Ian
Tregillis’s debut novel, Bitter
Seeds, is set in a world in which the Nazis have a highly successful
scientific experiment to create individuals with enhanced powers.
When word of these experiments is leaked, the British send Raybould
Marsh to gather whatever information he can and bring it back to London.
Marsh's mission goes horribly awry, but not before he is able to recover
evidence that the Nazis are pursuing a very strange, and dangerous, line of
research.
The
story is told through the eyes of various characters, most notable Marsh for
the British and Klaus, who can become incorporeal, for the Nazis, although
Tregillis changes his viewpoint characters as necessary, allowing Marsh’s
friend, Will Beauclerk, to have a lengthy narrative as well. The multiple
viewpoints allow the reader to have information that Marsh wouldn't have,
which tends to detract from the mystery element of the novel, but also
allows Tregillis to create a more complete vision of his alternative
world. Tregillis is also able to maintain the sense of mystery by the
careful placement of hints and foreshadowing in the form of Klaus's sister,
Gretel.
The
majority of the novel is taken up with the cat and mouse activities of Marsh
and the von Westarp group. Perhaps
the primary weapon of the Germans is Gretel, whose clairvoyance allows her
to know what will happen and who acts in total acceptance that the future is
set. Importantly, Tregillis
does not use Gretel as a viewpoint characters since to do so would give away
the direction of his story. Her
knowledge, however, is intriguing to the reader and concerning to the
Germans, who begin to question, if not her loyalty, what she isn’t telling
them about the future. Her interactions with Marsh generally leave him
perplexed and he is never able to get a particularly clear understanding of
what her abilities are. To combat Gretel's powers and the rest of the von
Westarp group, Marsh must seek out the mysterious and possibly threatening
powers of the Eidolons, who he never completely understands or trusts.
Tregillis
is not only interested in Marsh and Beauclerk's war efforts. Marsh's
personal life also gets attention, focusing on his first meeting with Liv
and the advancement of their relationship until it becomes a tool for the
Germans to use against him. Marsh's friendship with Beauclerk also
becomes essential to the war effort as Beauclerk's arcane knowledge may be
the only thing which can counter von Westarp's group. Seeing Marsh's character in a variety of mundane
settings provides a good counterbalance to his role as a spy for her majesty
and his ability to keep his real occupation a secret from those who don't
need to know offers an interesting look at the human side of his role.
Klaus's relationship with his sister offers a similar look at the other
side, although with Klaus not fully understanding what his sister knows, it
creates its own distance between the pair.
Although
the first volume of a trilogy, Bitter
Seeds stands nicely on its own even as Gretel is insistent that she will
meet Marsh again, presumably in a future volume. The hints planted by Tregillis
point to further political, military, and personal intrigue as Marsh’s
relationship with his wife, the Eidolons, and Gretel are revealed.
