Rating: 
Summary: War, Magic, and Infantry
Review: Harry Turtledove is known for his work in "alternative history". In this genre, some major or minor event is plausibly different from historical fact, and the fictional course of events that follow is dramatically different from reality. Recent Turtledove works are in a series which addressed US and world history based on the Confederacy winning the US Civil War, with a continuation into World War I. He has continued with a new series loosely based on World War II, but in a fantasy environment. Into the Darkness and Darkness Descending begin the series of which Through the Darkness is the third volume. Set in the fictional world of Derlavai where the descendants of the on-time ruling empire are an often despised minority, the Algarvains and the Unkerlantians seek to establish a hegemony where they, the proper successors to empire, rule. A long war ended with Algarve denied its proper place and even stripped of some of its possessions. Unkerlant was plagued by a bloody civil war during the period, and the surviving king is not happy with his place in the world. By the way, in this world they have magic instead of physics, ensorceled crystals instead of radio, dragons instead of airplanes, magic sticks and magic "eggs" instead of guns and bombs. In spite of the differences in the world, the people are still people and they function and react just the way Europeans did in the middle third of the Twentieth Century. They fight, they die, they muddle through, they love. Turtledove creates a hugh cast of characters who people his world, and then tells the story of the war through its impacts on them. He designates some of his characters as "viewpoint" characters and tells the story through their impressions and actions. There are a lot of viewpoint characters-at least one in each major population group. And a very lot happens to them. Turtledove tells the story well, and with enough significant, although sometimes whimsical, differences from geography and history to keep the reader's interest. Finland as a desert and North Africa with polar cold are examples of the whimsey. All of the regular characters, especially the "viewpoint characters", are interesting people, and their stories are interesting, too. The series, however, is much too long. Three volumes is enough, but there is at least one more, maybe two or three. Over that much real time this reader would prefer to read several different stories. The series is very well done for what it is, and the first three volumes, read sequentially, are engrossing. Maybe the fourth (and fifth, etc.) will come along soon enough that the reader will remember the characters in the early volumes.
Rating: 
Summary: Best So Far!
Review: I have only read the first three books of the WORLD AT WAR Series, but this one is the best so far. The characters are just getting better and better, although the parts with some of the soldiers get a bit boring. But still this is the best book in the series so far.
Rating:
Summary: Great book-minor problems
Review: Really, I think that this is a great book. I would prefer to give this a 3.5, but that unfortunately isn't an option. It has great action and great character developement, yet I think there are some weak points in it, mainly how often it switches characters, and also the setting.
The big problem I saw with how often it switches characters is that it switches so often that it's difficult to really get into the book. There are several main characters who are in this book, and every 6-10 pages the main character switches. Then you don't normally find out any more about them until 30-60 pages later, resulting in getting bored occasionally. Also, if you like a few characters in particular, it's anoying when it switches to a character you don't like that much.
I think that a good description of the setting is one of the most important parts of any book. The setting really isn't described that well throughout the book. Sure, Harry Turtledove gave a great description about what everything looked like all over the place, but that description doesn't make me feel the way that I feel about settings in books such as The Lord of the Rings, or R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy, which are very great parts of those books. I really think that Through th Darkness was hurt by this.
Although there are a few poor parts of this book, I think that it is very exelent, and I would deffinately recommend it to anyone who has read the first two books, and anyone who enjoys war books. If you are unsure about if you should buy this or the first book, get it anyway, it's an exelent book.
Rating: 
Summary: Blood, sweat, tears, ice and fire
Review: The war for Derlavai continues to engulf the continent, one bloody step at a time, and its residents are unable to stop it.
Having easily smashed Forthweg, Jelgava, Sibiu, and Valmiera, Algarve seems to have met its match in the vast frozen wastelands of Unkerlant. Even continuing to use the life energy of murdered Kaunians, the Unkerlanters aren't breaking, and instead follow suit by murdering their own people. A desparate war is being raged in the streets of Sulingen, including a deadly feud between two snipers. Meanwhile, scholars of Lagoas and Kuusamo struggle to unlock a magical secret that can shift the course of the war.
