Stross, Charles. Merchant Princes
Summary: Series including The Family Trade, The Hidden Family, The Clan Corporate,
The Merchants' War, The Revolution Business and The Trade of Queens as well as
the follow-on trilogy set 17 years later, including Empire Games, Dark State, and
Invisible Sun. The omnibus volumes The Bloodline Feud, The Traders' War and
The Revolution Trade are revised versions of the first six novels and are closer to the
author's original intentions.
Original in: English.
Translation: French as Les Princes-Marchands.
Awards: Winner: First three volumes collectively for 2006 Sidewise Award for best long-form
alternate history.
Stross, Charles. The Family Trade
Divergence: 160 BCE
What if: The Maccabean rebellion failed and the Judean tribes were dispersed, creating a world
in which there is no Christianity or Islam, and no monastic centers of learning to preserve
knowledge when Rome collapsed.
Summary: A women from our world accidentally "world walks" into an alternate timeline in which
Norse colonies in North America survived even as Europe was overrun by the Turks and
Mongols. There she finds she is a lost scion of a clan of crosstime merchants who dominate
the politics of "Gruinmarkt", and her appearance has made her a target for murder.
Series note: First volume of Merchant Princes.
Published: Tor 2004 (0765309297BUY), 2005 (0765348217BUY); and Pan MacMillan/Tor UK 2007
(0330451936BUY)
—
Revised version included in The Bloodline Feud, Tor 2013 (1447237617BUY).
Original in: English.
Translation: French by Patrick Dusoulier as Une affaire de famille, Laffont 2006 (2221105389),
Livre de Poche 2011 (2253159832).
Stross, Charles. The Hidden Family
Divergence: 1745 CE
What if: Charles Stuart, the Young Pretender, decided to stay in Scotland and strengthen his
power base rather than march on London. As a consequence, Great Britain was later conquered
by France and the British throne established in North America.
Summary: Our heroine hides in a third timeline's Boston as she prepares for a meeting of
crosstime clans that will determine whether she is one of theirs. Meanwhile, a lost family
of worldwalkers seeks her death.
Series note: Second volume of Merchant Princes.
Published: Tor 2005 (0765313472BUY), 2006 (0765352052BUY); and Pan MacMillan/Tor UK 2008
(0330460935).
—
Revised version included in The Bloodline Feud, Tor 2013 (1447237617BUY).
Original in: English.
Translation: French by Patrick Dusoulier as Un secret de famille, Laffont 2006 (2221106571),
Livre de Poche 2011 (2253159840).
Stross, Charles. The Clan Corporate
Divergence: 1745 CE
Summary: Our heroine finds her freedom of movement almost blocked as other members of the clan
attempt to force her into a marriage which will link the worldwalking family with the
royalty of Gruinmarkt. Meanwhile, in our world, a DEA agent becomes part of an interagency
investigation of the crosstime travelers.
Series note: Third volume of Merchant Princes.
Published: Tor 2006 (0765309300BUY), 2007 (0765348225BUY); Tor UK 2008 (0330460943)
—
Revised version included in The Traders' War, Tor 2013 (1447237625BUY).
Original in: English.
Translation: French by Patrick Dusoulier as Famille et Cie, Laffont 2007 (2221108779), Livre de
Poche 2011 (2253159859BUY).
Stross, Charles. The Merchants' War
Divergences: 160 BCE, 1745 CE
Summary: War breaks out in the Gruinmarkt timeline as the throne is usurped and the new king
tries to destroy the crosstime "witches". Our heroine hides out in the New British
timeline, but even there is on the run from authorities. Meanwhile, members of her family
investigate another timeline which seems to be barren of human life but shows evidence of
past civilization.
Series note: Fourth volume of Merchant Princes.
Published: Tor 2007 (0765316714BUY), 2008 (0765355892BUY)
—
Revised version included in The Traders' War, Tor 2013 (1447237625BUY).
Publication note: Also referred to as The Hostile Takeover and The Merchants' Revolution during
development.
Original in: English.
Translation: French by Patrick Dusoulier as La Guerre des families, Laffont 2011 (2221125916),
Livre de Poche 2012 (2253164615BUY).
Stross, Charles. The Revolution Business
Divergence: 1745 CE
Series note: Fifth volume of Merchant Princes.
Published: Tor 2009 (0765316722BUY), 2010 (0765355906BUY)
—
Revised version included in The Revolution Trade, Tor 2013 (1447237641BUY).
Stross, Charles. The Trade of Queens
Divergence: 1745 CE
Series note: Sixth volume and "conclusion of the first series" of Merchant Princes.
Published: Tor 2010 (0765316730BUY)
—
Revised version included in The Revolution Trade, Tor 2013 (1447237641BUY).
Stross, Charles. Empire Games
Divergence: 1745 CE
Summary: Set 17 years after the events of the prior books in the series.
Series note: Seventh volume of Merchant Princes and first of the follow-on Empire Games trilogy.
Published: Tor 2017 (0765337568BUY, 0765337592BUY), 2019 (0765371014BUY); Tor UK 2017
(1509814868, 1447246284).
Stross, Charles. Dark State
Divergence: 1745 CE
Series note: Eighth volume of Merchant Princes and second of Empire Games.
Published: Tor 2018 (0765337576BUY), 2019 (0765337606BUY); Tor UK 2018 (1509823522BUY,
1447247582BUY).
Stross, Charles. Invisible Sun
Divergence: 1745 CE
Series note: Ninth volume of Merchant Princes and third of Empire Games.
Published: Tor 2021 (1250807093BUY), 2022 (1250807107BUY).
Stross, Charles. The Bloodline Feud
Comments: Omnibus volume including revised versions of The Family Trade and The Hidden
Family, q.v.
Published: Tor 2013 (1447237617BUY), 2014 (0765378663BUY).
Stross, Charles. The Traders' War
Comments: Omnibus volume including revised versions of The Clan Corporate and The
Merchants' War, q.v.
Published: Tor 2013 (1447237625BUY), 2014 (0765378671BUY).
Stross, Charles. The Revolution Trade
Comments: Omnibus volume including revised versions of The Revolution Business and The
Trade of Queens, q.v.
Published: Tor 2013 (1447237641BUY), 2015 (076537868XBUY).
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