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Tales from the Black Chamber #2
Theater of Spies
The second novel in an alternate history series where Teddy Roosevelt is president once more right before WWI breaks out, and on his side is the Black Chamber, a secret spy network watching America's back.
After foiling a German plot to devastate America's coastal cities from Boston to Galveston, crack Black Chamber agent Luz O'Malley and budding technical genius Ciara Whelan go to California to recuperate. But their well-deserved rest is cut short by the discovery of a diabolical new weapon that could give the German Imperial Navy command of the North Sea.
Luz and Ciara must go deep undercover and travel across a world at war, and live under false identities in Berlin itself to ferret out the project's secrets. Close on their trail is the dangerous German agent codenamed Imperial Sword, who is determined to get his revenge, and a band of assault-rifle equipped stormtroopers, led by the murderously efficient killer Ernst R�hm. From knife-and-pistol duels on airships to the horrors of the poison-gas factories to harrowing marine battles in the North Sea, the fight continues--with a world as the prize.
After foiling a German plot to devastate America's coastal cities from Boston to Galveston, crack Black Chamber agent Luz O'Malley and budding technical genius Ciara Whelan go to California to recuperate. But their well-deserved rest is cut short by the discovery of a diabolical new weapon that could give the German Imperial Navy command of the North Sea.
Luz and Ciara must go deep undercover and travel across a world at war, and live under false identities in Berlin itself to ferret out the project's secrets. Close on their trail is the dangerous German agent codenamed Imperial Sword, who is determined to get his revenge, and a band of assault-rifle equipped stormtroopers, led by the murderously efficient killer Ernst R�hm. From knife-and-pistol duels on airships to the horrors of the poison-gas factories to harrowing marine battles in the North Sea, the fight continues--with a world as the prize.
464 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2019
88 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
About the author
S.M. Stirling
170 books1,646 followersStephen Michael Stirling is a French-born Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author. Stirling is probably best known for his Draka series of alternate history novels and the more recent time travel/alternate history Nantucket series and Emberverse series.
MINI AUTO-BIOGRAPHY:
(personal website: source)
I’m a writer by trade, born in France but Canadian by origin and American by naturalization, living in New Mexico at present. My hobbies are mostly related to the craft. I love history, anthropology and archaeology, and am interested in the sciences. The martial arts are my main physical hobby.
MINI AUTO-BIOGRAPHY:
(personal website: source)
I’m a writer by trade, born in France but Canadian by origin and American by naturalization, living in New Mexico at present. My hobbies are mostly related to the craft. I love history, anthropology and archaeology, and am interested in the sciences. The martial arts are my main physical hobby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
April 21, 2019
Theater 🎭 of Spies is the second volume of the Black Chamber alternate history espionage series. It is set in World War I but Teddy Roosevelt is president again and the Kaiser's armies have routed Europe. Paris has fallen. Although there are pockets of resistance, millions of surviving French have fled to North Africa to start anew and the flow of refugees never ceases. Russia fell and the only two powers left are Germany and the USA, which now includes the Mexican Protectorate. Two secret agents, who happen to have a lesbian romance going, take Zeppelin airships to Mexico and Brazil
And across to Berlin, where their real work begins. Lots of interesting ideas, but stiff dialogue and narration detract from what should be an exciting story. Not as fun to read as it should be.
And across to Berlin, where their real work begins. Lots of interesting ideas, but stiff dialogue and narration detract from what should be an exciting story. Not as fun to read as it should be.
October 17, 2020
More on Chill and read
When I read “Black Chamber” by S. M. Stirling I was thrilled by the story. It’s an alternate history, set in the midst of World War I, where the Germans have managed to develop a deadly gas that wiped out London and Paris, and the United States of America has a secret agency of operatives called Black Chamber. One of those Black Chamber agents is Luz O’Malley, a senior agent as such, that has Latin roots and has lived in Europe, in Bavaria specifically, fluent in a few languages and a master in martial arts and weapons. In that first book, Luz and her new friend Ciara Whelan, a woman with an extra ordinary mind and an amazing engineer, are successful in stooping that deadly gas of being transferred and sprayed in the United States. Now, Black Chamber needs them once more. They need to get back to Germany as word has reached the agency of a diabolic weapon that could give the German Imperial Navy command of the whole North Sea!
The two women must go deep undercover and travel across a world of war. Their travel means are no other that the Zappelins. Those big balloon airships were the fastest way to move around the world, other than the ships. Their adventures start early in their journey and they won’t stop until their mission is fulfilled! Their enemy is on the trail and he has sworn to take Luz down. He wants to get revenge for being played by Luz the last time they met, when he was more than certain she was on his side. He will move the whole country and more, in order to get to Luz.
The author is creating a whole world which is so similar to our world and so different. Because of all the atrocities that the Germans actually did on his world. The whole book is from Luz’s point of view, except from the small bits that we get her enemy’s point of view, just to get a glimpse of how far he is, looking for her. So we get to see a lot of her relationship with Ciara, her actions and trail of thinking, understanding that this spy novel is well researched and well played. I really liked the women representation on this book. Luz is a senior agent. She is a woman with a high rank on a men dominated sector and she is better that so many of her colleagues. This is all the more visible when Horst, her deadly enemy, describes her abilities to the team he organizes in Germany, aiming to attack and capture her. He describes scenes from the first book, making it clear that the German soldiers and police should not be underestimating her. The other female character in the story, Ciara, is also thriving on a men’s job. Engineering and mechanics were not a woman’s occupation or field of knowledge. Though her mind can absorb information and work in a practical way to outrun her male colleagues.
This is an action packed spy novel of alternate history that I expect to extend in a lengthy series! I definitely recommend it to all those who like alternate history and spy novels.
When I read “Black Chamber” by S. M. Stirling I was thrilled by the story. It’s an alternate history, set in the midst of World War I, where the Germans have managed to develop a deadly gas that wiped out London and Paris, and the United States of America has a secret agency of operatives called Black Chamber. One of those Black Chamber agents is Luz O’Malley, a senior agent as such, that has Latin roots and has lived in Europe, in Bavaria specifically, fluent in a few languages and a master in martial arts and weapons. In that first book, Luz and her new friend Ciara Whelan, a woman with an extra ordinary mind and an amazing engineer, are successful in stooping that deadly gas of being transferred and sprayed in the United States. Now, Black Chamber needs them once more. They need to get back to Germany as word has reached the agency of a diabolic weapon that could give the German Imperial Navy command of the whole North Sea!
The two women must go deep undercover and travel across a world of war. Their travel means are no other that the Zappelins. Those big balloon airships were the fastest way to move around the world, other than the ships. Their adventures start early in their journey and they won’t stop until their mission is fulfilled! Their enemy is on the trail and he has sworn to take Luz down. He wants to get revenge for being played by Luz the last time they met, when he was more than certain she was on his side. He will move the whole country and more, in order to get to Luz.
