I'm really not sure how to rate Pavane by Keith Roberts. I have enjoyed alternative history stories in the past and that is where this fits in. Basically, the premise is that an assassin had killed Queen Elizabeth I back in 1588 and tries to imagine how the world changed.

The Catholic Church now rules supreme and England remains a Catholic country. The Church holds back science and you can see this in the level of technology that now exists. The story jumps to 1968. There are no telephones or telegraph. Instead the country, and in fact, the whole world, is dotted with semaphore towers and information is passed via the Guild of Signallers. There seem to be cars of sorts but freight is hauled more by large steam driven vehicles, as highlighted in the first story.

The book is more a collection of short stories, each featuring different (although there are links between the stories) characters; the freight hauler hoping to marry, a signaller who dies on his own, a mad monk, a princess who dares take on the might of the church.

The stories are very well - written and the era and people described in such a way as to draw you in. Some of the writing is almost poetic. The stories are all interesting. My favorite chapter deals with Lady Eleanor's fight against the Church. She is a wonderful, brave, intelligent character. But at the same time, a part of me just thought .... so what. As an alternative history, it's interesting. But, I repeat, so what. Was Roberts trying to make a point. I didn't get it. So, for the enjoyment of his writing style and the description of this alternate era, I think it was interesting. But it left me feeling kind of blah. Try it yourself. (3.0 stars)