It’s 615 AD and Aleric faces his most deadly challenges yet. The aristocracy of the Byzantine Empire are jealous of his influence with the emperor and fearful that the monetary and land ownership reforms he champions will strip them of their power and privilege. The Persians see that the reforms Aleric is implementing will make the Romans harder to defeat in battle.

In this thrilling adventure Aleric’s domestic and foreign enemies combine to destroy the young upstart and secure their interests at Constantinople’s expense. The plot centers on an ancient and apparently accursed Babylonian treasure – and extends into kidnapping, rioting and a brutal invasion across an undefended portion of the frontier.

Aleric is a hands-on, cynical antihero who winds his treacherous way through dodgy Byzantine politics and intrigue with ever increasing aplomb. He believes that the end justifies the means if…

“First, the end must be worth achieving as reasonably understood. Second, the means chosen must be reasonably likely to achieve the end. Third, they must be the most economic means available. Fourth, they mustn’t involve reasonably foreseeable costs that outweigh the expected benefits of the end. Answer yes to all of these, and the means are justified.’”

He often finds himself in fantastically, improbable situations. A simple fact finding trip turns into an adventure resembling a scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom when his meeting with astrologers to learn the nature of the Horn of Babylon is broken up by a strong force of thugs. They chase Alaric onto the roof of a five story tower and eventually onto a jury rigged plank walkway between buildings. Trapped, Alaric converts the rickety bridge into a flying trapeze and swings down smoothly through a first floor window and into a room where it just happens that Timothy, the obese chief of police is having child prostitutes defecate on him.

Alaric excuses himself and continues his escape through a mob of poor derelicts who are angry at his cost cutting measures which reduce their welfare benefits. He scatters them by throwing a fistful of gold pieces into their midst and cuts down those few still blocking his way.

And in this episode he finally finds a woman that can keep up with him.

“I watched as she brought the shining steel up and thrust it with desperate and unerring strength into the man’s right eye. I’d underestimated her in a crisis, I thought approvingly.’

It’s indeed true love – that continues to blossom.

If you enjoy swashbuckling excitement don’t pass this up. You’ll get great writing, powerful characters, detailed and accurate backgrounds, along with superbly crafted and unexpected twists .

Review published on Goodreads on the 14th March 2020

Tags: review