Book Review: On the Oceans of Eternity by S.M. Stirling

Well, here we are at last. The final book in the Island in the Sea of Time trilogy. I'm very pleased to see that these reviews having been doing very well. Okay then, I guess there really isn’t anything left for me to say. Let's get straight to it. We're taking a look at On the Oceans of Eternity by S.M. Stirling.

It is the moment everything has been building up towards. The time displaced Republic of Nantucket and its allies are about to face-off against the empire of the tyrannical madman William Walker. This is no small task, and it's going to take every trick in Nantucket's arsenal to pull-off. There are plenty of twists, turns, and surprises as past and present collide on the oceans of eternity.

Well, what can I say to start about On the Oceans of Eternity? It hits some of the highest notes in the series, but it also has some of my least favorite moments in the series. Let's start with some of the positives. So, Against the Tide of Years ended with Walker's Achaean army arriving at the Gates of Troy. My friend Jordan Harbour, founder of the Twilight Histories podcast, once spoke about the Island in the Time series and said "If you've ever wondered what The Iliad would be like if Odysseus had a bazooka, look no further." I should mention that Jordan is a big fan of the Island in the Sea of Time series. In fact, he listed it as one of the series that got him into alternate history. Jordan also cites the Worldwar series and Guns of the South, both by Harry Turtledove, as major influences on him.

Now, we do get at least some of that sort of stuff. However, the Siege of Troy didn't last as long as I was expecting. In fact, Walker's troops pretty much steamrolled the Trojans. Well, I guess if nothing else, at least the Greeks won like history and mythology said they were supposed to. Granted, they were being led by Walker; then again, most figures from Greek Mythology weren't exactly nice by modern standards. Of course, the Trojan War ending that quickly isn't going to make for a very long, or very engaging, epic poem.

Ian gets taken back to Walkeropolis as a hostage. Among other developments, Alice Wong has started a cult called the Claws of Hekate. It emphasizes the virtues of activities such as human sacrifice, torture, cannibalism, and other horrific acts. The Claws of Hekate has proved disturbingly popular among upper class Achaean women. Wong also has a trained team of teenage girls to serve as warriors and assassins for the Claws of Hekate. Walker jokingly refers to them as Wong's Sailor Moon Platoon. Wong says something to the effect of "Never doubt the power of manga scholarship, William."

There's also a part where Wong briefly mentions how she enjoys the taste of long pig, and how only long veal steak comes close to rivaling it. Wait a minute, does that mean...oh no, this is terrible! The only confirmed anime and manga fan in the entire Nantucket series is a deranged sadist who tortures people for the heck of it! Oh, and she's also a cannibal who literally eats babies, that's bad too, I guess.

Walker and Wong are in the process of formalizing and codifying the Achaean religion. Specifically, that Wong is the avatar of the Lady of Pain, and that Walker is King of Men. Hekate gets an undeserved bad reputation, as do many of the underworld deities from Greek Mythology. She was the goddess of witchcraft and guardian of the crossroads, and she had connections to the underworld, but she was not evil. However, thanks to Wong's cult, interpreting Hekate as an evil goddess might have some historical basis in the mixed-up world Nantucket has found itself in. Well, at least she did pick Hades as her patron deity. Hades is another god who gets unfairly pained as evil. He was firm but fair, and honestly one of the nicer gods. Be thankful for small mercies, I suppose.

Wong and Walker are also attempting to build temples and establish a formal priesthood. The Mycenaeans worshipped more or less the same gods that the Classical Greeks did. Many historians theorize that the Greek gods started out as local deities and cults before being incorporated into a single pantheon. The Mycenaeans worshipped their gods using hillside shrines, but didn't have much in the way of temples, as far as we know. It does make sense that Walker and Wong would be using religion to cement their position with Achaean society. I'm reminded of the words of the physicist Peter Weinberg. Good people will do go things, and evil people will do evil things, without any external influences. But to get good people to do evil things it takes religion, or something very much like religion. Religion has also historically been very good at enforcing conformity and the preexisting social order.

In other developments, we meet John Martins. He's a hippie, but was kidnapped by Walker and taken to Greece. Like most hippies, Martin is really into Lord of the Rings. In fact, he named his settlement Rivendell, and has commissioned several carvings and other works of art inspired by Lord of the Rings. Martins buys slaves...so that he can free them, and give them a new life in Rivendell, where they will be safe from Walker. In fact, he makes a point of always throwing a big party to welcome the newly freed slaves. Martins pretended to go along with Walker so that he could oppose and subvert him from within. He knows that Walker thinks he's just a dumb hippie, and as such, won't pay too close attention to him.

We also meet Helmut Mittler. He's a former Stasi officer, and is Walker's head of security, as well as head of the secret police. Mittler makes a point of contrast lay keeping the Achaeans in a constant state of fear and paranoia. He also makes a few choice remarks to Ian that suggest he might also be an antisemite. Well, I'm just saying, Mittler does rhyme with Hitler. And his name would probably be written on official forms as H. Mittler. Not much more to say here, but Mittler will become important in the spoilers section.

Let's circle back and talk about Ohotolarix. He is an Iraniina chief who followed Walker to Achaea. He's fiercely loyal to Walker, but he still longs for Alba. Ohotolarix finds the weather in Achaea a bit too warm for his liking, longs for the plants of his former homeland, and thinks that the Achaeans put too much garlic in their food. Naturally, Ohotolarix is elated when Walker assigns him to a fort the Achaeans have established in what is today the nation of Hungry. The climate is very similar to Alba, and he gets to laugh at Achaean troops dealing with the cold weather.

The fort has been established as part of Walker's plan to establish relations with the Ringapi people. They're a tribe from Central and Eastern Europe who, along with several other tribes, became the Sea Peoples. Who are the Sea Peoples? Short answer: nobody knows. Longer answer: we don't know, but there are several theories, usually involving the migration of different groups of peoples. Potential candidates include the Etruscans, the Philistines, and even the Mycenaeans and Minoans. I'm not familiar with any theories suggesting the Sea Peoples came from Central and Eastern Europe, but I suppose it makes as much sense as anything. Whoever they were, the Sea Peoples lead a series of coastal fading campaigns across the Eastern Mediterranean. Pharaoh Ramses II faced off against them, as did Ramses III.

The Sea Peoples are one of the factors that lead to the Bronze Age Collapse. The Bronze Age Collapse, as the name suggests, was a series of events resulting in the complete collapse of several Eastern Mediterranean and Near Eastern civilizations. Historians used to believe that the Sea Peoples were the primary cause of the Bronze Age Collapse. However, most modern historians consider the Sea Peoples to be one factor among many. Other factors include, but are not limited to, climate change, volcanic eruptions, social unrest and upheaval, and disruption of trade routes. Hmm, I suppose it is entirely conceivable that, thanks to Nantucket, the Bronze Age Collapse will never happen in this brave new world.

