2 stars – it was an okay reading experience for me. This is part of my reading project, which is why I ordered book two of this series via interlibrary loan. It's really not my cup of tea, but it might be yours. Are you interested in sailing? If so, there is quite a bit of shipboard life, plenty of sails and rigging. Maybe you like martial arts? There are numerous descriptions of skirmishes. Maybe ancient warfare is your jam? Behold, many peoples of the ancient world, ready to kick butt. Are you...

Assyrians! Hittites! Babylonians! Egyptians! If this were a non-fiction book, I'd be all over it. But I crave the cultures, the history, the *life*. Instead, I got battles, battles, battles, a few more battles, and then, you guessed it, more battles. Seriously, it got old *fast*. I swear, out of the 454 pages of "Against the Tide of Years" by S.M. Stirling, about 400 pages were dedicated to... you guessed it, battles! Honestly, I'm dreading book #3. This is less a historical fantasy novel and mo...

The second entry in this excellent time travel series. Adds just enough new characters to expand the universe. The multiple POV and occasional flashback chapter structure really give a feeling of a group spreading itself thin in a desperate gamble to both stay unconquered and provide a better life for as many people as possible. The feel for the ancient societies is great, and it seems that accuracy was kept as much as possible (from my naive point of view). 4.75/5

Hmmm... an 'OK' successor to Island in the Sea of Time, but nothing spectacular. The author's focus was on my least favorite characters, and the behind-the-scenes action in the ensuing years between volumes bordered on... unbelievable. Necessary, however, for set-up for the third volume.

This is the second book in the Nantucket trilogy in which the island of Nantucket is thrown back in time from 1988 A.D. to 1250 B.C. Without the newness factor from the first book, I had slightly more mixed feelings about this one. I’m still enjoying the general story, and it’s great fun to read about modern-day Americans meeting and interacting with ancient cultures. I still enjoy reading about the challenges they face with limited modern supplies, and their innovations as they try to make up f...

I really enjoy the premise of this series (which is much like the 1632 series only in the Bronze Age) but the execution is less perfect than could be desired. To first cover the elements he handles well: the cultures and speech of the various groups feels amazingly authentic. These are alien cultures and he introduces them with aplomb. The technological innovations are plausible and the complexity impressive.The issues I have with the book largely come from the scale, speed, and characters. The ...

The second book of the Nantucket series picks up a couple years after the first book, though there are bits and pieces set during the intervening years as well. The Nantucketers have spread further around the globe with numerous bases in North and Central America as well as the British Isles, South Africa and the western Indian Ocean. After the events in book one Walker has established himself firmly in ancient Greece where he is building an empire. It is up to the Nantucketers to find and recru...

Walker should have died in the first book. There is such a rich diversity of possible threats for the island of Nantucket that the only reason to let Walker live for a second book is if the author is too in love with his clever villain to let him die in a timely manner.

I read the first in this series, Island in the Sea of Time, back in 2000 on the recommendation of my brother. I really loved the duck-out-of-water story of modern-day Nantucket, pulled from our time and transported to sometime in the B.C. 800s. I actually started this second book not too long after the first, and put it down because it just didn't capture my attention. This time--though I wanted to put it down-- I persevered. I just couldn't get into it. I just didn't care. I was so done with th...

I enjoyed Island in the Sea of Time more as I went along, so I'm willing to give this one a chance. But really, the writing style and over-all plot seem to coincide just a BIT too closely with the 'dark and mysterious stranger' bio pic the author included that CLEARLY indicates his position as ren-faire roleplayer extraodinaire. And the social commentary and revenge of the nerds mentality DOES get a little heavy at times.