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1637: The French Correction
NEW RING OF FIRE SERIES ENTRY FROM THE LATE ERIC FLINT AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR WALTER The King is Long Live the King. But which one? Gaston sits on the throne in Paris, but the dead king’s infant son has powerful forces on his side, ready to place him where he belongs. Who will prevail?
Tensions build in France following the ascension of Gaston to the throne of his murdered brother, but there are factions supporting the claim of King Louis’ surviving infant son. As France moves toward civil war, other parties, both visible and invisible, maneuver to take advantage of the increased tension. Who will survive to reign over France—King Gaston, the exiled child and his regents, or the King of Spain?
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.
Walter H. Hunt is the creator of the popular Dark Wing space adventure series. He has nearly twenty years’ experience in high tech as a software engineer and technical writer. His writing reflects an abiding interest in history, his area of college study, but science fiction has been his favorite reading material since he watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon when he was but a lad. He is an active Freemason and a lifelong baseball fan. He lives in eastern Massachusetts with his wife and daughter.
Tensions build in France following the ascension of Gaston to the throne of his murdered brother, but there are factions supporting the claim of King Louis’ surviving infant son. As France moves toward civil war, other parties, both visible and invisible, maneuver to take advantage of the increased tension. Who will survive to reign over France—King Gaston, the exiled child and his regents, or the King of Spain?
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.
Walter H. Hunt is the creator of the popular Dark Wing space adventure series. He has nearly twenty years’ experience in high tech as a software engineer and technical writer. His writing reflects an abiding interest in history, his area of college study, but science fiction has been his favorite reading material since he watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon when he was but a lad. He is an active Freemason and a lifelong baseball fan. He lives in eastern Massachusetts with his wife and daughter.
416 pages, Hardcover
Published March 4, 2025
34 people are currently reading
40 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 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 2, 2025
In 1637: the French Correction, the civil war in France is starting to heat up. King Gaston may hold the throne, but his sister-in-law Queen Ann is determined to put her infant son, the "rightful" king on the throne and has the grudging support of a coalition of Gaston's opponents and even a modicum of support from the United States of Europe, mostly because Gaston seems like the worse of two evils. Ann's cause receives a shot in the arm when the presumed-dead Cardinal Richelieu reappears on the scene and throws his support behind her. Given his fractious personality, Gaston finds his own support drying up and is forced to turn to France's traditional rival, Spain, for aid.
I gave this one a 6/10 rating because this is 60% of a good Ring of Fire novel, which is not to say that it's 40% bad, it's to say that there's 40% of the book missing. When the book ends, it does so at a point that can, at best, be called dramatic, but which resolves nothing and suggests that an important event is afoot which for reasons that can only be attributed to an overplayed sense of the dramatic is left out of this book and saved for a future sequel (should such be written). It is a non-ending, even by episodic story standards, and it appalled me. It's not a case where suddenly something dramatic occurs out of nowhere. No, it's a case where one faction decides to do something sinister to derail a potential resolution and then the book simply stops. Look, you want to do a Layer Cake ending and shock the audience by just offing a main character out of nowhere? That's fine. You want to pull a Usual Suspects and add a last second reveal that throws everything for a loop? That's fine too. However, to start wrapping up a book and then add a minor last second story development and then to just abandon it practically mid-sentence... not to put too fine a point on it, but that's cheap BS. It would be like if the Usual Suspects ended by having Gabriel Byrne wounded on the boat and say, "So it's you" and then just End, no mind-blowing reveal, just done.
