An intriguing piece for me, if only for how batshit and ambitious its alt-history setup is. Unfortunately I found that the book only very partially delivers on all the ripples its divergence would cause. What it does reflect on is pretty satisfying, but it papers over so much with real historical elements that could not have coexisted with the changes the scenario implies, which left me with an impression of it being half-assed. 

For better or worse, it does not hold your hand at all. While there truly are streaks of brilliance both in the bright and airy dialogue and the storytelling (I think the Alpine murder mystery is a highlight), at times it gets so painstakingly convoluted that one loses sight of the endgame. By the last third or quarter I just couldn't wait for it to wrap up.