Synopsis:
As the depraved and ruthless rulers of the Malwa Empire dominate sixth-century India, assisted by an abomination from the distant future, peacemakers from the future send a crystal, Aide, to stop their advance, with the assistance of the great general Count Belisarius of Byzantium
Reviews:
Following up An Oblique Approach and In the Heart of Darkness, Flint and Drake continue their primitive warfare series set in a Roman empire that has been changed by the arrival of a time traveler. Known as "Aide," this crystalline entity, when held in the hand of the Roman general Count Belisarius, reveals enough of future technology and history that the Roman army in A.D. 531 is equipped with rockets and portable cannons, and supported by a network of semaphore towers. Ostensibly, Aide's motive is to help the Romans change the course of history by defeating their enemies, the Malwa, based in India, so that, in the distant future, Aide's people will not be enslaved by "the Great Ones." The Romans do alter the future through their actions, but the authors neither address the larger implications of time-travel paradoxes, nor reveal any of Aide's deeper motives. Instead, they dwell on the rather straightforward adventures of Belisarius, who leads the Roman army against the Malwa; his wife, Antonina, who spearheads the development of Roman weaponry; and the eight-year-old Roman emperor, Photius. The battle scenes and strategies are as expert as expected in a book with Drake's name on it, but the ending, though superficially winding up the series, has an inconclusive feel, as if there's at least one more episode to come. (July)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Third entry in an established military/historical SF series (An Oblique Approach and In the Heart of Darkness, not seen). In a.d. 531, the blinded Roman Emperor Justinian's wife, Theodora, is Empress Regent for young Photius, son of the outstanding and charismatic General Belisarius and his wife Antonina. In the remote future, a race of crystalline entities is locked in a time-war with the mysterious ``new gods'' who intend to destroy their enemies by rewriting the past. The crystals have sent a messenger, Aide, back in time to advise the Romans; from a pouch around Belisarius's neck, Aide offers Belisarius telepathic glimpses of the future that existed before the new gods interfered. The new gods have sent their own avatar, a cyborg called Link; using the Malwa of India as its tool, Link intends to conquer the world and thus change history. The cyborg has already introduced rockets, grenades, and siege cannon. In turn, Aide shows Belisarius how to develop even better armaments. First on Link's hit list is the Persian Empire. Overmatched, the Persians are reduced to begging their old enemies and rivals, the Romans, for help. Belisarius swiftly agrees to the alliance, and leading his army in person, he enters Persia, where Emperor Khusrau, beset by both the Malwa and civil war, hopes to defend Babylon. Quasi-history and politics deftly and colorfully set forth, with battles lovingly and realistically depicted. 'Tis a pity the dialogue's often conspicuously awful. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
The invasion of Persia by the Malwa army forces an alliance with the rival empire of Rome's Eastern Empire. Aided by a crystalline intelligence from the distant future that grants visions of what may come to pass, the legendary Roman general Belisarius and his strategist wife, Antonina, wage a series of battles on land, at sea, and in the intrigue-ridden courts of the world's most powerful empires. Drake's consummate skill as a creator of military sf and Flint's historical expertise come together in a historical fantasy with sf overtones. The third in a series of novels that includes In the Heart of Darkness, this volume should appeal to fans of alternate history.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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