Also, something I just thought of, where are the Minoans? The Minoans were still around at the time the series takes place, but they're nowhere to be seen. Isketerol briefly mentions them we he sees flushing toilets on Nantucket back in Island in the Sea of Time. He says he's only ever known the Minoans to have such things. That actually does have basis in reality. Archeologists have discovered evidence suggesting that the Minoans did indeed have flushable toilets. However, we never get any other mention of the Minoans beyond this. Of course, knowing Walker, he probably conquered and enslaved them.

In other returning characters, George MacAndrews finally got his wish to go to Egypt. He discovered that the Ancient Egyptians are a lot of things, but Black isn't one of them. In fact, he frequently gets made fun of due to his dark skin. MacAndrews even remarks that Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, looks like an Italian guy he knew who owned a pizza joint in Nashville. Genetic analysis of mummies suggest that the Ancient Egyptians weren't too different from modern day Egyptians in terms of race and ethnicity. In fact, we know that Ramses himself had red hair. Egypt sits at the crossroads of three continents, and probably had a mix of peoples. Black people weren't unheard of, but certainly weren't the majority. Most Ancient Egyptians probably looked like the other peoples of the Middle East.

MacAndrews tried to implement the Latin Alphabet, but the scribes put up too much resistance. I suppose this does make since. Walker was able to implement the Latin Alphabet in Achaea because, prior to that, they'd been using the Minoan writing system, which wasn't suited to their language. Egypt, by contrast, was doing just fine with hieroglyphics, and the scribes were more entrenched into society. Hmm, I guess the Greek Alphabet will never be invented in this new timeline.

MacAndrews also discovered that Ramses the Great was really more like Ramses the So-So. Turns out, Ramses had a bit of a tendency to fudge the details on the official records of his battles and conquests. This is fairly true to real life. Egyptian rulers did indeed have a tendency to be less than honest about their achievements. To be fair, so did the rulers of most pre-modern societies. In particular, the record speaks of the glories of Ramses campaign against the Hittites. However, Ramses himself admits he was far less successful than the record says.

This is indeed true to life. For example, Egyptian accounts of the Battle of Kadesh claim that it was a victory for Egypt, despite Ramses failing to take the city. However, Hittite accounts claim that the Egyptians retreated in shameful defeat. Most historians agree that the battle was probably a draw, but a slight tactical victory for Egypt. Incidentally, the Battle of Kadesh lead to the Egyptians and Hittites signing to oldest known peace treaty in World History. In fact, a copy of the Treaty of Kadesh hangs in the United Nations headquarters in New York City. The Egyptians and Hittites frequently got into border skirmishes in the Levent, but they had begrudging respect for one another, and considered each other to be worthy opponents.

As for Ramses II himself, he was certainly no slouch when it came to warfare, but his primary claim to fame is his talent as a statesman. He was also known for his religion devotion, and the many temples he built, such as the temples of Abu Simbel and the hypostyle hall at the Temple of Karnak. One minor complaint I had about On the Oceans of Eternity was that I wished we'd gotten more scenes set in Egypt.

Nantucket continues to do well for itself amidst the war effort. They've even begun to establish colonies and homesteads on mainland New England and even Long Island. However, these homesteads tend to have a fairly high failure rate. Farming isn't as easy as it looks, especially when you're a bit low on modern equipment. Still, at last they finally have coffee thanks to the coffee plants that were on Nantucket during the Event. Unfortunately, decorative coffee plants are bred for their looks, not their taste. As such, the coffee tastes horrible, but caffeine is caffeine, I guess. The Ethiopian Highlands were much the only place with coffee plants during the Bronze Age, and it might be a while before Nantucket can send an expedition to them.

Speaking of expeditions, Nantucket has sent an expedition to explore the interior of North America. I found these sections to be the weakest part of On the Oceans of Eternity. They weren't bad per se, the writing was certainly good enough to keep me reasonably entertained. However, they star a group of characters that we didn't meet until this book, so I feel less of a connection to them. Also, out of all the place they could have gone, why the wilderness of North America? There were still plenty of other Bronze Age civilizations left to explore. Shang Dynasty China, the various Andes cultures, Jomon era Japan, and the Indus Valley Civilizations, just to name a few. Archeological evidence suggest that Scandinavia had a very danced Bronze Age culture equal to that of Greece. Hey, there's another potential destination. It was even briefly mentioned that Nantucket had made contact with the Andes civilizations, and had established trade relations with Shang Dynasty China. Shang pirates even briefly appeared in Against the Tide of Years.

Well, there might have been a reason why those civilizations were left out, but we'll discuss that towards the end of the review. I will say that things finally picked up when the expedition reached California and discovered that Tartessos had secretly established a colony. So, I guess not a total bust on that regard. Also, random aside, whenever anyone mentioned Martha's Vineyard, I had to remember that it is a real place in Massachusetts. Having a character named Martha created a bit of a who's on first situation.

I’ll also take one final moment to plug the audiobook version. Todd McLaren is talented as hell, and really was the only person who could do this series justice. 

Okay, now we're getting into the really big spoilers. So, if you don't want any of that, turn back now.

Last chance, sure you want to continue?

Well, okay. If everyone who wants out is gone, let's get into it.

So, what does the Nantucket military discover when they arrive in Tartessos? They find...that Isketerol has genuinely improved things for the common people. He had implemented the Latin Alphabet, and is working to increase literacy rates. He's had trees planted along the roads and streets to provide natural shade. Isketerol has also implemented programs to educate and train the people of Tartessos in the new knowledge and technology Nantucket has. Isketerol said that he wanted to improve Tartessos, prevent it from being just a footnote in the history books, and he meant that. The conflict between Nantucket and Tartessos is resolved with surprisingly little bloodshed, but I guess that makes sense. Tartessos was humbled in Against the Tide of Years when it tried to invade Nantucket, and promptly got its ass kicked. Plus, the alliance with Walker was more of an alliance of convenience than anything.

Of course, for all its many advantages, Nantucket still has a serious manpower shortage. That's been a big theme across the series. For example, they manage to liberate Sicily, but it's up in the air as to whether Nantucket will be able to keep things peaceful and stable after the war is over. Walker's biggest advantage is the sheer number of troops he has at his disposal.

Odikweos has been using Ian to learn more about where Walker comes from. Ian, in turn, recognizes Odikweos as the historical figure who inspired the legend of Odysseus. He even reads to Odikweos from The Odyssey. Odikweos already really didn't like Walker, but now he's seriously pissed that Walker robbed him of his future glory. Unfortunately, he's still bound to Walker's service, and thus can't kill him. If he did, he'd be committing a major taboo of Achaean society.

