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Alexander Inheritance #3
The Sicilian Coil
A new book in the Alexander inheritance universe
The impact of the time transposition that brought a twenty-first century cruise ship to the Hellenic world right after the death of Alexander the Great continues to unfold. While President Al Wiley is building a new America in Trinidad and Captain Lars Floden is trying to use the Queen of the Sea to spread enlightenment around the world, Rome is experiencing a wakeup call—and so are its neighbors. If things don't change, the Roman republic is going to become a dictatorship. And if things don't change, the Samnites, Etruscans and other Italian states will become subjects of the Roman Empire.
And what's worse, the heirs of Alexander the Great aren't the sort of people who are going to stay within their borders and let the rest of Europe—or Asia, or North Africa—work out their own destinies.
It would be bad enough to be subjects of Rome. To be subjects of the Macedonians was something you wouldn't wish on a Gaul.
Something must be done. And with the help of the radio teams that give Rome and the other Italian states access to the knowledge from the twenty-first century, something will be.
The impact of the time transposition that brought a twenty-first century cruise ship to the Hellenic world right after the death of Alexander the Great continues to unfold. While President Al Wiley is building a new America in Trinidad and Captain Lars Floden is trying to use the Queen of the Sea to spread enlightenment around the world, Rome is experiencing a wakeup call—and so are its neighbors. If things don't change, the Roman republic is going to become a dictatorship. And if things don't change, the Samnites, Etruscans and other Italian states will become subjects of the Roman Empire.
And what's worse, the heirs of Alexander the Great aren't the sort of people who are going to stay within their borders and let the rest of Europe—or Asia, or North Africa—work out their own destinies.
It would be bad enough to be subjects of Rome. To be subjects of the Macedonians was something you wouldn't wish on a Gaul.
Something must be done. And with the help of the radio teams that give Rome and the other Italian states access to the knowledge from the twenty-first century, something will be.
167 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2021
56 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 10, 2021
Great addition to Alexandrian series.
This short novel takes place at the same time period as "The Macedonian Hazard" but gives events from a very different viewpoint. Both earlier novels focus on the ship passengers and crew or the small colony of the same who migrated to Trinidad. In contrast this book focuses on the radio teams sent to the Roman Republic, Carthage and Sicily which at the time were all competing for trade and opportunities for expansion in the central and western Mare Nostrum.
It almost feels like these events started out as part of the second novel which they parallel in time but were split out into a separate novella to let each story focus on very different things.
My only real complaint is the novella is only around 160 pages when I was expecting 200-250 pages for these events.
This short novel takes place at the same time period as "The Macedonian Hazard" but gives events from a very different viewpoint. Both earlier novels focus on the ship passengers and crew or the small colony of the same who migrated to Trinidad. In contrast this book focuses on the radio teams sent to the Roman Republic, Carthage and Sicily which at the time were all competing for trade and opportunities for expansion in the central and western Mare Nostrum.
It almost feels like these events started out as part of the second novel which they parallel in time but were split out into a separate novella to let each story focus on very different things.
My only real complaint is the novella is only around 160 pages when I was expecting 200-250 pages for these events.
May 19, 2025
needs better proofing--many typos & misplaced apostrophes, & an almost complete lack of helpful hyphens
February 12, 2022
Djupdykning i Roms situation. I huvudsak fokuserad på industrialisering och ytliga tolkningar av senatspolitik. Inte alls dålig, och ibland rätt underhållande, men definitivt inte djup.
November 5, 2022
An OK read, dull in parts, but good in others.
September 15, 2021
Too Much Incidental Detail
A characteristic of H & G in these spin-off stories is almost excruciating detail, maybe not almost. This gets tedious and a work of fiction is generally not supposed to be tedious. The detail of how sausage is made detracts from the narrative. They are stronger if they give more time to the action of characters and to the overall narrative action. I appreciate that they don’t spend a lot of time on gratuitous gore, now just shift back to people and to narrative action.
A characteristic of H & G in these spin-off stories is almost excruciating detail, maybe not almost. This gets tedious and a work of fiction is generally not supposed to be tedious. The detail of how sausage is made detracts from the narrative. They are stronger if they give more time to the action of characters and to the overall narrative action. I appreciate that they don’t spend a lot of time on gratuitous gore, now just shift back to people and to narrative action.
January 1, 2025
Third book of what is already known as the "Queen of the Sea series", The Sicilian Coil is a captivating addition to it. The story takes place in parallel with the events of the second book (The Macedonian Hazard) and allows a better understanding of how "the people on board" operate, as well as a closer look at the "radio operators" teams from across the Mediterranean, but especially those located in Italy and Sicily.
As always the authors excel in creating a living and immersive world with a mix of real people from the story and fictional characters caught in the past, all well developed by writers and very charismatic. The plot is not only interesting, but unlike the other two books it delves into the complex political intrigue of the ruling classes, where the "people of the ship" can no longer always afford to remain neutral, interweaving it with the intelligent use of historical events, showing a great deal of research work on the ancient world and displaying the viewpoint of the people of ancient Greece, as well as the impact of modern ideas on a pre-revolutionary industrial culture.
En Español:
Tercer libro de lo que ya se conoce como “Queen of the Sea series”, The Sicilian Coil es una adición cautivadora a la misma. La historia se desarrolla simultáneamente a los acontecimientos del segundo libro (The Macedonian Hazard) y permite una mejor comprensión de la forma en que opera “la gente de la nave”, así como el conocer más de cerca a los equipos de “operadores de radio” de todo el Mediterráneo, pero sobre todo aquellos ubicados en Italia y Sicilia.
