The Crimson Emperor: A Tale of Imperial Byzantium
“In this wildly romantic tale of Imperial Byzantium, a weapon-maker’s son becomes a deadly warrior and military commander, rising to power as ancient empires clash in barbaric violence and a blood-lusting centurion seizes the throne. Enemies plot horrific evils against our hero, even as two spectacularly beautiful, passionate women seek him for their own, in a tale of intrigue, revenge, power, and the unquenchable all-consuming passions of Love.”
Soon after starting to read the book, I put it aside and did a little background research on the time period, with which I was completely unfamiliar. Chronicling the lives of some notable families of the Byzantium Empire, the narrative is very well written and the characters are realistic although they do reflect a particularly violent time period. The author’s development of Romulus from child to warrior, and his relations with those around him, is as important a part of the story as the turbulent events of the early medieval Byzantine Empire.
It is not fast reading as it is extremely detailed and includes several very graphic battle scenes, which may not be to everyone’s taste (but battles never were nice places to be).
Although it is a fictional work, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in investigating a time period of which there is very little previously written, particularly where fiction is concerned.
e-edition reviewed