The resolution was...well, I gotta admit, I did not see it coming. Walker, Wong, and most of their followers go on a boar hunt and then have a feast. Everyone is having a good time, and then they all drop dead. Turns out, Mittler poisoned the barbecue sauce used for the feast. Walker's favorite barbecue sauce contains lots of chilies, which disguised the poison Mittler used. Mittler has been planning on stabbing Walker in the back for quite some time. Now, all Odikweos has to do is kill Mittler, and he'll have avenged Walker. On doing so, Odikweos is freed from his service to Walker, and can claim the throne of Achaea for himself.

Like I said, I really didn't see that coming, but I liked it. It has been established that most of Walker's "allies" are constantly scheming and plotting to undermine him in various ways. MacAndrews and Martins both took advantage of the fact that Walker viewed them as little more than useful idiots. So, I suppose it is a fitting end for William Walker and Alice Wong.

Speaking of MacAndrews, Nantucket has defeat Egypt in a battle near the city of Megiddo, which is also known by its Greek name Armageddon. Fittingly enough, the battle is known as the Battle of Armageddon. MacAndrews decides that it is time to get out of dodge. He decides that, since there are no preexisting ancient black empires, he'll just have to make one of his own. He's heading south to Meroe, and plans to establish his kingdom in Sudan. 

In our world, there was an empire named Kush which arose in the Nubia region, near what is now Sudan. Kush even briefly conquered Egypt during the 25th Dynasty. And yes, Kush was indeed an ancient black empire, just like MacAndrews dreamed of. Of course, Nantucket arrived about 200 years before the founding of Kush. I guess MacAndrews is trying to speed-up history. Stirling has said that MacAndrews’ kingdom would have played a major role in the sequels that never materialized. He says the capital would be located near what is Khartoum in our world. A good place for capital city; lots of iron and plenty of land that can easily be irrigated.  

Meanwhile, Althea Walker happened to be away when everyone got poisoned. She decides to do some empire building of her own. She and Ohotolarix head to Central Asia. Althea hopes that being so far from the sea will allow her empire to grow without having to worry about Nantucket.

Also, on a more minor note, Nantucket doctor Justin Clemens married his Babylonian assistant Azzu-ena. He uses the caduceus as his symbol on the Babylonian marriage document. The caduceus frequently gets mistaken for the Rod of Asclepius, and is erroneously used as symbol for the medical profession, especially in America. The caduceus was the symbol of the Greek god Hermes; he was the god of many things, but medicine and healing were not among them. Asclepius was the Greek god of healing. For reference, the caduceus is a rod with two intertwined snakes and wings at the top. The Rod of Asclepius, by contrast, is a stick with a single servant coiled around it, and lacks wings. The caduceus has also been used as a symbol of commerce. A far more fitting use, given that Hermes was god of merchants.

Of course, because of Justin, there might be some historical basis for the caduceus as a symbol of medic in the new timeline. Nantucket is probably going to make future archeologists of this new timeline scratch their heads with all the anachronisms they cause. That'll be especially true is Nantucket's decedent a forget that their ancestors came from the future. Well, the future of another timeline, but details. Ian even remarks that future historians are probably going to come up with all sorts of crazy explanations for how Nantucket pulled-off everything it did.

So, the series ends with Nantucket having Christmas party, with the leaders of their allies in attendance. Kashtiliash himself pays Nantucket a visit, and he is joined by Odikweos and even Isketerol. So, I guess that means that Nantucket and Tartessos are putting the past behind them. There is a festive mood in the air as the characters toast to the future of their crazy mixed-up new world. Maybe it isn't quite the best of all possible worlds, but they're working on it.

Obviously, there are a lot of sequel hooks here. We've got Althea and MacAndrews attempting to build their own empires. We've also got a Nantucket airship crew who have crashed in Central Asia and are trying to make their way home. And there's just the general potential of what this world will look like in the future. Perhaps that's why Shang Dynasty China and the Indus Valley Civilizations were ignored. Althea building her empire in Central Asia would serve as a good springboard for incorporating China and India into the series. I still maintain that the Iraniina becoming zealous converts to Christianity would come back to bite Nantucket in the ass at some point.

All of that being said, I still feel that On the Oceans of Eternity does a good job wrapping up the trilogy. Most of the major plot threads are tied up, but it also leaves open the possibility for more adventures. Overall, I was very satisfied with how On the Oceans of Eternity ended. 

So, there was definitely potential for a sequel series, but it never materialized. Following the Island in the Sea of Time series, Stirling wrote the first trilogy of the Emberverse series. It covers the world that Nantucket left behind. More specifically, the laws of physics change so that electricity, gunpowder, explosives, internal combustion, and steam-power no longer work. It's a tad more complicated than that, but that's the non-spoiler version of what happened. The Emberverse gets its name from Dies the Fire, the first book of the series. Personally, given the choice, I'll take Nantucket. I can't live in a world without air conditioning. Not sure what the air conditioning situation is with Nantucket, but at least electricity still works, so they could have it. 

They make for an interesting contrast. Island in the Sea of Time is about the technological present entering the mythical past. Emberverse, by contrast, is about the mythical past entering the technological present. The two series are mirror images of each other. 

The Emberverse was a mass success in terms of sales, so that is where Stirling focused his writing energies. As Stirling himself says, his publisher is the one who decides which of his books get sequels. Stirling has written a couple of short stories set in the world of Island in the Sea of Time. One is a novella that covers the Battle of Armageddon in more detail. It is called “Ridding Shotgun to Armageddon” and is collected in an anthology of Stirling’s short stories called Ice, Iron, and Gold. The other takes place twenty years after the events of On the Oceans of Eternity. It is called “Blood Wolf” and was collected in the anthology The First Heroes: New Tales of the Bronze Age edited by Harry Turtledove and Noreen Doyle.

It is certainly a bit sad that we never got more books in the Island in the Sea of Time series. Still, it's better than what happened with The Peshawar Lancers, which sadly remains a standalone book. And hey, we got three amazing books out of the Island in the Sea of Time series. Each of them was even better than its predecessor. For that alone, we should be thankful for all of Stirling's creativity and hard work.

Perhaps one day I will be able to visit the Nantucket of our world. If I use my imagination, perhaps I will be able to imagine myself on an island in the sea of time, set against the tide of years, on the oceans of eternity. I also hope I'll get to visit the Eagle too. They have visitation days, I believe. I'll have to ask the crew if they've heard of Island in the Sea of Time.

Well, that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

Book Review: Against the Tide of Years by S.M. Stirling

Well, it has taken a while, but I'm back once again with another review of S.M. Stirling's Island in the Sea of Time series. There isn't really much more to add. Well, I will say I'm glad everyone liked the first review. Even S.M. Stirling himself commented on how he enjoyed it when I shared it in the S.M. Stirling Fan Group on Facebook. Without further ado, let's jump into it. We're taking a look at Against the Tide of Years by S.M. Stirling.

