The Grapple: Settling Accounts, Book 3

Pittsburgh lies in ruins, but the Confederate army is broken and in retreat. U.S. General Irving Morrell has a plan that will break Jake Featherston's Confederacy once and for all: a stab deep into the heart of Dixie, with Georgia as the ultimate goal. But the fanatical Featherston isn't done yet, not as long as his country has the edge in rocketry, and as long as there is still hope of building an atomic bomb before the U.S. does. Yet, even as the U.S. advances, Featherston still puts precious resources into his other master plan: the genocide of the CSA's black population.My review of "Settling Accounts: The Grapple" is probably more for my own amusement than the enlightenment of any reader. People who have stuck it out for Harry Turtledove's massive alternate history series of a Southern Victory during the Civil War will either agree with me or they won't. Anyone who has not read the series will not start with this volume, almost certainly the penultimate in the series.Suffice it to say, this volume is probably one of the most satisfying and entertaining reads in the series. There is a strong sense of climax, as the C.S. is left reeling, trying desperately to get a leg to stand on to continue their fight with the U.S. Alternatively, the U.S. has complete control of the course of history now, and the continued existence of the C.S. will be at its sufferance. While it seems quite the coincidence that of the fifteen or so point of view characters, only five are not in Georgia, from a purely literary standpoint, Turtledove's decision to do this suggests that he is orchestrating his final showdown.Unfortunately, Turtledove's decision to do this does create a little more redundancy than is necessary, as most of the novel concentrates on the front lines warfare. There is little insight into the home front. There is no insight into the air war. Certain storylines, hinted at the previous volume, are effectively suspended here. On the other hand, the battle scenes are fast and furious, underscoring the momentum with which things are falling down around Jake Featherston's ears.Turtledove also shows his willingness to kill off his characters, reminding the reader of the random nature of warfare. Characters we have followed since the first book, "Great War: American Front" have risen high in the world. Irving Morrell, for example, has become a bona fide hero. Others meet their tragic deaths right here, mourned only by their relatives and the reader, victims of history.There are the obvious complaints to be made about Turtledove. His characters use the same phrases much too often to be plausible, and that feels lazy. And while Turtledove has shifted gears some, following the course of the last years of the Civil War rather than overlaying World War II on North America, there is an air of predictability about the book. The U.S. will win. The only mystery is what kind of peace the C.S. will have to endure.On the whole, I think I probably enjoyed "Settling Accounts: The Grapple" the most in the "Settling Account" series. It's fast paced and heavy on action, and vividly detailed, creating a plausible and frightening world. There is only one book contracted for left, so enjoy.

Harry Turtledove's alternate history series positing a Confederate States of America that won the Civil war just keeps getting better. The series has followed the two mutually antagonistic nations as they vie for dominance in North America through analogs of the Spanish American Was and First World War. The current time of the series is in an analog of the Second World War.Both nations are fighting with everything they have. The North was sent reeling by a surprise attack earlier in the series but is now gaining the upper hand and pressing the South hard. Both sides are working desperately to develop atomic weapons. The South is in the midst of its ultimate solution to wipe out its race problems. Think in terms of Auschwitz and Treblinka. It is a nasty conflict.It is, however, a very good book. The vast cast of characters is well developed and believable. Not everyone is a demon in the south and not everyone is a saint in the north. Even the deservedly despised president of the south is right on occasion. (He's still a slimeball). This lends credibility to an otherwise incredible series of stories.I would not recommend anyone starting with this book. That would be very confusing since it builds upon the previous books in the series and takes of the storyline for granted. Instead, it is better to being at the beginning. It is worthwhile.Turtledove does his usual masterful job of positing the question, "What if...?" and then exploring the consequences of the hypothesis. This is a masterful series from a master of the genre.

I'm a committed turtledove fan, and so I've been hooked on the series. My only gripe with this book is how many times characters use the word "flabble". Is that even a real word???

A bit ponderous but well conceived. A worthy contribution to the series.I recommend this installment highly for those who appreciate alternate history.

I know the author is trying to show the Confederates as Nazis but there’s no way they could of come up with something like the V2s. You can’t have that kind of rocket without Van Braun. If he was even born in this timeline, he would be working with the Kaiser, not the Confederates. Other than that great story

My review is the same for all books of the series. Decent story, a little slow, but also one of the most annoying series becuase he repeats things over and over. Examples are that southern tobacco is way better that northern and northern smokes taste terrible. Also,this black guy was former butler who worked for this white rich lady and was taught to talk like an educated white man and details about his time there. Many more things like this, so just about anytime a soldier smokes in these books( about 100 times) you have to hear about the tobacco, etc. Each character has something told about them over and over and over and over and over, see how annoying that is.

Harry Turtledove's penultimate instalment of his alternate universe of two Americas is cracking. No messing around, he gives us action aplenty, though not without some human cost in the form of character death. Secret plans, barnstorming attacks and characters we are in fear of losing, Turtledove has done it once again and possibly better than any of the previous novels in the series in my opinion. Roll on the finale!

It's the same as the others in the series, a good read. Now I have to get the next book.