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Summary: Fantasy version of WWII. . .
Review: While it is a novel idea, the story is both predictable and somewhat boring. The characters and places are difficult to keep track of at first although it does become easier. I found it difficult to care about most of the characters and the writing is only average at best. As a fan of history, sci-fi, and fantasy I found this to be one of Turtledove's worst novels.
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Summary: Turtledove at his consistent best
Review: This book furthers Harry Turtledove's reputation as an historically knowledgeable and consistent writer. Where his previous well known works have focused on alternate history, this novel takes a different spin on World War II by insinuating magic in place of technology. An engrossing and entertaining read with intersting characters and intrigue.
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Summary: New best book
Review: As the first of a siries i have to try to stress the inportance of this book. for staters i can't say this book is for light readers. Harry takes on the impresive chalange of switching the viwpoint character every 3 pages. beacuse of this character devolepment is limeted but you should not fear as the characters are further esxplained in latter books. the delervani war is parellel to ww2 but conufuseing. some countrys like germany and russia are simple but some like france are hard to point out. (P.S. i think forthweg is france but don't take my word for it.) the dramatic battles and relationships bettwen characters make this book a dramatic retelling of the second worldwar and the horor that came with it.
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Summary: War Is the Game of Kings and the Hell of Peasants
Review: Into the Darkness is the first novel in the World At War fantasy series. This storyline can be considered an allegory of World War II, but with magical instead of technological weapons. As one result of this difference, there is much less variation in weapons and equipment, for everybody mostly uses the same magical repertory. Also, the animal equivalent of vehicles has much less variety. Thus, strategy and tactics are much more significant than the hardware per se.During the Six Year war, Algarve lost the Duchy of Bari and highly resented the loss. However, other neighboring nations are determined to keep Algarve from recovering the Duchy. One of the background factors in international relations is the Kaunian Empire, long fallen, its descendants often despised, yet still influencing the culture of many of the belligerents. In this novel, a generation later, the Duke has died and King Mezentio sends his troops into Bari. Valmieri, Jelgava, Forthweg and Sibiu then declare war against Algrave. Unkerlanter and Gyongyos are fighting in the Elsung Mountains. Gyongyos and Kuusamo are fighting over Obuda Island. Zuwayza is playing off Unkerlanter against Algrave, but is mainly focused on her border with Unkerlanter. Lagoas is presently remaining neutral in this war. All this fighting and diplomacy is told in terms of the participants. Although the Kings and high ministers have their say, so do the farmers and scholars and other people of little import in the war, but of great significance to their families and friends. There is the Fortwegian lad and Kaunian lass who are lovers, the Jelgavan marchioness, the Lagoan mage, the Unterkanter peasant, the Algarvian constable, and fighting men of every nationality. As with his other war novels, the author dwells more upon the results of war than its causes: the death and suffering, the injustices and sacrifices, the rhetoric and consequences. The changes in names and geography help conceal the nationality of the participants, so that the reader can look at the situation with clearer vision. Highly recommended for Turtledove fans and anyone else who enjoys tales of human characters trying to just carry on their lives despite great hardship and tragedy.
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Summary: Mediocre history and poor fantasy
Review: "Into the Darkness" presents an intriguing concept. After a generation of peace, the world of Derlavai is on the brink of yet another global war. In this world Magic takes the place of technology and magical beasts functions as weapons of war. Airplanes are replaced by dragons, submarines by leviathans and tanks by behemoths. Mr. Turtledove is basically present World War II in a fantasy context. Unfortunately the result is far less than the promise of the concept. Mr. Turtledove tells his story from no less than sixteen different viewpoint characters and dozens of secondary characters. With such a cast no one character stays center stage for any length of time and as a result there is little or no character development. There is very little to distinguish one character from another and one setting from another. The result is that every few page the POV changes and one has to stop reading and try to figure out just who the character is and where they are before one can continue reading. The characters and the landscape would have been easier to follow if M. Turtledove has used a real world map and historic characters plugged into a world where magic substitutes for technology. Instead we are left to figure out that Algarve is a stand in for Germany and Valmiera is there in place of France and so on. "Into the Darkness" is the first novel of a projected six-book series but I cannot see how any sort of interest could be maintained for five more books like this one.
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