A few years have passed since the events of the first book. The temporally displaced people of Nantucket are adjusting well to their new lives in the Bronze Age. Trade is flourishing and new alliances are being forged. However, a storm is brewing on the horizon. William Walker, though temporarily defeat and set back, has licked his wounds and moved on to Greece. Here, Walker and his cronies have made a second, and far more successful, attempt at empire building. The people of Nantucket know that they're going to have to defeat Walker once and for all if they want their new world to be safe. Nantucket is going to make new allies, and find new adventures, in a world set against the tide of years.

As you might recall, I absolutely loved Island in the Sea of Time, the first book in the series. Against the Tide of Years not only managed to keep up the momentum, but might be even better than Island in the Sea of Time. The first notable difference is that, this time around the major civilizations of the Bronze Age Mediterranean and Near East play major roles in the plot. Walker's segments are set in Mycenaean Greece, while Nantucket has courted the Babylonian and Hittite Empires as allies against Walker. More information has survived about these civilizations compared to Bronze Age England, Tartessos, and the Olmecs. Though, that having been said, they still have a lot of blanks spaces, and details we aren't certain about. So, Stirling has more information to work with, but still had plenty of wiggle room with how he depicted these Bronze Age civilizations.

As I've said before, with so many competing theories about life in the Bronze Age, there is no way Stirling could be faithful to them all. Having said that, it is still very impressive how closely he follows many of these theories, and the attention to detail with his depiction of the Bronze Age cultures and civilizations.

Okay, so let's start in Babylon. Tartessos is allied with Walker, and they're center in Southern Spain, and have expanded into North Africa. So, sailing through the Straights of Gibraltar is not an option for Nantucket. As such, they must sail around the Cape of Good Hope, and then sail back up to Babylon. They plan to go up through Babylon, and then use Anatolia as a jumping-off point for their assault on Walker's empire in Greece. Nantucket learn how to speak Akkadian, the primary language used in Babylon, from a date merchant they found in Persia named Shamash, known as Sham for short. They took measures to be damn sure he wouldn't stab them in the back and betray them like Isketerol did.

At the start of the story, the King of Babylon is Shagarakti-Shuriadh, a member of the Kassite Dynasty. He was a real king who ruled Babylon around the time of Against the Tide of Years. Though, not very much is known about him, as is often the case with Bronze Age Mesopotamia. Shagarakti welcomes the Nantucketers with open-arms, and is more than happy to accept the many gifts and innovations that Nantucket brings to Babylon. He especially enjoyed the ride he got in a hot air balloon. There's a really interesting scene where he discusses the history of Babylon and says something to the effect of "We are an ancient land. We go back long ago to the days of Hammurabi and his law code, and further still to the days of Sargon the Great and Gilgamesh. Though that's only if you believe the old legends."

It would seem that the Babylonians are well aware that some of their legends might not have basis now reality. This goes back to a major theme of the series: people of the past were not stupid. They didn't have access to the same knowledge that modern day people do, but they had the same hardware as we do. They were ignorant, not stupid.

Shagarakti recognizes that the Nantucketers are very knowledgeable, not to mentioned quite technologically advanced, and defers to them on most matters without issue. There is a scene where he becomes a bit sad when he realizes how primitive Babylon must seem to Nantucket. However, he is assured that the civilization Nantucket comes from was only made possible thanks to the ground work laid by earlier civilizations, such as Babylon. If Nantucket sees further, it is only because they stand on the shoulders of giants like Babylon.

The most pressing concern on the Babylonian front, besides Walker, is that Assyria is due to conquer Babylon soon. Obviously, Nantucket can't have this happen if they want Babylon to be their ally against Walker. That brings us to Kashtiliash. He is, at the start of the book, the Crown Prince of Babylon, and was also a real person. In our world, he led an unsuccessful campaign against the Assyrians, which not only resulted in his death, but also lead to Assyria invading Babylon. Thanks to Nantucket, Kashtiliash survives the campaign and decisively defeats the Assyrians. Though, Nantucket does convince Babylon to keep Assyria as a nominally independent client state; that taxing Assyria is preferable to outright annexing them.

It is during the campaign that meets Kathryn Hollard. She serves in the Nantucket military alongside her brother Kenneth, who is a general. She's an extremely skilled fighter and a competent solider, as is to be expect of someone in the Nantucket Armed Forces. She keeps her hair extremely short, as is required for the Nantucket Army. Apparently, the Coast Guard has laxer standard when it comes to haircare, as Swindapa is mentioned wearing her hair in a braid a few times. Anyway, Kashtiliash couldn't care less, and thinks that Kathryn is the most amazing woman he's ever met. He relishes the opportunity to get to fighter at her side, and back-to-back, during the campaign against Assyria. She too becomes interested in him, and eventually they decide to get married.

This does make Kenneth a little worried. He rightfully points out that, though the Babylonians were better than their Islamic descendants, they still hold many less than enlightened attitudes. Thankfully, Kashtiliash is both open-minded and a true gentleman. This also makes it easier for Nantucket to plant the seeds of modernity within Babylon, and nudge Kashtiliash towards reform. Like most Bronze Age civilizations, Babylon still practices slavery, and Shagarakti gifts 200 slaves to the Nantucket delegation. The Nantucketers immediately free the slaves, and assign them to work at the hospital of Nantucket's military base in Mesopotamia. Hey, most Nantucket Coast Guard ships are named after famous abolitionist and Union general from the American Civil War. There's no way Nantucket is going to take part in slavery.

The former slaves are taught how to read and write, and about modern medical practices. Shagarakti and Kashtiliash are baffled as to way Nantucket would free so many slaves like that. Nantucket does want to end slavery, but at the moment, stopping Walker is their number one goal. They certainly wouldn't be able to free any slaves is Walker wins. One aspect of the medical reforms I found interesting was the importance of sanitation and disposal. Flies like to eat poo, and they also have a tendency to land on food that people eat. So, the germs from the poo get on the food, and people who eat the food get sick. Proper sanitation is also important is you want to avoid cholera and typhoid.

Okay, so how have things been going back on Nantucket? The Islanders have been adjusting quite well to their new home. The Coast Guard has led several expedition to far flung quarters of the world. They're really more of a navy at this point, but Alston and her crew would never dream of serving in a navy. The various branches of the American military have a bit of a rivalry. Moas are being farmed on Nantucket following a Coast Guard expedition to New Zealand. The closest living relative of the moa is a South American bird called the tinamous. They're quite tasty; in fact, they've been over hunted because of how tasty they are. So, it stands to reason that moa were also quite tasty. Moa were also one of the largest birds to ever exists; so, plenty of meat per bird.

Nantucket has also established Coast Guard bases across the world. For example, Ur Base is Nantucket's main base in Mesopotamia, and they have a base on the Cape of Good Hope named Mandela Base. There is an especially funny scene where Alston goes to inspect a base in Mauritius. For reference, they're islands off the coast of Madagascar, and famous for being home of the dodo. The man in charge of the base has been shirking his duties and subcontracting them to the Alban workers under his command. He's also allowed the animals around the base to breed unchecked. This prompts Alston to say "This is an island. It is a tropical island. BUT IT'S NOT GILLIGAN'S ISLAND! DO YOU HEAR ME, MISTER?!" It's made even more funny when Swindapa asks Ian Arnstein who this Gilligan person is.

