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Eskkar Saga #2
Empire Rising
In 3157 B.C., at the eastern edge of the great southern desert in Mesopotamia, men are at war. Roaming bandits desperate for food, water, women, and slaves ravage vulnerable town. Yet one thing eludes gold. A rogue named Ariamus has joined forces with Korthac, a fierce bandit who saved his life, and together they set their sights on the impenetrable walled city of Akkad, ruled by the former barbarian Eskkar and his enchanting wife Trella. Korthac devises a brilliant plan to conquer the city from within. Slipping into Akkad in disguise, he will gradually win the trust of Trella. While Eskkar is away, bringing other towns into his burgeoning empire, Korthac and Ariamus will strike, wreaking havoc on the city in a way it never expects. Told with rich historical detail and full of violence, sex, passion, and battles reminiscent of the best of Bernard Cornwell, "The Road to Empire" is a marvelous trip into the past.
704 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
May 24, 2023
Unnecessarily long. This book could be amazing but I found the main problem with it to be a lack of distinct and varied characters and because of this there’s just not many characters I found myself rooting for. Book one had the same issue but the siege was so well written that I had to give it 5 stars. This one just seemed to drag all the way to the battle for Akkad which was okay.
There is some absolute filth in this book. There’s way too much of Eskarr banging Lani, manhoods being stroked and nipples being fondled. I found it difficult to root for Eskkar as I couldn’t stand any page that included Lani and that the second he was away from Akkad he’d completely forgotten about Trella and I could see the love triangle forming from a mile off. Sadly Trella didn’t give her some much needed shit at the end when she had her brought to her.
Another thing I couldn’t get behind was that Eskkar couldn’t leave Lani in Bisitun because the people wouldn’t accept her as she was the consort to the boss bandit yet he let Hathor, one of the Egyptians attacking Akkad join them? I can’t see Akkad accepting that.
Like book one though this one does well to immerse you into the ancient setting and what it possibly could have been like at the brink of civilisation. How the farms are relied on and the economics and politics of Akkad was interesting to read.
Again the action was well written and I love it when authors use different POVs during battles but this hits so much harder when you really care about the characters so a lot of the time it was switching between what felt like the same person for example Bantor, Hathor, Drakis, Alexar and Klexor and although they weren’t POVs, Gatus and Grond. These are all the same person!
So I didn’t find myself caring all that much due to the poor character work and 700 pages just becomes a slog without solid exciting characters.
There is some absolute filth in this book. There’s way too much of Eskarr banging Lani, manhoods being stroked and nipples being fondled. I found it difficult to root for Eskkar as I couldn’t stand any page that included Lani and that the second he was away from Akkad he’d completely forgotten about Trella and I could see the love triangle forming from a mile off. Sadly Trella didn’t give her some much needed shit at the end when she had her brought to her.
Another thing I couldn’t get behind was that Eskkar couldn’t leave Lani in Bisitun because the people wouldn’t accept her as she was the consort to the boss bandit yet he let Hathor, one of the Egyptians attacking Akkad join them? I can’t see Akkad accepting that.
Like book one though this one does well to immerse you into the ancient setting and what it possibly could have been like at the brink of civilisation. How the farms are relied on and the economics and politics of Akkad was interesting to read.
Again the action was well written and I love it when authors use different POVs during battles but this hits so much harder when you really care about the characters so a lot of the time it was switching between what felt like the same person for example Bantor, Hathor, Drakis, Alexar and Klexor and although they weren’t POVs, Gatus and Grond. These are all the same person!
So I didn’t find myself caring all that much due to the poor character work and 700 pages just becomes a slog without solid exciting characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2021
While I appreciated the details about life in ancient Mesopotamia (in this case the rise of the Akkadian Empire), the way the women in the story were portrayed put me off somewhat. I know that rape and abuse were common and expected in that era but it just seemed odd that these women were so accepting of it. I can't see how Lani goes from torture and rape to begging to sleep with Eskkar at the first opportunity. I did like Trella's character-enough to consider looking for the other books in the series.
November 23, 2009
Well, I found this book a bit tougher to get through than Sam Barone's other one. His amazing descriptions of the battles is what got me through it and actually allowed me to enjoy it more.
Once again, my biggest problem with this book, just like the other one, is that it doesn't feel real. After reading other historical novels and actually feeling as if the book could really be part of history even though it's all fiction....well, it just doesn't happen here. But, by the time I finished this book, I finally realized just what the author is trying to do....Sam Barone wanted to put a face to all of the steps mankind made to start up civilization. What seems a bit out of place is that the same man seemed to make all of the steps and, in my amatuer opinion, too early in history.
Also, the sex scenes got to be a bit too much and quite out of place, unlike Dawn of Empire, which seemed to fit more or less with the story line. In this book it was like a Holywood film where sex is only put in because it sells, even though it adds nothing to the actual storyline.
Well, anyway, that's my humble opinion.
Once again, my biggest problem with this book, just like the other one, is that it doesn't feel real. After reading other historical novels and actually feeling as if the book could really be part of history even though it's all fiction....well, it just doesn't happen here. But, by the time I finished this book, I finally realized just what the author is trying to do....Sam Barone wanted to put a face to all of the steps mankind made to start up civilization. What seems a bit out of place is that the same man seemed to make all of the steps and, in my amatuer opinion, too early in history.
Also, the sex scenes got to be a bit too much and quite out of place, unlike Dawn of Empire, which seemed to fit more or less with the story line. In this book it was like a Holywood film where sex is only put in because it sells, even though it adds nothing to the actual storyline.
Well, anyway, that's my humble opinion.
December 5, 2008
EMPIRE RISING is Sam Barone's follow up to his fabulous DAWN OF EMPIRE. To start off with, it doesn't match the original book - but then what could? That's one of my favourite historical war stories of all time and I love it to bits.
EMPIRE RISING suffers from having a slow first half. Not a lot goes on in it, and the spark is missing. What action there is seems slightly irrelevant. Then the city-under-siege scenario begins and things get a whole lot better, with Eskkar once more proving his mettle under duress. The book certainly ends on a high and I'm just sorry that the first half didn't match.
EMPIRE RISING suffers from having a slow first half. Not a lot goes on in it, and the spark is missing. What action there is seems slightly irrelevant. Then the city-under-siege scenario begins and things get a whole lot better, with Eskkar once more proving his mettle under duress. The book certainly ends on a high and I'm just sorry that the first half didn't match.
March 19, 2011
Fairly strong as historical fiction, exploring an interesting and rarely-described setting: early prehistory (3000BC) in what is now called the Middle East. An interesting tour through early culture and early military conflict, though clearly not all that realistic (once again, see the "Lords of the Bow" series for what historical fiction should look like). As a novel, pretty mediocre. Characters were stock and predictable, action was drawn out, dialog was better than average but not exceptional.
August 19, 2016
I struggled to get engaged by this book despite getting to page 204. The characterisation was a little flat and there was a lot of tell rather than show. I don't mind that usually but in a book over 600 pages long I found it too much. There were some good scenes and the siege of a town was well thought through but having read the blurb on the back of the book and knowing what was coming and the slow pace I lost interest.
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January 10, 2009This was a fun book. Historical fiction? Sort of. Speculative story about the beginnings of civilization in Persia. I really like this book and the writers style. Very exciting, and plausible. This guy is a storyteller.
September 6, 2015
Battle scenes and descriptive writing are beautiful, but the contrasting of cultures and actual history behind the people of the Tigris seemed to lack something.having said that, it's fiction, let it be fiction! Really enjoyable read!!
September 23, 2008
Great sequel to Dawn of Empire. Action packed and interesting, wonderful stories of love, courage, loyalty, cruelty, abuse of power. Many wonderfully strong female characters.
October 26, 2020
The Eskkar Saga is a bronze-age series set in 3157 BC Mesopotamian; it seems like for the best part of 5000 years since then (and no doubt before) from Ghengis Khan to William The Conqueror, from the Roman Empire to Viking Invasions people have been shooting each other full of arrows or chopping each up in the quest of money and power or to protect what they've already got, providing a wealth of opportunities for historic fiction writers to set their novels and Empire Rising is a welcome addition to the genre.
