A coming of age story in a very different America.
A college party lands freshman Hal Christianson in an America that could have been: no smartphones, no cars, no flush toilets. What he finds is a squabbling bunch of states, the consequence of the colonies having grown up on their own after European civilization collapsed from plague in the 1670s, and they are poised on the brink of war.
For a socially awkward young man, who takes refuge in online games, this is a bad situation. He has no knowledge or experience that is useful in this world. He does, however, have one skill of value in a world where the rifle is a new invention – he is a competitive fencer.
What do you do when the world is strange and you have no way to control your own fate? Can Hal grow up fast enough to survive in this world and can he find a way home?
Review
“. . . the pace and action never let up. Adventurous readers should find themselves acclimating to this raw, rustic, rough-and-tumble environment just as the plucky teenage protagonist does. A rousing what-if look at a decidedly different America persuasively stuck in a historical past.”
–Kirkus Reviews
You can read the full review at ACCIDENTAL WARRIOR
Excerpt
“Now that the man was closer, Hal could see the irregular stitching that had fashioned his garments. “I never thought I’d see anybody like you around here.”
“And where might ‘around here’ be, do you think?” The man’s tone sounded pleasant now.
“Where? New Jersey, Pennsylvania, maybe,” Hal said. “I’m lost.”
“Never heard of either. Maybe you’re more lost than you think.”