The Mirage by Matt Ruff

I probably never would have been interested in Matt Ruff's alternate history The Mirage if it hadn't been for a mention on Cory Doctorow's Boing Boing. It sounded interesting, so I had a look and bought a copy when I saw it.

Ruff has used an interesting, and I suppose somewhat controversial premise for the book. It largely centres around the September 11 attacks in 2001, but with one very significant twist. The attacks take place on the 9 of November and it is Christian fundamentalists from a fractured America who fly planes into the Tigris and Euphrates World Trade Towers in Baghdad, the Arab Defence Ministry in Riyadh, and a fourth was aimed at Mecca, but was brought down by passengers before the hijackers could hit their intended target.

In this world the United Arab States are a strong world power, with their capital in the bustling metropolis of Baghdad and the US is a fractured country under the heel of a long serving and corrupt dictator, who is probably suffering from senility, leaving the country to his equally corrupt and inept assistants.

Matt Ruff has very cleverly and skillfully described how the world could be so different, picking out the turning points, of which September 11, 2001, is most definitely one. The world building in this is excellent and it's a superlative piece of alternate history. The Mirage successfully combines elements of science fiction, fantasy, political satire and contemporary thriller within it's pages. One small quibble I have is that the author has largely ignored China and Russia within his world. I know the book is mostly about the aftermath of the attacks on the UAS, and the aftermath, as well as US Arab relations, but Russia and China are still world powers, so should get more coverage. Even Israel, which now appears to be based in East Germany, gets more of a mention. I also would have liked to see more of the super Mossad agent Sinbad than we actually got, too. He was a very cool character.

The story really follows three Homeland Security agents: Mustafa, Samir and Amal. It creates three very different, believable characters with excellent back stories and makes them into people that the reader gives a damn about. Mustafa has never gotten over losing one of his wives in the November 9 attacks (he had 2, but he's largely estranged from the second one). Samir hides a personal secret that if discovered could ruin the life he's built for himself on every level. Amal is the daughter of a prominent politician and she's always trying to prove herself to her mother and live up to the memory of her heroic father, who was murdered in the line of duty.

It looks like a pretty standard alternate history with some clever ideas until the trio take in a terror suspect, who under questioning, makes the claim that they are living in a false world. It's a mirage. In the world he comes from the US is the dominant world power and the Arab States are squabbling backwaters who are only important because of the oil on their soil. In his world it was Muslim terrorists who flew hijacked planes into the World Trade Centres in New York and the Pentagon in Washington.

It would be easy to dismiss the claims as the ravings of a committed lunatic, but deeper investigation reveals validity to the story, and as they dig deeper Mustafa, Samir and Amal find themselves in a mystery that reaches into their world's seamy underbelly and extends to the top levels of government. In trying to find a way out of this mess the three will be taken way out of their comfort zones and be stretched to their very limits before uncovering the shocking truth.

It does help to enjoy The Mirage if you have interest in current affairs and politics both before and after the events of September 11, 2001. Many of the key players in this real life soap opera appear, quite often in different capacities to those from which we know and remember them. Saddam Hussein and his murderous offspring, Osama Bin Laden, Donald Rumsfeld and even Muammar Gaddafi.

The Mirage is highly recommended and well worth taking the time to have a look at. If you enjoyed Robert Harris' Fatherland, then you would also really like reading The Mirage.

Flashman in the Great Game Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Flashman in the Great Game is a long one and a lot happens in terms of developing the story.

Most of it concerns Flashman and the Rani Lakshmibai. The two take a liking to one another, although Harry says it is mostly lust on his part (unsurprising) he does come to like the woman, although he can see through her hypocrisy when she sermonises about how her people were better off under local rule without British interference. He does allow the British have made mistakes, but has trouble swallowing her comments about how she treats the poor better than they do when she's wearing a pair of sandals that would cost a common labourer or clerk a years wages.

Harry paints an appealing picture of the Raj in 1856 in Jhansi. It does sound idyllic and even Flashman is, like his countrymen, lulled into a false sense of security. Given their lifestyle it is not surprising. I think Fraser also wrote it this way to make what later happens even more shocking. Flashman alludes to it and any student of history knows what's coming, but it was still a clever move by the author.

