Wages of Sin

De: Harry Turtledove

Narrado por: Ana Clements

What if HIV started spreading in the early 1500s rather than the late 1900s? Without modern medicine, anybody who catches HIV is going to die. A patriarchal society reacts to this devastating disease in the only way it knows how: it sequesters women as much as possible, limiting contacts between the sexes except for married couples. While imperfect, such drastic actions do limit the spread of the disease.

The 'Wasting' (HIV) has caused devastating destruction throughout the known world and severely limited the development of technology as well, creating a mid-nineteenth century England and London almost unrecognizable to us. This is the world Viola is born into. Extremely intelligent and growing up in a house full of medical books which she reads, she dreams of traveling to far-off places, something she can only do via books since her actions and movements are severely restricted by law custom.

Meticulously researched and exquisitely detailed in a way only a master like Harry Turtledove can do, this book is a tour-de-force from one of the best historical and alternate history writers ever to write in the genre.

©2023 Harry Turtledove (P)2023 Tantor

Would’ve liked more

I know Mr Turtledove likes character development, but I was bored by Peter and Viola. I wanted to know more about what happened between the 1500s-1800s

Another great Turtledove title

I liked the concept that AIDS had spread during the "Age of Discovery" It showed how the slave trade helped spread a debilitating disease not just to Europe, but to the rest of the world and how it changed European society some three hundred years afterwards.

Good thought-provoking entertainment!

As Harry turtle Dove has so many times in the past, he makes you imagine a world so different yet so close to our own and makes us question what is normal just and right. it's a wonderful book with maybe steaks not so high or even higher than in his past fantastic series, as always I look forward to more from Harry and can't wait.

Enough Already

Interminable discussion of sexual morays by boring characters intent on over-sharing. Generally, really enjoy Turtledove. This is a rare miss.

this one needs some more work

the beginning was good but it feels off after that I really like hairys work