I read Dawn of Empire a few years ago, and it worked well as a stand-alone novel though I felt no urgent desire to pick up the next book. However I found myself with a copy of Empire Rising so decided to continue with the saga. Although it benefits from having read the first book in the series Empire Rising also works well as a stand-alone novel, picking up where the last book left off with Eskkar and Trella holding on to their precarious leadership of Akkad now that the barbarion hoard seiging the city has been thwarted, it is a new adventure that also comes to a conclusion without having to read further novels.
The backdrop already established in the first novel this story does not waste any time getting to the action; it is basically bandits, more bandits, spies & assassins, finally culminating in a full pitched battle with an Egyptian invader for the control of Akkad. Sam Barone does not hold back on the violence, providing many graphic fights and torture in what feels likes a realistic depiction of the time, and the final battle can only be describe as epic, told from many point of views it's told in detail and on a scale worthy of A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones). A real page turner that I found hard to put down, 9/10.
I read Dawn of Empire a few years ago, and it worked well as a stand-alone novel though I felt no urgent desire to pick up the next book. However I found myself with a copy of Empire Rising so decided to continue with the saga. Although it benefits from having read the first book in the series Empire Rising also works well as a stand-alone novel, picking up where the last book left off with Eskkar and Trella holding on to their precarious leadership of Akkad now that the barbarion hoard seiging the city has been thwarted, it is a new adventure that also comes to a conclusion without having to read further novels.
The backdrop already established in the first novel this story does not waste any time getting to the action; it is basically bandits, more bandits, spies & assassins, finally culminating in a full pitched battle with an Egyptian invader for the control of Akkad. Sam Barone does not hold back on the violence, providing many graphic fights and torture in what feels likes a realistic depiction of the time, and the final battle can only be describe as epic, told from many point of views it's told in detail and on a scale worthy of A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones). A real page turner that I found hard to put down, 9/10.
July 23, 2017
Nok en god bok fra Sam Barone. Igjen lar jeg meg imponere over hvordan hovedpersonene utøver sitt lederskap:
- For å få respekt, må du vise respekt.
- Belønninger ble utdelt etter innsats, moral og kampvilje. Her gjaldt ikke trynefaktoren, og Eskkar fikk derfor utnyttet potensialet til sine beste menn og kvinner.
-Ingenting skal overlates til tilfeldighetene
- Ansvar ble delegert bort til de som hadde den praktiske erfaringen, selv om dette betød at lederen selv måtte vike. Slik kunne Eskkar selv bruke tid på det han var virkelig god på.
- Å utvise evne til å skape motivasjon og kamplyst hos den enkelte
Videre synes jeg det var et kult overraskelsesmoment da Trella og Annok-surs relasjo n ble tatt videre. Den så jeg ikke komme. Eskkars bueskyttere er virkelig en fryd å lese om, og Eskkar i kamp er så spennende at det blir smertefullt å ta seg pause for å hente kaffe. Det er interessant hvordan Barone beskriver kampsituasjoner fra forskjellige vinkler, fra de forskjellige hovedaktørenes synspunkter underveis. Det ble også plass til noen interessante sexscener her og der. Dette synes jeg Barone gjorde på en god måte.
Likevel fikk denne boka bare tre stjerner. Jeg synes det ble for mange forklaringer i begynnelsen som kunne vært lagt inn i handling i stedet for beskrivelser. Jeg tar meg selv innimellom i å irritere meg over at et gudinnedyrkende folk ikke gir kvinnene sine høyere anseelse. Her er det barbaren som ærer en kvinne høyest og ikke bøndene. Akkurat det synes jeg ikke er så sannsynlig. Det er veldig mange gjentakelser som går tilbake til forrige bok. Det hadde holdt med å forklare den samme bakgrunnssituasjonen en gang.
Eskkars strategiske karaktertrekk er noe av det beste med de to bøkene i denne serien som jeg har lest så langt. Det er dog litt synd at vi ikke ser mer til disse før 2/3 ut i boka.
- For å få respekt, må du vise respekt.
- Belønninger ble utdelt etter innsats, moral og kampvilje. Her gjaldt ikke trynefaktoren, og Eskkar fikk derfor utnyttet potensialet til sine beste menn og kvinner.
