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Assiti Shards #4
1634: The Ram Rebellion
The Great Revolt is On!
Europe, 1634. With the example of future Grantsville, U.S.A., a small town thrown back in time by a cosmic accident, a peasant revolt becomes a revolutionary movement. You're from the future. You want the serfs to liberate themselves-but you also know what a bloodbath the French Revolution became. Avoiding that possibility will take all American horse-trading diplomacy you can muster. The stakes: an explosion that could cover half the continent in blood!
Alternate history master Eric Flint and exciting newcomer Virginia DeMarce fire another exciting volley in Flint's engrossing ''Grantsville'' chronicles.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (DRM Rights Management).
Europe, 1634. With the example of future Grantsville, U.S.A., a small town thrown back in time by a cosmic accident, a peasant revolt becomes a revolutionary movement. You're from the future. You want the serfs to liberate themselves-but you also know what a bloodbath the French Revolution became. Avoiding that possibility will take all American horse-trading diplomacy you can muster. The stakes: an explosion that could cover half the continent in blood!
Alternate history master Eric Flint and exciting newcomer Virginia DeMarce fire another exciting volley in Flint's engrossing ''Grantsville'' chronicles.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (DRM Rights Management).
647 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2006
164 people are currently reading
679 people want to read
About the author
Eric Flint
250 books874 followersEric Flint was a New York Times bestselling American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works were alternate history science fiction, but he also wrote humorous fantasy adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
March 7, 2017
1634: The Ram Rebellion isn't actually a single novel. Unlike the previous books, it is actually a collection of stories written by different authors. These stories seem strange at first, but make sense later. At the beginning, there is a large section about farming, sheep, and a ram that is constantly escaping. Then there are several pages of ballet, which is connected loosely to the rest of the story. About two thirds through the book, the constantly changing stories stop and Eric Flint takes over. In this section, the Ram movement, a rebel organization inspired by the Americans, begins to form. Several lords become angry that they have been incorporated into the New United States(NUS, later the State of Thuringia, Sof, and then the State of Thuringia-Franconia, SoTF), and take up arms against the Ram. How powerful are the people?
First, the mixed story idea was...interesting, for lack of a better word. Some of the stories were fascinating, really adding humor and context to many major events. It also let some stories that were too short for a book be in a major publication. That I really liked. However, there were some aspects that really brought the book down. For example, some of the stories were really not necessary and were also quite boring. The ballet story was especially boring, and there would be no effect on the story if this was removed.
Overall, the book was ok. If I could, I'd rate it 3.5 stars. It was hilarious at some points, and frustrating at others. It was a very interesting plot line. I would say if you like alternative history books, this is a great series. If you like the other books in the series, you will probably like this one, although I would say it isn't quite as good as some of the others. It is unlike the others in that it is mostly driven by the Ram, not the USE (United States of Europe). This Book Has some elements like Echoes of Honor, with hostages and prisoners being rescued by people within the gates (or prison planet).
First, the mixed story idea was...interesting, for lack of a better word. Some of the stories were fascinating, really adding humor and context to many major events. It also let some stories that were too short for a book be in a major publication. That I really liked. However, there were some aspects that really brought the book down. For example, some of the stories were really not necessary and were also quite boring. The ballet story was especially boring, and there would be no effect on the story if this was removed.
Overall, the book was ok. If I could, I'd rate it 3.5 stars. It was hilarious at some points, and frustrating at others. It was a very interesting plot line. I would say if you like alternative history books, this is a great series. If you like the other books in the series, you will probably like this one, although I would say it isn't quite as good as some of the others. It is unlike the others in that it is mostly driven by the Ram, not the USE (United States of Europe). This Book Has some elements like Echoes of Honor, with hostages and prisoners being rescued by people within the gates (or prison planet).
March 13, 2009
I read this one becaise I was bored and it was at the library. This is what strikes me as the down side of Eric Flint's attempt at a communal, shared world epic series. It's a lot of snippets that would, and some times are, amusing on their own.
But the book is definitely less than the sum of it's parts. The most coherent parts of a sort of novella (which was boring) and the main thrust of the story about the "Ram Rebellion" which was waaaayyyy to much politics and too little of anything interesting. There were a lot of amusing short stories and other bits but they were balanced by a lot that weren't.
If it was an experiment, it failed.
But the book is definitely less than the sum of it's parts. The most coherent parts of a sort of novella (which was boring) and the main thrust of the story about the "Ram Rebellion" which was waaaayyyy to much politics and too little of anything interesting. There were a lot of amusing short stories and other bits but they were balanced by a lot that weren't.
If it was an experiment, it failed.
April 2, 2013
This being Science Fiction, a couple of definitions may be in order:
Alternate History - a sub genre of SF that deals with a universe similar to, but different from, our own based on some departure from what we consider history. For instance, the bullet fired at Abraham Lincoln grazes his skull instead of killing him. A single event (usually) sets in motion a range of possibilities that allow the writer to cast the story in a world close to, but not, our own.
Shared Universe Novel - A work created by a collaborative effort, generally with each writer adding unique short stories, that taken together form a complete narrative. Different from collaborative novels where several authors move a single storyline forward, these works create a book out of individual stories of varying lengths.
Eric Flint's 163x series (so-named because the story starts in the year 1632, and continues through the years 1633, 1634, 1635, etc) is based on an alternate history where a small West Virginia town is translocated in time and space to Germany in 1632. I won't ask you to accept the validity of this concept. As Johnny Carson used to say: "buy the premise, buy the bit". Flint's use of the mechanics of time and space dislocation merely set the stage for a sweeping series of novels, short stories, and for all I know, video games - set in post-medieval Europe. Specifically, during the Thirty Years War. And when I say sweeping, I mean just that. At last count, over a dozen novels and 40+ collections of short stories have been set in this series.
SF in general, and the 163x series in particular, tends to encourage participation from the fans. This can be as simple as attending an SF convention while dressed as a fictional character. It can be as complicated as submitting for publication a novel in a shared universe. Many of the stories in 'Ram Rebellion' were penned by fans - now professional (or semi-professional) authors in their own right. This is amazingly much better than it might sound. The publisher (Baen Books) is an enlightened supporter of the concept of bringing new writers on board. These fan writers are being cultivated to become professional writers. Flint keeps a tight rein on his concept, so there is unwavering consistency among the various books. There are resources available to those who would venture forth as a contributor to the 163x universe. An active community of readers (there is, of course, a web forum) keeps the writers on point.
While it is helpful to have read some of the 163x series before reading 'Ram Rebellion' it is not strictly necessary. The first approximate two-thirds of the book are a series of short and short-short stories that set the stage for the final third of the book. There are a few 'in-jokes' here and there, but nothing that a plotline hangs upon. An uninitiated reader would not run headlong into something incomprehensible as a first-time visitor to the series. This portion of the book was the least satisfying to me. Not because the writing quality was lacking, but because of a lack of focus. It seems to me that, as an editor, Flint took a number of self-supporting stories set in the 163x universe and glued them together as a sort of preface the the final section of the book. Very likely some these stories appeared earlier in one of the 35 or so of the 40+ short story collections I've not yet read. Others act as a sort of filler among, or a bridge between otherwise unrelated or loosely-related stories.
Again, it is not that the stories themselves are bad - and several of them set up key points that are referred to in the last part of the book - it is just that as a whole they suffer from having a bit of a too-diffuse viewpoint. This part of the book... well, 'dragged' does not really describe it fairly. Maybe it would be better to say there was just a tiny bit too much of it.
It is in the last portion of the book where things really start to take off. As stated above, the 163x series involves the (fictional) small West Virginia town of Grantville being dropped into the middle of 17th century Europe. A land of monarchies and petty tyrants. The Reformation and Counter-Reformation. Pogroms and what we'd now call 'ethnic cleansing' as acceptable political exercises. To say that this "doesn't sit well" with the transplanted 21st Century hillbillies is an understatement. From the beginning of the first novel, the Grantvillers set out to "make 'em all behave" the way they should. Yes, 'God, Guns and Guts' are going bring the "American Way" to the world about 350 years early.
While I am not, by any means, a "love it or leave it" patriot, the alternative presented by Flint and his partner writers is much worse. 17th century was *not* a pleasant era to live in, unless you were the King. Then it was, indeed, good. The main viewpoint character of the series, Mike Stearns, is a United Mine Workers of America union organizer (although he makes only what amount to cameo appearances in Ram Rebellion). This character gives Flint the opportunity to make the case for the worth of the common man, over the perceived value of hereditary royalty. This viewpoint resonates strongly with me. It is one of the reasons I enjoy the series as thoroughly as I do. I am unable to pronounce (except with a tone of disdain in my voice and a sneer on my face), the phrase "the divine right of Kings" [sneer]. You see? I can't even type it on a keyboard without sneering. And that is just my innate disgust at hereditary monarchy. Don't get me started on the caste system of India.
The thought that, merely by birth, a person is elevated to a position of authority over their fellow humans is repugnant to me. And, I suspect, to Eric Flint as well. If not, he makes a good show of it while placing such words in the mouth of Stearns. In any event, the point of the 163x series appears to me to be that men (and women) of courage; with conviction and with strength of will, can establish a meritocracy in the place of a monarchy. That they can further, by example of their own system, raise the common folk of Europe (and probably by the end of the series the rest of Planet Earth) out of the muck of 'their rightful place' - at least as such would have been determined by the Kings. In other novels in the series, this is accomplished by force of arms, political maneuvering and "Great Power" shenanigans.
Not so in 'Ram Rebellion'. This book is all about the exercise (and limitations) of "soft power". This is somewhat blatantly referenced when one group of characters refers to their Hearts and Minds operations among the peasantry. It is more subtly presented through the use of select quotes from Thomas Paine. This is also where some of the groundwork laid in the earlier parts of the book starts to make sense. The Ram, both as symbol and as actual personage, stands in for the Founding Fathers of our own Revolution. Flint compresses the events of the American Revolution into the space of about a year, and in a much smaller geographic area. And with Stearns and company "nudging" them along, the peasants manage to throw off their shackles much more efficiently than did the Colonists of our own America in 1776. And because we have already 'been there, done that' in our own history, watching the German Commoners' efforts to get their own piece of the pie is compelling. The writers also didn't forget to add some humor to the mix, along with a few sardonic semi-asides to the effect that we modern-day Americans may have forgotten some of the lessons of our own Revolution.
The result is delightful. Whether or not you have read any of the previous books, I recommend 'Ram Rebellion' to any Science Fiction reader. Even if you are not a regular reader of SF, you may still enjoy the book if you can accept the premise that a bunch of good ol' boys (and good ol' gals) is raising heck in the middle of The Thirty Years war.
The story of how the downtrodden can rise above the circumstances from which they came is a compelling one. If you are some sort of a closet Monarchist, or if you feel that people are born into their rightful place, this book would make you feel uncomfortable indeed. And that would make me happy. But if you do believe that human potential is boundless, and that (given an honest chance) anybody can achieve their own best destiny, then you will enjoy this book. And that would make me even happier.
Alternate History - a sub genre of SF that deals with a universe similar to, but different from, our own based on some departure from what we consider history. For instance, the bullet fired at Abraham Lincoln grazes his skull instead of killing him. A single event (usually) sets in motion a range of possibilities that allow the writer to cast the story in a world close to, but not, our own.
Shared Universe Novel - A work created by a collaborative effort, generally with each writer adding unique short stories, that taken together form a complete narrative. Different from collaborative novels where several authors move a single storyline forward, these works create a book out of individual stories of varying lengths.