Turtledove's engrossing characters also struggle with their lives. In Forthweg, Kaunian girl Vanai discovers a spell that gives her and other Kaunians a new shot at life. In the north of Zuwayza, King Shazli begins to admit Kaunian refugees, while in the south of Valmiera, Krasta cuddles up to her Algarvian lover while her brother fights against them in the underground resistance.
While any Turtledove fan can forgive the reduntant character descriptions and phrases, they will always enjoy the tale.
Rating:
Summary: Fantasy WWII Book III
Review: This book is the third installment of Harry Turtledove's World at War Series in which a fantasy world of magic and dragons is plunged into a scenario along the same lines as our own Second World War. Most of the same characters return for this volume and the same plot lines are continued.At this point in this series, you are no longer reading these books if you don't like the plot or the characters. Personally, I find the characters engrossing and the plot line interesting. While it is sometimes obvious how a plot will play out because of knowledge of WWII it is interesting to see how Turtledove makes it work in a fantasy setting and what characters he looses or gains along the way. I am particularly interested to see how the "Manhattan Project" plot line ends. Some other readers complain about the large number of characters involved and keeping them straight, Turtledove does a good job of reminding us who is who and I find I don't have any trouble with it. This book pretty much parallels the events of 1942 into 1943. I would advise against reading this book unless you have read the first two books in the series. To be honest, I started this series only planning to read one book as a break between some other non-fiction that I was reading. I have not been able to put down the series since, every week I go back to the bookstore (we won't mention which one since it is a rival!) to buy another book in this series. I don't plan on stopping until I have read all these books (two more, so far) and then I will anxiously await the next book.
Rating:
Summary: Getting better all the time
Review: This marvelous continuation of World War II (I mean delevaian war) lets us see deeper into the characters. Harry has picked a good war to write about. Usually his series run out of steam around the third book, due to the huge scope of the historical background his format thrives and gets better. All his viewpoint characters are memorable (a feat in itself). Also on a side note all the place names in the novel are not made up rather names of places that are expropriated (the Kuusamo tourist board site is a must see) Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A Lagoan writes
Review: This series gets better and better. Now 3 books in, you find yourself automaticaly 'translating' the various protagonists in this magic-driven WWII into their 'real' equivalents. And, even though their national characteristics are completely different (to extremes in the case of the Zuwayzi/Finns) you find yourself rooting for 'your' side. But, if that was all the books were about it would get boring pretty quickly. Fortunately, the book is entertaining in its own right, doing that 'grand sweep of history' thing that Turtledove does so well, with a huge number of characters, including ones he's not afraid to kill off as the war progresses. Definitely worth reading 'Into the darkness' and 'Darkness Descending' first though. And here's to the next volume where Yanina gets invaded and changes sides and the Lagoans and Kuusaman start strategic dragon raids against Algarve!
Rating:
Summary: A Frozen Hell
Review: Through the Darkness is the third novel in the World At War fantasy series, following Darkness Descending. In the previous volume, the Algarvians, although outnumbered in Grelz, keep outmaneuvering the Unkerlanter army. In Kuusamo, Pekka, with Siuntio and Ilmarinen observing, uses a divergent series chant to release enough energy to blow out all the window glass in the lab. In Forthweg, Sidroc finally signs up for Plegmund's Brigade and Ealstan is sick, so Vanai has to venture out to get medicines for him. Cornelu finds that his Lagoan leviathan isn't as well trained as Eforiel, but still gets the job done. In Jelgava, Talsu keeps being told that he is lucky to be alive after the stabbing incident. In far western Unkerlant, Istvan is not enjoying his stroll through the woods, being too busy fighting ambushes and forest fires. In Valmiera, Valnu takes Krasta for a walk just before a bomb goes off where they had been; unfortunately, the bomb only causes superficial damage to Colonel Lurcanio. In Grelz, Garivald is caught by the Algarvians but is rescued by Unkerlanter irregulars. In this novel, Ealstan recovers from the sickness and finds that some of his clients have made other arrangements. Zuwayza has Kaunians coming to their shores requesting asylum from the Algarvians. Skarnu attends a meeting of the resistance which is raided by the Algarvians. Constable Bembo and his fellows come to Oyngestun to round up Kaunians. Garivald goes on his first ambush with the Unkerlant irregulars. Colonel Sabrino returns to his dragon farm to find that the Lagoan dragons had dropped eggs there earlier. On the Southern continent, Fernao is pleased when Kuusaman and Lagoan dragons fly in, but they don't bring any more supplies; the meals continue to be camel or ptarmigan. Leudast's men give the Algarvians a hard time in a swamp before reforming on higher land. Marshall Rathar perceives the Algarvian strategy and convinces King Swemmell that the red heads are trying to take the Mamming Hills. The King permits him to build up his forces to stop the Algavians before Suligen. This series is an allegory of the World Wars, with magic replacing the science and technology of this worldline. Some of the events in this series are more indicative of the first World War while others are more like the second; for example, the life force magic is analogous to the chemical weapons used in WWI, but the new magic being developed by the Kuusamans is much more like the atomic weapons developed during WWII. Another reflection of earlier events is the invasion of Gyongyos into far western Unkerlant. These actions seem to reflect various Japanese intrusions into Russian territories beginning with the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-1905, through the Russian Civil War in 1917-1921, and then to 1924, when Japan returned Sakhalin Island. However, Japan occupied other areas, including Korea, in the northern Pacific coast of the Far East until the end of WWII. Recommended for Turtledove fans and anyone else who enjoys speculative fiction with a strong historical and moral component.