Alston and Swindapa having been doing fairly themselves. They've adopted a pair of war orphans from Alba. Lucy and Heather company their mothers on Coast Guard mission around the world, and constantly get into mischief. Lucy in particular is notable due to who her biological parents are. Her mother was an Alban woman, but her father is George MacAndrews. He's one of Walker's cronies. MacAndrews felt that Nantucket wasn't doing enough to help African people resist colonialism. He was also concerned that Black culture on Nantucket will die out within a few generations. The total number Black people on Nantucket at the time of The Event was less than 200. Alston also had some trepidation about this, but unlike MacAndrews, she made her peace with it and learned to accept it.

We'll get into this more in the next book, but one of the things I liked about MacAndrews is that he's not stupid. He's wrongheaded about several things, not to mentions more than a bit ignorant about history, but he isn't stupid. He's fully aware that Walker isn't his friend, and he knows full well that Walker is a colonizer. However, he biding his time in hopes that Walker will send him to Egypt. Walker considers Egypt to be a potential threat to his new empire, and wants to bring them into his sphere of influence. MacAndrews hopes to be Walker's ambassador to Egypt, and then use it as an opportunity to introduce modern technology to Egypt.

I should mention that MacAndrews is one of those Afrocentrists who believes that Ancient Egypt to have been a Black civilization. In reality, however, the Ancient Egyptians were most likely Semitic people not too dissimilar to other Middle Eastern people. Genetic analysis of mummies does bear this out, and suggest Ancient Egyptians weren't too dissimilar to Modern Egyptians in terms of ethnicity. Ramses the Great had red hair and light skin; we know this thanks to his mummy. Ancient Egypt was briefly ruled by a Nubian dynasty, but this was only for short amount of time. In fact, at one point an envoy from Egypt arrives to visit Walker in Greece. He has skin the color of light toast, which clearly doesn't sit well with MacAndrews. Despite this, he remains optimistic that the envoy is simply an outlier. However, come the next book, MacAndrew will learn that denial isn't just a river in Egypt.

Despite his Afrocentrist views, MacAndrews clearly wasn't above having sex with white women. It seems that MacAndrews is unaware of Lucy's existence. Of course, he doesn't seem terribly concerned about the possibility that there might have any little MacAndrews running around somewhere. Still, could have been potentially interesting had he ever found out, especially if he learn who Lucy's adoptive mothers are. Lucy being mixed race does occasionally earn surprised looks from the Bronze Age peoples. Hey, Nantucket's technology boarders on magical to the people of the Bronze Age. For all they know, Nantucket could have found a way for two women to have a child together. This obviously isn't the case, but it makes for some amusing scenes.

Swindapa is adjusting well to life on Nantucket. Sometimes she does cartwheels down the street just for the heck of it. Though, when she takes a trip back to Alba, she finds that she feels disconnected from the other Earth Folk. It isn't just how much things have changed in Alba over the last few years. Nantucket is Swindapa's home now, and it has become a part of her. She's not the only Alban on Nantucket. Plenty of other Albans, Earth Folk and Iraiina, have immigrated to Nantucket over the years. The Earth Folk are still loyal worshippers of Moon Woman. The Iraiina, however, have become rather zealous converts to Christianity. This occasionally results in odd things, such as Iraiinas swearing pagan-style oaths in the name of Jesus and Mary.

Ian and Doreen Arnstein are doing quite well. They're acting as Nantucket's ambassadors to the Babylonian Empire. They've got a son named David, and have another child on the way. At the start of Against the Tide of Years, we get an excerpt from a history book written several decades after the events of the series. From this, we see that David will follow in Ian's footsteps and became a historian. There is a scene where Ian considers that, for all the chaos it caused, were it not for The Event, he would have never met Doreen, and David would never have been born.

Doreen jokes that, if not for Ian, her only options would be to try her luck with Moses. Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, is one of the candidates for having for having been the pharaoh of the biblical exodus. However, generally speaking biblical archeologists consider Ramses the least likely candidate to having been the exodus pharaoh. The reasons Ramses is associated as such is because he was portrayed as the exodus pharaoh in the Cecil B. DeMille movie The Ten Commandments. The Prince of Egypt, which took quite a few cues from The Ten Commandments, further reinforced this notion within the public consciousness. However, it should be noted that there is no archeological evidence that Ancient Hebrews ever lived in Egypt, or than anyone named Moses ever existed.

You could argue that it wasn't Stirling asserting this, but rather, Doreen and Ian stating their own, potentially incorrect, views. On the topic of religion, Nantucket has experienced something of a religious revival. However, it is in a quiet personal sort of way. All of the major Christian denominations have united into a single church lead by Father Gomez, who is now known as Prelate Gomez. The book makes a good case for how this happened, but you'd think at least a few denominations would put up resistance to amalgamation.

Rounding out the returning main cast, Jared and Martha are busy keeping Nantucket's government running, but are doing well. They've also adopted some war orphans from Alba, but also have kids via the conventional way. Nantucket ran out of birth control and condoms fairly quickly following The Event. At one point, Jared muses how it is entirely possible that his adopted kids were his ancestors in the original timeline. It just goes to show what a mixed-up world Nantucket has found itself in. Jared is prioritizing a new set of laws to help protect the environment. The Bronze Age world is full of natural wonders, and Jared wants to make sure they're preserved for future generations. Of course, that assume that future generations will actually stick to the laws, and not screw things up. Still, it is step in the right direction, and I suppose it is the thought that counts.

Okay, all well and good, but what has Walker been up to? He's relocated to Mycenaean Greece for a second attempt at empire building. Walker believes he failed in England because the Iraiina were still, technologically speaking, in the Stone Age. That, and England is close to Nantucket, relatively speaking. Greece already has the foundation of Bronze Age technology, and it is far away from Nantucket. Plus, he has Tartessos to help keep Nantucket at bay. Walker has created a new capital named Walkeropolis. Pretty much all of Greece, known as Greater Achaea, is firmly under his control. Greater Achaea recently conquered Sicily, and subjugated the native population.

Some historian believe that the characters of The Iliad may have been real people. Or, at the very least, they were inspired by real people. Obviously, if you subscribe to this version, then characters like Achilles and Aeneas weren't actually demigods. Stirling decides to assume that at least some of the characters of The Iliad were real people. It makes for a more entertaining story, and I do love a bit of Greek Mythology. For example, upon arriving in Mycenae, Walker quickly worms his way into the good graces of Agamemnon. Several years later, Agamemnon has come to seriously regret allying with Walker.

During the events of the story, a king from Ithaca named Odikweos comes to visit Agamemnon. He is a cunning and intelligent man, as well as a devote of the goddess Athena. The implication is that Odikweos inspired the legend of Odysseus. Odikweos quickly surmises that Walker is not to be trusted, but he's also aware that he has to bide his time, at least for now. I always viewed the Mycenaeans and Minoans as just the pre-show warm-up act to the main event of Classical Greece. Against the Tide of Years, as well as On the Oceans of Eternity, showed me that there was plenty of fun to be had during the Mycenaean era. In fact, I actually went on a bit of a Mycenaean, and Bronze Age in general, kick after I completed Nantucket trilogy. I guess that another testament to Stirling's talent as a writer.

Walker has implemented some reforms that were genuinely beneficial to the Mycenaeans. Albeit, he did so for pragmatic reasons. For example, he introduces the Latin Alphabet to Greece. Prior to that, the Mycenaean had been using the Minoan Alphabet, which isn't really suited to their language. The scribes initially objected, on the grounds that the Latin Alphabet is so simple even a child could learn it. Obviously, this is precisely why Walker wants to use it. Walker has also introduced new foods, such as tomatoes, to Greece. He's also introduced modern horse breeds; who are strong, faster and larger than Bronze Age horses. Said modern horses were ones he stole from Nantucket.

On the flip side, much of the countryside around Mycenae is an industrial hellscape due to the many factories Walker had built. Oh, and he reshaped the Mycenaean economy so that slavery forms its backbone. The Mycenaeans practiced slavery, as did most Bronze Age civilizations, but not anywhere near to the heights Walker brings it. More importantly, this makes it so that the Mycenaean economy will collapse unless Walker is around to keep things running. Walker is cruel and sadistic, but there is a certain logic to what he does. A twisted sort of logic, but one that is easy to follow and understand. It is part of what makes Walker such a compelling villain.

The same, however, can't be said of Walker's wife, Alice Wong. I should clarify that she's his favorite wife; Walker is also married to several Mycenaean women. Alice Wong used to be a doctor before The Event. As such, she knows all the best places to torture people for the most pain. Unlike Walker, she doesn't have any greater scheme with her sadism. Wong appears to be evil just for the sake of being evil. There's a scene where Walker walks in on Wong torturing a Mycenaean princess, and it's almost comical how blasé they both are about it. In fact, several of the scenes set at Mycenae have an almost sitcom feel to them. Well, if you ignore the fact that the dad is a megalomaniac with plans of world domination, and that the mom is a sadistic torture technician.

Walker has a daughter named Althea, who is well on her way to following in her father's footsteps. Interestingly, Althea's mother is not Wong, but rather, Ohotolarix’s daughter. Ohotolarix is an Iraiina chief who followed Walker to Greece. We’ll talk more about him when we get to On the Oceans of Eternity.

Against the Tide of Years ends with Walker's army arriving at the gates of Troy. Nantucket wanted to use Troy as a jumping-off point for the invasion of Greater Achaea. There's a scene where Ian Arnstein, from atop the walls of Troy, says to Walker "Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elder berries." Walker cracks a smile and admits that he found that genuinely amusing. He found it amusing, but he's still going to sack Troy.

Troy is depicted as being mostly Hittite, but with some slight Mycenaean influences. This is what most historians believe that the historical Troy would have been like. Troy has been continually inhabited for thousands of years. As such, there are many archeological layers to the city. Many of these layers show clear signs of warfare. Historians and archeologists are still not entirely certain which layer was the one Homer was talking about in The Iliad. However, the date that Stirling gives is a popular estimation among historians.

Well, I'd better wrap things up before this review goes on for too long. Once again, Todd McLaren does an excellent job with the audiobook. The only point of criticism I have is that he gave Alice Long a slight Asian accent, despite there being no indication that she speaks with any discernible accent. Other than that, great work as usual. Also, I just love the image on the cover of the Babylonian charioteer with an American flag on the back of his chariot. It really gives a feel for what kind of series Island in the Sea of Time is.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

Comic Review: Three

I love to explore the potential of comic books and graphic novels as a medium. Yes, note that I said medium, not genre. Comics are medium in the same way that television, movies and books are a medium. If I hear another person refer to comics as a genre I will be very tempted to scream my head off. Nine times out of ten, when people refer to comics as a genre what they're really talking about are superhero comics. I love superhero comics as much as the next guy, and I do plan on reviewing some here, but comics can be about more than just superheroes. They can tell a story in any genre you can imagine. Such as, for example, historical fiction. 

Case in point, the comic we're going to be taking a look at today. We're reviewing the comic Three by Kieron Gillen and Ryan Kelly. 

Three takes place in Ancient Sparta in the year 364 BC. It follows three helots names Klaros, Damar and Trepander. They manage to survive as well as three helots can; each day's being its own small blessing. One night, their master, Eurytos, forces them and their fellow helots to get drunk and dance for his amusement. The trio kill Eurytos and his Spartiates in revenge for massacring their fellow helots. Now the three helots are on the run. Danger lurks around every corner as they are pursued by their master's son, Nestos, and a band of 300 Spartan warriors.

So yeah, this comic is, in many ways, intended to be the antithesis to Frank Miller's (in)famous comic-turned-movie 300. Kieron Gillen said that he was inspired to write this comic because he found 300 to be hypocritical, with how the Spartans bragged about fighting for freedom, and yet kept slaves. From the very first pages we get a sense of this. We begin with some helots picking olives, but then they're massacred by Spartans as part of the Krypteia. Krypteia was an annual festival where Spartans were allowed to kill helots just for fun. The Spartans did this to cull the helots, and prevent and slave revolts or other uprisings. It also did a lovely job of keeping the helots in constant fear.

I suppose I ought to explain what helots are. Helots were slaves who did all of the agricultural work, and other undesirable jobs, in Sparta. To say that it sucked to be a helot would be a massive understatement. Besides the Krypteia, there were several other ways to be killed. For example, when young Spartans trained to be warriors they had a final exam to take. However, if they successfully murdered a helot they automatically passed the final exam. We'll talk more about the helots in just a minute, but for now, let's talk about the comics as a whole.

You don't really see many historical fiction comics, at least in America; it's a different story in France and Japan. So, this comic was quite a treat, and there's a very strong commitment to historical accuracy. At the end of the comic there are several pages devoted to explaining the reasoning behind different panels of the comic, and the historical research behind them. There's also an extended conversation with a professor of Classical Antiquity who specializes in the study of Sparta.

Even without all of that you can just feel that there was a lot of time, love and research put into this comic. For example, at one point our trio of helots stop by a statue of Aphrodite, who is carrying a spear, and Trepander remarks that even the gods follow the insane way of life in Sparta. The Spartans did indeed worship Aphrodite. Ares was, unsurprisingly, Sparta's favorite god, but they did worship other gods. Aphrodite is often depicted as Ares' lover, and you could make an argument that love and war spring from the same sorts of passions and emotions. Also, all of the statues are depicted as fully painted in full color, just as they would have been in Ancient Greece.