Eric Flint's 163x series (so-named because the story starts in the year 1632, and continues through the years 1633, 1634, 1635, etc) is based on an alternate history where a small West Virginia town is translocated in time and space to Germany in 1632. I won't ask you to accept the validity of this concept. As Johnny Carson used to say: "buy the premise, buy the bit". Flint's use of the mechanics of time and space dislocation merely set the stage for a sweeping series of novels, short stories, and for all I know, video games - set in post-medieval Europe. Specifically, during the Thirty Years War. And when I say sweeping, I mean just that. At last count, over a dozen novels and 40+ collections of short stories have been set in this series.
SF in general, and the 163x series in particular, tends to encourage participation from the fans. This can be as simple as attending an SF convention while dressed as a fictional character. It can be as complicated as submitting for publication a novel in a shared universe. Many of the stories in 'Ram Rebellion' were penned by fans - now professional (or semi-professional) authors in their own right. This is amazingly much better than it might sound. The publisher (Baen Books) is an enlightened supporter of the concept of bringing new writers on board. These fan writers are being cultivated to become professional writers. Flint keeps a tight rein on his concept, so there is unwavering consistency among the various books. There are resources available to those who would venture forth as a contributor to the 163x universe. An active community of readers (there is, of course, a web forum) keeps the writers on point.
While it is helpful to have read some of the 163x series before reading 'Ram Rebellion' it is not strictly necessary. The first approximate two-thirds of the book are a series of short and short-short stories that set the stage for the final third of the book. There are a few 'in-jokes' here and there, but nothing that a plotline hangs upon. An uninitiated reader would not run headlong into something incomprehensible as a first-time visitor to the series. This portion of the book was the least satisfying to me. Not because the writing quality was lacking, but because of a lack of focus. It seems to me that, as an editor, Flint took a number of self-supporting stories set in the 163x universe and glued them together as a sort of preface the the final section of the book. Very likely some these stories appeared earlier in one of the 35 or so of the 40+ short story collections I've not yet read. Others act as a sort of filler among, or a bridge between otherwise unrelated or loosely-related stories.
Again, it is not that the stories themselves are bad - and several of them set up key points that are referred to in the last part of the book - it is just that as a whole they suffer from having a bit of a too-diffuse viewpoint. This part of the book... well, 'dragged' does not really describe it fairly. Maybe it would be better to say there was just a tiny bit too much of it.
It is in the last portion of the book where things really start to take off. As stated above, the 163x series involves the (fictional) small West Virginia town of Grantville being dropped into the middle of 17th century Europe. A land of monarchies and petty tyrants. The Reformation and Counter-Reformation. Pogroms and what we'd now call 'ethnic cleansing' as acceptable political exercises. To say that this "doesn't sit well" with the transplanted 21st Century hillbillies is an understatement. From the beginning of the first novel, the Grantvillers set out to "make 'em all behave" the way they should. Yes, 'God, Guns and Guts' are going bring the "American Way" to the world about 350 years early.
While I am not, by any means, a "love it or leave it" patriot, the alternative presented by Flint and his partner writers is much worse. 17th century was *not* a pleasant era to live in, unless you were the King. Then it was, indeed, good. The main viewpoint character of the series, Mike Stearns, is a United Mine Workers of America union organizer (although he makes only what amount to cameo appearances in Ram Rebellion). This character gives Flint the opportunity to make the case for the worth of the common man, over the perceived value of hereditary royalty. This viewpoint resonates strongly with me. It is one of the reasons I enjoy the series as thoroughly as I do. I am unable to pronounce (except with a tone of disdain in my voice and a sneer on my face), the phrase "the divine right of Kings" [sneer]. You see? I can't even type it on a keyboard without sneering. And that is just my innate disgust at hereditary monarchy. Don't get me started on the caste system of India.
The thought that, merely by birth, a person is elevated to a position of authority over their fellow humans is repugnant to me. And, I suspect, to Eric Flint as well. If not, he makes a good show of it while placing such words in the mouth of Stearns. In any event, the point of the 163x series appears to me to be that men (and women) of courage; with conviction and with strength of will, can establish a meritocracy in the place of a monarchy. That they can further, by example of their own system, raise the common folk of Europe (and probably by the end of the series the rest of Planet Earth) out of the muck of 'their rightful place' - at least as such would have been determined by the Kings. In other novels in the series, this is accomplished by force of arms, political maneuvering and "Great Power" shenanigans.
Not so in 'Ram Rebellion'. This book is all about the exercise (and limitations) of "soft power". This is somewhat blatantly referenced when one group of characters refers to their Hearts and Minds operations among the peasantry. It is more subtly presented through the use of select quotes from Thomas Paine. This is also where some of the groundwork laid in the earlier parts of the book starts to make sense. The Ram, both as symbol and as actual personage, stands in for the Founding Fathers of our own Revolution. Flint compresses the events of the American Revolution into the space of about a year, and in a much smaller geographic area. And with Stearns and company "nudging" them along, the peasants manage to throw off their shackles much more efficiently than did the Colonists of our own America in 1776. And because we have already 'been there, done that' in our own history, watching the German Commoners' efforts to get their own piece of the pie is compelling. The writers also didn't forget to add some humor to the mix, along with a few sardonic semi-asides to the effect that we modern-day Americans may have forgotten some of the lessons of our own Revolution.
The result is delightful. Whether or not you have read any of the previous books, I recommend 'Ram Rebellion' to any Science Fiction reader. Even if you are not a regular reader of SF, you may still enjoy the book if you can accept the premise that a bunch of good ol' boys (and good ol' gals) is raising heck in the middle of The Thirty Years war.
The story of how the downtrodden can rise above the circumstances from which they came is a compelling one. If you are some sort of a closet Monarchist, or if you feel that people are born into their rightful place, this book would make you feel uncomfortable indeed. And that would make me happy. But if you do believe that human potential is boundless, and that (given an honest chance) anybody can achieve their own best destiny, then you will enjoy this book. And that would make me even happier.
February 21, 2023
This book was funny and at times a bit shocking. It definitely feels a lot like the Ring of Fire collections I have read. Eric Flint actually says that in the end of the book.
