I find that, as I have grown older, my tolerance for clunky writing has diminished quite a lot. I love science fiction, but the genre is unfortunately rife with authors who have not really honed their craft. Stirling is such a writer, and no matter how interesting his ideas are, his sub-par writing gets in the way. Having given myself permission to give up on any book that isn’t working for me, I found myself putting down Conquistador less than a quarter of the way in, a book I might have finished - but not necessarily enjoyed - 10 years ago.

This book was an interesting look at an alternate Earth, particularly western America. I liked the interactions between characters Tom, Adrienne and Tully and the ways Tom and Tully noticed the differences between New Virginia and First Side (current Earth).