The author is creating a whole world which is so similar to our world and so different. Because of all the atrocities that the Germans actually did on his world. The whole book is from Luz’s point of view, except from the small bits that we get her enemy’s point of view, just to get a glimpse of how far he is, looking for her. So we get to see a lot of her relationship with Ciara, her actions and trail of thinking, understanding that this spy novel is well researched and well played. I really liked the women representation on this book. Luz is a senior agent. She is a woman with a high rank on a men dominated sector and she is better that so many of her colleagues. This is all the more visible when Horst, her deadly enemy, describes her abilities to the team he organizes in Germany, aiming to attack and capture her. He describes scenes from the first book, making it clear that the German soldiers and police should not be underestimating her. The other female character in the story, Ciara, is also thriving on a men’s job. Engineering and mechanics were not a woman’s occupation or field of knowledge. Though her mind can absorb information and work in a practical way to outrun her male colleagues.
This is an action packed spy novel of alternate history that I expect to extend in a lengthy series! I definitely recommend it to all those who like alternate history and spy novels.
April 17, 2019
I got this ARC from at Emerald City Comic Con from the Penguin Random House booth and I was pretty excited because I had read the first one and enjoyed it quite a bit.
The writing style is very tech heavy and full of digressions into the world the characters are living in, the history, the culture, the motivations, the various events that led to where they are and the technology they have access to. I find all of this fascinating and thinks it adds to the story, but some people might find the digressions distracting. Personally I think it's great. Like Tom Clancy but in WWI and with female characters who are engaging and capable and not just background characters for ten seconds before disappearing.
Luz is like a female James Bond minus the misogyny and it's interesting to watch how she deals with the world with unerring confidence in herself and the rightness of her cause. Since it's all from her POV, she presents the (sometimes questionable) wartime policies of the Teddy Roosevelt administration (intimidating the press into publishing what the government wants, for example) as Not Bad (or at least pragmatically acceptable). In fact, she's pragmatic about everything, but is an engaging character and not a bad person to spend 400 pages with.
The plot is different enough from the first book not to seem like a repeat, and the action scenes are just as well done as the first book (and also just as viscerally detailed, so if that's not your thing be warned). It's critical in a book like this that nothing seems too much like a deus ex machina, that everything flows naturally when it comes to how things play out when the endgame comes around, and the author does a good job of this. Anything could go wrong at any moment, and he depicts that tension and the characters' actions in a realistic, plausible way.
I especially enjoyed the relationship between Ciara and Luz. I liked how neither of them had any torment over the fact that they were in love and together, and that the book provided just enough to let you know how much they cared about one another and how committed Luz is to the whole relationship without it taking over the entire book or overwhelming the action or plot.
Horst remains an engaging antagonist, and while he's obviously not a good guy, I appreciate that he respects Luz as a worthy opponent even as he hates her for what she did in the last book. I also like that misogynists and those who underestimate Luz or any other woman for that matter get what's coming to them.
A good spy thriller and pretty plausible alternate history book that moves you right along and gives you plenty of good historical, linguistic and technical details (if you're into that sort of thing, which I most certainly am). There are also some cameos from and offhand mentions of various historical figures which you may find amusing if you're a history buff. The end leaves the door open for a third book, which I hope is out in time for next year's Comic Con.
(One note of disappointment: nothing to do with the book itself, but the audiobook, which is narrated by a man. I'm sure he does a fine job, but considering that 99% of the book is from Luz's POV, it seems like it'd make more sense to have a woman narrate the thing...)
The writing style is very tech heavy and full of digressions into the world the characters are living in, the history, the culture, the motivations, the various events that led to where they are and the technology they have access to. I find all of this fascinating and thinks it adds to the story, but some people might find the digressions distracting. Personally I think it's great. Like Tom Clancy but in WWI and with female characters who are engaging and capable and not just background characters for ten seconds before disappearing.
Luz is like a female James Bond minus the misogyny and it's interesting to watch how she deals with the world with unerring confidence in herself and the rightness of her cause. Since it's all from her POV, she presents the (sometimes questionable) wartime policies of the Teddy Roosevelt administration (intimidating the press into publishing what the government wants, for example) as Not Bad (or at least pragmatically acceptable). In fact, she's pragmatic about everything, but is an engaging character and not a bad person to spend 400 pages with.
The plot is different enough from the first book not to seem like a repeat, and the action scenes are just as well done as the first book (and also just as viscerally detailed, so if that's not your thing be warned). It's critical in a book like this that nothing seems too much like a deus ex machina, that everything flows naturally when it comes to how things play out when the endgame comes around, and the author does a good job of this. Anything could go wrong at any moment, and he depicts that tension and the characters' actions in a realistic, plausible way.
I especially enjoyed the relationship between Ciara and Luz. I liked how neither of them had any torment over the fact that they were in love and together, and that the book provided just enough to let you know how much they cared about one another and how committed Luz is to the whole relationship without it taking over the entire book or overwhelming the action or plot.
Horst remains an engaging antagonist, and while he's obviously not a good guy, I appreciate that he respects Luz as a worthy opponent even as he hates her for what she did in the last book. I also like that misogynists and those who underestimate Luz or any other woman for that matter get what's coming to them.
A good spy thriller and pretty plausible alternate history book that moves you right along and gives you plenty of good historical, linguistic and technical details (if you're into that sort of thing, which I most certainly am). There are also some cameos from and offhand mentions of various historical figures which you may find amusing if you're a history buff. The end leaves the door open for a third book, which I hope is out in time for next year's Comic Con.
(One note of disappointment: nothing to do with the book itself, but the audiobook, which is narrated by a man. I'm sure he does a fine job, but considering that 99% of the book is from Luz's POV, it seems like it'd make more sense to have a woman narrate the thing...)
May 16, 2019
https://www.themaineedge.com/buzz/the...
Speculative fiction tends to shine its brightest when it is given space to grow. World building is a key component to the most successful fantasy or sci-fi offerings – those fully-realized backdrops can grant the reader the immersive experience they often seek from this sort of genre offering.
Alternate history – a personal favorite – benefits no less from such world-building efforts, though a higher degree of delicacy is required, thanks to the real-world foundation upon which the narrative realm is built. If it goes awry, it can rudely yank a reader out of a story. But if it’s done right, well … you’re in for a treat.
And S.M. Stirling does it right.
His new book is “Theater of Spies,” the sequel to last year’s excellent “Black Chamber” and – one can only hope – just the latest installment in what deserves to be an ongoing series. It’s the continuing tale of an alternate World War I and the espionage agency – also named the Black Chamber – tasked with protecting the United States and her interests both home and abroad during wartime.
Marrying meticulously-researched alternate history with a spy thriller sensibility, “Theater of Spies” is both propulsive and compulsive in its readability. Like the best work within the subgenre, it strikes that oh-so-delicate balance between fact and fiction and creates a world both fascinating and familiar.