Flashman also meets up with an old friend. Ilderim Khan is serving at Jhansi. Readers will remember that Flashman was made the Afghan tribesman's blood brother when Ilderim was 16 years old in Flashman. I like Ilderim as a character, I even did in Flashman, and he's fleshed out a lot more here, and is even more likeable in this; a larger role, as an older more experienced man, even if he is a tad gung ho and bloodthirsty.

Harry, as always, thinks Lakshmibai is every bit as eager to hop into bed with him as he is with her. At times the character's ego and arrogance is breathtaking in it's depth. So when he and Ilderim get drunk one night and a messenger comes alluding to having been sent by the Rani off Flashman goes to an illicit tryst.

He never sees the woman's face, she's wearing a veil, and she moves like a nautch dancer, which she probably was. Harry will always be convinced that it was Lakshmibai, but there is significant doubt on that point. Remember the afterglow Harry mentions some of his other women, including one called Takes Away Clouds Woman, who readers have not met. Things like this often make me wonder how far ahead Fraser planned all this. Flashman in the Great Game is book 5, and Takes Away Clouds Woman doesn't appear until book 7, which didn't come out for another 2 or 3 years.

Harry is attacked by assassins while still recovering from his hang over and the affects of his energetic love making. His life is saved by Ilderim and a couple of his badmashes, who followed Harry believing something may have been afoot. The assassins turn out to be members of the local thugee cult. Under torture one of them also makes mention of Ignatieff. so Harry knows he's in trouble, but he can't simply go home.

Ilderim suggests that he go native, pretend to be a local by the name of Makarram Khan. Ilderim knows that no one else will lay claim to the name, because he killed the bearer of it. George MacDonald Fraser in his brilliant notes at the back does say that Makarram Khan was a real person and it is conceivable that he could have died in an engagement with Ilderim and his tribe. Once Harry's established his cover he can then serve as a local soldier. It sounds insane, and it probably is, but if anyone call pull this off it's Harry Flashman.

One thing that does irritate me a little about this book is the extensive footnoting. Fraser chose to use a lot of local terms to describe things and people, and he explains them in little footnotes down the bottom. They tend to distract from the reading, but that may because I've read the books so many times I know what the words all mean.

Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock

Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock was an early example of what has come to be called celtic or mythic fantasy. I had read some of this type of work years ago, but hadn’t liked it. I probably should have started with Mythago Wood, because it is excellent.

Holdstock originally wrote it as a novella and then expanded it, it later became the first book of a series. Despite the extension into a series Mythago Wood is completely self contained, and a very satisfying read.

Steven Huxley was raised near Ryhope Wood, and it’s deep dark recesses scared him, and to a lesser extent his older brother Christian when they were children. The boy’s father developed a fascination with the place, something that later became obsession and not only estranged the man from his family, but may have contributed to his death at a relatively young age.

Steven is summoned home by Christian from France, where he is convalescing after his experiences in WW II. He arrives home to find his brother physically and mentally altered, and also cagey about what happened to his wife; Gwyneth. The wood that so fascinated their father has also exerted its influence on Christian and the brother disappears in the wood itself.

Steven starts to research his father’s notes and even seeks out papers from a man his father collaborated with. They developed the idea that the wood contained myth images  or mythagos from England’s past, everything from prehistoric warriors to cavaliers from the British Civil War of the 17^th century. One of these mythagos is an enchanting young woman, who calls herself Guiwenneth. For some reason she seems to exert a passion within the Huxley men, both George Huxley, and his son Christian, were obsessed with her, and Steven also falls in love with her. Of the 3 men Steven seems to share the healthiest relationship with her, but that could be because the book is written in first person, so readers only really see Steven’s side of the story.

It is Guiwenneth’s capture by a mythago of Christian that forces Steven and a companion; the pilot Harry Keeton into the wood to look for her. Harry’s an interesting character, he and Steven meet by chance to a certain extent, but the pilot encountered a similar wood in France when he was shot down during the war and has been trying to find his way back ever since. I kind of liked Harry the most of the characters in the book, and some of his diary entries were highly amusing, especially in contrast to Steven’s more measured, occasionally tortured voice. At times some of Steven's entries resembled the less coherent ravings of his father, possibly an indication of Steven's own failing sanity at the time of writing.

