The Domination - S.M. Stirling > Reviews (1)

What can I say? These books are simply fascinating in a grim, incomprehensible way. Basically this is an alternate histoy which will completely alter your perceptions on the superiority of democracy and destroy your assumption that freedom will always win in the end. The Point of Divergance (POV) is that The American Revolution started a bit earlier thab in our Time Line (TL). The Dutch colony of Capetown (South Africa) was taken by the British earlier. Now, when the British lost the American Revolution all the hussars, loyalists and others who were scattered in Our Time Line (OTL) went to South Africa an setteled in the renamed 'Crown Colony of Drakia' (CCOD).

Sounds good don't it! As time progresses the CCOD swallows up all of Africa. During this time former French colonists are sent there as refugees after the slave uprisings is Indo-China, Confederates after the Civil War and others like this. From these different breeds of people, all from the aristoocratic, slave holding class form the Draka race! The CCOD becomes the Dominion of Draka. Just before the First World War the Dominion of Draka claims its independance and becomes the Domination of the Draka. A nation and people based on slavery, fear and unadulterated power! The Draka have base their society around slavery and the military. Everyone from the age of 16 onwards goes to military school and all are honed to a state of phtsical and mental perfection. These are the Draka themselves. Far outnumbering them are their serfs, who have been crushed beneath the Draka heel for generations. In this world there is no hop of emancipation or reform, the Draka believe their destiny is to cast all of humanity in chains and for the Draka to become the supreme race.

However, if you were to think that they were basically Nazis or Confederates you would be wrong. Stirling has done a first class job of mixing and moulding hese people into somthing more than simply Nazi carbon copies, there is somthing different about them. Somthing unsettling that tells you that they are Human, but are somehow different. They are Humans who know what unbridled power feels like and have swerved away from the corruption that usually follows. They are unique.

The three books which are encapsulated into this one 'The Domination' start at the begining of WWII. The Germans are rampaging through Europe and have completly crushed the Soviet Union, the Draka come on the side of the Allies, because they know that afterwards all of Europe will be theirs.

An amazing series of books which tells the story of these cruel, sadistic people that are horribly Human. A mixed bag of emotions you will feel for the Draka, they can be loving mothers on one hand and black hearted warriors on the other. There is no middle ground. You won't know whether to love or hate them. Trust me, I am still undecided. Stirling has very cleverly created these feelings. He never lets you take the easy option of simply HATING them as you can do with the Nazis.

Now down to the facts. The first book is incredible, the battle scenes are very VERY realistic and have obviously had a hell of a lot of painstaking research go into them. Extremly well written. The second book is not as good but still fascinating. The third book wanes a bit but is still thoroughly entertaining.

Trust me, if you are in for a story which is not black and white, Good-Guy and Bad-Guy get this book.