In this book, Larry Correia introduces us to a fascinating alternate universe. A world where magic changed the course of human history, where some events which permanently altered humanity's destiny never happened, with all the implications that follow. He adroitly handles the challenge of offering a historical perspective while never slowing down the narrative, and he outlines a system of magic which is both interesting and flavorful- a cross between traditional magic and comic book mutant powers, in the best sense of that comparison. 
 Unfortunately, he takes all of this fascinating material, and then never does anything with it. What could have been a genre-unifying theme of 'grim noir' instead becomes just another high-powered shoving match between the enormously gifted main character and his plucky group of misfits against the Evil Empire and a villain who lacks only the mask, cape, and cackle of most other villains of that sort. 
 This isn't to say that the book is bad. It is to say that, given the grand vision of the introduction, the end result is disappointing.