Ten years ago, inhabitants of the twentieth century and the Bronze Age were tossed together by the Event. But as two worlds converge, only one can be the victor in a battle to lead this strange new world.
On the Oceans of Eternity: A Novel of the Change (ISLAND)
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In the bestselling Island in the Sea of Time, 20th-century Nantucket was inexplicably hurled back to the Bronze Age. In the sequel, Against the Tide of Years, the villainous renegade William Walker introduced muskets, cannon, and other deadly anachronisms to Odysseus's Greece, making himself king and positioning himself to overthrow the democratic Republic of Nantucket and destroy his archenemy, Commodore Marian Alston. Now, in the trilogy's rousing conclusion, On the Oceans of Eternity, Walker's powerful army conquers Troy and invades Babylon, Nantucket's last great ally, as Walker's blood brother, the king of Tartessos, blocks Commodore Alston's Nantucket navy at the straits of Gibraltar. If Nantucket's tiny forces cannot defeat Walker's army and allies, the world will be plunged into a Dark Age bleaker and more devastating than any known in our history.
On the Oceans of Eternity ends cleanly, yet leaves the door open for a number of interesting sequels--and how often can you say that? Like its prequels, On the Oceans of Eternity is big, bloody, and ambitious, but always fast-paced and fascinating. This fun, intelligent series is perfect not only for action-adventure, alternate history, time travel, and military-SF fans but also for epic fantasy readers, for Burroughs and Haggard fans craving a modern update of the lost-civilization novel, and for anyone who loves Patrick O'Brian's sensational sea battles. --Cynthia Ward
From Booklist
With this book Stirling probably concludes a time travel^-alternate history saga that has met with great enough acclaim, however, to merit promotion to trade paperback or hardcover format should he continue it. The premise is that Nantucket has been tossed back to about 1400 B.C., with the Coast Guard tall ship Eagle in tow just offshore. From this, a new and different time line commences, one complicated by outbreaks of measles and smallpox, the inhabitants' shrewdness, stark treason on the part of one of the time-displaced band, thuggish genius William Walker, and the parallel introductions of diversity and women's rights with those of the steam engine and the ironclad. Readers of this book's predecessors, Island in the Sea of Time (1998) and Against the Tide of Years (1999), will find the same strong characterizations, high historical scholarship, superior narrative technique, excellent battle scenes, and awareness of social and economic as well as technological factors in evidence again. Newcomers will feel compelled to retreat to the saga's beginning. Roland Green
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Dr. Justin Clemens-Captain, Republic of Nantucket Coast Guard (Medical Corps)-sipped at the thick sweet wine, mouth dry. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Dr. Justin Clemens-Captain, Republic of Nantucket Coast Guard (Medical Corps)-sipped at the thick sweet wine, mouth dry. Read the first page
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The twentieth century residents of Nantucket, cast back into the bronze age, have the advantage of their technology and command structures, but those advantages are no longer unique. Walker, a renegade, has set himself up as King over Greece and has besieged Troy. His ally, Isketerol, controls Spain and the straits of Gibralter restricting Nantucket's ability to send aid to their allies--Babylon. And Walker's schemes take in Egypt too, hoping to catch Babylon from two sides.
Fortunately, thanks to a modern U.S. marine training regime, and to incredible luck, the Nantucketers are impossible to defeat in a battle. Friendly bullets fly true and smash great holes in enemy lines. Enemy gunshot is pathetic, killing a few to give our heros a chance to grieve, but not doing significant military damage. Even Walker's few victories are empty as the Nantucketers sucker him deeper into empty territory.
ON THE OCEANS OF ETERNITY is the third in S. M. Stirling's alternate history series about the republic of Nantucket. By now, ten years after the 'event,' Nantucket has pretty well melded its 20th century technology with the industrial capabilities of the bronze age world. The scenes set in Nantucket, therefore, lose some of the immediacy and interest that post-event survival tactics held. In ON THE OCEANS OF ETERNITY, it is the non-Nantucket kingdoms that are most interesting. Isketerol's attempts to balance his people's traditions with the new technology, and Walker's effort to overcome the entire Island's technological advantage with speed and hard work are the highlights of the novel.
Stirling follows alternate history convention by running multiple sub-plots simultaneously--Chief Cofflin in Nantucket, Commodore Marion Alston-Kurlelo and her lover, Swindapa with the Nantucket fleet, Walker, Isketerol, and Ranger Peter Giernas in California. Some of these stories are interesting. Others do little to advance the plot or demonstrate the clash of civilizations that make alternate history so interesting.
I loved ISLAND IN THE SEA OF TIME--the first book in this series but I think that Stirling would have served himself and his readers better if he'd shortened the sequel to one book instead of two, created more suspense, and really gotten into what technologies made the difference.
By Roger M
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I thought the first two books in this series were much more livelier and interesting. But then I did make the mistake of reading all three in as many weeks which, in hindsight, is probably not the best way to appreciate a work such as this. At times it seemed like an endless updating of previous plot lines interjected with new lines and the continual jumping back and forth grew more than a bit tedious. Overall I enjoyed the series but this seemed the weakest of the bunch and I found myself skimming through several parts.
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
At the risk of repeating what others have said here, the ending of this series was a monumental let-down. The reader's impression is that the author suddenly tired of the entire concept and decided to wrap it up as expeditiously as possible. The conclusion is so lame that I would recommend you not even get started with this series.
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3.6 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Mini series since the lost regement
Enjoyed this book very much and its two companions. Wish that the author wouldn't leave you in suspence at the end with the knowlege that one of the wolf lords children has... Read more
Published on July 13 2003 by Christopher Wise
3.0 out of 5 stars
Tim Robertson Review
An okay book, but after a while I just wish the writer would move the story a little bit faster.
Published on Nov 4 2002 by Tim E Robertson
2.0 out of 5 stars
Third Book in Trilogy Disappoints
I loved the first two books in this trilogy and eagerly read the third. At first I was excited to see this was the longest in the series. Read more
Published on Oct 18 2002
4.0 out of 5 stars
series end
I like alterative histories; the what ifs and the what coulda shoulda happened ...They all make you think ... Read more
Published on Oct 7 2002
1.0 out of 5 stars
Sterling is an evil, biased, narrow-minded ninny!
I love alternative history, but not when it's done this way! Sterling's ultra-left preachiness got in the way of what had the potential to be a decent story. Read more
Published on Aug 17 2002
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "Stirling" Effort
As an alternative history obsessive, I had recently read Stirling's Draka series and came away a bit anxious about the Nantucket series. Read more
Published on May 27 2002 by "bruingray"
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enoyed all three!
I'm just finishing the 3rd book, OtOoE. At times, they all were a bit hard to keep up with, but I spent many nights reading chapter after chapter, just to see what happens next. Read more
Published on April 14 2002 by David
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nantucket rules the world.
While not as fine as the two preceding novels, Oceans is the end of one of the greatest alternative history series ever written. Read more
Published on Mar 20 2002 by M. Cuevas
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous
This is my first delve into alternative history and I must say it has left me wanting more. Maybe I was lucky in that it reverts to a preriod of history that I am interested in... Read more
Published on Jan 8 2002 by ilmk
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mind the story
Ever since I started reading SF (and alternate history) I have wondered why the genre is so often disregarded by "mainstream" literature. Read more
Published on Jan 2 2002 by Ricardo Josua
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