Synopsis

Powerdecidesfate—butwhathappenswhenfatemakestheworstpossiblechoice?Reincarnatedwar-nerdZhanGe,whoseonlyreal-lifeexperiencewithconflictwasdrivingmilitarysupplytrucksinUkraine“forresearchpurposes,”suddenlyopenshiseyesin1903…insidethebodyofPrinceOskar,theawkward,ignoredfifthsonofKaiserWilhelmII.IntheGermanEmpire,he’ssupposedtobenoble.Disciplined.Patriotic.Elegant.Instead,he’s:–sociallyanxious,–addictedtomilitaryhistory,–speakingGermanlikeanAustrianactionhero,and–climbingpalacetreestohidefromresponsibility.Branded“thestrangeprince,”nevertakenseriously,OskarbecomestheforgottenHohenzollern—theprincenobodyneeded.ButZhanGeknowssomethingnooneelsein1903couldevenimagine:Germanyisracingtowardacatastrophe.Theworld’sfirstglobalwar.Adisasterthatwillshatterempires,redrawcontinents,anderasemillions.Ifhedoesnothing,theGermanEmpirecollapses.Heloseshistitle,hishome,hisfuture,and—worstofall—hischanceatapeacefullifewithawife,money,food,andabsolutelyzerotrenches.Tosurvive,Oskarmustchangehistoryitself:strengthenGermanywithoutunleashingdarkerfuturesstoptheworldfromrepeatingitsgreatesttragediesoutsmartrivalprinces,generals,ministersandavoidaccidentallystartingWWIearlywithanArnoldSchwarzeneggerone-liner.Armedwithacenturyofhistoricalknowledge,modernlogic,andadwarfattendantwhoconstantlyquestionshissanity,themostunwantedprinceofPrussiastandsatthedawnofanewcentury…DeterminedtoreshapethefateofEuropeordietrying.