Probably not necessary for the over all story but I enjoyed it. It does get a little slow in the middle but the first quarter and last are both great.
Probably not necessary for the over all story but I enjoyed it. It does get a little slow in the middle but the first quarter and last are both great.
June 11, 2015
This is not a novel. But it also isn't an anthology.
There are several short and not so stories in this book, written by different authors. There is also one novella length story, written by Eric Flint and Virginia DeMarce.
The stories basically constitute several prequels to the final novella. As it is custom in the the 1632verse they are part of an immensely complex net of preconditions and unintended consequences.
A simple farmer trying to buy some more fields suddenly stumbles over the laws and practices of a medieval feudal system, which has been twisted and turned throughout the centuries preceding the seventeenth.
How does a small late 20th century town deal with an invasion of animal-drawn vehicles and the legacy these animals leave on the streets?
How can highly developed and bred modern livestock deal with their down-time counterpart?
And how the heck does an ugly sheep appear on the flag of a peasants' rebellion?
If you are interested in the answers to these questions, this book is for you.
If you expect a literary masterwork you will be disappointed. This book is pure adventure.
There are several short and not so stories in this book, written by different authors. There is also one novella length story, written by Eric Flint and Virginia DeMarce.
The stories basically constitute several prequels to the final novella. As it is custom in the the 1632verse they are part of an immensely complex net of preconditions and unintended consequences.
A simple farmer trying to buy some more fields suddenly stumbles over the laws and practices of a medieval feudal system, which has been twisted and turned throughout the centuries preceding the seventeenth.
How does a small late 20th century town deal with an invasion of animal-drawn vehicles and the legacy these animals leave on the streets?
How can highly developed and bred modern livestock deal with their down-time counterpart?
And how the heck does an ugly sheep appear on the flag of a peasants' rebellion?
If you are interested in the answers to these questions, this book is for you.
If you expect a literary masterwork you will be disappointed. This book is pure adventure.
January 24, 2012
I'm about 450 pages in. It's snowing like crazy outside, and we're all trapped at the house. I bought the book for $.99 at Goodwill, as I was heading home before the big storm... So, given that preamble; it is certainly is fulfilling it's function.
Is it 'good'? Yes. Is it 'great'? No.
More later once I've finished it.
________
Finished. I liked it. I am a fan of this series, and I like political/historical novels in general. That this is a time-travel/warping political historical novel with a twist just adds to the fun. For me, the short stories in the beginning of the book add to the depth and character development. They are not needed, as the second half of the book is a stand-alone story and worth reading by itself. But it's better with the short stories in the beginning.
However, if you have not read 1632 - you will be completely lost. There are several books in this set. You don't need to read them all in order (I didn't) but you really need 1632 to set the stage.
Enjoy.
mjl
www.liftport.com
about.me/michaellaine
Is it 'good'? Yes. Is it 'great'? No.
More later once I've finished it.
________
Finished. I liked it. I am a fan of this series, and I like political/historical novels in general. That this is a time-travel/warping political historical novel with a twist just adds to the fun. For me, the short stories in the beginning of the book add to the depth and character development. They are not needed, as the second half of the book is a stand-alone story and worth reading by itself. But it's better with the short stories in the beginning.
However, if you have not read 1632 - you will be completely lost. There are several books in this set. You don't need to read them all in order (I didn't) but you really need 1632 to set the stage.
Enjoy.
mjl
www.liftport.com
about.me/michaellaine
February 20, 2017
Another winning title in the 1632 Verse. The Ram Rebellion tells a story from what I'll say is the tactical level of events, until the other Novels which deal with the 1632 Verse History at a much higher level. I really enjoyed all the real history and cultural lessons in this Alt-History story line. I highly recommend this series to any one interested in the 30 years War/Alt-History fans.
August 3, 2014
Not my favorite of the 1632 series, but still a good read.
May 9, 2018
Over all I enjoyed this collection of stories!
April 29, 2020
This was a confusing book in the series. Good, but just a wee bit mixed up at times. I'm sure that's mostly the nature of being a complete story in an anthology layout with a story being told by a large group of writers.
The story is solid though, and it felt like one that needed to be told, if that makes sense at all. The historical side of these books puts everyone in a world of divides, and while we do see it in the other books, it always feels a bit lacking, usually because it's not the main focus or is limited to only certain characters or small groups.
Here we get to see it with a large cast of characters and a whole class of people, which makes it more interesting. It was really entertaining to see whis whole uprising start over such a silly thing too.
But yeah, beyond that, there isn't much to say review wise for this book. It's so far into the series that anyone reading this has probably formed an opinion about it and know full well whether they're going to read the book or not already. That or they're here on accident, hehe.
The story is solid though, and it felt like one that needed to be told, if that makes sense at all. The historical side of these books puts everyone in a world of divides, and while we do see it in the other books, it always feels a bit lacking, usually because it's not the main focus or is limited to only certain characters or small groups.
Here we get to see it with a large cast of characters and a whole class of people, which makes it more interesting. It was really entertaining to see whis whole uprising start over such a silly thing too.
But yeah, beyond that, there isn't much to say review wise for this book. It's so far into the series that anyone reading this has probably formed an opinion about it and know full well whether they're going to read the book or not already. That or they're here on accident, hehe.
November 27, 2023
Good time overall. Too many stories though, would have preferred more focus on the main plot. And kinda ends too fast out of nowhere (despite being 700 pages)
April 19, 2015
Originally posted at Forest Azuaron.
The most important thing to know about The Ram Rebellion is that it isn't a novel, but a series of short stories on the same topic (The Ram Rebellion) that culminate into a novella, and these shorts are not written by the same authors. The result is that the story quality is incredibly uneven; some are quite good, and some are quite bad.
The second most important thing to know is that the rebellion doesn't actually occur until half-way through the ending novella; or, to put it another way, 600 pages into a 700 page mass market paperback.