Black Chamber agents Luz O’Malley and Ciara Whelan are in California, taking a well-earned break after saving the United States from a German plot to unleash horrifying chemical weapons on the entire eastern seaboard. However, the war stops for no one – it isn’t long before President Teddy Roosevelt, gearing up to run for his fourth term, sends them on another mission.
The Germans are rumored to have developed yet another weapon – one that could essentially ensure German naval dominance in the North Sea, which would in turn allow them to continue their march across Europe. It’s up to Luz and Ciara to find out what the weapon is and how to stop it.
They make their way to the continent, only to discover that while they were able to stop the devastation of the U.S., Europe wasn’t so lucky. Some of the great cities – London, Paris – are veritable charnel houses, rendered uninhabitable by the German’s willingness to unleash their “horror-gas” on their enemies. Most of the cities that have survived that onslaught are either being brought to heel by German forces or bursting at the seams from an unending influx of refugees.
Luz and Ciara must go deep undercover in an effort to disrupt the plan before it is too late. Complicating matters is the presence of an agent for the opposition who wants nothing more than to exact his revenge on the pair for the damage they have done both to the German war effort and to him personally. Battle must be waged on scales both large and small – and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
No one could have doubted after reading “Black Chamber” that there was more to come, but the truth is that often, these sorts of series are subject to the law of diminishing returns. Happily, that isn’t the case with “Theater of Spies,” which keeps the breakneck pacing and exquisite specificity of its predecessor while also allowing for an expanded understanding of our central characters. There’s a sharpness, a clarity to the narrative that invites the reader to devour the book in large chunks.
S.M. Stirling is possessed of an ideal combination of skills for this kind of work. He’s a marvelous tale-spinner, of course, building a plot that is complex without feeling convoluted. He’s got a wonderful sense of character – Luz and Ciara are a delight, both in their personal and professional dynamic (although I will admit that no matter how much I get, I’m always going to want more Teddy Roosevelt). And he’s thorough in his world-building; these things sink or soar on the strength of the details … and we’re definitely soaring with this one.
“Theater of Spies” is smart and compelling, a pulse-pounder of a novel that is pure immersive fun. The bar has been set awfully high for this series – let’s hope that S.M. Stirling can keep it up so that the Black Chamber may continue its mission for years to come.
Speculative fiction tends to shine its brightest when it is given space to grow. World building is a key component to the most successful fantasy or sci-fi offerings – those fully-realized backdrops can grant the reader the immersive experience they often seek from this sort of genre offering.
Alternate history – a personal favorite – benefits no less from such world-building efforts, though a higher degree of delicacy is required, thanks to the real-world foundation upon which the narrative realm is built. If it goes awry, it can rudely yank a reader out of a story. But if it’s done right, well … you’re in for a treat.
And S.M. Stirling does it right.
His new book is “Theater of Spies,” the sequel to last year’s excellent “Black Chamber” and – one can only hope – just the latest installment in what deserves to be an ongoing series. It’s the continuing tale of an alternate World War I and the espionage agency – also named the Black Chamber – tasked with protecting the United States and her interests both home and abroad during wartime.
Marrying meticulously-researched alternate history with a spy thriller sensibility, “Theater of Spies” is both propulsive and compulsive in its readability. Like the best work within the subgenre, it strikes that oh-so-delicate balance between fact and fiction and creates a world both fascinating and familiar.
Black Chamber agents Luz O’Malley and Ciara Whelan are in California, taking a well-earned break after saving the United States from a German plot to unleash horrifying chemical weapons on the entire eastern seaboard. However, the war stops for no one – it isn’t long before President Teddy Roosevelt, gearing up to run for his fourth term, sends them on another mission.
The Germans are rumored to have developed yet another weapon – one that could essentially ensure German naval dominance in the North Sea, which would in turn allow them to continue their march across Europe. It’s up to Luz and Ciara to find out what the weapon is and how to stop it.
They make their way to the continent, only to discover that while they were able to stop the devastation of the U.S., Europe wasn’t so lucky. Some of the great cities – London, Paris – are veritable charnel houses, rendered uninhabitable by the German’s willingness to unleash their “horror-gas” on their enemies. Most of the cities that have survived that onslaught are either being brought to heel by German forces or bursting at the seams from an unending influx of refugees.
Luz and Ciara must go deep undercover in an effort to disrupt the plan before it is too late. Complicating matters is the presence of an agent for the opposition who wants nothing more than to exact his revenge on the pair for the damage they have done both to the German war effort and to him personally. Battle must be waged on scales both large and small – and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
No one could have doubted after reading “Black Chamber” that there was more to come, but the truth is that often, these sorts of series are subject to the law of diminishing returns. Happily, that isn’t the case with “Theater of Spies,” which keeps the breakneck pacing and exquisite specificity of its predecessor while also allowing for an expanded understanding of our central characters. There’s a sharpness, a clarity to the narrative that invites the reader to devour the book in large chunks.
S.M. Stirling is possessed of an ideal combination of skills for this kind of work. He’s a marvelous tale-spinner, of course, building a plot that is complex without feeling convoluted. He’s got a wonderful sense of character – Luz and Ciara are a delight, both in their personal and professional dynamic (although I will admit that no matter how much I get, I’m always going to want more Teddy Roosevelt). And he’s thorough in his world-building; these things sink or soar on the strength of the details … and we’re definitely soaring with this one.
“Theater of Spies” is smart and compelling, a pulse-pounder of a novel that is pure immersive fun. The bar has been set awfully high for this series – let’s hope that S.M. Stirling can keep it up so that the Black Chamber may continue its mission for years to come.
June 26, 2019
Well-researched and compellingly written, this alternative history/steampunk version of WWI-era America and Europe will challenge modern readers to think about how politics and values have changed over the past century, while also providing a swashbuckling tale of heroics and intrigue. The main characters continue to delight me—Luz and Ciara as a now-established queer couple avoid the frequent negative tropes of lesbians in fiction and instead forge their own path toward a “Boston marriage” while continuing to act as America’s most effective spies in their new mission, deep undercover in Hindenburg’s ideal Germany.
I loved the opening several chapters of this book the best, which allowed us to see the main characters in some rare moments of ease, building their lives together in California before being called back to service. However, the finale was almost as delightful, with almost Bond movie-esque action and thrills; literally couldn’t put it down in the wee hours of the night! Only by comparison, the middle dragged a little for me, but still has some of the best pathos in the book. My least favorite part is the main villain—an angry nobleman and warrior who was honey-trapped and hoodwinked in the last novel and now wants revenge and victory for Germany!—while realistically drawn, he’s rather boring. Fortunately, there’s much less of him than in the opening book of the series.
Overall, a satisfying second entry in this intriguing new series—the story fully delivers on its promise, but still left me very eager for more stories in the Black Chamber ‘verse.
