Art of Griselda Beringer by umegrafix for the sci fic novel, Mecha Samurai Empire, by Peter Tieryas
The novel is like a mix of Pacific Rim and The Man in the High Castle, which takes place in an alternate history where the Axis Power won WWII and the United States of America is divided into two, with the Germans ruling the Eastern Coast while the Japanese rules the Western Coast.
Griselda Beringer is a fearsome mecha pilot who is mix German and Japanese, and so is view with disdain by both sides for being too Japanese or too German. She is torn between her allegiance to the Reich (German) and her love to a fellow mecha pilot from the Empire (Japan), Makoto Fujimoto.
Their common life experiences in facing discrimination in becoming a mecha pilot is what draws them close together, as Makoto is not strong or smart enough to ace the rigorous tests and exams to be an Imperial pilot while Griselda, despite being highly capable and skillful, is not of a pure Aryan race.
As tension grew between the two Axis Powers over the full control of America, Griselda and Makoto finds themselves torn between their loyalty to their country and their love for each other, that puts their career as a mecha pilot at risk and must decide their true allegiance before the inevitable war breaks out.
It’s a very interesting story which lets your imagination run wild with countless possibilities of alternate history of what ifs. I really hope it will be adapted into an anime series someday, because the story is as good as Gundam and Ghost in the Shell, in terms of action packed and political intrigues.
