1635: The Tangled Web
 |
|
| Author | Virginia DeMarce |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Tom Kidd |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | 1632 series |
| Genre |
Alternate History /Science fiction |
| Publisher | Baen Books |
|
Publication date
|
December 1, 2009 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 368 (paperback) |
| ISBN | (paperback) |
| OCLC | 434563397 |
| 813.6 | |
| Preceded by | 1635: The Dreeson Incident |
| Followed by | 1635: The Eastern Front |
1635: The Tangled Web is a novel in the alternate history 1632 series, written by Virginia DeMarce. Two of the stories were previously published in the online version of The Grantville Gazettes with the Prince and Abbot first published in Volume 8 and Mail Stop first published in Volume 9. The rest of the stories are original material.
The main setting takes place in Fulda in 1633 and follows in four interlinking stories which ties together near the end of the novel.
The New United States decided to accept the return of Johann Bernhard Schenk von Schweinsberg as the Abbot of Fulda, but the Abbot will have to give up the title of prince. Moreover, he will not be allowed to collect tithes. The N.U.S. is now the secular authority in Fulda and will collect the taxes. The Abbot surprises Wes Jenkins - the administrator of Fulda - in his attempts to persuade the monks to abide by the new rules of his order. The local monks have been difficult over abiding by these rules. Even the import of Saint Gall monks hasn't won them over to the Tridentine doctrines. Dissatisfied Catholic conspirators in Bonn decide to unsettle affairs in Fulda, in which they initially arrange to post scurrilous flyers all over the town and then hiring Irish mercenaries led by Walter Leslie into abducting the Abbot and several N.U.S. administrators.
The story focus on Martin Wackernagel. As a private courier, Martin delivers correspondence and small packages on a route stretching from Grantville to Gelnhausen along the imperial road. He also makes side trips to Barracktown and other locations near his route. Martin visits his mother now and then during his travels, but he is reluctant to face her. She keeps asking when he will be married, but things are not as they seems. There is a secondary thread involving a pair of fourteen-year olds operating a downtime mimeograph machine and unwittingly producing propaganda material that could lead to local unrest that is always in the background of the first three stories.
...
Wikipedia