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Time of Troubles #2
Hammer and Anvil
THE RED BOOTS
Videssos was beset by enemies. A pretender held the throne--a despot who cared little that barbarian hordes and rival realms carved away at his empire, so long as the wealth and booty of the land satisfied his unbridled appetites.
Few stood against him. And those few soon found their heads on pikes.
Only one name held hope for Maniakes. And from his exile on the very edge of the civilized world, young Maniakes took up the challenge, rallied his forces, and sailed off to topple the tyrant.
But the tyrant would use every means at his disposal--fair or most hideously foul--to destroy the crusading upstart. And even if Maniakes could stay alive, he would still have to pull together a battered, divided land as well as fend off a host of enemies--and thwart the former friend who had become his empire's most deadly
foe!
Videssos was beset by enemies. A pretender held the throne--a despot who cared little that barbarian hordes and rival realms carved away at his empire, so long as the wealth and booty of the land satisfied his unbridled appetites.
Few stood against him. And those few soon found their heads on pikes.
Only one name held hope for Maniakes. And from his exile on the very edge of the civilized world, young Maniakes took up the challenge, rallied his forces, and sailed off to topple the tyrant.
But the tyrant would use every means at his disposal--fair or most hideously foul--to destroy the crusading upstart. And even if Maniakes could stay alive, he would still have to pull together a battered, divided land as well as fend off a host of enemies--and thwart the former friend who had become his empire's most deadly
foe!
372 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
1 person is currently reading
217 people want to read
About the author
Harry Turtledove
566 books1,977 followersDr Harry Norman Turtledove is an American novelist, who has produced a sizeable number of works in several genres including alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.
Harry Turtledove attended UCLA, where he received a Ph.D. in Byzantine history in 1977.
Turtledove has been dubbed "The Master of Alternate History". Within this genre he is known both for creating original scenarios: such as survival of the Byzantine Empire; an alien invasion in the middle of the World War II; and for giving a fresh and original treatment to themes previously dealt with by other authors, such as the victory of the South in the American Civil War; and of Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
His novels have been credited with bringing alternate history into the mainstream. His style of alternate history has a strong military theme.
Harry Turtledove attended UCLA, where he received a Ph.D. in Byzantine history in 1977.
Turtledove has been dubbed "The Master of Alternate History". Within this genre he is known both for creating original scenarios: such as survival of the Byzantine Empire; an alien invasion in the middle of the World War II; and for giving a fresh and original treatment to themes previously dealt with by other authors, such as the victory of the South in the American Civil War; and of Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
His novels have been credited with bringing alternate history into the mainstream. His style of alternate history has a strong military theme.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 28, 2023
Volume Two of the “Time of Troubles” series continues the story of the epic struggle between the Empire of Videssos (in this universe, a surrogate for the Byzantine Empire) and its enemies to the north and west. In this volume it becomes easier to note the parallels between the fictional narrative and actual Byzantine history, specifically the late 6th and early 7th Centuries, when the emperor Maurice was overthrown by a usurper (Phocas) whose reign of terror lasted until 610 when he was in turn toppled (and immediately executed!) by Heraclius. The Sassanian Persians to the east, who had been on friendly and peaceful terms with Maurice, used Phocas’ brutal execution of Maurice and his entire family as a pretext to attack and seize vast swaths of Byzantine territory in Syria and Anatolia. At the same time the Avars to the north, seeing the chaos in the Empire, saw their opportunity, invaded the Balkans, and left the Empire with little besides Thessalonica. As a consequence, Heraclius spent many years campaigning to restore the Empire’s territory. That he succeeded has earned him the appellation “The First Crusader”, although the Empire was left in a weakened, exhausted state (as was Persia) and unable to stop the Arabs when they boiled out of Arabia in 632.
Heraclius’ fictional counterpart in the book is Maniakes the Younger; Maurice is seen in Likinios; Persia has its parallel in the Kingdom of Makuran; the Avars are the inspiration for the Kubratoi; and, of course, Constantinople is Videssos the City, as seen on the cover of the book where the Temple of Phos is obviously the great cathedral of Hagia Sophia. However, in this universe, magic works and is used to both heal and destroy.
In Maniakes’ interactions with his military commanders, the eunuch Kameas, the ecumenical patriarch Agathios and other prelates of Phos, and the people of Videssos the City themselves, can clearly be seen the uneasy and difficult, often labyrinthine path the Byzantine emperors had to tread as they tried to preserve their own power and navigate the complex world of palace and ecclesiastical politics, juggling and trying to balance competing interests and sometimes playing one faction off against another. Their success or failure frequently determined the length of their reign and whether or not they died peacefully in their bed. Many did not.
The narrative is not lacking in descriptions of military campaigns, showing how savage and brutal warfare could be in the Seventh Century, and how supply and logistical problems, as well as the weather, affected the outcome of battles as often as strategy and tactics. When Maniakes lacks money to pay the troops and meet other expenses, he resorts to debasing the coinage, though he realizes that this tactic could not be used for very long. Indeed, the Byzantine gold solidus was renowned for its reliable gold content and was the preferred currency of the Mideast for centuries.
Turtledove’s alternate histories are thus both entertaining and educational, and have hopefully served as a springboard for many readers to study the actual histories which are their inspiration.
***** review by Chuck Graham *****
Heraclius’ fictional counterpart in the book is Maniakes the Younger; Maurice is seen in Likinios; Persia has its parallel in the Kingdom of Makuran; the Avars are the inspiration for the Kubratoi; and, of course, Constantinople is Videssos the City, as seen on the cover of the book where the Temple of Phos is obviously the great cathedral of Hagia Sophia. However, in this universe, magic works and is used to both heal and destroy.
In Maniakes’ interactions with his military commanders, the eunuch Kameas, the ecumenical patriarch Agathios and other prelates of Phos, and the people of Videssos the City themselves, can clearly be seen the uneasy and difficult, often labyrinthine path the Byzantine emperors had to tread as they tried to preserve their own power and navigate the complex world of palace and ecclesiastical politics, juggling and trying to balance competing interests and sometimes playing one faction off against another. Their success or failure frequently determined the length of their reign and whether or not they died peacefully in their bed. Many did not.
The narrative is not lacking in descriptions of military campaigns, showing how savage and brutal warfare could be in the Seventh Century, and how supply and logistical problems, as well as the weather, affected the outcome of battles as often as strategy and tactics. When Maniakes lacks money to pay the troops and meet other expenses, he resorts to debasing the coinage, though he realizes that this tactic could not be used for very long. Indeed, the Byzantine gold solidus was renowned for its reliable gold content and was the preferred currency of the Mideast for centuries.
Turtledove’s alternate histories are thus both entertaining and educational, and have hopefully served as a springboard for many readers to study the actual histories which are their inspiration.
***** review by Chuck Graham *****
August 20, 2025
Good Follow up to the first book of the series. This book focused on a character introduced briefly in the first book and we get the enemy side on events. Characterization is well done, and events are logical given the Byzantine situations. Plenty of action in these books. Read the first book before attempting this one. Recommended.
June 15, 2007
Focus shifted to characters from the opposing kingdom from The Stolen Throne. Neither the characters, their land's history and customs, or the plotting was nearly as interesting as the first in the series.
December 7, 2013
Turtledove creates realistic worlds and very likeable characters. I like to follow them from book to book and usually enjoy the ride. I enjoyed this book.
August 14, 2014
One of Turtledove's better series , good read
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews