The New World Order

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 25 APR. 2005

In Jeapes's (The Ark) inventive, dense alternate history, the English Civil War of the 17th century comes to a close due to the intervention of a third party the alien Holekhor race who arrive to claim the embattled country for their own. Dhon Do, who has walked among humans under the name John Donder, arrives from the "Old World," an alternate plane connected to the world of humans by one or more gates. As leader of the Golekh troops, he offers Oliver Cromwell, champion of the Parliamentarian forces, a chance to surrender before more Golekhi "come and keep coming... until the people of this island are extinct or driven into the sea." The Holekhor troops not only possess automatic weapons, but they arrive in airships, making them seem unstoppable. But Cromwell has Khonol Le, a female Holekhor with weapon-making skills, on his side thanks in part to her hatred of Dhon Do. Donder (aka Dhon Do), for his part, must also come to terms with the half human/half Holekhor son he sired nearly 13 years ago, who suddenly figures prominently into the battle. The plot grows more complex from there, and the narrative may appeal most to history and military buffs (although a postscript helps to orient those less familiar with the events). Despite a rather frothy happy ending that seems out of step with the rest of the book, overall, Jeapes's novel is an admirable achievement on a technical and imaginative level. Ages 12-up.