I loved the opening several chapters of this book the best, which allowed us to see the main characters in some rare moments of ease, building their lives together in California before being called back to service. However, the finale was almost as delightful, with almost Bond movie-esque action and thrills; literally couldn’t put it down in the wee hours of the night! Only by comparison, the middle dragged a little for me, but still has some of the best pathos in the book. My least favorite part is the main villain—an angry nobleman and warrior who was honey-trapped and hoodwinked in the last novel and now wants revenge and victory for Germany!—while realistically drawn, he’s rather boring. Fortunately, there’s much less of him than in the opening book of the series.
Overall, a satisfying second entry in this intriguing new series—the story fully delivers on its promise, but still left me very eager for more stories in the Black Chamber ‘verse.
April 6, 2019
I enjoyed the first book of this series. Unfortunately, I had to give up on this one. I forced myself to keep going, but halfway through I had to bail.
The entire first half of the book is spent in just setting up for the actual story. It drags on and on. Even worse was Stirling’s propensity to constantly switch from English, to Spanish and even German dialogue. Which he never did translate. And, like in the previous book, he again gets lost in minutiae, such as reciting recipes.
All in all, what could have been a great story, with two very interesting main characters, was squandered away. How sad!
The entire first half of the book is spent in just setting up for the actual story. It drags on and on. Even worse was Stirling’s propensity to constantly switch from English, to Spanish and even German dialogue. Which he never did translate. And, like in the previous book, he again gets lost in minutiae, such as reciting recipes.
All in all, what could have been a great story, with two very interesting main characters, was squandered away. How sad!
November 25, 2022
Stirling brings yet another incredible tale in this alternate history of World War I. The Germans are developing a new weapon that could tip the balance of power at sea and ensure their victory over a broken Europe. It is up to Black Chamber operative Luz and her partner Ciera to infiltrate the German industrial complex this weapon is being developed at and figure out a way to stop it. All the while being hunted by the German agent known as Imperial Sword who has more than a few scores to settle.
Stirling has created an incredible tale that is extensively researched. Imagining what Roosevelt's Progressive Party would have created following the 1912 elections is awe-inspiring.
Stirling has created an incredible tale that is extensively researched. Imagining what Roosevelt's Progressive Party would have created following the 1912 elections is awe-inspiring.
April 1, 2025
While I enjoyed this installment well enough, it felt slower-paced than THE BLACK CHAMBER. The action scenes were just as good. but there were some long stretches in this one devoted to characters expounding on current situations and recent (alternate) history. Also, this time Stirling MAY have gone overboard with his food descriptions and linguistic details. Low 3 stars.
May 15, 2019
WWI alternate history, book two in the series. Book one began with just a small deviation from our history--Teddy Roosevelt is elected to a second term of office--but since the end of book one, events have diverged hugely in very interesting ways.
The action scenes are flat-out superb and the historical details are meticulous. I liked how Luz and Ciara were both extremely capable in wildly different ways. I enjoyed the inner spycraft details.
Quibble: The food is over-described. Learning what people ate during war shortages is interesting but I did not need to know what the characters ate at every single meal!
The action scenes are flat-out superb and the historical details are meticulous. I liked how Luz and Ciara were both extremely capable in wildly different ways. I enjoyed the inner spycraft details.
Quibble: The food is over-described. Learning what people ate during war shortages is interesting but I did not need to know what the characters ate at every single meal!
May 8, 2019
Superb alternate history, with slightly over the top (intentionally I am sure) action-adventure in the style of the Indiana Jones films. (Nobody keeps their hat after falling from a horse, but you might get the idea.)
While somewhat detail heavy (and thus off-putting to some I see from other reviews) the accuracy and world-building this detail enables is fascinating.
The first half of the book does mostly put the characters and scenes in place, but with a WWI setting few readers will be familiar with I found it interesting, sometimes appalling (well, there is a war on) and the characters are appealing and engaging.
Once the action begins it doesn't let up. Thoroughly enjoyable read, and for a taste of it (and its predecessor in the series) there are preview chapters (a very generous ten) on the author's website, smstirling.com.
Re the non-English dialogue: in a few places a translation is provided; otherwise it can be understood from context. For my second read-through I did use an online translator, and enjoyed the slight extra colour I grasped. For me, however, the multiple languages are part of the book's charm and help fix characters and locations.
While somewhat detail heavy (and thus off-putting to some I see from other reviews) the accuracy and world-building this detail enables is fascinating.
The first half of the book does mostly put the characters and scenes in place, but with a WWI setting few readers will be familiar with I found it interesting, sometimes appalling (well, there is a war on) and the characters are appealing and engaging.
Once the action begins it doesn't let up. Thoroughly enjoyable read, and for a taste of it (and its predecessor in the series) there are preview chapters (a very generous ten) on the author's website, smstirling.com.
Re the non-English dialogue: in a few places a translation is provided; otherwise it can be understood from context. For my second read-through I did use an online translator, and enjoyed the slight extra colour I grasped. For me, however, the multiple languages are part of the book's charm and help fix characters and locations.
October 3, 2021
стирлінг довго запрягав, але як вже поїхав, то учвал! — занудний початок, але друга полоаина динамічна, як треба: шпигуни, диверсії, дирижаблі, стрілянина! наївне, звісно, але читається весело!
April 2, 2019
"Theater of Spies" eBook was published in 2019 (May) and was written by S. M. Stirling (https://smstirling.com). Mr. Stirling has published more than 40 novels. This is the second novel in his "Tales from the Black Chamber" series.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the US and Europe of World War I. This story is set in an alternate timeline where Teddy Roosevelt is again the US president and is leading the US aggressively in opposition to the Germans. The primary characters are longtime Black Chamber operative Luz O'Malley and her new genius partner and love interest Ciara Whelan.
O'Malley and Whelan are recovering and enjoying some 'alone time' at the home in California that O'Malley inherited from her family. That R&R is cut short when they are ordered to Europe to find out about a new weapon system that the German Imperial Navy is developing.
They must travel by airship to South America, then to Africa under a false identity. Then they make their way behind enemy lines into Berlin to discover the details of the German weapon. They encounter German agents along the way and struggle to survive to arrive at their destination.
O'Malley and Welan need to use their skills to penetrate a plant in Germany, then escape. Making things more challenging, the German agent known as Imperial Sword who the two had dealt with in the first novel of the series ("Black Chamber") is on their trail and is desperate to have his revenge.
I thoroughly enjoyed the 14.5 hours I spent reading this 464-page alternate history thriller. I have read and been a fan of S. M. Stirling for several years. I have always liked his characters and detailed plots woven in most cases with an alternate timeline. I like the selected cover art. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the US and Europe of World War I. This story is set in an alternate timeline where Teddy Roosevelt is again the US president and is leading the US aggressively in opposition to the Germans. The primary characters are longtime Black Chamber operative Luz O'Malley and her new genius partner and love interest Ciara Whelan.
