Just Finished Reading: Gunpowder Empire by Harry Turtledove.

In a new future Los Angeles a family gets ready for its Summer Vacation. But this will not be an ordinary trip, for the Solters family are Crosstime Traders. For a few months each year they work in an alternate reality where the Roman Empire never fell. Selling slightly superior technology for much needed grain they help feed the growing numbers in their own timeline. But this trip is different. After the Mother becomes ill and is rushed back for modern medical aid the portals fail and enemies appear at the gate of their adopted city. The two youngest Solters are left to fend for themselves and need to grow up – fast.

I had a feeling that this was going to be juvenile SF and so it was. But actually it wasn’t that bad considering the age range it was aimed at. The plot was a little thin as was the character development and attention to detail but I could imagine someone who had never come across SF before would find this an exciting read. It certainly raised some interesting questions including the morality of slavery and addressed the idea of cultures that are different to ours but not inferior because of that – though the tone of the book was rather patronising in places. Whilst not exactly the most riveting book I’ve read this year I would recommend it as something to give to a child either to interest them in SF or to get them reading in the first place.