Rating:
Summary: A Frozen Hell
Review: Through the Darkness is the third novel in the World At War fantasy series, following Darkness Descending. In the previous volume, the Algarvians, although outnumbered in Grelz, keep outmaneuvering the Unkerlanter army. In Kuusamo, Pekka, with Siuntio and Ilmarinen observing, uses a divergent series chant to release enough energy to blow out all the window glass in the lab. In Forthweg, Sidroc finally signs up for Plegmund's Brigade and Ealstan is sick, so Vanai has to venture out to get medicines for him. Cornelu finds that his Lagoan leviathan isn't as well trained as Eforiel, but still gets the job done. In Jelgava, Talsu keeps being told that he is lucky to be alive after the stabbing incident. In far western Unkerlant, Istvan is not enjoying his stroll through the woods, being too busy fighting ambushes and forest fires. In Valmiera, Valnu takes Krasta for a walk just before a bomb goes off where they had been; unfortunately, the bomb only causes superficial damage to Colonel Lurcanio. In Grelz, Garivald is caught by the Algarvians but is rescued by Unkerlanter irregulars. In this novel, Ealstan recovers from the sickness and finds that some of his clients have made other arrangements. Zuwayza has Kaunians coming to their shores requesting asylum from the Algarvians. Skarnu attends a meeting of the resistance which is raided by the Algarvians. Constable Bembo and his fellows come to Oyngestun to round up Kaunians. Garivald goes on his first ambush with the Unkerlant irregulars. Colonel Sabrino returns to his dragon farm to find that the Lagoan dragons had dropped eggs there earlier. On the Southern continent, Fernao is pleased when Kuusaman and Lagoan dragons fly in, but they don't bring any more supplies; the meals continue to be camel or ptarmigan. Leudast's men give the Algarvians a hard time in a swamp before reforming on higher land. Marshall Rathar perceives the Algarvian strategy and convinces King Swemmell that the red heads are trying to take the Mamming Hills. The King permits him to build up his forces to stop the Algavians before Suligen. This series is an allegory of the World Wars, with magic replacing the science and technology of this worldline. Some of the events in this series are more indicative of the first World War while others are more like the second; for example, the life force magic is analogous to the chemical weapons used in WWI, but the new magic being developed by the Kuusamans is much more like the atomic weapons developed during WWII. Another reflection of earlier events is the invasion of Gyongyos into far western Unkerlant. These actions seem to reflect various Japanese intrusions into Russian territories beginning with the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-1905, through the Russian Civil War in 1917-1921, and then to 1924, when Japan returned Sakhalin Island. However, Japan occupied other areas, including Korea, in the northern Pacific coast of the Far East until the end of WWII. Recommended for Turtledove fans and anyone else who enjoys speculative fiction with a strong historical and moral component.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: Turtledove has written excellent characters, and interesting plots. He is one of the few authors to kill off main characters, which is realistic (there IS a war going on here), but it is frustrating to have a well-liked character be killed. This series has a ton of action, emotion, and suspense. The characters race the clock, and time never seems to be on their side. Despite all the problems, love still thrives and life goes on. This is a great book, and a great series.
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