The Family Trade (Merchant Princes Book 1) by Charles Stross Search Amazon for other books by or about Charles Stross. Rating: Reviewed by: John Walsh

This is not the first time that an author has used the concept of a parallel world which a protagonist is privileged to be able to visit when the mass of humanity remains quite unaware of this aspect of reality. Perhaps the best realized of these attempts is Roger Zelazny's extraordinary Amber series of stories, although readers will no doubt be able to nominate other favourites of their own. Here, in the first of a series of at least four novels, Charles Stross uses the concept with wit and intelligence, using echoes from a variety of previous works to demonstrate his affection for and appreciation of those predecessors. The result is a highly combination of fantastic adventure, romance, thriller and economic treatise (the last-named handled in Stross's customary adroit and light touch). Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of this introductory novel is the main character, Miriam Beckstein, who displays an engaging personality together with extensive professional knowledge and competence and a sense of genuine intelligence. The juxtaposition of such a woman with a medieval setting replete with numerous gender expectations and the people that it engenders is a constant source of entertainment. However, this remains part of the background to the narrative which is driven by a coherent and compelling plot.

As for the plot, Miriam finds herself being fired from her journalism job in the first few pages and is then introduced by her adoptive mother to mementoes of her past, one of which then acts as the key by which she is able to enter the secret, hidden world. This hidden world is geographically similar to the contemporary USA in which the action is set, although economic and social development is several hundred years in the past for the majority of people. This does not include those privileged few who, it transpires, share Miriam's ability to cross between the worlds. Their use of this ability to make money means that the privileged few live lives of enormous prestige and wealth, while the majority of the population seems to pursue little more than miserable toil, poverty and hopelessness. Miriam is fortunate enough that, quite to her surprise, she turns out to be very well-connected in this different world and that enables her to enjoy the courtly lifestyle which, nevertheless, proves to be both seriously limiting for a woman and also highly dangerous. It transpires that her appearance in this world has upset the existing power structures and threatened the lifestyles and wealth of enough people to the extent that at least some of them are prepared to sanction violence to defend their interests. Subsequently, Miriam is involved in both finding out what is really going on in the world, how she can benefit from her position safely and whether she should be pursuing a personal relationship with a handsome and semi-available young man. The result is a very fast-paced romp with plenty of smiles and with the reassurance of knowing that the characters are, so to speak, actually thinking about events and people and how they can best secure their own advantages.

Charles Stross is a prolific and hugely inventive author whose oeuvre is mostly concentrated within the various sub-genres of science fiction. This venture into the world of contemporary fantasy, insofar as the titles of genres make any real sense, is a most welcome one and it is much to be hoped that subsequent entries in the series prove to be as entertaining and enjoyable as this initial offering.