The momentum and energy of Conqueror, the second in the Time's Tapestry series, overcome the potential problems faced by any novel which covers such a long historical period. Although the focus inevitably switches from one group of characters to another, Baxter manages to maintain a strong narrative drive - and to leave the reader waiting eagerly for the next installment. He's particularly good at defamiliarising history, making it read more like the genre he is most associated with, science fiction.
