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Operation Chaos | Rating | |
| A | |||
| Poul Anderson | |||
| Series | Related Books | ||
| N/A | N/A | ||
In an alternate universe, magic is real. Religions worship real deities. And the United States still exists. They are at war with the Caliphate, a heretical Muslem offshoot that has taken over a good deal of the world. But the Caliphate are losing, and if Steve Matuchek, a werewolf working for the US Army, can manage to destroy a powerful efreet, then their last front will all but disolve and the war will be over in a few months. If not, it might last another three or four years. Luckily, he'll have help, in the form of the lovely witch Viginia Greylock.
At least, that's what the back of the book would have you think. And it's true, as far as it goes. But this book is composed of four short stories published in the fifties and sixties, and the plot I just described is only the first of them. It's a very good story, mind you, but it's not the whole thing. The other stories regard Steve and Virginia utilizing that world's equivalent of the GI bill that allowed ex-soldiers to go to college at severe discounts, their honeymoon, and a much longer story involving sixties-type peacenik radicals and a soujourn into Hell.
The universe's "technology", while definitely oriented around magic, are really quite logical and internally consistent. Better yet, they're fun. I had no problem letting myself be submersed in the setting. And as I already mentioned, the stories were enjoyable as well. My only real problem is that the very first one, the one I summarized, was in my opinion the best but far too short.
The four stories are not separated by statements of "Book One" or the like. Nevertheless, it is pretty darn clear where one ends and the next begins. The stories have been supplemented by additional text at the start and finish of the book, as well as between each tale to ease the transition. Though it still feels more than a bit episodic, it helps in a major way.
This is a nice, fun book. It's nearly three hundred pages long but still a quick read. If you're into light (albeit not humorous) fantasy, this one is worth looking into.
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