To be perfectly upfront, I'm not a short story guy. If they're good, then I would have liked to spend more time with them. If they're bad, well, then they're bad. Which makes my interest in the Ring of Fire series unfortunate, since they are more short stories far outnumber the novels--I've lost count of Grantville Gazettes and Ring of Fire anthologies that have been published. Then, to open up what I expected to be a novel and find short stories instead...
Now that I've exposed my own biases, let's move on to actually reviewing the book. It's divided into four parts (three sets of shorts, followed by the novella), so I'll divide my review accordingly.
Part One: Recipes for Revolution
There's two stories of note in this part: Birdie's Farm and Birdie's Village, both by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett. The other three (all by Eric Flint) are connective tissue that tie the stories into the larger context of Grantville and the Ram Rebellion. The Birdie stories are pretty good, and provide important context for the rebellion, assuming you're interested in 17th century property ownership, tenantship, and legal minutia, which I am, but I assume I'm in the minority on that.
Part Two: Enter the Ram
The first three stories, all by some combination of Paula Goodlett, Virginia DeMarce, Stanley Leghorn, Rick Boatright, Kerryn Offord, and Laura Runkle, deal with the eponymous ram, which at this stage of the story is a literal ram. While I understand where they ultimately went with it, and the symbology that grew out of the ram, the stories about the ram are a dull slog.
The fourth and final story (A Night at the Ballet by Kerryn Offord) might be interesting to ballet aficionados, particularly if they like reading stories written from a first-person perspective that's devoid of all character. All in all, I wish I'd skipped part 2; I don't think I'd have missed anything.
Part Three: The Trouble in Franconia
Finally, we get to the region where a rebellion will occur. There's a lot less cohesion across stories than there is in Parts 1 and 2, but not to the detriment of the whole. If I were to read this book again, I'd probably just read parts 3 and 4, and be happier for it, since this is where we finally get to the root causes and reactions for and against the rebellion. In particular, The Suhl Incident by Eric Flint and John Zeek is probably the best story in the book, a smart combination of political maneuvering and hard action.
Part Four: The Ram Rebellion
Finally, we get to the rebellion! Apparently. Wait, when's this rebellion start? Apparently not for another hundred pages. A few things become clear upon reading part four.
First, that the novella was written independently of the rest of the stories; it stands complete, and can, therefore, be read independently of the rest without losing much.
Second, since it's independent and comes at the "end" of the book, none of the rest of the stories can actually be about the rebellion, but must remain as part of the build-up to the rebellion. This is, quite simply, poor story structure. For quite obvious reasons, the build-up of a story usually shouldn't take more than the first third. If it takes longer, it not only drags on beyond the reader's interest, but forces the compression of the action and pay off, thus reducing their impact.
Third, since it stands complete, the first half is dedicated to, you guessed it, more build-up. Which, if you're reading just The Ram Rebellion, is probably a good thing. But if you've just read the previous 500 pages only to come to the end and get even more build-up...
Overall
I can't recommend The Ram Rebellion. Several of the stories are just plain bad, and even the good ones are stuck amidst a disappointing overall arc.
The most important thing to know about The Ram Rebellion is that it isn't a novel, but a series of short stories on the same topic (The Ram Rebellion) that culminate into a novella, and these shorts are not written by the same authors. The result is that the story quality is incredibly uneven; some are quite good, and some are quite bad.
The second most important thing to know is that the rebellion doesn't actually occur until half-way through the ending novella; or, to put it another way, 600 pages into a 700 page mass market paperback.
To be perfectly upfront, I'm not a short story guy. If they're good, then I would have liked to spend more time with them. If they're bad, well, then they're bad. Which makes my interest in the Ring of Fire series unfortunate, since they are more short stories far outnumber the novels--I've lost count of Grantville Gazettes and Ring of Fire anthologies that have been published. Then, to open up what I expected to be a novel and find short stories instead...
Now that I've exposed my own biases, let's move on to actually reviewing the book. It's divided into four parts (three sets of shorts, followed by the novella), so I'll divide my review accordingly.
Part One: Recipes for Revolution
There's two stories of note in this part: Birdie's Farm and Birdie's Village, both by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett. The other three (all by Eric Flint) are connective tissue that tie the stories into the larger context of Grantville and the Ram Rebellion. The Birdie stories are pretty good, and provide important context for the rebellion, assuming you're interested in 17th century property ownership, tenantship, and legal minutia, which I am, but I assume I'm in the minority on that.
Part Two: Enter the Ram
The first three stories, all by some combination of Paula Goodlett, Virginia DeMarce, Stanley Leghorn, Rick Boatright, Kerryn Offord, and Laura Runkle, deal with the eponymous ram, which at this stage of the story is a literal ram. While I understand where they ultimately went with it, and the symbology that grew out of the ram, the stories about the ram are a dull slog.
The fourth and final story (A Night at the Ballet by Kerryn Offord) might be interesting to ballet aficionados, particularly if they like reading stories written from a first-person perspective that's devoid of all character. All in all, I wish I'd skipped part 2; I don't think I'd have missed anything.
Part Three: The Trouble in Franconia
Finally, we get to the region where a rebellion will occur. There's a lot less cohesion across stories than there is in Parts 1 and 2, but not to the detriment of the whole. If I were to read this book again, I'd probably just read parts 3 and 4, and be happier for it, since this is where we finally get to the root causes and reactions for and against the rebellion. In particular, The Suhl Incident by Eric Flint and John Zeek is probably the best story in the book, a smart combination of political maneuvering and hard action.
Part Four: The Ram Rebellion
Finally, we get to the rebellion! Apparently. Wait, when's this rebellion start? Apparently not for another hundred pages. A few things become clear upon reading part four.
First, that the novella was written independently of the rest of the stories; it stands complete, and can, therefore, be read independently of the rest without losing much.
Second, since it's independent and comes at the "end" of the book, none of the rest of the stories can actually be about the rebellion, but must remain as part of the build-up to the rebellion. This is, quite simply, poor story structure. For quite obvious reasons, the build-up of a story usually shouldn't take more than the first third. If it takes longer, it not only drags on beyond the reader's interest, but forces the compression of the action and pay off, thus reducing their impact.
