This is the first in a series of books by Kage Baker called “The Company” novels, the premise of which is that in the future time travel and immortality have been perfected by Dr. Zeus, Incorporated, aka “The Company”, which sees its mission to preserve just about everything (artifacts, species, knowledge) from the depredations of time and the self-destructiveness of humanity. The books centers on the protagonist of this series of books, Mendoza, who is rescued from the dungeons of the Spanish Inqusition as a suspected Jew and given a new life as a botanist and agent of the Company, charged with identify and preserving species that would otherwise be lost. Mendoza’s first assignment is 16th century England (Shakespeare’s England, although we dont’ encounter Will), and of course the assignment, straightforward at first, gets increasingly complicated as Mendoza falls in love with a local.

Baker’s prose is smooth and well-constructed, and the novel is well-researched in terms of the historical settings and most of the events (although some reviewers dislike her characterizations of Elizabeth and Mary as too simplistic). Although there is a science fictional context to the story, these ideas aren’t terribly strong, and the book is really driven by the character of Mendoza and the historical setting. The “science” is a bit slim — Baker’s notion is that “recorded history” is more or less immutable, and that it isn’t possible to go back in time and alter events in important ways. She also suggests that it isn’t possible to go into the “future”, although its not clear whose future, and the whole time travel underpinning feels a little flimsy at times.

But the books are entertaining and she’s a fairly careful writer. I’ll enjoy seeing where this series goes.

Thanks to Kenneth at homefries.org for helping me to find these.