[paladin]

hrm.. sounds like it may be worth a chance

[Cnai?r]

Something about the style, but not the story itself, reminds me of Glen Cook's first Black Company book. I'm currently 2/3 into The Ten Thousand and Kearney is direct, to the point, and he moves on swiftly. Not so swiftly as to leave the plot/characters sketchy, but he's not so slow as to have the action drag. Pretty good so far, although there are parts that don't appeal to me as much as they would to others.

[Astra]

Does he write fantasy or alternative history? (I don't like alternative history, because the ending is known from the beginning.)

[Terminus Est]

Astra;347527 said:

(I don't like alternative history, because the ending is known from the beginning.)

I don't think that's right. By virtue of it being alternative history, the ending is precisely that - unknown. I think alternative history works by taking a known historical fact/situation/event as your starting premise and change it's outcome, then extrapolate.

As for your question regarding Kearney, I'm not sure. I think in the case of The Ten Thousand it may well be both.

[Coco with marshmallows]

Remorseless Emperor;347562 said:

I don't think that's right. By virtue of it being alternative history, the ending is precisely that - unknown. I think alternative history works by taking a known historical fact/situation/event as your starting premise and change it's outcome, then extrapolate.

As for your question regarding Kearney, I'm not sure. I think in the case of The Ten Thousand it may well be both.

i've got to agree with remorseless here.

For my money, alternative history is stuff like Harry Turtledove's books on the second american civil war. It COULD have happened, just didn't.

Historical fiction, on the other hand, is what i classify Pressfield's works like Gates of Fire, or Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe books. We know the Spartans died at Thermopylae, we know the British and Prussian armies won at Waterloo, etc. the main facts don't change.

[Astra]

Ok, then next question is The Ten Thousand is an alternative history or history fiction? :cool:

[polishgenius]

I haven't read it, but from what I gather from these reviews it's not meant to be either. Just a fantasy that takes inspiration from real events, Gemmell-style.


Also, *puts it on the list*. I greatly enjoyed the two Sea Beggars books that are already out, and am looking forward to this. Glad Kearney seems to be finally getting some widespread recognition, seems getting dropped by Bantam may be a blessing in disguise.

[Cnai?r]

It's set in a fantasy world, but with the basic parameters of Xenophon's description. Meaning there is a mercenary force of 10,000 Macht (Greek) soldiers. They are hired by the brother of the neighboring empire's emperor to help supplant said emperor. Things like that. The specifics, however, differ from Xenophon's account. There's no magic involved. It's soldier fiction set on an alternate world, so technically fantasy. Ending is also a bit different from the historical one, if memory serves.