Third, since it stands complete, the first half is dedicated to, you guessed it, more build-up. Which, if you're reading just The Ram Rebellion, is probably a good thing. But if you've just read the previous 500 pages only to come to the end and get even more build-up...
Overall
I can't recommend The Ram Rebellion. Several of the stories are just plain bad, and even the good ones are stuck amidst a disappointing overall arc.
March 8, 2023
The Ring of Fire series contains books like 1632, 1633, and 1634 The Baltic War. It also contains anthology collections like Ring of Fire and The Grantville Gazette (vols 1-7). It also has an online presence that includes even more short stories than the seven (or is it eight?) GG collections you can grab in print form. In short, it is an open-source world that was created by Eric Flint but almost immediately he was soliciting other authors, both professional and amateur, to join in creating and expanding his world.
The Ram Rebellion is hard to classify. It opens with a few short stories giving us a glimpse into the lives of Grantvillers who were not highlighted in the main books. Most of these stories are good and I especially enjoyed Flo Richards with her stubborn ram, Brillo, who soon gains notoriety as Grantville's version of Br'er Rabbit. However, the ballet story was atrocious. It had no business being in this series. The biggest chunk of the book is reserved for the story that lends its name to the collection. The Ram Rebellion focuses on a small-town teacher in Franconia (south-central Germany) who uses the aforementioned Brillo stories as the touchpoint to launch a rebellion against the collection of petty nobles and landlords in the region.
In all, this book could never stand on its own. For anyone who is interested in the Ring of Fire series, it is (mostly) enjoyable and helps to flesh out the brilliant world that EF has created. But I would definitely recommend reading 1632, 1633, and 1634 The Baltic War first. I don't necessarily think it is a "must-read" on its own, but it will certainly make 1634 The Bavarian Crisis a more enjoyable one.
The Ram Rebellion is hard to classify. It opens with a few short stories giving us a glimpse into the lives of Grantvillers who were not highlighted in the main books. Most of these stories are good and I especially enjoyed Flo Richards with her stubborn ram, Brillo, who soon gains notoriety as Grantville's version of Br'er Rabbit. However, the ballet story was atrocious. It had no business being in this series. The biggest chunk of the book is reserved for the story that lends its name to the collection. The Ram Rebellion focuses on a small-town teacher in Franconia (south-central Germany) who uses the aforementioned Brillo stories as the touchpoint to launch a rebellion against the collection of petty nobles and landlords in the region.
In all, this book could never stand on its own. For anyone who is interested in the Ring of Fire series, it is (mostly) enjoyable and helps to flesh out the brilliant world that EF has created. But I would definitely recommend reading 1632, 1633, and 1634 The Baltic War first. I don't necessarily think it is a "must-read" on its own, but it will certainly make 1634 The Bavarian Crisis a more enjoyable one.
January 24, 2013
I have mixed feelings about The Ram Rebellion. I enjoyed the way it transitioned from a story about a woman trying to breed sheep to humorous stories in the paper to political commentary to an actual political movement. It felt reasonably well done and believable.
I didn't enjoy the way the story was told primarily from the perspective of rather average people whose primary goal is to avoid getting involved in anything that might bring attention to themselves. There's lots of good up-time and down-time characters introduced in this book who actually do interesting things, but most of the time we get stuck listening to weekly briefings by local bureaucrats who seem to be working extra hard at keeping their heads in the sand. This could be a reasonably unique and interesting way to tell the story, but it doesn't come off. Even the characters realize this, with the primary protagonists from other novels making cameos to talk about how boring these people are.
Anyway, it didn't turn me off the series enough to stop reading it.
I didn't enjoy the way the story was told primarily from the perspective of rather average people whose primary goal is to avoid getting involved in anything that might bring attention to themselves. There's lots of good up-time and down-time characters introduced in this book who actually do interesting things, but most of the time we get stuck listening to weekly briefings by local bureaucrats who seem to be working extra hard at keeping their heads in the sand. This could be a reasonably unique and interesting way to tell the story, but it doesn't come off. Even the characters realize this, with the primary protagonists from other novels making cameos to talk about how boring these people are.
Anyway, it didn't turn me off the series enough to stop reading it.
July 22, 2009
People reading the 1632 series are likely to become confused upon reaching 1634. There are 4 books with "1634" in the title, and even after examining the books closely it wasn't clear which order they were supposed to be read in. Turns out it doesn't much matter as they all deal with very different characters and events, most of which occur in the title year. "The Ram Rebellion," moreover, is an anthology of stories by various authors set in this universe and bound together loosely with some segments from Eric Flint. The focus, for the most part, is on "unimportant" characters - that is, the rank and file Germans and Americans who find themselves affected by the Ring of Fire. Unfortunately several of the stories are very poor, and they drag the whole book down. In particular, go ahead and skip the whole interminable chapter about the ballet company - very boring. Other stories are considerably better, but none really gripping or compelling.
August 13, 2007
This book is marketed as a sort-of mosaic novel, but is really a collection of loosely linked stories set in Flint's 1632/Grantville universe. It does a good job of illustrating how a minor event can have far-reaching, "butterfly-effect" historical consequences, and also portrays the everyday life of the out-of-the-mainstream characters from the main series.