-Ingenting skal overlates til tilfeldighetene
- Ansvar ble delegert bort til de som hadde den praktiske erfaringen, selv om dette betød at lederen selv måtte vike. Slik kunne Eskkar selv bruke tid på det han var virkelig god på.
- Å utvise evne til å skape motivasjon og kamplyst hos den enkelte
Videre synes jeg det var et kult overraskelsesmoment da Trella og Annok-surs relasjo n ble tatt videre. Den så jeg ikke komme. Eskkars bueskyttere er virkelig en fryd å lese om, og Eskkar i kamp er så spennende at det blir smertefullt å ta seg pause for å hente kaffe. Det er interessant hvordan Barone beskriver kampsituasjoner fra forskjellige vinkler, fra de forskjellige hovedaktørenes synspunkter underveis. Det ble også plass til noen interessante sexscener her og der. Dette synes jeg Barone gjorde på en god måte.
Likevel fikk denne boka bare tre stjerner. Jeg synes det ble for mange forklaringer i begynnelsen som kunne vært lagt inn i handling i stedet for beskrivelser. Jeg tar meg selv innimellom i å irritere meg over at et gudinnedyrkende folk ikke gir kvinnene sine høyere anseelse. Her er det barbaren som ærer en kvinne høyest og ikke bøndene. Akkurat det synes jeg ikke er så sannsynlig. Det er veldig mange gjentakelser som går tilbake til forrige bok. Det hadde holdt med å forklare den samme bakgrunnssituasjonen en gang.
Eskkars strategiske karaktertrekk er noe av det beste med de to bøkene i denne serien som jeg har lest så langt. Det er dog litt synd at vi ikke ser mer til disse før 2/3 ut i boka.
June 30, 2021
Solid Follow Up tithe last Empire book
First, this book is definitely a bit better in sticking to the plot line than the previous one. Strong character development with a feel for people.
Second is that Barone had Eskkar being less than a super man with his fighting, and the crowds were good with that.
I didn’t like the long paragraphs and pages of thoughts by a character (almost always Trella, the thinker). I’d rather the information was given to the reader by more active means than ruminating about all those things you wondered about, the loose ends. A great example is the last dozen pages or so.
First, this book is definitely a bit better in sticking to the plot line than the previous one. Strong character development with a feel for people.
Second is that Barone had Eskkar being less than a super man with his fighting, and the crowds were good with that.
I didn’t like the long paragraphs and pages of thoughts by a character (almost always Trella, the thinker). I’d rather the information was given to the reader by more active means than ruminating about all those things you wondered about, the loose ends. A great example is the last dozen pages or so.
September 10, 2018
(2 1/5 ⭐)
This had a very slow build with the majority of the action taking place in the last third of this 690 page book. Aside from the pacing issue, the writing of the female characters was so poor that it was off putting, from Trella's random lesbian romp with a woman who claims to see her as a little sister, to Lani, a 26 year old and otherwise strong, capable character who falls helplessly in love with Eskkar and cannot live without him after only a week or so only because he treats her with kindness.
This had a very slow build with the majority of the action taking place in the last third of this 690 page book. Aside from the pacing issue, the writing of the female characters was so poor that it was off putting, from Trella's random lesbian romp with a woman who claims to see her as a little sister, to Lani, a 26 year old and otherwise strong, capable character who falls helplessly in love with Eskkar and cannot live without him after only a week or so only because he treats her with kindness.
March 6, 2019
Loved this sequel more than than Dawn Of Empire. It was full of action, cunning and clever moves, Eskkar has grown a lot as a leader (even though the events in this book took place only two months after the Dawn of Empire). I was still annoyed with Trella, but she wasn't in this story as much as she was in the first book, and I was happy about it.
March 22, 2024
I really enjoy this series and I will read them all. The depth of character and placement is really fantastic. Battle scenes (expecially the last one) was very well constructed and tied together brilliantly that you got a wide overview of what happened where by different people in many difficukt situations. The continuity was amazing. I did find there was a lot of repetition and padding and the characters could have been developed better but still a great read for historical fiction readers.
