For the 52 Book Club Challenge, I asked my son to suggest a genre for me to read (Prompt 37: Genre Chosen for you by someone else). He chose Alternate History as the genre, and suggested a fantasy to fit that category. So I ended up reading a very entertaining cross-genre novel with a strong female character in the lead role.
Description provided by the publisher:
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy meets Agent Carter meets X-Men in a classic British espionage story. A young woman must go undercover and use her superpowers to discover a secret Nazi plot and stop an invasion of England.
In 1936, there are paranormal abilities that have slowly seeped into the world, brought to the surface by the suffering of the Great War. The research to weaponize these abilities in England has lagged behind Germany, but now it's underway at an ultra-secret site called Monkton Hall.
This description of the book, especially the first paragraph, is misleading in my opinion. It sounds like the novel is an over-the-top spy story. The novel is a very good spy story, but it is more of an adventure than the quiet, somber stories written by John le Carré. It is set in an alternative version of the UK and Germany in the years leading up to World War II. Within the British government, there is strong support for an alliance between the UK and Germany and many think that a cooperative relationship between the two countries can be successful; some citizens support that view, others don't trust the German government.
There are people with fantastical paranormal abilities in both countries; these powers started showing up after World War II. For the most part, the "superpowers" are not very obvious and people have to be trained to use them.
The heroine of the story, Kim Tavistock, has such an ability, called the "spill." She is capable of influencing other people to reveal secrets to her. Her supervisor/trainer at Monkton Hall requests that she go undercover to a country house weekend party. There will be highly placed Germans at the party. She will try to get some information on what the Germans are planning. Kim and her supervisor are doing this on their own, with no backing, which puts her in danger at times.
My thoughts:
I like the central female character. She has no training in espionage and her supervisor is not sufficiently knowledgeable in that area to guide her, but she is determined to be successful at her mission and willing to take chances. She is living with her father in England after having spent the previous ten years living with her mother in the US. Thus there is a strained relationship between her and her father, and they are keeping secrets from each other.
I liked the setting, both in time and place. Especially at the beginning, the action takes place in both England and Germany. I thought the depiction of the time period was very well done and convincing. Germany takes the new powers more seriously and invests heavily in experiments to test the ability to use them to take over other countries.
I love reading espionage stories, realistic or not. This book has enough grounding in the history of the years prior to World War II and a story that moves at a swift pace, so I think it would appeal to a wider audience. And the paranormal parts are very well done without seeming over the top.
This book is the first in a trilogy. However, the book does not end in a cliffhanger and has a satisfactory conclusion. I will be getting a copy of the 2nd book soon.
12 comments:
I don't read much fantasy, espionage, or alternative history, so I'm not sure if I would enjoy this or not. Your review is good, though, and makes it sound appealing.
Kelly, for a book with all three of those elements, this one is very well written and worked for me. It is at heart a mystery, and that is what I liked most about it. But, you can't read all the books, so this one probably is not for you.
This sounds fascinating, Tracy. I've read a few alternate history stories that worked well, although that's not my usual fare. And I'm glad that you enjoyed this one. I also like the idea of taking a book recommendation from someone else and following up on it. You never know what you'll find...
Margot, I often have difficulty getting into alternate history books, although I like them once I get started. It was good that my son gave me the push to read this one.
I've just grabbed this for my Kindle. I had actually heard of it and vaguely wanted to read it, but you've spurred me on. One of my personal challenges for 2026 is to read more about WW2 and this is a really different angle on it. Thanks, Tracy!
I love the sound of this one...superpowers in an alternate history? Yes, please! It just sounds fun. :D
Cath, I am glad you plan to read this book. I do think it is a good depiction of the years before the war. And I think you will like it.
Lark, the book was a fun read, while still remaining serious about the subject. The characters were interesting.
I hope the protagonist can find out what the Germans are up to and what they're planning. Is the alternate history angle : what if the UK and Germans had aligned and cooperated? thanks.
Love when the first book of series sets you up to be excited for the next.
I have given that question some thought, Susan. It is pretty clear from the beginning of this story that Germany is not interested in an alliance, but they are pretending to be open to it while they build up their offensive strengths. So the situation in the book is pretty much politically what it was in 1936 (I think), except of course for the paranormal abilities that some people have, some of which are potentially very dangerous. I think I have read lots about the war and after the war, but not so much about the years building up to the war.
I agree, Ryan. I want to see where the next book takes the characters.
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