The Goddess of Fortune
What would happen if a chapter in World History was completely turned askew? The Goddess of Fortune by Andrew Blencowe explores one such possibility with the global conflagration known as World War II. The beginning of the book explores opportunities, those taken and those missed. The many characters that span this tale take the opportunities when they appear, grabbing them by the throat in fits of patriotism, greed, and passion. The book opens with a meeting between Albert Speer and Alfred Jodl in NY in what would be a post World War II environment. This meeting sets the stage for the alternative history about to be unfurled for the reader.
The characters who appear throughout the book are a motley crew of politicians, soldiers, spies, and many others. Winston Churchill is seen as despicable and Machiavellian by FDR. The Nazi apparatus is looking for a change in leadership, none of it in a peaceful handover. The Cold War is seen as a threat many years before most would see it played out in newspapers, newsreels and television. Russia is seen as a greater evil. Laissez-Faire Capitalism is the name of the game. Oil is the gold that every powerhouse nation seeks. The Germans are looking for leverage in their ongoing conflict with the British; their spies are running loose in the United States. The Japanese are planning intrigue in Mexico, counterfeiting American Currency, one of their own is dallying with a commander in Hawaii pre-Pearl Harbor. The Allied Powers are barely held together, the next détente can upset the delicate partnerships keeping evil at bay. Who can one really trust? Are there any forces of good when all is said and done?
Goddess of Fortune is a tour-de-force of alternate historical fiction. The scenes jump from one end of the world to the next, but the action is almost constant. The book is filled with a tension, many times sexual, that teases the reader and leaves them yearning for more. There are very few characters that garner your sympathy, but antiheroes can be interesting just as much as heroes. Andrew Blencowe’s debut is a spark that should leave readers waiting for his next work.
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Star Count | 5/5 |
Format | eBook |
Page Count | 362 pages |
Publisher | Hamilton Bay Publishing |
Publish Date | 24-Sep-2015 |
ISBN | 9781927750469 |
Bookshop.org | Buy this Book |
Issue | December 2015 |
Category | Historical Fiction |
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