ineffablebob's review
5.0
In Twilight Patrol, WWI-era British pilots go to a parallel world full of fae and other mythological creatures to fulfill the King of England's hereditary geas to help the residents. Interesting premise...certainly unique in my experience.
It's hard to categorize this book into a specific genre. It has components of alternate history, historical fiction, military fiction, and fantasy. All of which are relevant to my interests, so having a mashup of all of them didn't bother me. More important than genre classification is the fact that it's an entertaining read, as Brothers keeps a mixture of action and discovery moving along.
And there's plenty of explanations needed, because our hero Harry has a lot to learn about the parallel world and its residents. Brothers delves into all kinds of different aspects, from the social structure of the mechanic kobolds to mysterious greater powers familiar from our own world's mythology. Not to mention the actual enemy that they've come to fight, just as much a mystery as anything else in the new world. It takes a while to get the straight of any individual topic, because there's just so much to explain and the narrative shifts between subjects quite a bit, but I found it all interesting and never felt impatient with the pace.
It's a bit surprising just how well Harry and his buddies handle all the weirdness, to be honest. I would have expected early 20th century British soldiers to be less flexible when it comes to things like homosexual natives and pagan rituals/charms that would be proscribed by Christianity. One or two of the pilots do have trouble accepting the situation, but the majority take it in stride and even push back against their less accepting fellows. I'd have expected the opposite, with those able to accept differences being in the minority. Not too difficult to suspend disbelief in that area, though, considering the circumstances.
I did occasionally find the level of detail a bit overwhelming. Particularly when it came to some of the detail on the WWI-era airplanes. It's pretty clear that the author is an enthusiast of the subject! There were a few spots where my eyes glazed over a bit with the descriptions of planes and air maneuvers, though I suspect someone who is more of a historical plane nerd than I would love it. You could say something similar about references to various mythological traditions, of which there is plenty, particularly near the end of the book. But I don't think there's any danger of getting lost in the details in that case, as mythology is wrapped up in the climax of the story.
If you have any interest in any of the genres this book encompasses - alternate history, historical fiction, military fiction, fantasy - then I definitely recommend giving Twilight Patrol a try.
It's hard to categorize this book into a specific genre. It has components of alternate history, historical fiction, military fiction, and fantasy. All of which are relevant to my interests, so having a mashup of all of them didn't bother me. More important than genre classification is the fact that it's an entertaining read, as Brothers keeps a mixture of action and discovery moving along.
And there's plenty of explanations needed, because our hero Harry has a lot to learn about the parallel world and its residents. Brothers delves into all kinds of different aspects, from the social structure of the mechanic kobolds to mysterious greater powers familiar from our own world's mythology. Not to mention the actual enemy that they've come to fight, just as much a mystery as anything else in the new world. It takes a while to get the straight of any individual topic, because there's just so much to explain and the narrative shifts between subjects quite a bit, but I found it all interesting and never felt impatient with the pace.
It's a bit surprising just how well Harry and his buddies handle all the weirdness, to be honest. I would have expected early 20th century British soldiers to be less flexible when it comes to things like homosexual natives and pagan rituals/charms that would be proscribed by Christianity. One or two of the pilots do have trouble accepting the situation, but the majority take it in stride and even push back against their less accepting fellows. I'd have expected the opposite, with those able to accept differences being in the minority. Not too difficult to suspend disbelief in that area, though, considering the circumstances.
I did occasionally find the level of detail a bit overwhelming. Particularly when it came to some of the detail on the WWI-era airplanes. It's pretty clear that the author is an enthusiast of the subject! There were a few spots where my eyes glazed over a bit with the descriptions of planes and air maneuvers, though I suspect someone who is more of a historical plane nerd than I would love it. You could say something similar about references to various mythological traditions, of which there is plenty, particularly near the end of the book. But I don't think there's any danger of getting lost in the details in that case, as mythology is wrapped up in the climax of the story.
If you have any interest in any of the genres this book encompasses - alternate history, historical fiction, military fiction, fantasy - then I definitely recommend giving Twilight Patrol a try.
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