September 15, 2018
A good follow up to the first book. Again - it is an adventure story folks, so if you want reality a subscription to Archeology Today is $25 a year and every three to five year a good scholarly book is written on the subject. This book is simple, the story's whole point for existing is, the hero's winning and the crafty bad people losing.
October 24, 2019
Action-packed book, focusing mainly on the pains of growing Akkad (and building up the countryside). Eskkar spends most of the book away from Trella, and his ability to think and reason independently starts to shine. It's really a book about Eskkar.
Nice mix of politics and action, with the key battle scene happening at the end (as usual).
Nice mix of politics and action, with the key battle scene happening at the end (as usual).
June 25, 2021
An excellent follow up story to Sam Bar one's first book, Dawn of Empire
Action, intrigue, heroes and villains.. this book has them all in mass quantity! Difficult to put down once you start reading.
Action, intrigue, heroes and villains.. this book has them all in mass quantity! Difficult to put down once you start reading.
December 14, 2019
I love this series so far.....This book just as good as the 1st. book in the series.
Read
June 16, 2020Too g
September 2, 2020
Enjoyable and action-packed historical fiction read.
June 29, 2024
This is a great historical book, the characters are well thought out
July 26, 2025
could have been half its length
September 8, 2018
Simply put. Good battle scenes, overlong and an obsession for soft porn.
July 21, 2015
I love those books that grip you so you can't put them down. You resent the moments when you have to or you decide that perhaps you should just stop here and leave it till tomorrow... or at least, later, just to spread the pleasure a bit. I'm like that with food as well, I save the stuff I like best till last... savour the moment. "Empire Rising" is one of those books.
In essence, it continues where "Dawn of Empire" finished. The whole picture is painted superbly... We've got a wall. We've just seen off the nasty hordes. We're cock of the walk... we're invincible! Trade is coming in, young men are flocking in to join our army, we're secure and safe... We've got a wall! We can send parties out, mop up the stragglers and the odd bandit... Create a bit of stability.... Maybe even start to build an empire?
There's a word for it... hubris. Just over the horizon there's a man with a plan... and he's coming this way.
I got totally sucked in. The story built up really well. There are some who complain that it takes too long to get to the action, not me. Sam Barone builds up the tension, keeping us wondering. The scenes shift at a steady pace so that we can follow the action, watch it all unfold. We observe the Egyptian warrior, Korthac, as he establishes himself in Akkadian society; we're there encouraging Trella in her uncertainties and investigations. Will she discover what Korthac is up to, and just what is his plan? We're introduced to other minor characters who play their part in this game of wits and in the process a picture of this ancient - no, new - city of Akkad is painted; it's winding alleys, inns and brothels, large squares, noble houses, and over them all, the wall. ... And Eskkar, up north, spreading the influence of the great city... what's he up to now?
In essence, it continues where "Dawn of Empire" finished. The whole picture is painted superbly... We've got a wall. We've just seen off the nasty hordes. We're cock of the walk... we're invincible! Trade is coming in, young men are flocking in to join our army, we're secure and safe... We've got a wall! We can send parties out, mop up the stragglers and the odd bandit... Create a bit of stability.... Maybe even start to build an empire?
There's a word for it... hubris. Just over the horizon there's a man with a plan... and he's coming this way.
I got totally sucked in. The story built up really well. There are some who complain that it takes too long to get to the action, not me. Sam Barone builds up the tension, keeping us wondering. The scenes shift at a steady pace so that we can follow the action, watch it all unfold. We observe the Egyptian warrior, Korthac, as he establishes himself in Akkadian society; we're there encouraging Trella in her uncertainties and investigations. Will she discover what Korthac is up to, and just what is his plan? We're introduced to other minor characters who play their part in this game of wits and in the process a picture of this ancient - no, new - city of Akkad is painted; it's winding alleys, inns and brothels, large squares, noble houses, and over them all, the wall. ... And Eskkar, up north, spreading the influence of the great city... what's he up to now?
August 27, 2011
An excellent and compelling view of the dawn of human civilisation. Barone's writing is that rare combination of drama and factual accuracy that is the mark of true excellence in the field of historical novels. While this job is made easier by the fact that Dawn of Empire and Empire Rising are both set well before the start of recorded history, nevertheless the portrayal of Early Bronze Age lifestyle in these novels shows fairly thorough research on the author's part.