O'Malley and Whelan are recovering and enjoying some 'alone time' at the home in California that O'Malley inherited from her family. That R&R is cut short when they are ordered to Europe to find out about a new weapon system that the German Imperial Navy is developing.
They must travel by airship to South America, then to Africa under a false identity. Then they make their way behind enemy lines into Berlin to discover the details of the German weapon. They encounter German agents along the way and struggle to survive to arrive at their destination.
O'Malley and Welan need to use their skills to penetrate a plant in Germany, then escape. Making things more challenging, the German agent known as Imperial Sword who the two had dealt with in the first novel of the series ("Black Chamber") is on their trail and is desperate to have his revenge.
I thoroughly enjoyed the 14.5 hours I spent reading this 464-page alternate history thriller. I have read and been a fan of S. M. Stirling for several years. I have always liked his characters and detailed plots woven in most cases with an alternate timeline. I like the selected cover art. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
June 5, 2019
This was my first Stirling novel, and one of the few alternate histories I've read (The Man In The High Castle may be the only other one). Technically it's a sequel, but I had no trouble following the story without having read the first one. The divergences between our world and this one are large: Teddy Roosevelt is President when World War I breaks out; the Germans invent a nerve gas and employ it to decimate France (and have their sights set on England and the United States); and they have apparently invented radar, or at least a prototypical version of it.
Two secret Black Chamber operatives were behind foiling the gas attempt on the U.S., and their well-earned leave is interrupted by a mission to Germany to uncover the new invention and prevent its use against the Allies. The fact that they are lesbians who are married is both a historical anomaly and a cheap plot device (although there is nothing explicit, just suggestion). The story works because it is a thriller with convincing plot twists: the operatives employ spy techniques to make furtive progress on their mission, until the climax requires bigger action. And the ending promises further conflict with their nemesis, a German secret agent with an almost supernatural survival instinct.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Uncorrected Proof of the book.
Two secret Black Chamber operatives were behind foiling the gas attempt on the U.S., and their well-earned leave is interrupted by a mission to Germany to uncover the new invention and prevent its use against the Allies. The fact that they are lesbians who are married is both a historical anomaly and a cheap plot device (although there is nothing explicit, just suggestion). The story works because it is a thriller with convincing plot twists: the operatives employ spy techniques to make furtive progress on their mission, until the climax requires bigger action. And the ending promises further conflict with their nemesis, a German secret agent with an almost supernatural survival instinct.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Uncorrected Proof of the book.
April 8, 2022
I liked the first book in this series, and I think this one was even better. The structure, with chapters alternating between Luz and Ciara's infiltration and Horst's attempts to catch them makes for some nice suspense, and a neat comparison between Luz and Horst as people. Luz came to be somewhat fond of him during the previous novel, but she still wishes him dead out of professional respect: his skills make him a dangerous opponent. Horst feels personal animosity because of the way she betrayed and embarrassed him, but he also respects her abilities as a spy. But they're similar in their attitudes towards their jobs and their countries. Neither of them is a lover of violence or a cold-hearted killer. They see what they do as nasty work that nevertheless needs to be done in order to advance their national interests. Germany and the United States have conflicting visions for the world, each believing that they should come to dominate it, and those ambitions require spies and soldiers to go out and kill and die for their countries.
The series continues its somewhat ambivalent analysis of Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Movement. Most of what we learn about it comes from Luz, a loyal member of the Progressive Republican Party who buys into most (but not all) of its programs. She's proud of the way it has achieved women's rights, fought government corruption, and reduced the influence of the racist Southern Democrats. But she also seems quite happy about the government rounding up war protesters and draft dodgers and sentencing them to years of hard labor, threatening businesses with expropriation if they go against the wishes of the Party, protecting and promoting Party-aligned unions while ruthlessly crushing independent unions, and disappearing rebels and saboteurs into secret prisons. Even the things she disagrees with, like the eugenics programs, she sees as harmless and merely misguided. I think the author deliberately makes some connections between Roosevelt's New Nationalism and actual historical Fascism, with a similar corporatist political economy, the reverence of the strongman leader, the cult of youth and vigor, the growing prevalence of the Bellamy salute. However, our only view into this world is from someone fanatically loyal to the Party. Any criticism is left to be inferred from these comparisons, and for the most part it's presented as a resounding success, bringing order and prosperity everywhere it touches.
There is one part of the story that I think is meant to be an explicit criticism of Roosevelt and New Nationalism, and that's the basic premise of the series. Unfortunately, that's the one part that really doesn't work for me, the idea that somehow Roosevelt winning a third term as president would lead to Germany developing nerve gas and deploying it against major cities. I don't think the specific nerve agent is ever identified, but its development sounds similar to that of VX (an organophosphate pesticide is accidentally discovered to be incredibly toxic to humans). I don't know enough chemistry to judge whether such a chemical's production in 1914 is plausible, but the idea that either the Entente or the Central Powers would choose to deploy chemical weapons to wipe out enemy cities seems pretty outlandish. Strategic bombing did occur during WWI, but was almost completely ineffective. Neither side used poison gas for this purpose, even though it was available. Even after Germany's situation was desperate and the government and military were on the verge of collapse, they didn't resort to the use of chemical weapons against civilian population centers. I find the exploration of how fanatic nationalism can lead to violent and awful escalation engaging, but this specific instance of it is to me unbelievable.
But for the most part, this is an espionage thriller, this time with the focus on Luz and Ciara's cover identities and their attempts to hide in a civilian population, replacing the double agent aspect of the previous book. That part of the book is great, exciting and interesting. We get to see their infiltration as well as the counterespionage attempts to stop them. And I really enjoyed all of Luz's interactions with the Germans she meets. No one is really evil in this book. Even the guard for the imprisoned laborers is really just a kindly old man forced to do an unsavory job by the exigencies of war. The war is all-consuming, victory is everything and justifies any atrocity.
The series continues its somewhat ambivalent analysis of Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Movement. Most of what we learn about it comes from Luz, a loyal member of the Progressive Republican Party who buys into most (but not all) of its programs. She's proud of the way it has achieved women's rights, fought government corruption, and reduced the influence of the racist Southern Democrats. But she also seems quite happy about the government rounding up war protesters and draft dodgers and sentencing them to years of hard labor, threatening businesses with expropriation if they go against the wishes of the Party, protecting and promoting Party-aligned unions while ruthlessly crushing independent unions, and disappearing rebels and saboteurs into secret prisons. Even the things she disagrees with, like the eugenics programs, she sees as harmless and merely misguided. I think the author deliberately makes some connections between Roosevelt's New Nationalism and actual historical Fascism, with a similar corporatist political economy, the reverence of the strongman leader, the cult of youth and vigor, the growing prevalence of the Bellamy salute. However, our only view into this world is from someone fanatically loyal to the Party. Any criticism is left to be inferred from these comparisons, and for the most part it's presented as a resounding success, bringing order and prosperity everywhere it touches.
