A Calculus of Angels

by Greg Keyes

Book Overview

In an alternate eighteenth-century Europe devastated by alchemical disaster, Sir Isaac Newton and his able assistant, Benjamin Franklin, confront enemies who seek humankind's destructionSir Isaac... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345406079
• ISBN13: 9780345406071
• Release Date: March 1999
• Publisher: Del Rey Books
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

What's the alchemical sign for fun?

A Calculus of Angels, the second book in the Age of Unreason series by J. Gregory Keyes, does exactly what a second book is supposed to do. It builds on the first book, giving us more insight into the greater problem that the series addresses, as well as moving all the characters forward. The alternate history that Keyes has built is fascinating stuff, much richer than the "what if World War II turned out differently" that many authors use. A Calculus of Angels is a wonderful mixture of sorcery, alchemy, and science. Keyes also adds a few more characters to the mix, making for a much deeper story. We are a few years removed from when the great comet hit London and wiped out much of western Europe. Those in the Americas, not having heard anything from Europe in quite a while, are ready to join forces (French, English, and Native) to send an expedition to find out what is happening. Meanwhile, Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia, is on the march to conquer what is left of Europe. Sir Isaac Newton and his young apprentice, Ben Franklin, are in Prague, attempting to figure out what is really going on. Adrienne, former lover of King Louis of France, is on the run from the remnants of the French nobility, all vying for what's left of the French throne. What spirits are using the world to fight their own war against humanity? Are these spirits religious in nature, servants of God? Or are they trying to fight everything that humanity holds dear? Who controls who? And will Peter be able to conquer everything in his path with the mysterious flying ships that he wields? All will come together in one city, one fatal encounter that could decide everything. And what does Adrienne's child have to do with all of this? A Calculus of Angels is a much better book than Newton's Cannon, mainly for its broader scope. The first book was pretty narrow, concentrating mainly on Adrienne and Ben Franklin. This one covers a lot more ground. Ben and Adrienne are still prominent, and they get a lot of development, as Ben chafes under Newton's refusal to tell him what Newton is researching and Adrienne learns her place in this spiritual war that is going on. But Keyes gives us more storylines to follow as well. There is the expedition from the Americas to discover what is going on. This party gives us a wonderful character in the Choctaw shaman, Red Shoes. It also gives us Cotton Mather, Blackbeard (former pirate and now governor of a small colony) and the French governor of Louisiana, Bienville. It is through them that we see most of the devastation that covers Europe, especially Great Britain. While Mather is a bit of a stereotypical religious figure, he does have his moments where he is surprising. The others aren't quite as well-drawn, though they serve their purposes well in supporting Red Shoes and getting him where he needs to be. Especially good is the scene where some of the ship's crew take Red Shoes for a night on the town, and he sees the

Beware the aether

J. Gregory Keyes continues the Age of Unreason with "A Calculus of Angels" and unlike some previous reviewers, I didn't find it too disappointing. Instead of two simultaneous plots there's three: Adreinne and Crecy in what's left of France (I never really liked her subplot as much, but this one does improve it with her manus ocultus), Ben Franklin and Sir Isaac in Prague (Prague is the last stronghold of the Habsburgs against the onslaught of Peter the Great, as usual a great subplot where Ben finds love in unlikely places), and the American expedition to Europe (my second favorite subplot, although Red Shoes's dream visions were really confusing at first). One high point I particularly enjoyed, much like the first one, is meeting some of the famous people of the 18th century: Peter the Great, Charles XII, even a 6 year old Maria Theresa. Similar to that is the American Expedition sailing around part of Europe and Africa, studying the aftermath of the comet, which was quite interesting. The only low point i found is that instead of "alchemy as science" which Newton's Cannon put forward, this one just flat out says its magic. After a while, Adrienne refers to Crecy as a "sorceress" for example. But that doesn't retract from the overall enjoyment, and you may find it (like me) to be a real page turner.

A twisted look at history through Ben Franklin's eyes!

One of the most imaginative stories I've read in years, combining 18th century history & its well-known characters with magic. This is actually the 2nd book in a series (Newton's Cannon being the first), & continues the story of Ben Franklin & Issac Newton after the destruction of England by an astroid. "Calculus" brings Cotton Mather, Edward Teach (aka Blackbeard the Pirate) & a Choctaw named Red Shoes together on a quest to find out what happened to England. Ships sent previously have never returned & none have arrived from England in 2 years. Meanwhile, Ben Franklin & Issac Newton are in Prague working on such things as magic shoes & trying to avoid the various armies that are battling each other in the absence of an English power. The remaining core characters in this fascinating story, the former mistress of Louis XIV & her former French guard, escape from one villain & into the hands of another (Peter the Great). All of these characters come together, through various twists & turns & interesting revelations, in the end. Of course, the ending will lead to another book, but find out for yourself. It's a great read, but you might want to start with "Newton's Cannon" first.

Better than the first.

Amazingly this book topped Newton's Cannon. It's slower to get going, but by the second Part you get drawn in deep. Much is revealed, as a the middle book of a series should do. It leaves you wanting more, more so than the first book did.

Picaresque, but precise, leaves you hungry for more.

Very "visual", scenic settings employed by Mr. Keyes, his episodic novels (Part One and Two) keep three, sometimes four plots together in a tight, page-turning, narrative. Dialog is somewhat more stiff, and a bit less plausible, but at least it doesn't get in the way. The characters very well delineated, Newton comes off as cantankerous, aloof, and obsessive as he probably was. Blackbeard is like every schoolboy's pirate fantasy. Some of the other characters, the Venetian Riva, for instance, seem to be drawn from life. There's message and moral here, too: all the classical stuff, hubris as the cause of downfall, redemption through love; oh yes, and Mr. Keyes seems to be making the historical point that the vaunted "Age of Reason" was not all it's cracked up to be in the history books, since if they had possessed a powerful science (like ourselves), they might have plunged the world into a deeper chaos than our much-abused 20th century.