May 27, 2017
The Ram Rebellion isn't my favorite Ring of Fire novel to date, but it's not as bad as I feared. Going into it, my previous experience with coauthor Virginia DeMarce's work in the series was 1634: The Bavarian Crisis and her various short stories, which aren't bad (well, except for that story about the lady looking into her family's genealogy in a Swabian monastery's archives, that was pretty bad) but generally I find her writing style to be a bit dry and overly detail-oriented with too many characters for the good of the story. That said, 1634: The Ram Rebellion actually has an interesting story to tell. After the events of 1632 and going through the events of 1633 and 1634: The Baltic War, the story develops how the Ring of Fire affected Franconia, the southern half of the USE state of Thuringia-Franconia (post-1634), which has far more divisive local politics than Thuringia (given its overabundance of petty nobles, vicious history of religious persecution, and bad experiences with Swedish occupying forces) and inclined to resent that the Up-Timers have been given charge of its administration. That said, the story doesn't exactly approach its subject head-on rather it follows a chaotic approach through short stories and novellas written by several different authors, often with very little continuity and sometimes-jarring shifts of style, beginning with the adventures of an up-timer sheep-farming woman who has a problematically precocious ram, which inspires a series of humorous short stories, which inspire a grassroots pro-democracy movement in Franconia, which leads to clashes between hardline nobles and a well-organized pro-democracy rebellion (supported under the table by the Up-timer administration).
The biggest problem with the Ram Rebellion is its structure which, while effective at telling the story eventually, is needlessly byzantine and oftentimes seems to take forever to get any sort of plot moving. Yes, the story works, but its takes far too long to get any sense of where the story is going and in the meantime you're reading mildly amusing stories about a precocious sheep and the reestablishment of the league of women voters to fight street manure issues. It's not without a sense of humor, but it fails to be compelling enough to make it feel like anything more than a short story collection with a common theme until halfway through.
On the other hand, the Ram Rebellion is well-intentioned and fairly well-written and when the story does finally get going, it's a worthy entry in the series, putting together an interesting and multi-faceted political crisis that has had repercussions on the larger series, showing an alternative movement to the Committees of Correspondence and the development of the State of Thuringia-Franconia. Of course, that sentence right there is excellent evidence that this is only a volume for Ring of Fire purists as the primary elements of this story are pretty esoteric, on a similar level to the Grantville Gazettes.
The biggest problem with the Ram Rebellion is its structure which, while effective at telling the story eventually, is needlessly byzantine and oftentimes seems to take forever to get any sort of plot moving. Yes, the story works, but its takes far too long to get any sense of where the story is going and in the meantime you're reading mildly amusing stories about a precocious sheep and the reestablishment of the league of women voters to fight street manure issues. It's not without a sense of humor, but it fails to be compelling enough to make it feel like anything more than a short story collection with a common theme until halfway through.
On the other hand, the Ram Rebellion is well-intentioned and fairly well-written and when the story does finally get going, it's a worthy entry in the series, putting together an interesting and multi-faceted political crisis that has had repercussions on the larger series, showing an alternative movement to the Committees of Correspondence and the development of the State of Thuringia-Franconia. Of course, that sentence right there is excellent evidence that this is only a volume for Ring of Fire purists as the primary elements of this story are pretty esoteric, on a similar level to the Grantville Gazettes.
January 4, 2022
As Eric Flint notes in the introduction to this "novel," "1634: The Ram Rebellion" is a bit of an odd-ball volume. It is essentially a collection of short stories and short pieces that function like a crowd-written novel. It is an exemplar of books that look at the events of the mainline novels of "The Ring of Fire" but from a lower-order perspective. One character in an earlier volume offhandedly mentioned the "trouble in Franconia." This volume gives us an insight into that trouble. What makes the volume strong is that it is shows many of the complexities and nuances of 17th century Germany and how those delicate balances will become upended with the flooding of American ideas. Part 1 (Recipes for Revolution) looks at one Granville farmer's attempt to purchase land outside the Ring of Fire, showing the complicated land ownership system in the area. Part 2 (Enter the Ram) is my favorite. It centers around Flo Jenkins and her relationship with Brillo, a stubborn German ram who becomes the first mass culture folk hero of the New United States. I found myself laughing aloud while reading about Brillo's adventures. I especially liked "A Night at the Ballet" which follows an uptime ballet teacher who introduces modern ballet (including en pointe) to an eager seventeenth century audience. Part 3 (The Trouble in Franconia) looks at uptime attempts to create a civil administration in Franconia, a territory given to the New United States by King Gustav Adolf at the end of 1633. Part 4 (The Ram Rebellion) is probably the weakest of the four sections but mostly because shows the Rebellion primarily from the perspective of the up-timers. I think it would have been stronger if we had had more interior perspectives from those actually leading the revolution.
May 22, 2023
'The Ram Rebellion' isn't a 1634 novel. It's a collection of short stories and a novella. The short stories, varied in tone but whimsical in nature, set the stage for the much more serious novella. It's a like a multi-course meal, but it starts with dessert.
What's the premise? Ah, we're several novels and short story collections into this series now. If you aren't caught up, head on back the gangbusters "1632" and start there. The fun part is the growing legend of Brillo the Ram, subject of fables, tall tales, and unending headaches for the long-suffering owner of the characters' namesake. The serious part is the peasant rebellion that draws both its name and inspiration from the new folk hero.
I enjoy these stories. They're fun to listen to, they're thought-provoking in a "What if?" kind of way, and the make my long drives between Rhode Island and New York fly by. That's all I'm looking for in this franchise.
What's the premise? Ah, we're several novels and short story collections into this series now. If you aren't caught up, head on back the gangbusters "1632" and start there. The fun part is the growing legend of Brillo the Ram, subject of fables, tall tales, and unending headaches for the long-suffering owner of the characters' namesake. The serious part is the peasant rebellion that draws both its name and inspiration from the new folk hero.
I enjoy these stories. They're fun to listen to, they're thought-provoking in a "What if?" kind of way, and the make my long drives between Rhode Island and New York fly by. That's all I'm looking for in this franchise.
June 30, 2020
Started in on The Ram Rebellion quite some time ago. Found this book to be boring, dull, and impossible to stay focused on. Gave it a good try, but have set it aside with about 50 pages still to read. Just do not want to force my way through it.
The book is disjointed, containing many short stories that were connected only in someone's imagination. The so called star is a ram (as in sheep) named Brillo who actually talks in a couple of the segments. Brillo becomes the driving force in a rebellion of sorts. Using the word "rebellion" loosely. There is almost zero action in the entire book. You may gather that I really did not care for this book at all. As a matter of a fact I even read another book while trying to work my way through this one. Very generously gave it one star which is more than it deserves.