There is one part of the story that I think is meant to be an explicit criticism of Roosevelt and New Nationalism, and that's the basic premise of the series. Unfortunately, that's the one part that really doesn't work for me, the idea that somehow Roosevelt winning a third term as president would lead to Germany developing nerve gas and deploying it against major cities. I don't think the specific nerve agent is ever identified, but its development sounds similar to that of VX (an organophosphate pesticide is accidentally discovered to be incredibly toxic to humans). I don't know enough chemistry to judge whether such a chemical's production in 1914 is plausible, but the idea that either the Entente or the Central Powers would choose to deploy chemical weapons to wipe out enemy cities seems pretty outlandish. Strategic bombing did occur during WWI, but was almost completely ineffective. Neither side used poison gas for this purpose, even though it was available. Even after Germany's situation was desperate and the government and military were on the verge of collapse, they didn't resort to the use of chemical weapons against civilian population centers. I find the exploration of how fanatic nationalism can lead to violent and awful escalation engaging, but this specific instance of it is to me unbelievable.
But for the most part, this is an espionage thriller, this time with the focus on Luz and Ciara's cover identities and their attempts to hide in a civilian population, replacing the double agent aspect of the previous book. That part of the book is great, exciting and interesting. We get to see their infiltration as well as the counterespionage attempts to stop them. And I really enjoyed all of Luz's interactions with the Germans she meets. No one is really evil in this book. Even the guard for the imprisoned laborers is really just a kindly old man forced to do an unsavory job by the exigencies of war. The war is all-consuming, victory is everything and justifies any atrocity.
May 22, 2025
I wasn’t going to read this book because I didn’t like the first one, but I did, so here it goes: it’s not any better than the first one.
Ok, the good points. Stirling knows his historical trivia. Also, he pays a nice homage to the much-better Harry Turtledove by including a passing reference to Flora Hamburger from the Southern Victory series.
Ok, that’s about it for the good points.
The bad points: he shows he is only an amateur historian by throwing every bit of historical trivia he can in there. The full manufacturer names of every firearm, for example. Or how he has to identify every single person who speaks by where their regional accent in their particular language is from. I mean . . . Every. Single. Person. And the lingering descriptions of every meal, in detail. Excruciating detail. Either he is being paid by the word, or else he just wants to show off how smart he thinks he is. I suspect the latter.
There is the usual annoying lesbian fetish of the main characters, which I have said before is favorite of his (see his Draka series). And of course the only male homosexual is a villain, Ernst Rohm. Yea, that guy.
As for Luz, you simply don’t ever get the idea that she will lose because she is perfect at everything she does. The one thing she isn’t good at, which is techie stuff, her partner Ciara excels in. Liz can outfight a man twice her weight and strength, she can outshoot a trained sniper, etc., etc. She is the definition of a Mary Sue. And Stirling has to have her bring down all sorts of real-life characters. In this book, we find she killed Trotsky in Mexico (in Frida Kahlo’s mother’s house, no less!) and captured Pancho Villa. In Europe she kills Hitler - who is never named but very obviously Hitler, albeit a bit more crippled by the war, and is laboring in obscurity as the main baddie’s orderly.
And then there are the evil Germans. Yes, the Great War Germans of the Kaiserreich were not nice people, as the natives of southwest Africa can attest. But Stirling makes them World War II Germans, and in some ways worse than that. They seem to want to commit genocide against everyone, even fellow Europeans. In France, they use the horror-gas to kill everyone in Paris, and then they actively aid and abet famine amongst the civilian population to drive them south into Algeria. Not even Hitler pursued a policy like that towards the French, and he despised French culture and civilization. The Austrians are apparently doing the same to the Serbs, having killed over half their prewar population (which would be over two million people). Austria did kill about 30,000 Serbian civilians during their occupation. But even them and the Bulgarians focused more on suppression of Serbian culture and Cyrillic than outright genocide. Stirling seems to think that the Germans have this natural impulse to mass murder - he even says they only kept the Belgians alive because of their industrial and technical expertise. And while it is well known that the Germans in the Great War did draft forced laborers for their factories, Stirling has the Germans working them in concentration camp-like conditions until they eventually drop dead from the bare minimum of food they re given - and Luz interprets it as deliberate policy, not a result of the British naval blockade. Stirling seems ignorant of or dismissive of the fact that the Nazis had to use years of propaganda to condition the German people into murdering their countrymen who looked like them. Even during the war, average German soldiers were being bombarded with propaganda to make them into killers on the Eastern Front, as Omer Bartov has shown us. To Stirling, with few exceptions, the Germans under the Kaiser are already bloodthirsty, albeit rational, mass murderers.
I’m not even going to comments how the Germans invent fully accurate and working radar by 1916 when that wasn’t developed until the 1930s.
I was hoping the second book would be better, but alas. My library doesn’t have the third, and I’m not going to spend money to buy it.
Ok, the good points. Stirling knows his historical trivia. Also, he pays a nice homage to the much-better Harry Turtledove by including a passing reference to Flora Hamburger from the Southern Victory series.
Ok, that’s about it for the good points.
The bad points: he shows he is only an amateur historian by throwing every bit of historical trivia he can in there. The full manufacturer names of every firearm, for example. Or how he has to identify every single person who speaks by where their regional accent in their particular language is from. I mean . . . Every. Single. Person. And the lingering descriptions of every meal, in detail. Excruciating detail. Either he is being paid by the word, or else he just wants to show off how smart he thinks he is. I suspect the latter.
There is the usual annoying lesbian fetish of the main characters, which I have said before is favorite of his (see his Draka series). And of course the only male homosexual is a villain, Ernst Rohm. Yea, that guy.
As for Luz, you simply don’t ever get the idea that she will lose because she is perfect at everything she does. The one thing she isn’t good at, which is techie stuff, her partner Ciara excels in. Liz can outfight a man twice her weight and strength, she can outshoot a trained sniper, etc., etc. She is the definition of a Mary Sue. And Stirling has to have her bring down all sorts of real-life characters. In this book, we find she killed Trotsky in Mexico (in Frida Kahlo’s mother’s house, no less!) and captured Pancho Villa. In Europe she kills Hitler - who is never named but very obviously Hitler, albeit a bit more crippled by the war, and is laboring in obscurity as the main baddie’s orderly.