It will take everything Steven's got just to get out of the wood with his life and sanity both preserved.

It’s an extraordinary work, and read as 3 books in one. Holdstock’s language isn’t particularly complicated or poetic even, but is atmospheric. I could smell the wood and feel the coolness of it’s depths.

There’s a whole wealth of similar work. Charles DeLint, in particular, has written books in this vein. Holdstock wrote sequels to Mythago Wood as well. I may have to revisit DeLint as it’s made me reassess my opinion of his work.        

Flashman in the Great Game - Chapter 3

Harry finally gets to India in the 3^rd chapter of Flashman in the Great Game. The opening of this chapter is one of the very few knocks I have on George MacDonald Fraser. Before heading off on his actual mission in Jhansi Flashman spends time in what he regards as the more civilised parts of the country and largely repeats what he said in Flashman about India being a great place to serve. It was just unnecessary. Perhaps Fraser thought he had to put it in because he was writing an episode of what was a largely self contained series and couldn’t trust that readers would have already have read Flashman.

Things pick up when he gets on the road to Jhansi and meets with Johnny Nicholson on the way. Nicholson was one of those extraordinary frontier soldiers that seem larger than life and have lived an adventure that can’t possibly be true, but is. He and Flashman were comrades in arms from Flashman and he may have also appeared in Flashman and Flashman and the Mountain of Light. He agrees that trouble could be brewing in India from what he’s seen and leaves Flashman wondering. There’s a rather sober note at the end of this encounter that Nicholson was killed by a mutineer during the conflagration that enveloped the country not longer after the meeting.

Flashman tries to get some information about the Rani from Skene, the diplomat stationed there, but as he’s never seen the woman (she conducts all her business with the British from behind a screen) he isn’t a lot of help, although he too is worried about the situation. There’s this whole sense of doom hanging over everything. Flashman has formed the opinion that the Rani is a sour embittered widow and even the Flash Harry charm with his dashing cavalry whiskers may have trouble winning her over.

He goes to meet the Rani the following day. He likes the women he does see and even befriends one of the Rani’s guards, who has heard the Bloody Lance legends and knows ‘Iflassman’ is someone to meet. Something he can dine out on for some time.

The meeting is conducted behind the screen and Harry keeps hearing this rustling noise that he can’t identify. The Rani gives him fairly short shrift and is unimpressed by the picture of the royal family that he presents her. He couldn’t blame her here, he didn’t think much of it himself. He plays an ace in the hole by saying that he has another gift, but he can only present it face to face. Harry is ushered behind the screen and into the presence of Laskhmibai the Rani of Jhansi. She’s not a sour old widow, she’s a stunningly beautiful young woman seated on a hanging swing, which was what created the rustling noise and even the great Harry Flashman is taken by her beauty.    

The Alchemist of Souls by Anne Lyle

Anne Lyle's debut The Alchemist of Souls is the first book in her Night's Masque series. It joins the growing number of fantasies set in Elizabethan England, along with the first book in Marie Brennan's Onyx Court series and Mark Chadbourn's Will Swyfte books.

Anne Lyle's research is impressive, and her alternate Elizabethan England (The Virgin Queen married Robert Dudley and the union produced children. Elizabeth actually read more like Victoria) is interesting and well built. I was impressed that she chose to set some of the book around a troupe of players. It brought back memories of a Geoffrey Trease book I read as a child and it also had a Shakespeare in Love feeling about it.

The plot follows three characters; a down at heel swordsman by the name of Mal Catlyn, who is given the job of both guarding a skrayling (other worldly creatures from Vinland, which is an alternate North America) ambassador, and spying on the creatures for Elizabeth's spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham. A young Dutch girl, masquerading as a boy with a troupe of players as a tireman; Coby Hendricks. The final main character is a knockabout and romantic scribe of Mal's acquaintance; Ned Faulkner. The three become caught up in a plot to gain control of the throne.