Como siempre los autores sobresalen en la creación de un mundo vivo e inmersivo con una mezcla de personas reales de la historia y personajes ficticios atrapados en el pasado, todos ellos bien desarrollados por los escritores y muy carismáticos. La trama es no solo es interesante, sino que a diferencia de los otros dos libros profundiza en la compleja intriga política de las clases gobernantes, donde la “gente del barco” ya no puede siempre darse el lujo de permanecer neutrales, entrelazándolo con el uso inteligente de los acontecimientos históricos, mostrando un gran trabajo de investigación del mundo antiguo y exhibiendo el punto de vista de las gentes de la antigua Grecia, así como del impacto de las ideas modernas en una cultura pre revolucionaria industrial.
Gran libro, altamente recomendable, en particular para los entusiastas de la Historia Alternativa .
Great book, highly recommended, particularly for Alternative History enthusiasts .
As always the authors excel in creating a living and immersive world with a mix of real people from the story and fictional characters caught in the past, all well developed by writers and very charismatic. The plot is not only interesting, but unlike the other two books it delves into the complex political intrigue of the ruling classes, where the "people of the ship" can no longer always afford to remain neutral, interweaving it with the intelligent use of historical events, showing a great deal of research work on the ancient world and displaying the viewpoint of the people of ancient Greece, as well as the impact of modern ideas on a pre-revolutionary industrial culture.
En Español:
Tercer libro de lo que ya se conoce como “Queen of the Sea series”, The Sicilian Coil es una adición cautivadora a la misma. La historia se desarrolla simultáneamente a los acontecimientos del segundo libro (The Macedonian Hazard) y permite una mejor comprensión de la forma en que opera “la gente de la nave”, así como el conocer más de cerca a los equipos de “operadores de radio” de todo el Mediterráneo, pero sobre todo aquellos ubicados en Italia y Sicilia.
Como siempre los autores sobresalen en la creación de un mundo vivo e inmersivo con una mezcla de personas reales de la historia y personajes ficticios atrapados en el pasado, todos ellos bien desarrollados por los escritores y muy carismáticos. La trama es no solo es interesante, sino que a diferencia de los otros dos libros profundiza en la compleja intriga política de las clases gobernantes, donde la “gente del barco” ya no puede siempre darse el lujo de permanecer neutrales, entrelazándolo con el uso inteligente de los acontecimientos históricos, mostrando un gran trabajo de investigación del mundo antiguo y exhibiendo el punto de vista de las gentes de la antigua Grecia, así como del impacto de las ideas modernas en una cultura pre revolucionaria industrial.
Gran libro, altamente recomendable, en particular para los entusiastas de la Historia Alternativa .
Great book, highly recommended, particularly for Alternative History enthusiasts .
September 11, 2021
Following the death of Alexander the Great, the western world has entered what would become known as the Hellenistic Period of history, during which time Greek civilization would spread around the Mediterranean and beyond. But the first 50 years of the Hellenistic Period was the Age of Diadochi—the Time of the Successors—when Alexander’s empire would collapse into chaos. When a 20th century cruise ship, displaced in time, arrives in the eastern Mediterranean, the knowledge carried in the ship's library affects the situation. Carthage hopes to avert its destruction; Rome wants to start its empire early, and Egypt & Sicily go to war.
July 16, 2024
Happy to return to this particular Assanti shard. I quite feared we would never hear from it again after Flint's passing. This book largely sets up the stage for the continued tensions in the 318 BC Mediterranean. Looks like Rome, Carthage, Egypt and the Macedonians are adapting to Ship People technologies and that's leading to interesting developments.
Small complaint, I've never seen the phrase "hoi polloy" used so much in a story. Jeeze Louise!
Looking forward to the next instalment
Small complaint, I've never seen the phrase "hoi polloy" used so much in a story. Jeeze Louise!
Looking forward to the next instalment
September 25, 2021
New book in the Alexander Inheritance Universe. This one is set at the other end of the Mediterranean Sea. It is consistent with the other two books. This one focuses on Rome, Carthage, etc. and changes from our history. Interesting read. This is a small press book from Ring of Fire Press. The back of the book contains and invite to authors to write stories just like Eric Flint did with his 1632 Universe. Recommended.
September 9, 2024
great Read
Stupidly T read part 4 before 3, it’s an age thing. So this wasn’t so interesting or surprising. Having said that it became too much of a prelude, too much of jaw jaw not war war, to borrow a phrase. But still well written and held my attention.
Stupidly T read part 4 before 3, it’s an age thing. So this wasn’t so interesting or surprising. Having said that it became too much of a prelude, too much of jaw jaw not war war, to borrow a phrase. But still well written and held my attention.
February 16, 2025
Excellent alternative history of a modern day cruise ship ending up back in time well before Christ was born and the changes that occur thereof. I particularly liked the emphasis on abolishing slavery and changing societal norms as much as modernizing sanitations and architecture.
October 24, 2021
Huff and Goodlett always deliver a good story; the Alexander Inheritance universe is shaping up nicely.
November 11, 2022
War and peace in 319 BCE
When the ring of fire brought a cruise ship and 20th century people to the time of Alexander the Great, it changed everything.
When the ring of fire brought a cruise ship and 20th century people to the time of Alexander the Great, it changed everything.
March 25, 2023
Rounded up. Mostly happening at the same time as previous books, just in another geographic area. Interesting, but not really the continuation of the prior story I had hoped for.
May 15, 2023
Great alt history story!
I wad not a student of early Mediterranean history but this makes it a juicy subject. I am waiting with great anticipation for the next installment.
I wad not a student of early Mediterranean history but this makes it a juicy subject. I am waiting with great anticipation for the next installment.
December 31, 2021
Good book. Nice addition to the Alexander trilogy
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews