A Place Called Armageddon
CC Humphreys
Sourcebooks, Sep 1 2012, $25.99
ISBN: 9781402272493
The once mighty Byzantine Empire crumbles from within and from the assaults of the Ottoman armies. By 1453, only Constantinople remains free of the enemy. Advised by Hamza Bey, Sultan Mehmet II leads a force of 100,000 warriors to take the “Red Apple” as a symbol of Muslim supremacy over the weak Christian infidels. Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos leads 10,000 soldiers defending the walled city, but without the professionals he knows they fight a losing cause.
One of these mercenaries Gregoras Lascaris vowed to never go home; as Constantinople is the place where his twin Theon betrayed him turning him into a disgraced outcast; his scarred visage reminds him of what his popular sibling did to him including taking his beloved Sofia. However, he returns to Constantinople to defend a city that he realizes has become a death trap since he left.
This is a powerful fifteenth century thriller that focuses on the Battle of Constantinople by rotating perspectives between various people from both sides. The storyline grips the audience as we learn why some from side come to fight (or defend) like Venusians, Achmed the farmer and John Grant the Scot. Although the myriad of cast can be confusing, each character adds depth to a vivid picture in which armchair fans will believe they are witnessing the siege of Constantinople from within and outside circa 1453.
Harriet Klausner
CC Humphreys
Sourcebooks, Sep 1 2012, $25.99
ISBN: 9781402272493
The once mighty Byzantine Empire crumbles from within and from the assaults of the Ottoman armies. By 1453, only Constantinople remains free of the enemy. Advised by Hamza Bey, Sultan Mehmet II leads a force of 100,000 warriors to take the “Red Apple” as a symbol of Muslim supremacy over the weak Christian infidels. Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos leads 10,000 soldiers defending the walled city, but without the professionals he knows they fight a losing cause.
One of these mercenaries Gregoras Lascaris vowed to never go home; as Constantinople is the place where his twin Theon betrayed him turning him into a disgraced outcast; his scarred visage reminds him of what his popular sibling did to him including taking his beloved Sofia. However, he returns to Constantinople to defend a city that he realizes has become a death trap since he left.
This is a powerful fifteenth century thriller that focuses on the Battle of Constantinople by rotating perspectives between various people from both sides. The storyline grips the audience as we learn why some from side come to fight (or defend) like Venusians, Achmed the farmer and John Grant the Scot. Although the myriad of cast can be confusing, each character adds depth to a vivid picture in which armchair fans will believe they are witnessing the siege of Constantinople from within and outside circa 1453.
Harriet Klausner
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