Steam Legion eBook Evan Currie
Download As PDF : Steam Legion eBook Evan Currie 
The Library would not burn. Dyna of Sparta would not allow it, on her life and her ancestors she so swore.
An Epic adventure set during the Early Roman Empire's era of expansion and unrest. Steam Legion develops from a real historical crossroads and explodes out in a new direction, derailing our history centuries before the first railroads were invented.
When the revolts against the Empire reach the city of Alexandria, a small cadre of Legionnaires find themselves thrust into a revolution not of religion but of technology. Watch as Dyna of Sparta, Heron of Alexandria, and those who stand with them forge a new path to the future. Epic military action mixed with sparkling and memorable characters brings Legion to life, while forgotten technologies of our own distant past provide hope in an uncertain world.
Watch and learn as Dyna of Sparta steps out of the Ivory Tower of the Library and into the sandals of her ancestors, blade in hand, to defend that which had become her life.
Steam Legion eBook Evan Currie
Product details
|
Tags : Steam Legion - Kindle edition by Evan Currie. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Steam Legion.,ebook,Evan Currie,Steam Legion,FICTION Fantasy Historical,FICTION Science Fiction Steampunk
Steam Legion eBook Evan Currie Reviews
I ripped through 'Steam Legion' in a couple of sittings, mainly because I like slash and burn novels set in Roman times, but more so because Currie writes neatly and engagingly, with a nice mix of action and introspection to balance the tone.
This is an alternative history novel that contains sufficient historical context for us to visualise the main canvas, but deviates from what actually happened right across the board, though in a very intelligent way.
The 'Steam Legion' of the title relates to the harnessing of steam power, which is not one of the Roman Empire's innovations noted by Reg in 'Life of Brian' and therefore one I concluded is of dubious historical accuracy. No matter, the way it is used, and by a woman no less, is the pivot point of the plot as a numerically inferior Roman force battle a numerically superior Jewish force.
Currie has fun with people and places, and creates strong characters - both male and female - and then incrementally loads up the action and tension page after page.
Give 'Steam Legion' a try if you like Conn Iggulden's novels or David Gemmell's Drenai Tales.
I started reading his books with the Warrior Wings series and I enjoy the female lead characters. While I did not enjoy Steam Legion as a story as much, it introduced us to another intriguing character, Dyna of Sparta. I like how Evan always does a nice job with character development. You always see his characters grow and mature throughout his books. However, what appeals mostly to me are the depths of engineering and technical descriptions he uses. Since the Romans were known to have used steam to power engines, it was nice to see how he used this engineering feat as a basis for his storyline.
It did seem like we were going from one battle to the next, but I could see how this could be the basis for a series which would show more plot and story progression. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would like to see what the author plans to do with this character. I'm not sure how the steam facet of this book will play out in futures ones, but he has shown that he can always create some new technology that will pick up where he left off. Also, he has never shown any romantic interests for his leads and I'm okay with it. It's just all business all the time. It was an enjoyable read.
Mr. Currie is one of my favorite sci-fi authors, but I'm sorry to say that his laudable attempt to do something a bit outside his comfort zone is not a complete success. In "Steam Legion", he combines research at the Great Library of Alexandria and researcher/warrior Dyna of Sparta, a direct descendant of King Leonidas, to produce early technological advances that halt the advance on Alexandria of Jewish Zealots from Judea. This is apparently drawn from the actual uprising in Judea against Roman rule in 66 A.D., but the character of Dyna as the protege of Heron, the head of the Library, appears to be drawn from the famous scientist/philosopher Hypatia (daughter of mathematician Theon), who was actually killed by a mob of Christian Zealots in Alexandria some 350 years later.
The political context of Mr. Currie's story is roughly speaking that stew of Roman intrigue centering around Emperor Nero, and the nationalist rebellion in first century Judea. Oddly absent from the narrative is the birth of Christianity. Mr. Currie, as usual, takes pains to get his technology right, from the standard Roman weapons and armor to the inventions at the Library. It was, however, strange to see him repeatedly refer to the Roman "phalanx" since that form was not used by the legions.
While one might infer that Dyna's saving of the Library gives rise to an early steam revolution, that does not seem to be what Mr. Currie was aiming for, except tangentially. Rather, he has placed ongoing steam research at the threatened Library, and it is the presence of Dyna that propels it into practical, military use. In other words, he wanted to write a steampunk novel and devised a pretext that more or less fit. For a much more effective premise, and IMHO a far superior book, see The Peshawar Lancers. Also take a look at Lest Darkness Fall for a somewhat similar take on anachronistic technology's effect on Roman events, albeit in a later period and with a more lighthearted tone.
All this is not to slam "Steam Legion", which would have served as a perfectly fine half of one of the old Ace doubles. But it is not up to the high standard of Mr. Currie's space operas.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if history was a bit different? How about a lot different? Can you imagine how history would change if the Romans had used steam power? I was intrigued with Evan's concept so I bought the book and started reading. I didn't know what to expect seeing as Evan has proven himself as a top notch Science Fiction writer. Soon I was caught up in the book and read it in a day and a half. His main character, in keeping with his tradition of featuring a strong woman, didn't disappoint. Her supporting characters were strong and believable. The action is intense (as it is in all of his books) and descriptive. Several times I thought I knew where he was taking me only to be proven wrong. I wasn't disappointed though as his version was just as satisfying. I won't spoil the book but I will say it ends well yet leaves plenty of room for sequels. Hell, it leaves plenty of room for sequels to the sequels. This concept could keep Evan writing for the rest of his life.
Evan has shown to be a very versatile writer who is just as comfortable fighting a war light years away as he is travelling the past, rewriting history. Keep up the great work, I will be there to read it!
0 Response to "[HLK]∎ Download Free Steam Legion eBook Evan Currie"
Post a Comment