Another point of note is when we met Nestos' mother Gyrtias. She's shown to clearly be the one in charge of the family plantation, especially after Eurytos is killed. Women in Sparta enjoyed quite a bit more freedom than most of the other city-states of Ancient Greece. They managed the farms and estates while the men were off fighting wars and waging battles.

Then there's the armor the Spartans wear. Nine times out of ten, when you see Ancient Greek helmets they tend to be Corinthian helmets. Corinthian helmets were the ones that covered almost all of the face, and often had plumes on the top. Those appear here, but they're always shown to be older, more antiqued armor inherited from previous generations. The overwhelming majority of the Spartan warriors wear opened-face conical pilos helmets; which is what most Spartans wore at the time of the story.

Overall, the way that Sparta feels in this comic is a nation past its prime. It's been almost 100 years since the famous Battle of Thermopylae. Sparta's glory days are behind it, and everyone in positions of power are keenly aware of this. That's why 300 warriors are sent after the three helots. Even a rebellion that small could have major ramifications for Sparta's waning way of life.

The artwork is absolutely gorgeous; I could start at the drawings all days. It is exactly the kind of quality you would expect from something created by Image Comics. Three clocks in at a total of five issues, and that's one of the few criticisms I have with this comic. It's so good, and I wish there had been more. Now, don't get me wrong, those five issues tell are complete story, and a pretty much perfect just the way they are. Still, I would maybe have liked to spend slightly longer with these characters. Kieron Gillen really should write mor historical fiction comics. If this is what he can do with the history of Sparta, imagine what he could do with other eras of history.

Now, let's talk about the characters themselves. I should warn you that there will be a few spoilers as we continue on past this point. I may wish to turn away if you'd rather avoid those.

Klaros is stoical and reserved. He keeps his head down and does his best to be average in everything he does, at least at the start of the comic. He does this a survival tactic to avoid being killed during the Krypteia. The strongest helots are always killed during the Krypteia. He also pretends to be crippled as part of this, but it turns out there's another, darker reason he does this.

To talk about what that is, we have to discuss the Messenian Wars. Messene was a rival city-state to Sparta, and they got into a war in 743 BC. Sparta won the war, and the Messenians were forced to became helots. In 685 BC the helots attempted a revolt, but they were crushed by the Spartans. In 371 Sparta got into a war with the city-state of Thebes, and the helots of Messene revolted again. This time, however, Sparta was defeated and Thebes emerged victorious. Thebes liberated Messene from Spartan rule, and re-established it as a free city once more. As you can imagine, Messene became a very popular destination for runaway helots.

Alright, so what's this got to do with Klaros? Well, during the war with Thebes some Messenians took refuge in a sacred grove. The Spartans were afraid they'd anger the gods if they went in, so they had their helots burn it down. Klaros was one of the helots who set the grove on fire. Also, turns out Klaros isn't his real name. The grove was in Stenyklaros, so he took the name Klaros so that he would never forget what he did that day. Klaros feels deep shame for what he did, and he's spent his life looking for a way to atone for his actions.

Damar is somewhat similar to Klaros in terms of personality. She lost her husband to the Krypteia a few years before the comic begins. In fact, he's one of the helots we see get killed in the opening pages of the comic. The biggest difference between Damar and Klaros is that, where Klaros has resigned himself to death's eventual embrace, Damar is determined to live and survive. She shows Klaros that, despite the tragedy of his past, he still has things to live for in the present.

Trepander, unlike his comrades, is known for his wit and has a flair for the dramatic. Of course, his tongue is what kicks off the plot. Eurytos didn't like what Trepander had to say while drunk, and that led to the slaughterer of the helots. Still, he is shown to be a loyal friend, and sticks by Klaros and Damar even in the darkest of times. It's implied that his constant joking and sharp remarks is the way he copes with the harsh realities of life as a helot.

I think it's clear by now that I absolutely love Three. Not just one of the best historical comics, but one of the best comics out there in general. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy today.

That should do it for now. I will see you guys next time.

Flags of the Athenian Empire

I'm back with a double treat: two brand new flags.  So let's dive right in:

These are the flags of the Athenian Empire.  I couldn’t decide which I liked better, so I went with both of them.  They come from a world where Athens won the Peloponnesian War.  Following the defeat of Sparta, the Delian League was expanded to include the Greek colonies in Italy, the city-states in Anatolia and all of Greece.  All of this new territory meant more treasure for Athens' coffers.  Athens used much of this new-found wealth to expand its military and navy.  The unification of the Greek city-states meant that the Macedonian Conquest never occurred, and Alexander the Great never came to power.  Though it was still known as the Delian League, in reality, all of the city-states knew that they were now part of the Athenian Empire.

The threat of Persia was an ever-looming concern.  Athens funded many rebellions against Persia in regions such as Egypt and the Levant.  Eventually, Athens declared war on the Persian Empire and conquered it in short order.  However, most of the territory was lost within a few generations.  Athens also went on to conquer Carthage, the fledgling Roman Republic and expanded its territory into Gaul.  Athens also expanded into Hispania and the British Isles, but never for too long.  

Following this series of conquest Athens began to focus more intellectualism and the acquisition of knowledge.  Many libraries and centers of learning were founded across the Athenian Empire.  The Athenian Empire never truly fell, but over the years it did lose territory; at its smallest, it was comprised of Greece and Anatolia.  However, Greek influence on language, art and culture is felt throughout its former empire and the world at large.  In many ways, the Athenian Empire can be seen as the Western world's equivalent of China in terms of influence and culture.  

The flags feature an owl clutching an olive branch, symbols of Athens patron goddess Athena.  The colors of the flags are black and orange in reference to Ancient Greek pottery.  The black on the first flag is also a reference to the black sails of Theseus, mythical king of Athens.

Flag of the Minoan Empire

This is the flag of the Minoan Empire.  It comes from a world where the eruption of Thera never happened.  As a result the Minoan civilization continued to flourish and eventually went on to conquer the Mycenaeans.  The Minoans forged several trade networks and founded an empire that stretched across the Mediterranean.  The Minoan conquest of the Mycenaeans meant that Ancient Greek civilization, as we know it, never came to be.  

The Minoan Empire prospered for many centuries, but just as Greece and Rome did in our world, eventually it had to come to an end.  However, just as later civilizations looked to Greece and Rome for influence and inspiration, so to did the future civilizations of this world look to the Minoans.  Minoan culture cast a heavy shadow on future civilizations, and the legacy of the art and ideas would live on even after thousands of years.

The dark purple represents the wine-dark sea, and the Minoans control over it.  The golden axes are Labrys, a type of double bladed axe commonly found in Minoan artwork and ruins.  They are believed to have symbolized authority.