It was quite readable and enjoying, the mystery behind the skraylings and the creatures themselves was very inventive and well written. The main characters were a little less successful for me. I felt Mal was a bit too passive, and Coby a little uneven, I also didn't buy the conceit that she could successfully have hid her gender for as long as she had. Ned, who for me, was the most likeable, got the rough end of the stick most times and turned out to be a bit of a plot device.

Despite those criticisms it is a promising debut and the hook is nicely baited at the end to keep readers well and truly interested and getting the sequel when it appears.

Flashman in the Great Game - Chapter 2

Things don't improve much for Harry in the second chapter of Flashman in the Great Game.

Once he's seen Ignatieff he runs and tells Ellenborough, who at first can't believe it, but they both soon realise that Palmerston had to have known. The concerning thing is that for Ignatieff to know that the English were aware of the Russian's plans for Jhansi on some level they had to have a mole at the highest levels of the administration. Flashman is instructed to behave around Ignatieff until they can put the plan to insert him into Jhansi in action.

Harry plays it pretty well. In company of the villainous Russian nobleman he acts the part of the gracious former captive, but when no one else can hear them he makes snide comments about knouts. Ignatieff does let Harry know that Valla survived being thrown out of the sleigh and would love to have her revenge on him.

Things go quite well, with Harry reverting to bully type and making life uncomfortable for his enemy when he believes he's safe, that is until someone tells Prince Albert there are some roe deer near Balmoral. I'm not sure if Albert was really as bloodthirsty as he's portrayed in the Flashman books, or whether this was just something that amused George MacDonald Fraser.

They go off on a hunt and Ignatieff and his hairy moujik put Harry's Scottish ghilly out of commission and go after another prey. They don't want deer, they want to mount Harry Flashman's head on their walls! This section once again made me think of scenes from a Bond movie, it never actually took place in any of the Bond films, but it has that feel about it. Harry is rescued by a capable British agent, who was sent for this purpose expressly.

The sooner Harry gets to India the better, in fact it may actually be safer for him. Harry said incident put him off deer hunting for life.

Red Seas Under Red Skies read along week 2

So here we are at week 2 of the read along of Red Skies Under Red Skies. This week our questions come from one of Scott Lynch's biggest fans Little Red of Little Red Reviewer.

Now that we know a little more about Selendri and Requin, what do you think of them? I worry Locke is suddenly realizing this con might be a bit tougher than he expected.


Requin reminds me in a lot of ways of Barsavi. There's that sense of menace permanently under the surface and he covers it with a thin veneer of civility. Of the two I think Selendri provides a bigger challenge to Locke than her boss.
Isn’t the Artificers’ Crescent just amazing?  If you could purchase anything there, what would it be?


So many of the ideas and settings that Lynch came up with for these books and brilliant. In some ways I hope the books never get made into films, because I just don't think a film maker would be capable of bringing the pictures to screen that Scott Lynch dreams up. I think if I could buy anything from the artificers it would be an animated clock.
What did you think of  Salon Corbeau and the goings on that occur there? A bit crueler than a Camorri crime boss, no? 


In the way that Camorr made me think of a Renaissance Venice, Salon Corbeau made me think of pre revolution France. I kept flashing on Mel Brooks The History of the World Part 1. They have a chess game in that set in pre revolution France that is played with life size pieces much the same as the cruel game in Salon Corbeau, except without the deadly forfeits.
The Archon might be a megalomaniacal military dictator, but he thinks he’s doing right by Tal Verrar: his ultimate goal seems to be to protect them.  What do you think he’s so afraid of? 


Like many politicians the Archon has masters and they're the ones that worries him. In his case it's the Priori.
And who the heck is trying to kill Locke and Jean every few days?  they just almost got poisoned (again!)!


Locke and Jean have made a lot of enemies in their time. The logical choice is the Bondsmages, but this isn't their style. Someone else is playing a game and our two master thieves don't know who the new player is.
Do you really think it’s possibly for a city rat like Locke to fake his way onto a Pirate ship?


Normally you'd say no, but Locke is not just any city rat, he's a Camorr city rat and there's very little a resourceful Camorri can't pull off.