REVIEWS: A New Birth of Freedom: The Translator

Online, December 6, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Paperback: 394 pages
Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press (2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1611605423
ISBN-13: 978-1611605426

Here are three recent reviews, and there are some "spoilers":

1. Kirkus Indie Reviews (December, 2012)

Doctor Who meets Glory in this smart sci-fi adventure.

Pielke drops readers straight into the action in this second installment of his alien invasion/time travel/alternate history series. Edwin Blair is a time traveler from the late 21st century who goes back in time to the Civil War to stem an invasion by the Pests, bug-like aliens who have set up camp in the middle of a Gettysburg, Pa., battlefield. Blair and his companions - including such real life historical figures as President Abraham Lincoln and General Robert E. Lee - assist Blair as he struggles to communicate with the aliens and complete his mission.

Pielke richly details the unique difficulties of time travel; throughout the novel, Blair walks a fine line trying to accomplish his goals without rewriting history. Although the plot may seem a bit ridiculous at first, the author makes it work by earnestly grappling with questions of history and by depicting the rich inner lives of his characters. The author also tackles serious themes, as when he explores the parallels between the rights of the Pests and the rights of African-Americans during the Civil War. The book also explores ideas about education, communication and technology. Even when the plot feels a bit ponderous at times, the author never takes the easy way out of plot difficulties. Although readers unfamiliar with the first book in the series may find themselves a bit confused at times, they will still find plenty to enjoy. The novel's cliffhanger ending is sure to make readers eager for the next installment.

A thoughtful, thorough and novel take on time-travel tropes.

2. Palmetto Reviews (December, 2012)

I loved the first book in this series, but the second outdoes itself even further! Robert G Pielke spins a masterful tale in A New Birth of Freedom: The Translator, twisting science fiction with historical fiction, but weaving it with such richness and accuracy, down to personality types, quirky characteristics, manners of speech, and reasonableness of action, that no seams or incongruities can be found.

The main ideas behind this story - namely, time traveling alien invaders landing themselves in the midst of the American Civil War - are extreme enough that I haven't yet read an author who accomplished such a task with Mr Pielke's level of believability or richness of fact woven deftly into fiction. If I could make a comparison, it would be to Harry Turtledove's work, who also wrote a time-traveling science fiction tale involving the Civil War, and writes many stories in the realm of alternate fiction, but I can honestly say that I fell into Mr. Pielke's tale far more comfortably, and with far less reservations about the natural character interactions and believability of the story as it progresses.

The most outstanding aspects of this book are the historical figures who walk, talk, act, and feel like the well studied figures many of us have come to know in our history books and accounts from the time. Add to this all the troop movements and commanding officers at play, the progression of the war until our main character, Edwin Blaire, begins to alter certain outcomes for the sake of defeating this new threat, and the number of troops in each region, the numbers of guns and artillery fielded and/or available, the motivations of the leaders and the sentiments of the population - every bit of it isn't simply manufactured as so many authors have tried with this genre, but actually derived from what historians know of this period. Mr. Pielke is certainly a well learned historian, and his writing is equally polished, for which his ability to weave these difficult elements into a riveting plot has won this reader's - and this writer's - heart.

If I could choose an aspect of this work that might be considered a downside, it would be an occasionally brief moment here and there that I would like to have explored a bit further. Of course, this is a reader's preference, rather than a flaw in the work, and should be taken as such when all things are considered.

Overall, this work has earned five enthusiastic stars, and I also look forward to reading more of Robert G. Pielke's work in the very near future.

Bravo!

3. Amazon Review - J. Bunker (November, 1012)

A New Birth of Freedom: The Translator, by Robert G. Pielke is the second installment in an intriguing alternate history trilogy. Edwin Blair has been sent back to the American Civil War to arrange for the eradication of otherworldly invaders from his own 23rd century time. This installment deals with the ramifications of meddling with history, both personal and historical. How much can Edwin safely alter history? What changes can he make that will endure, and what alterations will be erased once he returns to his proper time?

As the novel progresses, Edwin discovers his memory is failing as he affects his changes. The history he once thoroughly knew (it was his specialty as a university professor) has been altered and his mind is having a hard, often physically painful, time sorting it all out. Plagued by frequent headaches, nightmares and mind fog, Edwin must figure out exactly what he needs to do in order to succeed in his mission. He knows there is a limit to how much he can change history.

I enjoyed the immense historical detail. There is quite a bit of knowledge pertaining to the Civil War that was new to me. I found myself researching the characters, as well as some of the language that was used. John Hay introduces Blair to a few colloquialisms that gained popularity during the time of the War - a detail that I found refreshing. I also found the relationships between our intrepid time-traveler and his historical friends rather compelling. His friendship with Mr. Hay is crucial to the success of his mission. Without his help, he will likely forget everything from his own time - including his goal.

One aspect of the book that slowed things down a bit for me is that the author spends quite a bit of time trying to explain the multitude of paradoxes that are innate to time-travel. He goes over them several times, trying to get the point across with many analogies. At times it slows the story down.

I highly recommend this series, and particularly this installment. If you are a fan of speculative or alternate histories I think you will find Mr. Pielke's take very captivating. I eagerly await the third installment.
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NOTE: Pielke will be giving talks and signing books this coming Fall and Spring along the East Coast (including Gettysburg, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and in New York at Book Expo America) and in various places in the Los Angeles area. Check his website for further details.

Robert G Pielke's Web Site