Publisher's Weekly Review
Prolific fantasist Stirling (the Emberverse series) packs a mighty wallop in this high-spirited alternate WWI history, starring redoubtable Cuban-Irish-American heroine Luz O'Malley Aróstegui. It's 1916, and Luz's honorary uncle, Teddy Roosevelt, is president. Adrenaline-charged Luz, a secret agent of the CIA-like Black Chamber, sails the Atlantic on a sumptuous dirigible, inveigling herself into the arms of handsome German spy Baron Horst von Dückler so she can pry out information about Germany's horrifying plot to prevent America from entering the war. Throughout, Luz utilizes the prevailing underestimation of women to efficiently dispose of Parisian street fighters, demolish a German professor's interpretation of Nietzsche, pilfer the German plans, and endure two weeks on a U-boat with Horst and lissome Ciara, Luz's other romantic interest. Sterling's lavish historical, linguistic, and cultural detail-including sly digs at real-life figures, such as a youthful J. Edgar Hoover-enhance well-rounded characters to make this a highly enjoyable espionage romp. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Stirling asks an interesting question in this thriller built on the premise that President Taft passed away during the 1912 election, and Theodore Roosevelt won a third term rather than Woodrow Wilson starting his first: How would that turn of events have affected WWI? Stirling has a gift for world building, but by focusing on a secret spy organization called the Black Chamber and one of its operatives, rather than making more use of the historical figures and events of the time, the end result is less compelling than it might have been. Still, the operative in the hot seat here, Luz O'Malley Aróstegui, who happens to be TR's fictional goddaughter, is a compelling character and well may develop into a strong series lead, if Stirling does a better job of melding fictional and historical elements.--Jeff Ayers Copyright 2018 Booklist