savage nitro – by David C. Brown. ISBN 978-0-9831907-9-0. Published by the author, 2017. ($12.99 from Barnes & Noble, paperback). The reviewer received the book from the author as a pdf book.
David Brown has composed an epic 19th century alternative fantasy story.
Rex Knight is the protagonist. From Rex’s mysterious transport from Earth to his early years on Erden, named after the inhabitants of his planet, he struggles to survive, thrive, and ultimately succeed in big ways. Most of the story is told from Rex’s point of view.
There are other breeds carried and groupings of people. The Wapiti spoke a lingua franca that was mainly English, German, and some of the indigenous people, the Clovis, their own language. This could support other transports and some indigenous groups, but there is also a non-human alien race called the Ichneumons that rule a substantial part of the continent that looks a lot like 19th century North and South America.
The details of the planet, civilizations, and governments here are sparingly scattered throughout the development of the story. The Ichneumons are competing for control of the world with the mighty Prussian empire. The area that roughly makes up the eastern United States is controlled by the Prussian Empire. The rest is largely controlled by the Ichnemons. These two empires are in constant conflict for control of this continent. Meanwhile, the equivalent continents of Europe and Asia are divided between the Prussians and their allies and the Mongolian tribes who are constantly restless, if not openly attacking, on Prussia’s eastern borders.
Historically, the Ichnemons have conquered and destroyed the majority of the indigenous population. The wapiti and Clovis have avoided that fate by siding with the Prussians. That and the rugged wilderness of his area made it much more difficult for the Emperor of the Ichneumons, Rakakonda, and his troops. Since most of the contact had been through conquest attempts and other forms of warfare, there is no love lost between the groups. The third major power group here are the slave owners who usually had large cotton plantations and maintained them with slave labor.
The Prussians are entering an abolitionist age and many established institutions are in disarray, but specifically the slave trade has been discouraged and then banned throughout the empire. This creates another group that fights to control its own destiny. These plantation owners want to maintain the status quo of slavery, fearing that any change will bankrupt them.
The plots and intrigues rival any power on 19th century Earth for sure. All of this contributes to the complexity and different perspectives of the narrators. It also makes for a very intense and complex plot.
The format is of chapters divided into sections where the perspective changes between several narrators.
There are too many characters to describe here, but the standouts are Rex Knight and his partner, Amy Caroom. Amy is wanted, dead or alive, by her own father, Purnell. From this humble beginning, the characters are numerous and varied. Most don’t deserve mention as they weave in and out of the narrative, but they do come in, build up enough to be believable, and then come out of the particular narrator’s perspective.
One of the main difficulties is the incorporation of the alien race as the main personnel involved in the entire war, the political intrigues and even the antipathy between the slave owners and the Prussian Empire that dominates their area.
The plot goes in and out of focus. Characters enter and exit the stage. Group leaders and such keep busy with real and political issues while interacting well, which makes the plot even stronger.
For fans of alternate reality and historical adaptations of culture, science, and creatures, this book would love it and it’s easy to keep your interest. Since this is the first in a series of books by a relatively prolific author like Brown, everyone can expect more from this fertile mind.
5 stars.
Review by Chris Phillips