Out of the Darkness (Darkness Series #6) by Harry Turtledove

From the Publisher

THE CLIMACTIC CONCLUSION OF A WORLD WAR

As the Derlavian War rages into its last and greatest battles, allied nations maneuver for advantage over one another in the postwar world. But before that time can come, the forces of Algarve, Unkerlant, and their allies must clash a final time, countering army with army and battle magic with ever-more-powerful battle magic.

In the midst of it all, the people the war has battered and reshaped must struggle to face their greatest individual challenges, as loves are shattered and found, terrible crimes avenged...and some journeys end forever.

Nor will the end of war bring lasting peace...

Publishers Weekly

Turtledove concludes his six-volume magical fantasy alternative history of WWII (Into the Darkness, etc.) with this hefty multifaceted account of the price of winning and the cost of losing. Leaping between vignette-sized glimpses told through each of 16 "viewpoint characters" from different races and kingdoms, this final installment of the Derlavaian world war begins with climactic battles on several fronts, examines the bitter fruit of the Algarvians' genocidal policies against the Kaunians, traces the development and first use of uncanny new magical weapons of mass destruction and sows the seeds for a new conflict between Unkerlant and its former allies. The author's ability to convey complex abstract issues through strong characterizations sweeps this complicated narrative along with a minimum of stereotypes, and he succeeds especially well at portraying inner conflicts caused by hate and pride. As the war grinds to a halt and various story lines start to converge, individual characters' fates gain urgency. Can Vanai, a Kaunian woman masquerading as a Forthwegian, trust her neighbors and safely reveal herself and her child? Can Unkerlanter Marshal Rathar trust his paranoid kin Swemmel not to strike out at the loyal Rathar as a possible rival? By personalizing the frightful tragedies of war, Turtledove makes the big bang of the war's ultimate weapon far less affecting than the whimpers of its many victims. (Apr. 25) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

The long and costly Derlavaian War enters its final stages as the warring nations of Algarve and Unkerlant, along with their allies, mobilize their forces for their greatest battles. As dragons fill the air and great sea monsters fight battles in the waters, the human soldiers and civilians face their most difficult struggles. Bringing his fantasy re-imagining of World War II to its conclusion, Turtledove demonstrates the universality of war and its consequences. Magic and technology provide the trappings for an all too human tale of courage amid chaos. Essential for libraries owning other series volumes (Into the Darkness; Darkness Descending) and a good choice for fans of military fantasy. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

• Table of Contents
• Read an Excerpt
• Read a Sample Chapter

Table of Contents

Read an Excerpt

The author of many SF and fantasy novels, including The Guns of the South, the "World War" series, and The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump, Harry Turtledove lives in Los Angeles with his wife, novelist Laura Frankos, and their four daughters.

Read a Sample Chapter

Out of the Darkness

Tor Fantasy

All right reserved.

ISBN: 0765343622

THE FOG OF WAR

"Up!" a sergeant screamed. Rock-gray dragons swooped low overhead, eggs slung under their bellies. The eggs burst in front of and inside Gromheort. Ealstan didn't know what to think about that. It made him more likely to live and his kinsfolk more likely to die. He wanted to give up thinking altogether.

"Behemoths!" That shout came in Unkerlanter. The word was nothing like its Forthwegian equivalent, which had been borrowed from Algarvian. Ealstan had had to learn it in a hurry. It meant either Help is coming or We're in trouble, depending on who owned the behemoths being shouted about.

These behemoths had Algarvians aboard them. They were sallying from Gromheort, doing their best to hold the Unkerlanters away from the town. Officers or no officers, sergeants or no sergeants, Ealstan threw himself down on the muddy ground. He'd seen behemoths in the desperate fighting in and around Eoforwic, and had a heart respect for what they could do. Most of the Unkerlanters close by him dove for cover, too. Anyone who'd had more than the tiniest taste of war knew better than to stay on his feet when enemy behemoths were in the neighborhood.

Somewhere not far away, a crystallomancer shouted into his glassy sphere...

Continues...

---

Excerpted from Out of the Darkness
by Turtledove, Harry
Copyright © 2005 by Turtledove, Harry.
Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

---