Out of the Darkness : Book 6 of the Darkness Series (Darkness)

Rating:
Summary: GOOD ENDING FOR THE SERIES
Review: It has been a long and at times difficult journey but OUT OF DARKNESS does a fine job of ending the DARKNESS series. An analog of WWII this final chapter brings to conclusion the story of a world embroiled in a war that mixes wizardry, heroics, horrors and human fallibility. Since the series so closely parallels WWII the ending is really no surprise but we finally get closure to the multitude of characters we have been following in the previous five books.

As an ending it's pretty good. The bad guys get their just deserts, mostly, and the good guys get their just rewards, mostly. As with real life the end for most characters isn't 'perfect,' but then when is it ever?

As before the large number of characters and the jumping from one viewpoint to another can set your head spinning if your not paying attention, but if you've managed to make it through the first volumes you should be used to it by now. It is interesting to watch as Mr. Turtledove weaves the lives of his characters together as they struggle through these troubled times and bring them to coherent finality.

A well done series conclusion, a rarity these days for which the author should be recognized. I RECOMMEND the Darkness series in general and OUT OF DARKNESS specifically.

Rating:
Summary: The Fighting is Over, But is the War Ended?
Review: Out of the Darkness is the sixth and concluding novel in the World At War series, following Jaws of Darkness. In the previous volume, the Forthwegian rebellion in Eoforwic failed and Bembo was glad to return to being a constable instead of a fighter. Ealstan was not happy with the loss, but relieved to return to Vainu and Saxburh. However, the Valmieran uprising was successful and Skarnu brought Merkela and Gedominu to his mansion in Priekule, where they confronted his pregnant sister.

Marshall Rathar went to Cottbus to be rewarded with command of the Algarve invasion. Minister Hajjaj, however, went to Cottbus to surrender to the Unkerlanters. Count Sabrino and his men were still outflying the Unkerlanters, but were not getting replacements. Colonel Spinello was facing Unkerlanters across the Twegen River and wondering at mushroom gathering Forthwegians. Sidroc had dug up a farmer's cache of food and his unit ate well for a time.

Talsu led a force of Kuusaman troops through the lines past Skrunda. Kun and Istvan got the runs and missed the mass suicide. Garivald found an infiltrator who looked like an old Forthwegian.

In this novel, Ealstan intends to kill Colonel Spinella, but Vanai first provides Spinello with a mushroom dish that he really enjoys ... until the pain starts. Marchioness Krasta keeps insisting that the baby is Valnu's, but Merkela is waiting to see the color of the baby's hair. The flyers in Count Sabrino unit keep knocking out the Unkerlanter bridges, but also keep losing men, so the Algarvian mages develop a magic that guides the dropped eggs onto the target from a great height. General Gurmun is killed by a sorcerously disguised infiltrator.

In this story, the war goes on, with the Algarvians still using their forces more effectively than their opponents. Nevertheless, it is obvious to almost everybody that Algarve is losing the war. Algarve is slowing down the advancing troops and even forcing them to withdraw on occasions, but their enemies always come back. The Algarvians are trying new magics, but cannot match the new Kuusano magics nor overcome the Unkerlanter numerical superiority.

The Algarvians concentrate their replacements and most supplies on the western front, for Unkerlant is the most feared enemy. While the Kuusamans and Lagoans are not having an easy time of it, the forces facing them are not receiving sufficient support. Whole units are beginning to surrender due to shortages of food and charged weapons.

This mixed up history allowed the author to present the viewpoints and feelings of all the participants in the conflict. While the Argarvians were not represented by a truly sympathetic character, some admirable aspects were presented. However, the Algarvian arrogance and sense of superiority -- compensating for an inferiority complex? -- was a universal attribute; was the author unable to find any truly admirable Algarvian characters?. Although many nobles and peasants were portrayed as undesirable persons, the exceptions were well represented in every nation except Algarve. Even in Nazi Germany, there were some good people!

This volume is the truest of the series in describing the attitudes and feelings of the actual participants of the real World War II. While the end of the conflict was a relief for rulers as well as peasants, the new conditions were, in many ways, much worst than the war itself. Moreover, there were plenty of people who were not satisfied with the results. As with the real world, the Derlavians will soon find themselves fighting a cold war.

Highly recommended for Turtledove fans and for anyone else who enjoys alternate history from the participant's viewpoint.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Rating:
Summary: The end, at last
Review: Out of the Darkness, by Harry Turtledove

The finale of a six-book series, which spans almost as many years in this fantasy retelling of World War II. This last book is the equivalent of 1945's collapse of Germany as the US and the USSR find themselves switching from allies to rivals. Turtledove's recasting our history as a fantasy world is intriguing, but after six books some of the analogies start to wear thin.

Once again he follows more than a dozen different people through their misadventures due to war and social upheaval. Some will still be alive by the end of this book. Of those who don't make it, Turtledove is ready to move others in to represent that part of the story. Once again slight links to his other works flicker in and out: a character wondering what the world would be like if magic didn't work, or if there were no kings, or finding the phrase "I thank you" in two places (a common phrasing from yet another WWII series of his). Some characters will even find a happy ending, but not all.

While this book, like the other five, was difficult to put down (I read it whenever I could over a day and a half), the formula which was so fresh and exciting in the first book seemed worn by book six. Yes, the aggressor nation, which is supposed to be Germany but the natives all have red hair, Italian names, and flamboyant style, loses in the end. Yes, one of the allies entering the war late becomes victorious, despite the Finnish names, the subdued emotions, and distinct resemblance to East Asians. About 75% of the story is straight history, add in the substitutions of technology for magic and monarchy everywhere, and then a few of Turtledove's adjustments. No China or Southeast Asia, no India, no Near or Middle Eastern nations either. The US equivalent shares an island with the British equivalent, yet the respective natives are very different from each other. In fact it was these blatant physical similarities between national groups that was hardest to accept by this sixth volume. Wouldn't there be mixes among the groups, especially at borders? While the "Poles" did bear some similarity to the "Russians," it was the strikingly different looks of the "Brits" versus the "Americans," sharing an island a la Haiti/Dominican Republic that made me lose it.

And the technology for magic analogy also started to break down, despite the success of the "Manhattan project" (which was one of Turtledove's more ingenious ideas here). Because not once in these six books do any of these characters, who have lots and lots of marital relations, ever use or discuss or even wish for birth control. If sorcery works, wouldn't that be one of the first things people would ask for? Yet the problem of illegitimate and unacknowledged children is everywhere. And there is no religious authority, parallel to the Catholic Church, say, that is trying to stop birth control either, in fact there is no religion in these books at all other than the Japanese equivalents' constant concern for whether the stars will shine on their spirits after death.

I think Turtledove started off great with the series and the idea of technology equals magic. After all the "Americans" had the best sorcery, such as the rest crate; a box that suspends time so you can keep your food hot or cold until you need it. But with all his effort on the magical version of an A-bomb, Turtledove didn't plan for what people really want from practical sorcery. (Yeah, a tailor using a charm to do most of his hand-stitching is kind of cool, but why isn't that midwife using any of these arts?)

Still worth reading, still enjoyable, still has lots of thought behind the concept, and 300 times better than the poorly-executed Detina series (fantasy version of US civil war). But good enough that I dared to expect perfection and then was dissatisfied when I didn't get it.