I have one other big problem with this book. As with its predecessor, it completely fails to touch upon what the people of France think of this nobility-driven civil war within their country, one which is threatening to bring France under Spanish domination. One which has already cost them cooperation with Up-Timers and friendly relations with the United States of Europe, which promised better living conditions and economic opportunities for common French citizens. All thrown away out of pique by the new French King. The people have a right to be angry, and this book has absolutely no interest in the subject. I said this in my review of its predecessor, but the Committees of Correspondence should be making waves in this situation, urging the people of France to grab a stake in their own future, and instead, the book acts like the only voices that matter in France are the two groups of nobles and their surprisingly small armies. It baffles me. On the one hand, we have Gaston, he's not a nice guy and he's no friend to the forces of democracy and freedom, but he's also insular and not interested in empire-building. On the other hand, we've got Richelieu and his ilk (supporting the "rightful" infant king), who believe in a big powerful France under an absolute monarch and with a global empire. So the question is, WHY WOULD THE UP-TIMERS SUPPORT EITHER OF THESE CAUSES. This feels so far from where the story began. Back in 1632, the characters bluntly state that if the Ring of Fire had brought back a nearby city (Morgantown) along with Grantville, with its National Guard armory, they wouldn't have made concessions with the nobility or worked with them, they'd just have rolled over Europe and hung the whole useless lot of them. Here we are, 6 years later, in-universe, and we've got up-timers working fervently to put the "rightful" king on the throne of France as if that's something they'd care about? I'm not saying the story isn't interesting, but it gives in to the "romantic" view of monarchy which most of the series has viewed with such rightful contempt. By contrast with this book and its predecessor, we have the series of novels in the Russian storyline, and we've got very similar plot elements (perhaps... too similar), but in a twist that makes that series far superior to this one, in order to build support for his cause, the Czar actually has to make reforms and to face his people and their problems. That's Russia. A country which in the early modern mid-17th century might as well have still been living in the Dark Ages. Then we've got France, one of the richest and most cosmopolitan places in Europe, right next door to the Germanies where the Ring of Fire had the most impact, and I'm supposed to believe that the merchants and peasants are just going to watch the two factions squabbling over the throne and not say, "Heck with both of them!" I mean, the only characters in the whole story who actually question why the USE should care WHO sits on the throne of France are the hillbilly airship pilots who nobody listens to because they're too rough around the edges. It only makes sense for the French people to be willing to go along with this situation if they know they don't have any alternatives or if they think that they have an obligation to prop up the monarchic system, but 6 years on from the Ring of Fire (and with plenty of evidence from the Germanies that the divine right of Kings is a bunch of bunk), why would they think that? It's a glaring hole. It was a glaring hole in the prior book, and they did nothing to fix it here.
Finally, we have Pedro Dolor (Peter Pain?), the agent of chaos who's manipulating things behind the scenes. It's clear that he isn't what he seems, but who is he? What's his end game? What's his motivation? He's clearly playing the Spanish like a fiddle and just as clearly has no loyalty to their cause (or to the French), so it would seem likely that he's a revolutionary, but the book never let's us in on any of it. I'd say he wants to bring down both the French monarchy and pull Spain into a quagmire in France that'll weaken it, but why? Is he a Catalan or Portuguese nationalist? Is he a rogue CoC agitator? Is he a secret USE agent? Is he an Ottoman agent trying to create a conflict on the USE's western border that will force it to pull troops away from Vienna? Is he Harry Lefferts in a funny hat? He's easily the most interesting element in the story, and yet the subplot is horribly under-developed. It's so ambiguous you can't be sure if you should be rooting for him to succeed or cursing his sinister actions.
Other than that, the book flows well, it's got plenty of fun twists and turns and it's certainly interesting and amusing, but I can't forgive the fact that the book's ending is so abrupt and arbitrary for what seems to me like no other reason than a page limit imposed by the publisher (I've heard Baen isn't doing so well these days...), and (as you can undoubtedly tell) I'm not at all pleased by how badly the book blatantly ignores the "Jacquerie" element.
I gave this one a 6/10 rating because this is 60% of a good Ring of Fire novel, which is not to say that it's 40% bad, it's to say that there's 40% of the book missing. When the book ends, it does so at a point that can, at best, be called dramatic, but which resolves nothing and suggests that an important event is afoot which for reasons that can only be attributed to an overplayed sense of the dramatic is left out of this book and saved for a future sequel (should such be written). It is a non-ending, even by episodic story standards, and it appalled me. It's not a case where suddenly something dramatic occurs out of nowhere. No, it's a case where one faction decides to do something sinister to derail a potential resolution and then the book simply stops. Look, you want to do a Layer Cake ending and shock the audience by just offing a main character out of nowhere? That's fine. You want to pull a Usual Suspects and add a last second reveal that throws everything for a loop? That's fine too. However, to start wrapping up a book and then add a minor last second story development and then to just abandon it practically mid-sentence... not to put too fine a point on it, but that's cheap BS. It would be like if the Usual Suspects ended by having Gabriel Byrne wounded on the boat and say, "So it's you" and then just End, no mind-blowing reveal, just done.
I have one other big problem with this book. As with its predecessor, it completely fails to touch upon what the people of France think of this nobility-driven civil war within their country, one which is threatening to bring France under Spanish domination. One which has already cost them cooperation with Up-Timers and friendly relations with the United States of Europe, which promised better living conditions and economic opportunities for common French citizens. All thrown away out of pique by the new French King. The people have a right to be angry, and this book has absolutely no interest in the subject. I said this in my review of its predecessor, but the Committees of Correspondence should be making waves in this situation, urging the people of France to grab a stake in their own future, and instead, the book acts like the only voices that matter in France are the two groups of nobles and their surprisingly small armies. It baffles me. On the one hand, we have Gaston, he's not a nice guy and he's no friend to the forces of democracy and freedom, but he's also insular and not interested in empire-building. On the other hand, we've got Richelieu and his ilk (supporting the "rightful" infant king), who believe in a big powerful France under an absolute monarch and with a global empire. So the question is, WHY WOULD THE UP-TIMERS SUPPORT EITHER OF THESE CAUSES. This feels so far from where the story began. Back in 1632, the characters bluntly state that if the Ring of Fire had brought back a nearby city (Morgantown) along with Grantville, with its National Guard armory, they wouldn't have made concessions with the nobility or worked with them, they'd just have rolled over Europe and hung the whole useless lot of them. Here we are, 6 years later, in-universe, and we've got up-timers working fervently to put the "rightful" king on the throne of France as if that's something they'd care about? I'm not saying the story isn't interesting, but it gives in to the "romantic" view of monarchy which most of the series has viewed with such rightful contempt. By contrast with this book and its predecessor, we have the series of novels in the Russian storyline, and we've got very similar plot elements (perhaps... too similar), but in a twist that makes that series far superior to this one, in order to build support for his cause, the Czar actually has to make reforms and to face his people and their problems. That's Russia. A country which in the early modern mid-17th century might as well have still been living in the Dark Ages. Then we've got France, one of the richest and most cosmopolitan places in Europe, right next door to the Germanies where the Ring of Fire had the most impact, and I'm supposed to believe that the merchants and peasants are just going to watch the two factions squabbling over the throne and not say, "Heck with both of them!" I mean, the only characters in the whole story who actually question why the USE should care WHO sits on the throne of France are the hillbilly airship pilots who nobody listens to because they're too rough around the edges. It only makes sense for the French people to be willing to go along with this situation if they know they don't have any alternatives or if they think that they have an obligation to prop up the monarchic system, but 6 years on from the Ring of Fire (and with plenty of evidence from the Germanies that the divine right of Kings is a bunch of bunk), why would they think that? It's a glaring hole. It was a glaring hole in the prior book, and they did nothing to fix it here.
Finally, we have Pedro Dolor (Peter Pain?), the agent of chaos who's manipulating things behind the scenes. It's clear that he isn't what he seems, but who is he? What's his end game? What's his motivation? He's clearly playing the Spanish like a fiddle and just as clearly has no loyalty to their cause (or to the French), so it would seem likely that he's a revolutionary, but the book never let's us in on any of it. I'd say he wants to bring down both the French monarchy and pull Spain into a quagmire in France that'll weaken it, but why? Is he a Catalan or Portuguese nationalist? Is he a rogue CoC agitator? Is he a secret USE agent? Is he an Ottoman agent trying to create a conflict on the USE's western border that will force it to pull troops away from Vienna? Is he Harry Lefferts in a funny hat? He's easily the most interesting element in the story, and yet the subplot is horribly under-developed. It's so ambiguous you can't be sure if you should be rooting for him to succeed or cursing his sinister actions.
Other than that, the book flows well, it's got plenty of fun twists and turns and it's certainly interesting and amusing, but I can't forgive the fact that the book's ending is so abrupt and arbitrary for what seems to me like no other reason than a page limit imposed by the publisher (I've heard Baen isn't doing so well these days...), and (as you can undoubtedly tell) I'm not at all pleased by how badly the book blatantly ignores the "Jacquerie" element.
March 24, 2025
A solid "almost conclusion" to the France arc of the 1632 series. It rolls in elements that have been seeded for quite awhile including mainland France, France's new holdings in North America and the machinations of other governments and factions in Europe.
The novel ends with some major league deaths, and will present some interesting things to turn to should the 1632 series continue.
If you enjoy the alt-history presented in this series, pick this one up (but note, you should probably read 1636: Cardinal Virtues at minimum before delving into this one)
The novel ends with some major league deaths, and will present some interesting things to turn to should the 1632 series continue.
If you enjoy the alt-history presented in this series, pick this one up (but note, you should probably read 1636: Cardinal Virtues at minimum before delving into this one)
June 5, 2025
This series—Eric Flint’s “The Ring of Fire” series—is one of the most interesting of the alternate future views. One of the most engaging elements is the use of modern technology interspersed with historical characters and how those characters and the “up-timers” of the USE employ it. I don’t know the French history very well, so the events in this book may not be factually correct (Richelieu’s flight in a blimp is obviously an interesting fabrication!). The conflicts about Gaston, Anne, and her baby child competing with Gaston as the royal heir are…interesting.
March 8, 2025
Better than expected
I’ve always found the French monarchy plot thread of the 1632 universe tedious and hard to get invested in, and the Spanish/Vatican one over complicated and too dark, but they are combined into a satisfying package here where the characters old and new are engaging, the suspense better than before, and the resolution more interesting as loyalties shift and some characters die in style.
I’ve always found the French monarchy plot thread of the 1632 universe tedious and hard to get invested in, and the Spanish/Vatican one over complicated and too dark, but they are combined into a satisfying package here where the characters old and new are engaging, the suspense better than before, and the resolution more interesting as loyalties shift and some characters die in style.
September 25, 2025
Last book written in part by Eric Flint before his death. France is still in chaos. One half brother sits on the throne. The only son of the late king is in hiding. Richelieu is thought dead but who knows for sure. Spain seeks to control France. Three main players with several more minor participants have armies and the means to put the young child in power. Add in the USE and minor players of unknown affiliation and the game is afoot.
May 15, 2025
This is a good book, after all it includes characters from Dumas' Three Musketeers and other works, including Cardinal Richelieu, but don't start reading the series here. Start with 1632.
March 20, 2025
Paris Up for Grabs
The subtle Red Cardinal Richelieu makes his last view of the promised land. Will France survive the presence of Spanish troops at Paris? An enjoyable novel of intrigue, with more to come.
The subtle Red Cardinal Richelieu makes his last view of the promised land. Will France survive the presence of Spanish troops at Paris? An enjoyable novel of intrigue, with more to come.
March 25, 2025
Political intrigue galore, with occasional action. This is a much-needed update what is going on in France related the alternate history events from earlier books. This an enjoyable read with well-drawn characters and their quirks. Hopefully the next one will come after a shorter wait.
April 25, 2025
I enjoyed this new story of the ongoing Ring of Fire saga. The ending left this story line hanging which indicates another book should be coming. We will see if that happens after the passing of Eric Flint. I hope so.
May 2, 2025
even though most of the books in this series follow the same formula, they're still page-turners. this one sets itself apart with, I believe, more of a cliffhanger than any other. like it stopped in the middle of a chapter. 84/100
October 9, 2025
An excellent entry into the 1632 series
This novel helps resolve the chaos in France following the murder of the king and the split over the proper secession. Once again those who can best adapt to the changes prevail.
This novel helps resolve the chaos in France following the murder of the king and the split over the proper secession. Once again those who can best adapt to the changes prevail.
March 8, 2025
Richeliue returns
Service and Richeliue are reunited. Queen Anne and the true king move toward Paris. Turenne moves toward Paris too. The Spanish try to interfere.
Service and Richeliue are reunited. Queen Anne and the true king move toward Paris. Turenne moves toward Paris too. The Spanish try to interfere.
March 23, 2025
France from the frying pan into the fire!
This was written extremely well ,engaging, and full of surprise. People who love intriguing plot lines will rave. On tho the next book.
This was written extremely well ,engaging, and full of surprise. People who love intriguing plot lines will rave. On tho the next book.
March 25, 2025
excitement in the not quite world of dumas. I enjoy the series though one can read it by itself
April 8, 2025
Very good to see that the series continues well even after Flint is no longer there to guide it.
April 21, 2025
Conspiracy on Steroids could have been the title of this visit to the French front of the ROF.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews