as alternate history too, but really it is an important contribution to the current political debate.

Rating:
Summary: Surprising and Important
Review: I must admit I approached this book with some misgivings after being given a copy by an enthusiatic friend. First, I am not a fan of alternate history and second, I have read more than enough about WWII and the Third Reich. But I was very pleasntly surprised; what Stroyar has done is to produce that rare and beautiful thing an allegory.
By taking us out of our complicated world, Stroyar drops us in an alternate reality where the moral choices, without being less complicated are just that little bit more starkly delineated. Importantly the choices that Stroyar's characters wrestle with are not abstract hypothetical ones but the ones we today face: when is violent opposition to tyranny legitimate; are the human rights of one group of humans less important than another and, vitally important for the USA today, how far can sel-defense go before a country loses the moral high ground and ceases to be worth defending.
Stroyar provides no canned answers to these questions, but after reading this book you may find your own answers subtly (or sometimes not so subtly) shifted,
Sure this book works as alternate history too, but really it is an important contribution to the current political debate.

Rating:
Summary: Sequel to The Childrens War--one of the best books ever!
Review: I read the author's first novel, the 1400 page The Children's War and thought it was one of the best books ever written, and was sorry when it ended. This is the sequel and picks up when the first one ends. I am only sorry that it is only 600 pages! If you enjoyed The Children's War, you will necessarily be excited to learn that this sequel exists, and will order it immediately. If you haven't yet read The Children's War, you have to read that first, and then you will want to read this one! I wish the author would turn this into a ten volume series. Or a hundred volume series. Or a thousand volume series. If I could spend the rest of my life reading this story, it would be time well worth spent. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Deeply moving love story
Review: Not only is this book a gripping political thriller but it is also a deeply moving love story. As Peter and Zosia's affection for one another is buffetd by almost overwhelming geopolitical forces but remains unbroken. The characterisation is superb - you end up caring as much for the characters as your own friends.

This is quite simply a must read, remarkable work from an author who deserves to be much better known

Rating:
Summary: Deeply moving love story
Review: Not only is this book a gripping political thriller but it is also a deeply moving love story. As Peter and Zosia's affection for one another is buffetd by almost overwhelming geopolitical forces but remains unbroken. The characterisation is superb - you end up caring as much for the characters as your own friends.

This is quite simply a must read, remarkable work from an author who deserves to be much better known

Rating:
Summary: Stunning
Review: Stroyar has done it again. A Change of Regime revisits the chillingly realistic alternate world that she brought to life so vividly in The Children's War. As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of DDay it is sobering to realise how close we came to living in Stroyar's world and how great a debt we owe to the heroes who saved western civilisation on the beaches of Normandy.

Many of the characters from the Children's War reappear in Stroyar's new work; but the emphasis this time is subtly different with a greater focus on the inner workings of power in the Reich.

The mood this time is lighter and the glimmerings of hope that were evident at the end of the first novel blossom, if not into freedom and democracy, then at least into tangible improvements. The resistance have to wrestle with the dilemna of when to stop fighting; if it is moral to use violence to overthrow totalitarian regimes is it also morally ok to use vioelnce against regimes that fail to live up to the highest standards of western democracy. Where do you draw the line: if it was ok to violently oppose the Third Reich was it also ok to attack Stalin's Soviet Union, and how about China today.

The moral questions Stroyar raises, albeit framed by her imaginary world are starkly relevant for us. If you want to understand why it is important to use force to overthrow totalitarian and why the human rights of all people not just Americans are always worth protecting then please read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Gripping Political Thriller
Review: Stroyar"s imaginary world is more gripping than present reality, The moral dilemnas that her characters wrestle with are exaggerated versions of the problems faced by today's political leaders. Yet this book never forgets that it is a gripping thriller. This is a book that will keep you up late turning page after page and then will keep you awake pondering the issues it raises.
This book works successfully on so many levels: it is amazing this is the author's second novel; it reads as if written by a much more experienced hand.

Rating:
Summary: First Class Thriller
Review: This is one of those thrillers that grabs you on the first page and doesn't let go until the last. The tension mounts frompage to page; this is a book that is genuinely hard to put down.

Great summer reading.