Book Review - How Few Remain

This will my first book review on How Few Remain, the first book in the Southern Victory (Timeline 191) series. The book explains the point of divergence in sparks the beginning of the series, then skipping to 20 years after the American Civil War, where the second War Between the States ensues.

In reality, two Union soldiers found Robert E. Lee's Special Orders 191 by accident, used as cigar wrappings, after a Confederate courier lost them. With the knowledge of Lee's battle plans and his armies division when he invaded US territory, US General George B. McClellan was able to win the Battle of Antietam, ending the invasion.

However, if the Union failed to obtain the orders, things would proceed differently, for better or for worse (in this case, the worse).

Here, the orders were found by trailing Confederate soldiers and, as a result, caught McClellan and his troops by surprise by the Confederate advance. Instead of fighting in Antietam, McClellan's forces fought in the Battle of Camp Hill and lost, his Army of the Potomac broken and defeated. One thing led to another, and soon, the Confederate States won the Civil War, assuring Southern independence from the Union, with recognition granted by Britain and France and meditation forced on the USA by the two European powers.

Now that we're done with the prologue, let's get the ball rolling.

The novel truly begins 20 years after the war in 1882. It's similar to our world, but with a few differences. A world where central North America is inhabited by two Americas who are unhappy with each other, and things hit the fan when the CSA purchased two Mexican provinces and that culminated into a second War Between the States.

 The plot is told from the viewpoint of several characters, all of whom happened to be real life figures such as Stonewall Jackson and George Custer, with each characters story representing a different aspect of the overall plot, although they sometimes converge with each other. I am not complaining, but it would have been nice to have several fictional viewpoint characters added to the mix, and maybe an appendix detailing what happened between the first and second wars, added at the back of the book. It would have been helpful to explain why Dakota entered the USA as a single state or why Custer is still breathing when he and his brother should have died prior to the second war after being killed fighting Sioux Indians.

All in all, it was a good read about the implications of a world where the Confederacy exists and how it influences history, with engaging characters and a well-constructed plot.

I would definitely recommend the book and rate it at 4 out of 5.