A Meeting at Corvallis

“Stirling concludes his alternative history trilogy in high style.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“A fascinating glimpse into a future transformed by the lack of easy solutions to both human and technological dilemmas.”

—
Library Journal

“Exciting and suspenseful…. Blending elements of Arthurian and Tolkienesque romance with down-in-the-muck details of birth and death, farming and herding, building and politicking, Stirling manages to fashion a narrative that acknowledges that humanity is a creature of both soul and body, heart and mind, lust and sacrifice, much in the manner of Poul Anderson…. Stirling has blazed a clear comet trail across his postapocalyptic landscape that illuminates both the best and the worst of which our species is capable.”

—Science Fiction Weekly

“The ensuing maze of intrigue, diplomacy, and battle comes up to Stirling's highest standards for pacing, world building, action, and strong characterizations, particularly of women.”

—
Booklist
(starred review)

“Entertaining and satisfying.”

—
Contra Costa Times

“[Stirling's] made his heroes real people about whom we care and with whom we identify, and the way they have risen to heroic stature out of necessity and the instinct to survive and to thrive says something heartening about the potential in all of us.”

—SF Reviews

“An exciting and fitting end to this science fiction thriller trilogy.”

—Alternate Worlds

The Protector's War

“Absorbing.”

—
The San Diego Union-Tribune

“[A] vivid portrait of a world gone insane…it also has human warmth and courage…. It is full of bloody action, exposition that expands character, and telling details that make it all seem very real…. It is the determination of its major characters to create a safe and loving world that makes the book so affecting.”

—
Statesman Journal
(Salem, OR)

“Reminds me of Poul Anderson at his best…. Against a colorful, action-filled background, Stirling shows characters who've solved the problems of immediate personal survival and can now focus on their legacies.”

—David Drake, author of
Some Golden Harbor

“Rousing…. Without a doubt [
The Protector's War
] will raise the bar for alternate universe fiction and shows all of S. M. Stirling's hallmark ability to tell a stirring tale with vivid characters.”

—John Ringo,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Unto the Breach

“The characters are distinct and clearly drawn with a lovely sense of humor…very readable.”

—SFRevu

“An exemplary specimen of the post-apocalyptic tale…with panache, insight, and ingenuity. [Stirling] alternates massive, thrilling set pieces that are impeccably crafted—pirate attacks at sea, ambushes by bandits, a charge of feral British hippos—with quieter chapters that examine core human issues such as responsibility, love, justice, jealousy, camaraderie, and spirituality…. Readers…are in for a rousing good time”

—Science Fiction Weekly

“Villains of the darkest hue are matched by average men and women grown into heroes of Arthurian stature and complexity. The action streaks across the page like an avenging blade…. When you're finished reading, you'll beg him for more.”

—John Birmingham, author of
Final Impact

“Consistent excitement and dramatic tension…a marvelous adventure, and a strong entry in an improving trilogy. The new characters and overseas settings are an immense asset, in that we finally see the global scope of the Change. Thus there's even greater depth to the overall story.”

—SF Reviews

“Stirling always does a great job with his novels of uprooted communities building a new world.”

—
Chronicle

“[Stirling's] ability to imagine a return to quasi-medievalism in the modern world provides a glimpse into the inner strength of men and women under fire. Highly recommended.”

—
Library Journal

Dies the Fire

“
Dies the Fire
kept me reading till five in the morning so I could finish in one great gulp. It's an alarmingly large speculation: how would we fare if we suddenly had the past 250 years and more of technological progress taken away from us? No more electricity. No more internal combustion engines. No more gunpowder or other explosives. All gone, vanished in the blink of an eye…. Don't miss it.”

—Harry Turtledove

“Gritty, realistic, and apocalyptic, yet a grim hopefulness pervades it like a fog of light. The characters are multidimensional, unusual, and so very human. Buy
Dies the Fire.
Sell your house, sell your soul, get the book. You won't be sorry.”

—John Ringo

“A stunning speculative vision of a near-future bereft of modern conveniences but filled with human hope and determination. Highly recommended.”

—
Library Journal

“S. M. Stirling gives himself a broad canvas on which to display his talent for action, extrapolation, and depiction of the brutal realities of life in the absence of civilized norms.”

—David Drake

“The Willamette Valley of Oregon and the wilds of Idaho are depicted with loving care, each swale and tree rendered sharply. The smell of burning cities, the aftermath of carnage, the odor and sweat of horses…Stirling grounds his action in these realities with the skill of a Poul Anderson…. Post-apocalypse novels often veer either too heavily into romantic Robinsonades or nihilistic dead ends. But Stirling has struck the perfect balance between grit and glory.”

—Science Fiction Weekly

“Stirling shows that while our technology influences the means by which we live, it is the myths we believe in that determine how we live. The novel's dual themes—myth and technology—should appeal to both fantasy and hard SF readers as well as to techno-thriller fans.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Fans of apocalyptical thrillers like Stephen King's
The Stand
will find
Dies the Fire
absolutely riveting…. A fantastic epic work.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“The character development is excellent…. I found myself devouring every page as quickly as I could. I enjoyed the thrill of a world in which so many things we take for granted are gone…. For fans of what-if, this is a must read.”

—SFRevu

Island in the Sea of Time

Against the Tide of Years

On the Oceans of Eternity

Dies the Fire

The Protector's War

The Sunrise Lands

Other Novels by S. M. Stirling

The Peshawar Lancers

Conquistador

A ROC BOOK

ROC
Published by New American Library, a division of
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Published by Roc, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-1012-1276-9

Copyright © S. M. Stirling, 2006
All rights reserved

 
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