Fantasy novel series
TheWar Between the Provinces is a series of fantasy novels byHarry Turtledove.
The novels are a retelling of theAmerican Civil War in ahigh fantasy setting called the Kingdom of Detina. The series focuses on the Eastern theater of the War Between the Provinces.
The names of locations have been changed, andNorth andSouth (and west and east) have been reversed, and, rather than skin color, hair color is used as the basis for the dehumanization. Many of the characters are based on real-world characters, and their names indicate this. Often their names are anagrams of the real-world character they are based on, or their nicknames contain their original's name.Hand-crankedcrossbows replace guns to mirror slow reloading times, and the northern rebels have fewerflying carpet paths (railroads) than the southern kingdom, hence giving the slave-owning side the same logistical problems that existed in the American Civil War.
Some characters with historical counterparts
[edit]Southern Detinan characters
[edit]Northern Detinan characters
[edit]Mentioned Detinan characters
[edit]- King Buchan – The previous King of Detina before his death. He was the father of Avram and uncle of Geoffrey. He is based on US PresidentJames Buchanan.
- Daniel the Weaver – A Detinan statesman. Ten years before the Detinan Civil War, he worked with Henry Feet of Clay and John the Typhoon to reach a compromise that headed off a war over serfdom by satisfying both northern nobles and King Zachary the Rough and Ready. He is based onDaniel Webster.
- Henry Feet of Clay – A Detinan statesman who is based onHenry Clay.
- John the Typhoon – A Detinan statesman who is based onJohn C. Calhoun.
- Zachary the Rough and Ready – The King of Detina ten years before the Detinan Civil War. He is based on US PresidentZachary Taylor.
- Hesmucet – He was a blond king who led a war against the ethnic Detinans before they had become firmly established as the rulers of the continent. Hesmucet frustrated the expansionist intentions of the Detinans for a long time but was killed in battle. He is based onShawnee chiefTecumseh, who fought the United States during theWar of 1812.
- "Inward" – He was the alias of a mage from the Mother Kingdom who anonymously wrote a theory that the gods created lower creatures than humans and other modern animals and let them vie for supremacy of the physical universe without intervening on behalf of early man or anyone else. The notion was condemned as heretical by most mages, and many threats were made against "Inward", which is why he went to great lengths to keep his identity a secret. He is based onBritish naturalistCharles Darwin.
- Kermit – He was an emperor on the continent across the Western Ocean from Detina. 50 years before the Detinan Civil War, Kermit waged a war against the other western kingdoms to expand his empire. His efforts were met with tremendous initial success, and he established a reputation as one of the world's all-time great military geniuses. However, he attempted to invade the massive southern kingdom of Sorb during the brutal winter months. Although Kermit's forces were able to make it to the Sorbian capital of Pahzbull, his army was forced to retreat from the city and it would never recover from the massive number of casualties that it sustained from the retreat. More men were lost to starvation and the winter temperatures than to Sorbian and allied counteroffensives. Kermit is based onFrenchEmperorNapoleon Bonaparte.
- Death Lord – The Detinan god of death
- Lion God – One of the two greatest in the Detinan pantheon
- Red Lady – The goddess of the Native Detinan blonds
- Thunderer – One of the two greatest in the Detinan pantheon
- Sweet One – The Detinan goddess of love and sexuality.
- Hunt Lady - The Detinan goddess of the hunt.
Nations and regions
[edit]- Baha Province/Golden Province - based on the US state ofCalifornia
- Cloviston Province - based on the US state ofKentucky
- Croatoan Province - based on the US state ofNorth Carolina
- Dothan Province - based on the US state ofAlabama
- East Parthenia - based on the US state ofWest Virginia
- Franklin Province - based on the US state ofTennessee
- Great River Province - based on the US state ofMississippi
- Highlow Province - based on the US state ofOhio
- New Eborac Province - based on the US state ofNew York
- Palmetto Province - based on the US state ofSouth Carolina
- Parthenia Province - based on the US state ofVirginia
- Peachtree Province - based on the US state ofGeorgia
- Peterpaulandia Province - based on the US state ofMaryland
- ShowMe Province - based on the US state ofMissouri
- Annasville - based onWest Point, New York andAnnapolis, Maryland
- Camphorville, Great River - based onVicksburg, Mississippi
- Essoville - based onGettysburg, Pennsylvania
- Georgetown, Detina - capital city of Detina, based onWashington, D.C.
- Hayek, Dothan - based onSelma, Alabama
- Karlsburg, Palmetto - based onCharleston, South Carolina
- Lemon's Justiciary, Parthenia - based onOrange, Virginia
- Luxor, Franklin - based onMemphis, Tennessee
- Marthasville, Peachtree - based onAtlanta, Georgia
- New Eborac City - largest city in the Province of New Eborac and Detina, based onNew York City
- Nonesuch, Parthenia - based onRichmond, Virginia
- Old Capet - based onNew Orleans,Louisiana
- Pierreville, Parthenia - based onPetersburg, Virginia
- Ramblerton, Franklin - based onNashville, Tennessee
- Viziersville, Parthenia - based onChancellorsville, Virginia
- Warsaw, Franklin
- Whiteside, Franklin
