cover image The Fourth Rome

The Fourth Rome

David Drake. Aspect, $19.5 (320pp) ISBN 978-0-446-60153-5

The history-guarding commandos from ARC Riders return to thwart renegade time-travelers who are attempting to revise the past, this time in post-Soviet Russia, as well as along the first-century Roman frontier. While the ""Time Police"" theme is a well-worn SF convention, Drake and Morris play to their strengths, creating a fast-paced narrative filled with gritty combat realism, elements of espionage and convincingly detailed ultra-high technology. The conclusion is a bit anticlimactic but will certainly leave fans of the time-war genre looking forward to the further adventures of the Anti-Revision Command. (July)