Disclaimer: I am friends with some of the authors in this anthology; however, I purchased the hardcopy version of this book for full price.

This was a fun collection of different story-telling styles that explored how events might have been altered in the history of the United States of America. Most of the stories were solid and enjoyable, especially those that included representation from the continent’s indigenous populations. As noted in the introduction, this book was published prior to Donald Trump’s election; unfortunately, the warnings sounded in these pages still ring all to accurately.

Special shout-outs go to “Shall Not Perish From the Earth” by Ian Randal Strock for the interesting narrative style and “We Seceded Where Others Failed,” by Keith R.A. DeCandido for the much-needed boost of levity. And though I didn’t feel that David Gerrold’s “A Brief Explanation of How Budapest Became the Taco Capital of the World” necessarily fit the brief of alternate history story, it was a solid and entertaining work of science-fiction.

Favorite Story: “The City of Oil and Paint” by Sarah McGill. Fascinating premise and gorgeous writing style. I wanted to fall into this world and never wake up.

Story I’d Like Expanded Into a Novel: “Gertrude of Wyoming” by Debra Doyle & James D. MacDonald. This action-packed spy thriller had all the intrigue of a Bond story, but Gertrude had no need to supplement her awesomeness with hi-tech toys. I fell in love with this character AND the world she inhabits, and I’d love to know more about both.

Rating: 4 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.