And then there are the evil Germans. Yes, the Great War Germans of the Kaiserreich were not nice people, as the natives of southwest Africa can attest. But Stirling makes them World War II Germans, and in some ways worse than that. They seem to want to commit genocide against everyone, even fellow Europeans. In France, they use the horror-gas to kill everyone in Paris, and then they actively aid and abet famine amongst the civilian population to drive them south into Algeria. Not even Hitler pursued a policy like that towards the French, and he despised French culture and civilization. The Austrians are apparently doing the same to the Serbs, having killed over half their prewar population (which would be over two million people). Austria did kill about 30,000 Serbian civilians during their occupation. But even them and the Bulgarians focused more on suppression of Serbian culture and Cyrillic than outright genocide. Stirling seems to think that the Germans have this natural impulse to mass murder - he even says they only kept the Belgians alive because of their industrial and technical expertise. And while it is well known that the Germans in the Great War did draft forced laborers for their factories, Stirling has the Germans working them in concentration camp-like conditions until they eventually drop dead from the bare minimum of food they re given - and Luz interprets it as deliberate policy, not a result of the British naval blockade. Stirling seems ignorant of or dismissive of the fact that the Nazis had to use years of propaganda to condition the German people into murdering their countrymen who looked like them. Even during the war, average German soldiers were being bombarded with propaganda to make them into killers on the Eastern Front, as Omer Bartov has shown us. To Stirling, with few exceptions, the Germans under the Kaiser are already bloodthirsty, albeit rational, mass murderers.
I’m not even going to comments how the Germans invent fully accurate and working radar by 1916 when that wasn’t developed until the 1930s.
I was hoping the second book would be better, but alas. My library doesn’t have the third, and I’m not going to spend money to buy it.
August 8, 2021
S M Stirling’s alternate history series about the First World War presents an interesting land, sea, and air scape – as well as a harrowing geopolitical challenge – as the backdrop to this his second novel in the espionage adventures. The principal characters we follow are from Teddy Roosevelt’s “Black Chamber” intelligence and covert action service and their German counterparts. We are about midway through the historical war though in this alternate universe the Allies have taken a terrific beating from a German Empire more than willing to use any and all means at its disposal. In many ways what the author presents us is a German Reich that presents many traits of its successor Third Reich in our timeline, though not as many as I first thought after I recalled some past and current readings on German negotiations during the Great War as well its economic policies and treatment of minority populations of Europe. This book emphasized the covert espionage side of things more than the first one which featured many more action scenes of close combat between the main ‘super’ spies and various adversaries, but it built toward a dramatic and even cinematic Zeppelin chase across war-torn Europe. Warning – the details of the hand to hand combats may at time challenge those of a sensitive temperament but those moments usually pass quickly given the tempo at which things progress!
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August 27, 2019Luz O'Malley and Ciara Whelan are back and I was so happy to go off on adventure with them once again.
I know I am dating myself but this series takes me back to my boyhood when I was first introduced to the WW II action/adventure books about Dick Dawson. They were the first "adult" books I read and they helped form my reading tastes.
This book holds up to the first book in the series (Black Chamber) and we once again take off and travel around a world literally at war. It explores the affect one (or two) people can have on the course of war and does so in an exciting fashion. The divergent history is believable and shows the depth of research that Stirling has obviously done.
My one critique, and this is a most minor one, is the back and forth between "foreign language" and the necessary English translation. I appreciate the skill and knowledge that this shows but at times it just felt a bit forced and overly used. Again, this was just my own personal taste and it didn't detract from the story in any appreciable way.
I strongly urge you to buy and read this book!
I cannot wait for the next.
I know I am dating myself but this series takes me back to my boyhood when I was first introduced to the WW II action/adventure books about Dick Dawson. They were the first "adult" books I read and they helped form my reading tastes.
This book holds up to the first book in the series (Black Chamber) and we once again take off and travel around a world literally at war. It explores the affect one (or two) people can have on the course of war and does so in an exciting fashion. The divergent history is believable and shows the depth of research that Stirling has obviously done.
My one critique, and this is a most minor one, is the back and forth between "foreign language" and the necessary English translation. I appreciate the skill and knowledge that this shows but at times it just felt a bit forced and overly used. Again, this was just my own personal taste and it didn't detract from the story in any appreciable way.
I strongly urge you to buy and read this book!
I cannot wait for the next.
May 29, 2019
The next daring adventure of the WW1 female James Bond.
The Theater of Spies brings back mostly the same cast of characters from book 1, namely Luz Orostegui (O'Malley), her GF technological Ciara Whelan, arch-Nemesis Horst and a good supporting cast. Set in a zeppelinpunk setting (how are you going to call the retro-technological futurism feel that pervades the whole book?), with Germany the technological wizard vs the the USA economical giant, it has his capers, hot dirigible pursuits, daring rescues, and even a Sergeant Schultz that you can very obviously picture as That Sergeant Schultz (probably not a coincidence). Plus bonus gifts (seriously, how would you behave if Nicholas Tesla himself sent you a slide rule as an appreciation gift).
It's a bit less of a wonder than the first novel, since most of the surprise and discovery of the setting is now gone, but it remains a top notch. And, of course, we're going to see more of the clashing between Luz and Imperial Germany's spies.
The Theater of Spies brings back mostly the same cast of characters from book 1, namely Luz Orostegui (O'Malley), her GF technological Ciara Whelan, arch-Nemesis Horst and a good supporting cast. Set in a zeppelinpunk setting (how are you going to call the retro-technological futurism feel that pervades the whole book?), with Germany the technological wizard vs the the USA economical giant, it has his capers, hot dirigible pursuits, daring rescues, and even a Sergeant Schultz that you can very obviously picture as That Sergeant Schultz (probably not a coincidence). Plus bonus gifts (seriously, how would you behave if Nicholas Tesla himself sent you a slide rule as an appreciation gift).
It's a bit less of a wonder than the first novel, since most of the surprise and discovery of the setting is now gone, but it remains a top notch. And, of course, we're going to see more of the clashing between Luz and Imperial Germany's spies.
April 4, 2019
Luz and Ciara are the perfect partners in and out of the bedroom and well suited for dangerous work they do for the secret Black Chamber. President Teddy Roosevelt is well aware that the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and the German takeover has serious implications for the U.S. and his money is on two of his best spies, Luz and Ciara. As they travel all over the world engaged in some really violent encounters trying to be one step ahead of the Germans who will do anything to stop them from completing their mission.
Fun but moves at a breakneck pace that involved keeping up with a torrent of different languages and alternative world history, this is one series that is perfect for readers looking for a lot of action, fun but tough women heroines and spies who seem to really enjoy the danger. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
Fun but moves at a breakneck pace that involved keeping up with a torrent of different languages and alternative world history, this is one series that is perfect for readers looking for a lot of action, fun but tough women heroines and spies who seem to really enjoy the danger. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
August 30, 2019
Stirling has the rare ability to create a believable and exciting not quite reality. His characters (especially the villains, or perhaps better here antagonists) are intriguing and lifelike. His books pull the reader into the new world.
This is his second volume about two female US agents in a somewhat different WWI. Here Teddy Roosevelt is still President and the US is far more proactive. And the Germans have a devastating new weapon, and are using it.
Stirling loves detail, and his vignettes of a war torn Europe are intriguing. But his tendency to over explain inventions can really slow the action down. He also has the, to this reader, annoying habit of tossing in people who actually lived in the period, either as real actors or off stage. And coincidence drives the plot far too often.
