Here is a review left by a customer on a product. Would you say he was satisfied or dissatisfied?
Title: I don't think so...
Review: Alternative history is a dubious genre in my mind to begin with. History I can respect. Fantasy, which is fiction summoned from the author's imagination, is respectable too. But you have to be careful with alternative history, because it has an inherent cheapness that can be grating if not handled properly. In my opinion, this has happened here.Harlan's text is inconsistent, heavy in some places, thin in others, and his dialog is weak. These flaws make the careful plots and even the clever elements take on an "oh, come on" cast. It's a little like watching one of those old 50s costume epics with Tony Curtis--"Yonda is the castle of my fadda, the caliph."
