1635: The Weaver's Code (37)

by Eric Flint, Jody Lynn Nye

NEW RING OF FIRE SERIES ENTRY FROM THE LATE ERIC FLINT AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR JODY LYNN NYE

A young gentlewoman, Margaret de Beauchamp, finds her fate twisted into the lives of the up-timers when she meets the Americans imprisoned in the Tower of London. In exchange for her help, Rita Simpson and Harry Lefferts give her a huge sum of money to keep her family’s manor and its woolen trade from falling into the hands of the crown and its unscrupulous minister, Lord Cork. But Margaret’s troubles are not at an end. Her family’s fortunes are in a downward spiral. Her trip to Grantville brings unexpected dangers and a possible up-time solution.

Inspired by books in the Grantville library, Margaret has an idea to restore her family’s fortunes with an innovation never before seen in fabric design. With the help of Aaron Craig, an up-timer programmer using aqualators, water-powered computers, they teach her father’s craftsmen to create a combination machine loom that can produce a new type of woolen cloth. The ornate and perfect patterns quickly trend among the nobility. However, the Master Weavers of the county’s Weaver’s Guild aren’t happy about being overshadowed by the changes to the status quo, and take their grievance to Lord Cork, who is still looking for the people who helped the Americans escape from the Tower.

Cork isn’t interested in squabbles between mere tradesmen, but he is very interested in taking over the new calculating machine that is fueling the upsurge in the de Beauchamp fortunes. He sends agents ordered to stop at nothing to secure it for his own ends. Margaret has to protect her new business, and prevent anyone from discovering that up-timers are in the country to assist her, but she still has to deal with an uprising at home.

At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Eric Flint was the creator of the New York Times best-selling Ring of Fire series, the best-selling alternate history series of all time. Beginning with 1632, Flint—along with dozens of cowriters—chronicled what happened when the 20th-century town of Grantville, West Virginia, was transported through time and space to 17th-century Europe. In addition, Flint was the author, with New York Times best seller David Weber, of the Crown of Slaves Saga, as well as the Belisaurius series, with best-selling author David Drake. Flint was the editor of Jim Baen’s Universe, as well as numerous short story anthologies. Before becoming a writer, Flint worked as a trade union organizer, longshoreman, truck driver, auto worker, steel worker, oil worker, meatpacker, glassblower, and machinist. Eric Flint passed away in 2022.

Jody Lynn Nye is known for her numerous works of science fiction and fantasy, including An Unexpected Apprentice and its sequel, A Forthcoming Wizard; Applied Mythology; Advanced Mythology; and others. She has collaborated with New York Times best-selling author Anne McCaffrey on The Death of Sleep, The Ship Who Won, Doona and other novels, and with another New York Times best-selling author, Robert Asprin, in his “Myth” series.

Genres: Alternate History, Time Travel, Science Fiction, Fiction

416 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2024

About the author

Eric 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.

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Margaret de Beauchamp helps the Americans escape the Tower of London and in exchange gets some high tech weaving machines and a chunk of cash. The machines arrive along with two Americans and then the fun begins. A good read.

Also why would the current king name himself with the ill famed name of Charles?

[Jim Purcell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good story, well told, within and expanding the Assitti Shards Canon. Weaving and England move to the fore in this tale as we look in on the uptimers in the Tower. Charles I is too busy playing king and staying alive, (He has read the history books about his demise) to serve as an effective ruler. He leaves that to the Earl of Cork who, is the epitome of an evil chancellor.
Margaret de Beauchamp and a young American nerd are revolutionizing the weaving of wool which upsets just about everyone. Lots about sheep, wool, weaving, and the very inept British monarchy. An entertaining installment in this very good series.

[Daniel Shellenbarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a charming addition to the 'ol Ring of Fire (RoF) series, the first in a spate of new releases coming over the next few months. Jody Lynn Nye adds her first full-length contribution to the series with this novel about Margery de Beauchamp, the daughter of northern English wool-maker gentry who happens to be in London asking for tax leniency right at the same time the American Embassy is shut up in the Tower of London. Driven by curiosity more than anything, she ends up visiting the Americans and making friends there, even helping (in her small way) in their escape from King Charles and his despotic right hand, Lord Boyle. Fast forward a bit and to help her family escape looming bankruptcy, Margery takes a trip to the United States of Europe (USE) to visit her uptimer friends and see if they can help her find a way to give her family's failing business a boost. She comes up with the idea to combine aqualators (water-driven mechanical computers) with looms to create sophisticated woolen weaves far beyond anything their rivals could create. To achieve this, she enlists the help of a high school computer whiz to design and program the system. With his and his father's aid, the de Beauchamps set about trying to revolutionize the wool industry while facing opposition from the guilds, some of their employees, and, of course, the insidious Lord Boyle's minions (as he's still looking for a scapegoat to blame the Tower of London explosion/American Embassy's escape on). Much like David Carrico's stories in the RoF universe, this is much more "slice of life" than "clash of civilizations" with fairly mild stakes, and I'm cool with that, the writing flows nicely, the characters are likeable, and it's easy to get invested in Margery's one-woman crusade to try to save the midlands wool industry from getting crushed by its distance from the USE's industrial revolution (which is lowering costs and increasing efficiency for continental wool farmers while Britain remains mired in an essentially medieval tech base, meaning British wool is more expensive and no longer qualitatively that much better) and by King Charles's (and by Charles, I mean Boyle, who is essentially dictator of Britain) increasingly dysfunctional policies, which are aimed at (1) satiating the King's paranoia and (2) acquiring as much wealthy and power for Boyle as he can squirrel away. Anyway, I really enjoyed this read, I do wonder if this is the first RoF novel in which the Michael Stearns parts weren't written by Eric Flint (as they just read a little different, Eric is credited, but Tom Clancy gets credited for all his posthumous books and I'm pretty sure he never even conceived of their plots, and I have no idea when Ms Nye started on this (much less finished it) but it's been 2.5 years since Eric's death, so...). All in all, my only real problem with this was that the author kept acting like Hamburg wasn't part of the USE even though she mentions Admiral Simpson's Baltic offensive has happened and thus should be under USE control. Not a big deal, just a little nitpick. Other than that very minor issue, if the Ring of Fire series can keep going with more books like this, I'll happily keep reading them.