The book is disjointed, containing many short stories that were connected only in someone's imagination. The so called star is a ram (as in sheep) named Brillo who actually talks in a couple of the segments. Brillo becomes the driving force in a rebellion of sorts. Using the word "rebellion" loosely. There is almost zero action in the entire book. You may gather that I really did not care for this book at all. As a matter of a fact I even read another book while trying to work my way through this one. Very generously gave it one star which is more than it deserves.
September 14, 2023
2.25 Almost DNF. I want to like this more, because they tried to show the intricacies of 17th century politics and land-ownership. Also the down-timers aren't stupid in this one (okay, the "good guys" aren't). But as usual everything is resolved far too conveniently and easily. I don't doubt Thomas Paine would speak to 30-Years-War folks, but being that fascinated with the stupid Brill the Ram stories and also adopting so many other up-time customs was more than a stretch. The best part was the ballet story and some of the little details (like plastic containers being really valued). I'm sorry, but this one was a slog and despite the effort to make this collective history it again seems to revolve about great men.
August 1, 2019
While the unevenness of the writing sometimes frustrated me, I absolutely adored the exploration of the common man's experience in the radical transition of this world. Particularly poignant are the journeys of the farmers, who after a lifetime of struggle and lack of appreciation for their work, suddenly find themselves extraordinarily important, respected, and key to the success of this new world.
A caution : there's a moment at the end where they choose not to stand up when a child is murdered, for purely political reasons. I couldn't get past it, and it ruined what might otherwise have been one of my favorite books in this series.
A caution : there's a moment at the end where they choose not to stand up when a child is murdered, for purely political reasons. I couldn't get past it, and it ruined what might otherwise have been one of my favorite books in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2017
As Eric Flint says himself, this is an odd novel. It's a novel with short stories included. The book starts in 1631, shortly after the ring of fire and goes all the way to 1634. There you get to follow various people in the Grantville vicinity when they try to build a new life. A new life as auditor, ballet instructor or sheep farmer.
It is interesting in a different way than the books that try to describe the big picture and I like the book, but I missed a few thread endings. Maybe they are in a different book, but as this feel like an odd bird I am not so sure about that.
It is interesting in a different way than the books that try to describe the big picture and I like the book, but I missed a few thread endings. Maybe they are in a different book, but as this feel like an odd bird I am not so sure about that.
July 7, 2018
A largely bland entry in the 'ring of fire' series with flashes of interesting things taking place here and there.
Sadly it never feels like the book quite finds its pace and tries to keep track of too many characters at a time to really invest any significant time into most of them, leaving them shallow and artificial.
Would recommend considering this as a 'filler' in the series and could only recommend it if you feel like you'd like to know the minutia in-betweens of the main storyline which is much better written.
Sadly it never feels like the book quite finds its pace and tries to keep track of too many characters at a time to really invest any significant time into most of them, leaving them shallow and artificial.
Would recommend considering this as a 'filler' in the series and could only recommend it if you feel like you'd like to know the minutia in-betweens of the main storyline which is much better written.
February 20, 2020
The first half was a set of short stories that bounced between pretty decent and kinda silly.
The second half was a more proper novel. It was just good enough to keep me reading, but the plot really jumped around a lot (at one point there was a scene that was only one paragraph long). There were also a lot of characters and I really had trouble remembering who was who. I think this was because there wasn't anything super distictive about several of them.
Anyway - i finished it so I can move on in the series. Hopefully the next book is better.
The second half was a more proper novel. It was just good enough to keep me reading, but the plot really jumped around a lot (at one point there was a scene that was only one paragraph long). There were also a lot of characters and I really had trouble remembering who was who. I think this was because there wasn't anything super distictive about several of them.
Anyway - i finished it so I can move on in the series. Hopefully the next book is better.
April 3, 2020
Interesting use of Short Stories written by different authors to bring an overarching story to life. The start of it doesn't seem to be leading to any real change in the World of the Ring of Fire, the stories are funny, especially when they are including the Ram Brillo and all of them are more even in the writing that you get from a normal collection of short stories. A very unusual way to present a story but well worth the read if you are taking an interest in the series.
June 11, 2021
Reads like a expertly curated and edited collection of fan fiction. Good but not on par with the rest but still worth digging in for the overall canon. The story by Eric Flint really shows the difference, but it might fill a story void for you that Flint hasn't filled. If you are looking for small humorous bites of the bigger story this will be perfect for you. I truly enjoyed the stories that touched on the ballet, they were informative and endearing.
February 13, 2019
A fun mosaic novel, solidly written and well coordinated (the various authors match their tone and voice exceptionally well).
I'm not a 1632 fan, and I found it perfectly readable despite the fact that I hadn't read much of the series. It does get a bit ra ra ra modern democracy at times, which can impact the historical feel. It's a time travel novel, though.
And the ram is cute.
I'm not a 1632 fan, and I found it perfectly readable despite the fact that I hadn't read much of the series. It does get a bit ra ra ra modern democracy at times, which can impact the historical feel. It's a time travel novel, though.
And the ram is cute.
May 24, 2019
Not worth reading
Very disjointed and just not a very good book. I like the premise of explaining what is going on and avoiding the great man. I thought the first story was interesting but it really became a chore to read the rest of the book. Makes me have second thoughts on reading anymore of the series.
Very disjointed and just not a very good book. I like the premise of explaining what is going on and avoiding the great man. I thought the first story was interesting but it really became a chore to read the rest of the book. Makes me have second thoughts on reading anymore of the series.
April 4, 2025
This is a very strange book. The first half is a group of interconnected stories, written by different authors, set in and around Grantville. The second half is mostly written by the two authors named on the cover and it is a set of interconnect short stories and a mini novel set in the area south of Grantville. It's a very strange way to tell a story.
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