"The Winds of Fate (Make the Darkness Light)" by S.M. Stirling
˙˙ https://www.amazon.com/Winds-Fate-Make-Darkness-Light/dp/1668073382
Book number two of a two book science fiction series.˙ I read the well printed and well bound trade paperback published by Baen in 2026 that I bought new from Amazon in 2026.˙ I fully expect a third book in the
series in 2027 or so.
This book is dedicated to "To Janet Cathryn Stirling, 1950 - 2021,
dearest of all.".˙ Just like the first book.
In 2032 AD, a history professor who is a retired USA Army officer, and
his four graduate students fly to Vienna, Austria, to see the new
machine for artifact verification that the Professor's scientist friend
had built.˙ However, the tensions between Russia and the European Union
are at an extreme high.˙ As the scientist is showing them his new
machine and apologizing for his deception, a large nuclear weapon
explodes in the skies above Vienna.˙ In fact, hundreds of nuclear
weapons are exploding across the European Union and Russia.˙ Right
before the nuclear bomb explodes above Vienna, the scientist activated
his new machine, a working time machine.˙ There was already a ton of materials ready in place for the journey back in time.˙ During the
nuclear explosion the machine activates, sending the scientist, the professor, the four graduate students, and the ton of materials back to
165 AD in the Roman province of Pannonia Superior.˙ This is the first chapter in the book.
Now we learn that the Chinese had the same time machine and sent back a
team to the 165 AD version China, the Han, also before they got nuked.
The American team is working with the Romans to improve their war
machines and the Chinese team is working with the Han to improve their
war machines.˙ Iron cannons, ballistic rockets, and gunpowder are very effective against bows and iron swords.
I must admit that I enjoyed brushing up on my Latin while reading the
book.˙ Salve, salve !˙ Ave Imperator ! ! !
My rating:˙ 5 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating:˙ 4.7 out of 5 stars (956 reviews)
Lynn
"The Winds of Fate (Make the Darkness Light)" by S.M. Stirling
.
Now we learn that the Chinese had the same time machine and sent back a
team to the 165 AD version China, the Han, also before they got nuked.
The American team is working with the Romans to improve their war
machines and the Chinese team is working with the Han to improve their
war machines.˙ Iron cannons, ballistic rockets, and gunpowder are very effective against bows and iron swords.
I must admit that I enjoyed brushing up on my Latin while reading the
book.˙ Salve, salve !˙ Ave Imperator ! ! !
Lynn McGuire wrote:
"The Winds of Fate (Make the Darkness Light)" by S.M. Stirling
.
Now we learn that the Chinese had the same time machine and sent back
a team to the 165 AD version China, the Han, also before they got
nuked. The American team is working with the Romans to improve their
war machines and the Chinese team is working with the Han to improve
their war machines.˙ Iron cannons, ballistic rockets, and gunpowder
are very effective against bows and iron swords.
I must admit that I enjoyed brushing up on my Latin while reading the
book.˙ Salve, salve !˙ Ave Imperator ! ! !
All very well but what the Romans really need is a way to select
emperors that does not result in incompetent psychopaths on the˙ throne.
I wonder if the author will have them strangle young Commodus? Without
that young bastard, Marcus could probably have been convinced to carry
on the tradition of adopting someone competent.
William Hyde
All very well but what the Romans really need is a way to select
emperors that does not result in incompetent psychopaths on the throne.
They kind of had a system that worked: Adult adoption. Unfortunately
Marcus broke it. And of course none of Stalin, Hitler or Mao were
in any royal bloodline.
In article <10vqaig$e7o$1@panix2.panix.com>,
Scott Dorsey <kludge@panix.com> wrote:
William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
All very well but what the Romans really need is a way to select
emperors that does not result in incompetent psychopaths on the throne.
This is the problem with bloodline succession. You get a good king, but
his son turns out to be terrible at the job. And fathers always want
their kid to do well and succeed them.
Thailand is experiencing a little bit of that now, but it was a nightmare
for Rome.