[Redsteve · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Eric Flint having passed away in 2022, I had concerns about the future of the "Ring of Fire" shared universe series; I'm reassured by this one. I'm pretty sure that this is Nye's first contribution to the series, but it's a good fit. It's been a while since te books focused on events in England (I think in 1635: A PARCEL OF ROGUES, published in 2016). Even though 1635: THE WEAVER'S CODE just came out this year, the story starts pretty much at the same time as 1634: THE BALTIC WAR (published in 2008) [Most of the recently published books in the series have been set between 1636-1637.]. This is an excellent addition to the series, with a good combination of 17th Century history (and alternate history), intrigue, character development, improvised technology, and action. The plot focuses on the British wool industry, King Charles' increasingly paranoid efforts to avoid the events of our time, and primitive computer technology. OK, that sounds like a range, but it works. solid 4 stars. Other than needing a familiarity with the "Ring of Fire" setting, there aren't any other books of the series that you MUST read before this one, and even though the plot is connected to events in the above books, since the protagonist's point of view is completely different, all the information a reader needs is in this book

[Craig Beyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books always intrigue me with the juxtaposition of the 1600s and modern times. This book centers around weaving, a staple of England in the 1600s, and the influence of mechanizing weaving using a version of modern technology. While not the same as the Jacquard machine, which was added to a loom to program it, it’s essentially the same concept but different mechanically. By itself that’s not much of a story. Add in a young English girl’s helping American’s kept in the Tower of London by the King and the story becomes more involved. When she ends up in Germany and gets help from the Americans, who design, build, and test the “aqualators” it help her father’s weaving, the story—and the conflicts among the guild weavers, the potential of a threat to the King, and tax problems for estate owners, gets really interesting. The story has several fascinating intriguing subplots reflective of the contrast between the 1600s and modern times that will keep your interest.

[Kevin K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute Banger!

Fleshes out the England arc quite significantly after many years away, some awesome character development, and the influx of "new" ideas into a different area (England) is definitely going to cause some issues for Cork and the King.

The aqualator / weaving threads was very interesting, and it'll be interesting to see these plot threads get woven into the wider story (sorry, I couldn't help myself with the weaving puns).

If you enjoy the 1632 series, check this one out, it's a worthy addition!

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't normally do text reviews - but I think this book deserves one, because I think the title can be a little misleading and possibly people would not pick it up accordingly.

Yes, the book is about a Weaver and his family. But it (with a bit of plotmentium) uses that Family to tell a much larger story about the state of the world at that time and some of the key players. Combine that with mostly well-written characters (to be fair the one main 'henchman' is a tad tropey) it's a should-read, especially for ROF fans.

[Ronald Spitzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been wondering what happened to the English girl/lady that helped with the Tower of London break out. This book answers that question and does it with good characterization, showing yet another ripple from the Ring of Fire, which affect both noble and commoner. Logical events and appropriate adventures to fit the plot. Now, of course, I am wondering WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Please start writing the next book set in England.

[Michael Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of Flint's last contributions to his series. We get caught up in the breakout from the tower when the Wrecking Crew were still active. Then the aid from the USE to start building more bridges to England. Cork and the lowly Charles get a bit more development. Hopefully Nye will add to this portion of the Ring of Fire with more details as the basic series is now into 1637 for many portions of the tale.

[Robert Zielazinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice addition to the 1632 storyverse

An interesting take on a different kind of Industrial Revolution.
The cover illustration is delightfully misleading.
Well developed characters, enough action that I had to finish it in two days.
I had put off reading this book because it is the last one that Eric Flint directly contributed to. He is missed.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun little side story, but none of the stakes feel real. Margaret's being actively stalked by ne'er-do-wells but there's never any actual sense of danger. I wish the connection between fabric arts and early computers had been brought up since, y'know, the story is about inventing computerized weaving.

[Bonny Fuller-Fells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margaret brings aqualators to England to improve weaving

With the help of the Americans, Margaret develops aqualators for weaving, Monk orders his troops to seize them. The Scotts come to the rescue.

[LinHigley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story of evil and good

Had studied in college about fluidex computers. Nice to see a revival in the downtimers. Having a heroine as the thrust of the story is very pleasant and moist . I morn Eric Flint.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The up timers are at it again. Inventing computers for use in weaving in 1635. Interesting book. A lot less needlework than I had hoped and sometimes it just drags, but hang in there the last thirty pages are rip roaring!

[J. Larry Stine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this story. delighted this series has continued.

Glad to see more stories about England. Very enjoyable. Very nice tie in to previous stories about England. Can’t wait for the next book.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The franchise is catching up with England, which has been quiet in the novels for quite a while. This thread starts up with some engaging characters and some discussion of topics near and dear to the late Eric Flint's heart. It will be interesting to see where this thread goes.

[Darin Rothwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, one of the better 163x-verse books

RIP Eric Flint. Please don't let this be the end of the road for the 163x-verse.

Keep on keeping on

[Daniel Hamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable return to the series. Because of its recent publication date, you need to look back to where it belongs in the series chronologically.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nye fills in the British branch of the Ring of Fire nicely.

[Mike Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is in line with what one expects from the series and follows the same formula, it felt just the slightest bit off. Main characters were good overall. 79/100