A Pharaoh and The Sun

Thought I'd put out another map while I'm working on that post about my good fanfiction.  This one is an original of mine that I call A Pharaoh and The Sun.  It takes place in an alternate 17th century and among other things:

Atenism managed to last a few Pharaohs longer than it did in our world.  Despite this Egypt still returned to the worship of the traditional Egyptian gods.  However, Atenist are still a notable minority within Egypt and have managed to spread their religion to other nations.  Speaking of Egypt, they've continued to expand southwards.  The wealth of goods and minerals acquired by this conquest meant that even after Egypt's gold mines ran dry the empire was just as powerful as ever.  Egypt now controls an empire stretching from the Cape to the Nile Delta; as well as a canal connecting the Mediterranean and Red Sea.

The empire of Carthage, always a popular destination for Atenist escaping persecution in Egypt, was the first nation to convert to Atenism.  Without competition from Rome, and with the Greek Empire occupied in Asia, Carthage has thrived as a trading empire.  Despite some recent colonial loses to Ghana in South America, Carthage is remains fairly well respect in the international community.

The scattered Celtic tribes were united under a great warrior chieftain, known as Brennus, who formed them into a mighty empire.  The Celtic Empire has adapted many new technologies from its neighbors.  Most significantly, the Celts have developed a system of writing based largely off of the Greek alphabet.  Missionaries from Carthage ensured that it wasn't long before the Celtic Empire converted to Atenism.  Carthaginian shipbuilding expertise has allowed the Celts to establish colony along the eastern coast of North America.  

The Republic of Novgorod has benefited greatly from its alliance with the Celtic Empire.  As the Celts expanded eastward they were able to keep potential threats to Novgorod at a minimum, and trade between the two nations helps to supplement the republic's food supply during its harsh winters.  Novgorod is renowned as a center of culture and scholarship as well as being a regional trading hub.  Celtic merchants have also brought the word of Aten to the snowy republic.  

Judaism, and that's using the term somewhat loosely, is still a polytheistic faith.  The great temple of Jerusalem is dedicated to Baal and Asherah, but all of the gods and goddesses have temples of their own.  Judaism never evolving beyond polytheism meant that none of the Abrahamic faiths ever formed.  

Alexander the Great managed to live longer than he did in our world.  He not only sired plenty of heirs to his empire, but focused on centralizing and maintaining the empire itself.  The Greek Empire has gone on to expand into Central Asia and Italy, and is a major conduit in the exchange of ideas and goods between East and West.  Alexander's goal of reconciling the many faiths and cultures of the empire resulted in the creation of a new religion: the Diamond Path.  

The Diamond Path teaches that there is a universal divine essence which permeates all all things knows as The Truth.  The Truth is unknowable in its pure form, but it makes itself more understandable via four paragons known as the Father, Mother, Son and Daughter.  The four paragons were originally identified as Zeus, Cybele, Mithras and Isis; however they have since been identified with all the gods and goddesses.  The Diamond Path teaches that the various gods are merely mask that the four paragons wear to make themselves better understood by humanity.  The Diamond Path is followed by Greece, Egypt and the Norse.  

The Norse control Scandinavia and the British Isles as part of their Empire of the North.  They've long since given up raiding to become the dominant trading power of the northern seas.  The Norse began colonizing the New World in the 10th century, but they didn't start arriving en mass until the mid 14th century.  Their largest colony is Markland, located along the St. Lawrence river valley.  

Buddhism has found its way west thanks to merchants and missionaries from Bharat and Vijayanagara.  Buddhist have found moderate success in Diamond Path nations due to their willingness to incorporate local deities; and are treated with suspicion by Atenist nations because of this.  However, it was in the Empire of Arabia that Buddhist found the greatest success.  A merchant turned conqueror, in time known as Mohammad the Great, united the tribes of Arabia around a new religion combining traditional Arabian beliefs and deities with Buddhist teachings.  This new faith, known as Zensunni, has proven somewhat controversial among other Buddhist do to its somewhat violent origins.  

Gwanggaeto the Great managed to live longer than he did in our world and united the Korean Peninsula.  Taking advantage oft he chaos of China's Six Dynasties era, Gwanggaeto ceased the Mandate of Heaven and established the Goguryeo Dynasty.  Gwanggaeto expanded into Manchuria and Japan to eliminate any potential threats to the Korean Empire.  Recently, Korea has established colonies on the western coast of North America.  

The Khmer and Srivijayan empires have developed into minor trading powers.  Both nations are closely allied with fellow Hindu nations Bharat and Vijayanagara, and are the primary Pacific trading partners of the Mayan and Incan empires.  Though both Khmer and Srivijaya currently lack colonies in the New World they have sent expeditions to scout for possible locations.

The Mayan city-stated were united into a single empire by charismatic warrior king.  The Mayan Empire stretches from the Yucatan Peninsula to the central valley of Mexico.  In many ways the Mayan Empire can be seen as a more peaceful version of the Aztec Empire.  The Mayan religion places more emphasis on personal offerings of blood rather than mass sacrifice.  Overall, the traditions of the conquered tribes are tolerated as long as they pay tribute to the emperor.  The Mayans have developed an immunity to Old World diseases following an expedition of very lost Vikings landing on their shores in the 12th century.  

Though Egypt remains the dominate power of Eastern Africa, there are several notable empires in Western Africa.  Ghana has grown rich from the gold and salt trade; they also stand of as the center of learning and scholarship in West Africa.  Ghana has recently asserted its power on the world stage by capturing Carthage's former colonies in Brazil.  Meanwhile, the Ashanti Empire remains an economic power house despite its small size.  A more centralized Kingdom of the Kongo is a regional power further to the south.  Though all three are technically Atenist, they're willing to work with the Diamond Path nations if it benefits them.  

The international situation is complex to say the least.  Traditionally, Atenist and Diamond Path haven't gotten along with each other, and over the years there have been more than a few wars of religion.  Having said that, many of these wars were just as much, if not more so, due to secular concerns.  For example, several of the Atenist nations mounted a war to "liberate" Egypt from the followers of the Diamond Path.  However, this war was just as much due to Egypt having recently bared Atenist nations from using its canal.  Eventually, the war ended with the Atenist being expelled from Egypt.  In more recent times the number of wars of religion has decreased dramatically, and both Atenist and Diamond Path are beginning to grow more tolerant of religious differences. 

 Atenist are currently experiencing a schism between those who follow the traditional strictly monotheist version and those who want reform.  The reformers claim that just as rays emanate from the sun, so to do less divine beings emanate from Aten.  Praying to these beings is still forbidden, but praying through them, and having them intercede to Aten, is acceptable.  Critics say this is nothing more than polytheism in disguise; and polytheism is considered the worst of all crimes in Atenism.  Supporters, however, say that it is a great way to reach out to polytheist for conversion.