--scott
They kind of had a system that worked: Adult adoption. Unfortunately
Marcus broke it. And of course none of Stalin, Hitler or Mao were
in any royal bloodline.
On 6/3/2026 5:55 PM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
In article <10vqaig$e7o$1@panix2.panix.com>,
Scott Dorsey <kludge@panix.com> wrote:
William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
All very well but what the Romans really need is a way to selectThis is the problem with bloodline succession. You get a good king, but >>> his son turns out to be terrible at the job. And fathers always want
emperors that does not result in incompetent psychopaths on the throne. >>>
their kid to do well and succeed them.
Thailand is experiencing a little bit of that now, but it was a nightmare >>> for Rome.
They kind of had a system that worked: Adult adoption. Unfortunately
Marcus broke it. And of course none of Stalin, Hitler or Mao were
in any royal bloodline.
And who adopted the bloodthirsty Nero to be Caesar?
On 6/3/2026 5:55 PM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
In article <10vqaig$e7o$1@panix2.panix.com>,
Scott Dorsey <kludge@panix.com> wrote:
William Hyde˙ <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
All very well but what the Romans really need is a way to select
emperors that does not result in incompetent psychopaths on the
throne.
This is the problem with bloodline succession.˙ You get a good king, but >>> his son turns out to be terrible at the job.˙ And fathers always want
their kid to do well and succeed them.
Thailand is experiencing a little bit of that now, but it was a
nightmare
for Rome.
--scott
They kind of had a system that worked: Adult adoption.˙ Unfortunately
Marcus broke it.˙ And of course none of Stalin, Hitler or Mao were
in any royal bloodline.
And who adopted the bloodthirsty Nero to be Caesar?
Lynn
On 6/3/26 16:27, Lynn McGuire wrote:
On 6/3/2026 5:55 PM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:Cla, Cla, Claudius who adopted him. If I remember Claudius
In article <10vqaig$e7o$1@panix2.panix.com>,And who adopted the bloodthirsty Nero to be Caesar?
Scott Dorsey <kludge@panix.com> wrote:
William Hyde˙ <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
All very well but what the Romans really need is a way to select
emperors that does not result in incompetent psychopaths on the
throne.
This is the problem with bloodline succession.˙ You get a good king, but >>>> his son turns out to be terrible at the job.˙ And fathers always want
their kid to do well and succeed them.
Thailand is experiencing a little bit of that now, but it was a
nightmare
for Rome.
--scott
They kind of had a system that worked: Adult adoption.˙ Unfortunately
Marcus broke it.˙ And of course none of Stalin, Hitler or Mao were
in any royal bloodline.
Lynn
was poisoned by Nero's Momma, 2nd wife of Claudius, the fearsome
Agrippina. Nero became emperor of Rome in AD 54 after the death of
his adoptive father, Emperor Claudius.
Nero was very young when he ascended and let the Empire
be run by his tutors,.Burrus and Seneca. Perhaps his upbringing
contributed to his later folly. But he was not the most vicious
Emperor though his attitude toward Christian lives has seriously
blackened his reputation as well as slurs with no merit. <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nero-Roman-emperor>
In article <10vqaig$e7o$1@panix2.panix.com>,
Scott Dorsey <kludge@panix.com> wrote:
William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
All very well but what the Romans really need is a way to select
emperors that does not result in incompetent psychopaths on the throne.
This is the problem with bloodline succession. You get a good king, but
his son turns out to be terrible at the job. And fathers always want
their kid to do well and succeed them.
Thailand is experiencing a little bit of that now, but it was a nightmare
for Rome.
--scott
They kind of had a system that worked: Adult adoption. Unfortunately
Marcus broke it.
| Sysop: | Tetrazocine |
|---|---|
| Location: | Melbourne, VIC, Australia |
| Users: | 14 |
| Nodes: | 8 (0 / 8) |
| Uptime: | 227:05:56 |
| Calls: | 218 |
| Files: | 21,503 |
| Messages: | 82,858 |