Miriam Beckstein is happy in her life as a successful reporter. When she gets iron-clad evidence of a money-laundering scheme, Miriam thinks she's found the story of the year. But when she takes it to her editor, she's fired on the spot and gets a death threat from the criminals she's uncovered. Before the day is over, she's received a locket left by the mother she never knew - the mother who was murdered when Miriam was an infant. The knotwork pattern within has a hypnotic effect on her. Before she knows it, she's transported herself to a parallel Earth, a world where knights on horseback chase their prey with automatic weapons and where her true family is in charge. The six families of the Clan rule the kingdom of Gruinmarkt from behind the scenes. These nobles and criminal conspirators use their exclusive inherited power to walk between the worlds and grow rich. Miriam's unexpected return will supercede the claims of other clan members to her mother's fortune and power, and whoever killed her mother will be happy to see her dead, too. But Miriam is no one's pawn, and is determined to conquer her new home on her own terms.
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"The Family Trade is one of those rare delights--a book that is fun, intelligently written, and which leaves a reader breathlessly wondering what will happen next." -- David Farland
Book Description
Miriam Beckstein, a successful reporter for a hi-tech magazine in Boston, finds iron-clad evidence of a money-laundering scheme. But when she takes it to her editor, she's fired on the spot and gets a death threat from the criminals she has uncovered. Before the day is over, she's received a locket left by the mother she never knew – the mother who was murdered when she was an infant. Within is a knot work pattern, which has a hypnotic effect on her. Before she knows it, she's transported herself to a parallel Earth, a world where knights on horseback chase their prey with automatic weapons, and where world-skipping assassins lurk just on the other side of reality – a world where her true family runs things. 'Fast, funny, busily inventive . . . [Stross] is the crème de la crème' Locus 'Science fiction is in good hands with Charles Stross here to lead the new generation' Orson Scott Card
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Ten and a half hours before a mounted knight with a machine gun tried to kill her, tech journalist Miriam Beckstein lost her job. Read the first page
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Ten and a half hours before a mounted knight with a machine gun tried to kill her, tech journalist Miriam Beckstein lost her job. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By Mr P C Drew
Format:Hardcover
Stross' latest work takes a bit of a step from his usual hi-SF prose, and moves over to the fantasy genre. Stross has taken a dollop of Zelanzy and a pinch of Beam Piper, to create a fantasy world that's not exactly like anything you'll have ever read before.
The protagonist - a thirty something reporter - finds that she can walk between worlds; our modern world of the 2000's and another, nearly identical world, that is still ruled by a feudal system and is technologically stunted. Soon she finds that she is the classical long lost family member, of a family that is anything but loving and more reminiscent of a world domineering mafia.
Intregue, plots, murder and romance follow - all with an underlying mystery that begs to be solved... Can Miriam change the way this new world works, can she survive the murderous intent of the other Families, her supposed close relatives (including possibly her newly discovered grandmother) and a mysterious third faction? And finally, will she be able to continue her secret affair in public, without fear of recrimintation!?
Not to move too far away from what we've come to expect from Stross, he still shows his panache for political thought and find that earth's alternate world is a boiling pot of politcs. Its also refreshing to see that the fuedal system is described the way it would really be, and not some fairytale of lords and ladies. Nor should you expect tales of heroic knights on horseback.
The only knights you'll meet in this fantasy setting have glocks and Sub-machine guns.
The story itself is part of a larger series, and if the book itself feels a little stunted and sudden - it is. Originally this and book two were meant to be a single volume, so the ending is a cliffhanger even though it feels a little wrong.
The overall series looks to be a really exciting departure from your standard fantasy faire, and book two far more of an in depth tale now that book one has the intro's and explanations out of the way.
If you're looking for something a bit different in the fantasy isle, or are already a fan of Stross' in depth writing, then this is definaly one for the wish list.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Rob
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is not a standalone book in any sense. It does not come to a satisfactory conclusion at all. It reads like the synopsis for a TV series that desperately wants to be commissioned for a second series, so leaves everything open and unexplained. Since I have read and enjoyed quite a few of his books, i was disappointed. I like a series of books but don't like being ripped off by book 1 being half a book, or possibly less.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Lured by Mr Stross's wonderful, eccentric later works of inspired 'hard' science fiction, I thought I'd have a go at this. Not as truely bad as some of the reviews I read insist - let's be kind and say a journeyman piece. Anne McCaffrey does it better, but some nice ideas... and hey - I'm buying book 2!
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3.2 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A treat so sweet
I read a lot of Charles Stross' other stuff, so wasn't really expecting this. At first I thought it was going to be a sort of "Narnia" sort of thing with wacky mediaeval... Read more
Published 1 month ago by P. J. Coffey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting read that surprises
Half way thru the first chapter I thought this was going to be a superficial read but the characters deepen and the story line opens up quite quickly. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. Paul Ronan
4.0 out of 5 stars
First of Six (I think)
This book introduces the reader to the heroine,Miriam,and to the idea of parallel worlds.These worlds are only accessible to members of one inter-related "Family" known... Read more
Published 4 months ago by pherman
3.0 out of 5 stars
Only Half A Book but still fun.
Not written as well as some of Stross's other works, and actually only half a book spread a little too thin - make sure that you've got The Hidden Family primed and ready to go and... Read more
Published 5 months ago by adz
3.0 out of 5 stars
Chick Lit
Despite the score, this book is readable and lightly engrossing. A complex series of stages is introduced to the reader, in a formulaic fashion. Read more
Published 5 months ago by J.H.Barnard
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but could have been better.
I like this, read it first as a library book, and have now bought it for a second read. That's despite its obvious flaws. Read more
Published on 29 Oct 2010 by Robert Brenchley
4.0 out of 5 stars
excellent introduction to a new series
I've read other stories by Charles Stross and enjoyed them. This is a very enjoyable fantasy, albeit with only a very small piece of magic - the bulk of the story is firmly based... Read more
Published on 1 Dec 2009 by Nick
4.0 out of 5 stars
Proof once again that there's no real difference between sci-fi and...
The cover of my copy says it's a fantasy, despite the crucial points all stemming from technological differences between worlds, demonstrating once again that there's no real... Read more
Published on 2 Jun 2009 by D. R. Cantrell
4.0 out of 5 stars
comic-book developmental socio-economics
Oof. I bought this because Paul Krugman - of all people - personally recommended it, and my first reaction was that Paul should be a bit more careful with his endorsements. Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2009 by S. Matthews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sorts of the strangest sorts...
Every time I read a new Charles Stross book, I find a novel that quickly becomes a favourite, and always for different reasons each time. Read more
Published on 6 Sep 2008 by Christopher Halo
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