3.5 Starting off as one of the more tedious offerings of the series the novel does pick up considerably in the second half, even building up some serious suspense. Title and cover are somewhat misleading, but that is not so bad. What's more irksome is that the series really doesn't expand its representation. Yes, it was written in the earlyy 2000s, but would it kill the authors to have a handicapped or queer person in this? We do finally get some more black representation with Sharon Nichols, but it is also a bit fraught with her being pursued for her exoticism - or so it seems at first. The Italian Buster Keaton troupe of mechanics / revolutionaries don't help in this regard.

Really the only memorable "up-timers" are the saintly priest and the not-much less saintly Hippie pharmacist. The "down-timers" are generally better represented with some double- (or even triple-) faced conspirators, clever and not so clever clergy, diplomats and one memorable Quixotic old swashbuckler.

Really had to work to get through the first half (long train rides help), but the second half almost made up for it with the plot-turns and some hilarious schemes. Hope the series will improve, though.