Rating: 
Summary: SUPERB STORYTELLING !
Review: This second installment of the Nantucket trilogy provides readers with breathtaking battles, surprising plot twists, phenomenal characterization, and irresistable historical insight. In my opinion, the Nantucket trilogy is turning out to be the most fascinating time travel/alternate history series of all time! I am already very anxious for the third installment -- entitled ON THE OCEANS OF ETERNITY -- to be released next year.
Rating: 
Summary: Keep 'Em Coming!
Review: This sequel to "Island in the Sea of Time" isn't up to the first book - but what could? I read "Island" seven times the first month I had it! Like many of the other reviewers, I wanted to see more exploration and civilization-building and less warfare than is contained in this volume. Their voyages to South Africa, China and New Zealand are literally blown off in a couple of sentences - when that was a whole book right there: In fact, the book I was EXPECTING as the sequel to "Island". This book really should've been the THIRD in the series. It would fit well and make more sense that way. And for my own part I was VERY disappointed to read so little about the adventures of Marian & Swindapa. They've become little more than a sidelight.
Rating: 
Summary: Politically WEIRD!
Review: OK, it's a nice premise for a story. But the sexual politics Stirling is pushing finally got to be too much for me and I couldn't finish it.It goes BEYOND politically correct! It's as if the author has something AGAINST men. All the women characters are dominant, of course, I expected that from reading the first book. Jared Cofflin, the male Mayor, looks up to his wife who he knows is more intelligent than he is. The black woman in charge of the armed forces, Commodore Marion Alston, can beat anyone alive in a physical fight. ALL the women in the Nantucket armed forces (which carries out basic training with mixed sexes) win in ALL the physical encounters they have against men who try to harrass them (for example, by not wanting to take orders from them). But one event really stands out. Commodore Alston and her wife, Swindapa, are lucky enough to witness a "Section Seven" punishment in basic training. A male recruit, breaking up a relationship with a woman recruit, hit her. (He gave her a black eye.) Swindapa mutters, when she hears this, "Scumbag!" The male recruit must either get four years of penal servitude in the salt mines, or pass a "gauntlet". Choosing the gauntlet, he is stripped naked and made to walk at a slow marching pace (to slow march drum) between two ranks of women swinging rifle slings at him, buckle-end uppermost. "Three quarters of the way, and his body and scalp were a mass of blood and welts, sheening crimson in the sunlight. The rifle slings were spraying drops of blood now, and the man fell forward, crawling the last dozen paces like a crippled dog." Women can be physically abusive too! (Lorena Bobbit would have been EXECUTED by the rules here. OK, maybe her husband did some mean things to her, but I'm simply arguing women CAN BE physically abusive when they get angry. And a lot of mean exchanges can happen when a couple is breaking up!) Would a woman ever run such a gauntlet? Stripped naked and marching slowly between lines of men trying to beat her? I don't think so -- the picture of a naked woman in this role makes the implicit sadism of this scene too obvious. But the author seems to think this is a fine thing to happen to men!
Rating:
Summary: Once again... Excellent
Review: Stirling does it again! Despite the shrieking of people that are unfathomably distraught about lesbianism, mysticism, "political Correctnes", etc. Stirling has delivered another well written novel. Some reviewers have gone on at length to tell us why THIS style of martial art wouldn't work or why THAT kind of political worldview is wrong. To those I say LIGHTEN UP. This is a novel and a damned good one at that. Sit back, enjoy the story and relax. I look forward to Stirlings next offering.
Rating:
Summary: It was a fun and exciting book
Review: I enjoyed reading this book because I like different subjects and this was about martians and Mars. The book was a serious book. The kids in the book were serious about what they thought which was that the new nurse was a martian from Mars.
Rating:
Summary: Smell the Gunpowder
Review: As always, Stirling's word pictures make you feel as if you were living the story. Like Island in the Sea of Time, I had a hard time digesting the first chapter or so, then couldn't put it down. Stirling's analysis of the religion and politics of daily life as it was thousands of years ago is credible and probably as close to reality as anyone not of that period can manage. Stirling's heros arise from the stuff of ordinary people, and they also include a black lesbian as a main character. Elements of the Drakon series creep in to help sort out the good guys from the bad guys. I highly recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Historically Thoughtful; Politically pushy
Review: A great book if you can get past Mr. Stirling's opinionated references to such political doctrine as one's sexual preference or opinions about religion. However, it is a good book overall.
Rating:
Summary: A great second book in the Series. We want MORE!
Review: I'd rank it 4 1/2 stars, compared to Island in the Sea of Time. Mostly because the first was SO unique and well done. This continues a main plot sequel to the first book, which is again a page-turner. The characters are even more finely drawn, with complexities and variations: no one is entirely good, strong, smart, and handsome/pretty (or bad, ugly, etc.) There are some slow parts where we are being taught history, geography or noble lineage, but without them, it would be two dimensional. The plot causes some deep feelings of "Oh, NO!" or "Look OUT!" as well as "AHhhhh!" & chuckles, like Saturday afternoon serials used to. Wonderful new technical "marvels" created by hand, by both sides. Balanced strengths/different philosophies of the "good guys" and "bad guys" still let us see some faults and values on both sides. I'm ready for the next one (or two)!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: The plot slows to a crawl....................I read Island in one weekend. I put this sequel down three-quarters of the way through and have little desire to pick it back up. Short of increasingly complicated froreign entanglements, nothing much has happened since the end of the first book. You might be well advised to skip this segment altogether and wait for number 3.
Rating:
Summary: Good background information but moved a little slow.
Review: S.M. Sterling should be recommended for his history reference and detail. Along with his previous book "Island in the Sea of Time" this book is exceptionally written. Unfortunately at some parts I felt as though I was teaching someone how to drive. The book would speed up and the slow down very quickly. Even though the reading is slow at times this book is not to be missed. Personally I cannot wait for another installment.
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