Alternative history, science fiction, politics and battle scenes, all in one book. Can a good novel come out of this connection?
Jokers will change the world
The whole story begins with Captain Czachowski’s journey to the riverside hostel on the border between Tsarist Russia and Communist China. Its aim is to convince Lieutenant Różycki, who was stationed there, to his arguments. This one man is so important because the supercomputer has indicated that he has become a joker, that is, a person capable of significantly influencing the fate of the world. As it turns out, not only the Russians are interested in Różycki, but also the Chinese. However, this is only a small fraction of the story, then it gets much more interesting as new plots and characters appear. So there will be attacks, bloody manifestations …
Euroland, China and Tsarist Russia
The world presented in the book is quite intriguing because it presents an alternative reality. The January Uprising did not take place there, and the Romanov dynasty strengthened its position. The two world wars never broke out and the western countries united to form the Euroland. Communist China became the third power. Interestingly, the United States is not even mentioned in the pages of this book. Not only do we have an alternative reality, but also a full-fledged sf. This is especially visible in the army: modern weapons, force fields, implants and unusual combat vehicles such as terratines. The world that Adam Przechrzta created can really draw you.
When technology advances too much …
The main character is a Pole, and also a captain in the tsarist guard, i.e. Czachowski. A former revolutionary who, after visiting the Center (where he could see different variants of reality, including the world in which the January Uprising took place), came to the conclusion that the best solution was to support the monarchy. Różycki is a younger version of Czachowski and it was thanks to him that he gave up the terrorist variant of the fight for freedom. We also have such personalities as the Grand Duke Alexios, called by the soldiers (when the interested person cannot hear) the caban. In addition, there are several soldiers, there are also ladies from the Institutie Błagorodnych Diewic, as well as high-ranking dignitaries. All this creates a colorful mix, enriched with Russian songs and phrases, and thus you can really feel the atmosphere of tsarist Russia.
Celsius! Pli!
Fabryka Słów does not disappoint again this time. The release is satisfactory, the cover attracts attention. It is difficult to find major mistakes here. The apprentice of this author was delighted with the world presented, but in my opinion the dialogues were clearly underdeveloped. On the other hand, Gambit Wielopolski in this respect was much more pleasant to read.
Is it worth getting to know the alternative world?
Wielopolski’s Gambit is a great position full of action, but also clever intrigues. At the same time, you can see the amazing technological progress, and at the same time feel the spirit of the old tsarist Russia from the times before Poland regained independence. Undoubtedly, it is an interesting look at the story with an admixture of fantasy, which greatly enriches the presented story.
