Publisher:
TOR
Reviews & Overviews by Rod Cameron
Publisher: |
TOR |
|
Date: |
2004 |
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Size: |
308 Pages |
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Format: |
Paperback |
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Price: |
£6.99 |
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ISBN: |
978-0-330-45193-2 |
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Reviewed by: |
Rod Cameron |
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Review Date: |
November 2007 |
Another book from that prolific author Charles Stross. The Family Trade is the first book in a fantasy series entitled “The Merchant Princes”. The main plot line of the book is inspired by the likes of Roger Zelazny’s Amber Series (Nine Princes in Amber (1970), etc) where characters of the blood can travel between parallel worlds. In The Family Trade, Miriam Beckstein is an investigative reporter working in modern-day Boston, who was abandoned as an infant. She discovers that her real mother was murdered under dubious circumstances, and that she was found in possession of a mysterious locket.
When she focuses on a hypnotic pattern inside the locket, Miriam is transported to a parallel Earth where knights on horseback use automatic guns, and where her family are the people in charge. Naturally her sudden appearance pushes various noses out of joint to the extent that she soon has several people trying to kill her. Of equal concern to her is that it looks as if her new family are behind the criminal money laundering scheme she was investigating back on “our” Earth; as the Family make their money by transporting ‘goods’ between the two worlds.
This is a fast-paced entertaining first book in a series. In it, the basic premise is explored well and the main characters introduced. The climax had enough of a hook that I look forward to reading the next instalment as soon as it is published. The Family Trade is Charles Stross’ third book and was written in 2004. As a result, I assume and have my fingers crossed that we can look forward to early re-publishing of further books in the series.