This is not one of his best, despite its ver real attraction.
This is his second volume about two female US agents in a somewhat different WWI. Here Teddy Roosevelt is still President and the US is far more proactive. And the Germans have a devastating new weapon, and are using it.
Stirling loves detail, and his vignettes of a war torn Europe are intriguing. But his tendency to over explain inventions can really slow the action down. He also has the, to this reader, annoying habit of tossing in people who actually lived in the period, either as real actors or off stage. And coincidence drives the plot far too often.
This is not one of his best, despite its ver real attraction.
April 19, 2019
I am a fan of historical fiction and the idea of an alternate history of WWI drew me to this book. I had mixed reactions while reading this. Stirling has two strong female characters as his leads. Luz O’Malley and Ciera Whelan are agent’s for an intelligence group that works for Teddy Roosevelt. The first third of this book sees them receive their assignment to travel to Berlin and discover Germany’s newest weapon project. Their journey by airship takes them through South America and on to Africa before they finally reach their final destination. The story moves slowly and I found myself putting this book aside but I persevered and the story did pick up with some excellent action scenes.
I would like to thank First to Read for providing a copy of this book for my review.
I would like to thank First to Read for providing a copy of this book for my review.
August 28, 2019
As has been the case with other books I've read this year, I wasn't able to finish this one at one time.
This book picks up some months after the events of Black Chamber. Luz and her partner Ciara have made a home in southern California when they are summoned back to the War. The Germans are developing a kind of radar, and the Chamber wants Intel, so they are sent to Germany, traveling by airship. Hot on their trail is the German agent Horst von Duckler, who has a score to settle.
Once again this book dazzles with technical details. The Russians really did develop an automatic rifle during the First World War, but the technology wasn't ready for wide deployment. Ernst Rohm was a real soldier, forced out of the WWII Nazi party for being gay.
This book picks up some months after the events of Black Chamber. Luz and her partner Ciara have made a home in southern California when they are summoned back to the War. The Germans are developing a kind of radar, and the Chamber wants Intel, so they are sent to Germany, traveling by airship. Hot on their trail is the German agent Horst von Duckler, who has a score to settle.
Once again this book dazzles with technical details. The Russians really did develop an automatic rifle during the First World War, but the technology wasn't ready for wide deployment. Ernst Rohm was a real soldier, forced out of the WWII Nazi party for being gay.
October 23, 2019
Luz and Ciara are back in action for America's Black Chamber in this AH WWI thriller. They manage to stop a German plot to blow-up an airship over Mexico while on their way to North Africa. From the National Redoubt of Overseas France, the pair makes their way into Switzerland and then infiltrates the German Empire to steal technical secrets. Unfortunately for them, Horst von Duckler managed to survive Boston and return to Germany. He manages to get on their trail and make the situation hot for the American agents. Plenty of thrills, narrow escapes and action that are par for a Stirling novel, but plenty fun to read. It will be interesting to see what adventures await Luz and Ciara next!
June 13, 2019
So, Stirling decided to write a lesbian romance, and set it in an alternative WWI history. Ok. Not enough happens, and most of the books is the two lady spies swooning over each other. I have nothing against lesbians, but that's not what the book was supposed to be about. And it was all about their endlessly marveling how wonderful the other was. What little action there was in the book was just an excuse for each of them to be thrilled by the competence of the other. Very tedious after a while. I won't bother with book 3, because that will undoubtedly be the same bland love story, again. Too bad. I normally love Stirling.
January 2, 2020
We're back in this series presenting an alternative history of WWI. Our female spies are as clever as ever. Unfortunately the coincidences start to pile up a bit too deeply, making the plots a tad unbelievable at times. Yet still entertaining! This time we are infiltrating a German lab and airship station in order to steal what will turn out to be radar technology, new at the time. The ladies manage to get away with the technology when they steal an airship. Yes, a giant blimp. No, I am not kidding.
So yeah, a bit nutso at times, but still plenty of fun and a good end-of-year away from the office read.
So yeah, a bit nutso at times, but still plenty of fun and a good end-of-year away from the office read.
June 18, 2020
Liked this one more than the first book in the series. Got to see more of the new world Stirling and Roosevelt created. Luz is still a little too well developed for her age and experience, but who wants to read about an average character? Luz and her Irish mechanical girlfriend sneak into Germany during WWI to steal the secrets of early radar. The love story between the two leads got a little monotonous but I liked their airship travels and their attempt to sneak inside the huge Siemens Berlin plant. Their escape was a little extraordinary, but had a great finale. Liked it enough that I bought the last book in the series.
September 1, 2020
I really do like the setting for this series, an alternate WW1 world. The characters are good and usually engaging, as is the actions. Stirling didn't do quite as well with this one as he did with the previous volume (The Black Chamber). Theater managed to drag along, in fits and spurts and really did not take off until the final quarter of the book. Then it was filled with most of the things that make the series worth reading. I am really hoping that the next volume (which I already have) improves on the action to exposition ratio. Stirling, and his characters, truly shine when they are engaged in "thrilling adventure and action". Still, this was a good book and worth the read.
April 19, 2019
Long before spy satellites, video surveillance, nano technology and laser beams, spying took good old fashioned intestinal fortitude and cunning. Stirling creates a world where the protagonist exercises that and so much more.
Travel to Germany once more with the Black Chamber and find out how true espionage can make or break the war for one side, all the while hanging on the edge of your seat. It’s a very enjoyable story that will leave you wanting for more.
Thanks to First to Read for my advance copy!
Travel to Germany once more with the Black Chamber and find out how true espionage can make or break the war for one side, all the while hanging on the edge of your seat. It’s a very enjoyable story that will leave you wanting for more.
Thanks to First to Read for my advance copy!
May 31, 2020
Big fan of Stirling usually but certain things grated
The anti-English racism of Ciara you expect it from ignorant cod-Irish characters not from an apparently educated woman.
Calling the UK Battleship Queen Elizabeth I - unless the Sea Lords were extraordinary good at prediction they would not know of Queen Elizabeth the Second so the ship should have been HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Apparently 100% reliable tanks with turrets - not likely in 1916.
The anti-English racism of Ciara you expect it from ignorant cod-Irish characters not from an apparently educated woman.
Calling the UK Battleship Queen Elizabeth I - unless the Sea Lords were extraordinary good at prediction they would not know of Queen Elizabeth the Second so the ship should have been HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Apparently 100% reliable tanks with turrets - not likely in 1916.
May 2, 2019
this is the second book in the "Black Chamber" series, written in an alternated time line that starts with the election of Teddy Roosevelt in 1912. The series follows the alternated timeline as the 'First World War' is underway and America is involved from the beginning of the war. This is not as strong a start as the books written about "The Change, but hopefully they'll get better.
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