The credit for bringing the people of this story to life, however, is all Barone's, and she achieves it with great flair. The backgrounds of the characters are well expanded upon, although never unnecessarily so. Barone does not, for example, waste pages expounding the life-story of every minor character, and even in the case of main characters he seldom offers information that is irrelevant to the plot, even if the relevance is not always immediately obvious.
The plot is well-paced, with a neat interweaving of the action scenes and the more 'human' elements of the story. As with characterisation, however, there is very little padding. Relationships between the characters serve to advance the plot just as much as battles with the enemy, and this prevents either element from feeling overdone.
All in all, therefore, this is a worthy successor to Dawn of Empire and is probably worth reading whether you happen to be interested in history or not (although those who know something about the period will probably appreciate some of the details of the book, especially the setting more than a lay-person would).
The credit for bringing the people of this story to life, however, is all Barone's, and she achieves it with great flair. The backgrounds of the characters are well expanded upon, although never unnecessarily so. Barone does not, for example, waste pages expounding the life-story of every minor character, and even in the case of main characters he seldom offers information that is irrelevant to the plot, even if the relevance is not always immediately obvious.
The plot is well-paced, with a neat interweaving of the action scenes and the more 'human' elements of the story. As with characterisation, however, there is very little padding. Relationships between the characters serve to advance the plot just as much as battles with the enemy, and this prevents either element from feeling overdone.
All in all, therefore, this is a worthy successor to Dawn of Empire and is probably worth reading whether you happen to be interested in history or not (although those who know something about the period will probably appreciate some of the details of the book, especially the setting more than a lay-person would).
February 10, 2017
95 sider lest, og jeg holder på å irritere meg grønn over at mengden skrivefeil fortsetter i denne boken. Oversettelsen er også til tider dårlig. Det er 3160 år f.Kr., du kan ikke snakke om meter! Heller ikke "berserk" (akkurat den var i første bok) som kommer fra vikingene, eller "Kirsten Giftekniv" som er en karakter i et teaterstykke av Holberg! Har allerede begynt å skumlese lengre deler.
Oppdatering etter å ha lest ferdig: Hvis du vil lese denne, les den på engelsk.
Oppdatering etter å ha lest ferdig: Hvis du vil lese denne, les den på engelsk.
January 23, 2014
The second installment of the Eskkar Saga,
Empire Rising
see Akkad, man's first walled city, captured by enemies within it's own walls. Former slave, Trella, pregnant with main protagonist Eskkar's child, is captured with the rest of the city, leaving former barbarian Eskkar to find a way to save his wife, child and his city.
Weighing in at 690 pages, Empire Rising is a daunting proposition, but ultimately worthwhile. Well paced, with a tight plot and packed with historical detail, it is a gripping story of the early Bronze age, that leaves you wondering where the hours have gone. ^GE
If you liked Empire Rising why not try:
Legion by Simon Scarrow
Bones Of The Hills by Conn Iggulden
The Road To Rome by Ben Kane
Weighing in at 690 pages, Empire Rising is a daunting proposition, but ultimately worthwhile. Well paced, with a tight plot and packed with historical detail, it is a gripping story of the early Bronze age, that leaves you wondering where the hours have gone. ^GE
If you liked Empire Rising why not try:
Legion by Simon Scarrow
Bones Of The Hills by Conn Iggulden
The Road To Rome by Ben Kane
May 21, 2014
Great Story!! Filled with action from the very beginning to the end (the last battle scene). It is a warriors tale which entailed bravery, deception, excitement, romance,sacrifice, war, victory and peace. I didnt want to put this book down. The main character is definitely one that you would want to root for in this book,for his leadership, wisdom and skill... If you are looking for an example of what it takes to be a true leader read this book..
August 21, 2010
I liked the book although I think too much time was spend explaining the events leading up to the capture of the city. The book did not spend a great deal of pages describing the retaking of the city and the time after.
The Author did do a great job of giving detailed descriptions of the battles and the book is action packed.
The Author did do a great job of giving detailed descriptions of the battles and the book is action packed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews