Gray Tide 2: Tidal Effects

Gray Tide In The East #2

by Andrew J. Heller

Tidal Effects is the sequel to Gray Tide in the East, the popular alternate history of the First World War. In Gray Tide, the Germans cancel their planned invasion of Belgium in 1914, turning their armies eastward to crush Russia without interference from Great Britain or the United States. Tidal Effects picks up the story in 1923. In High Tide, the U.S. discovers that Germany is building a secret naval base on Martinique, which they acquired from France as part of the peace settlement in 1915. It is a clear challenge to U.S. control of the Western Hemisphere, but how will the isolationist, pacifism-minded American respond when the Kaiser escalates the situation to the brink of war?

In the second story, Austria-Hungary is under the thumb of its powerful neighbor, and Emperor Charles would like to find new diplomatic partners and free his country from German domination. He calls in an American newspaperman to secretly sound out allies for a new treaty organization to meet the German threat. Meanwhile the Kaiser's agent "Wolf" is working to undermine the Dual Monarchy, by encouraging a revolution in Hungary that will allow Germany to gobble up the new territory won by Austria in the war. Tidal Effects offers two stories filled with action, political maneuvering, treachery, spies and surprises.

Genres: Alternate History

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2014

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, if short, piece of alternative fiction that makes for a great beach read or commuter read.

[Allen McDonnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two short stories

I was fooled by the title and blurb into thinking this was a full length novel building on what was written in the first. Unfortunately instead of building much the first short story skips ahead a few years and explores a crisis which to myself makes no sense. At this time circa 1922 in real history the UK and its commonwealth and colony nations had a dozen or more shipyards useful for the Royal Navy. Why the USA would suddenly get all wound up to the brink of declaring war about Germany, a nation we had friendly relations with and who had supplied the ancestors of some 20% of the American population is never made clear. In real history at this time the UK with its multiple ports and naval units was seen as a legitimate threat and having a German presence to offset some of that threat would IMO gave been welcomed, particularly given isolationist sentiments of the US voters. The second short story simply builds on the first and involves a lot of political manoeuvring to create a prototypical league of nations style international treaty that I find it exceedingly dubious would be accepted in the USA. Remember even after the huge bloodletting and expense of the First World War the USA soundly rejected the idea of the league and refused to join it.

[Rob Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an earlier alternate history, Heller had written about the German victory during the Great War. This follow-on work is set in 1923, and has the German Imperial Navy building a major naval base in the Caribbean. The story relates the interplay of America, the British Empire, and the German Empire as they try to avert war without losing face. It is a short read, a novella actually, but the characterization is fascinating. A fun, quick read.

[Damien Larkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great addition to this WW1 alternative history. Fascinating getting insights into the political decision making had the war turned out differently. Well researched and enjoyable.