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The Gate of Fire: A Sequel To The Shadow Of Ararat (Mass Market Paperback)

by Thomas Harlan (Author) "The sun beat down, hot, on the narrow courtyard between the house of the Oracle and the columns of the Place of Waiting ..." (more)

3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Mass Market Paperback: 736 pages
Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition edition (May 31 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0812590104
ISBN-13: 978-0812590104
Product Dimensions: 16.8 x 10.4 x 3.6 cm
Shipping Weight: 341 g

Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #498,333 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

From Amazon.com

This sequel to The Shadow of Ararat is the second book in the Oath of Empire series, set in an alternate Roman Empire circa A.D. 623. Prince Maxian, younger brother to Galen, Emperor of the Western Empire (Rome), and Heraclius, Emperor of the Eastern Empire (Constantinople), has returned to Rome to disrupt the magical power of the centuries-old oath of allegiance to the Emperor that all legionnaires take. Maxian believes the oath constrains citizens to a narrow path, stifling creativity as well as any thought of disobedience, and he intends to use all his sorcerous power--and the help of Alexander the Great and Gaius Julius Caesar, whom he has raised from the dead--to succeed. The Empire, meanwhile, is threatened by multiple enemies: The insane Persian necromancer Dahak is determined to raise an army by any means to regain the Peacock Throne toppled by the Empire. Zoë, niece of Palmyra's Queen Zenobia, and her ragged but determined followers plot revenge on Rome for allowing the Persians to sack and destroy their beloved city. And in the deserts of Iraq, a man named Mohammed is driven by a prophetic vision to build an army against the Empire. Harlan's attention to detail is impressive, at times overwhelming, as he fills the broad canvas of his hypothetical Roman Empire. Readers with the stamina to follow every thread of the multitudinous plot lines here will find a vigorously imagined, thought-provoking story. --Charlene Brusso --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

As Prince Maxian attempts desperate measures to free Rome from a powerful curse, his brother Galen, emperor of the Western Roman Empire, returns from the war with Persia to a trouble-filled city. In the East, a merchant prince known as Mohammed answers a divine call and gathers followers to his holy cause, while a sorcerer traffics in dark magics in pursuit of earthly power. Harlan's sequel to The Shadow of Ararat continues an epic tale of alternate history set in a seventh-century setting where the twin Empires of Rome rule the known world through might and magic. Strong storytelling and complex characters make this historical fantasy a good choice for most libraries.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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First Sentence
The sun beat down, hot, on the narrow courtyard between the house of the Oracle and the columns of the Place of Waiting. Read the first page

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

3.1 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Action and depth, May 30 2003

By	Jonathan Pappas (Albany, New York United States) - See all my reviews

I have finished the first three of the Oath of Empire books. I appreciate Harlan's style and realism. The characters are distinct and undergo believable growth and change. Dahak is a superb "bad guy" his strategies and actions are intelligent and chillingly effective. He is not without weakness but he recognizes that and adjusts accordingly. Nothing is more fun than a bad guy you respect. Overall a pleasurable and intelligent read. I got a little tired of Zoe's whining though...

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3.0 out of 5 stars The saga wanders on..., Oct 30 2001

By	tertius3 (MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gate of Fire (Hardcover)

Gate of Fire is vol. 2 of Harlan's Oath of Empire series of fantasy alternate history. The plot line is given above. He makes no concession if you haven't read vol. 1 (Shadow of Ararat). Then again do you want to? I'm not sure why I've continued. His writing style is thorough but most unexciting, a bit of a drag. And so much incident of doubtful relevance (or, to what?). Where was his editor? I think I keep going on the basis of his detailed descriptions and situations of a realistically described Roman Empire of the 7th century A.D., but one where magic works. Harlan has done a great amount of historical and geographic research on the background of Rome in the Near East. I find his examination of the rise of Mohammed one of the most fascinating, and timely, aspects of the saga.

This volume 2 is a transitional work. Following the war against Persia (vol. 1), people are now milling around in preparation for confrontations yet to appear. While this volume omits the long travel passages 'under the blazing sun' of the first book, it also doesn't have the climactic battles that marked a conclusion of sorts. The main characters and their companions continue but break up and shift. (Some of their backgrounds also seem to be altered.) Harlan is now developing six parallel stories, with the narrative rotating among them as among as many separate novellas, so the overall pace is slow and the pages accumulate. One new featured character is introduced (a warrior barbarian), but his place in the overall saga remains to be discovered, and is merely a distraction here. For the first time several of the main characters and story lines do begin to intersect and interact, near the end of the book. Again there are ferociously graphic scenes of hacked limbs, burning skin, and bursting eyeballs as blood-sucking black powers and gods incarnate occasionally meet our heroes in malignant conflict. It includes scenes of Vesuvius right out of eyewitness Pliny the Younger. The only light touch is Julius Caesar, now brilliantly reincarnated as a comic figure! Clearly the author has something larger in mind, but we get only glimpses of what that might be, of which theme will emerge dominant. Note: the paperback has a squashed feeling compared to the generous hardback; the maps are barely legible.

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2.0 out of 5 stars Harlan blew it, Nov 26 2000

By	Gonzalo Robert Diaz (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Gate of Fire (Hardcover)

By attempting to finish this second volume you experience the same frustrating sensation than with other promising alternative histories, notably Wingrove's "Chung Kuo". All the minor weaknesses present in the fist volume grow instead of being corrected. Vacilating characters, ad hoc elements and dei-ex-machina multiply, and the plot can turn to any direction within the following page. I think that Harlan gets in trouble trying to fit a custom Islam rising in the story, then breaking his "contract" with the readers (the one that goes: let's see what would happen without all these "People of the Book" around). Vocabulary and descriptions of epic and magical scenes still great, but a 500 page book can't be made with that only.

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly Vivid Imagery, Spinning in Circles
It's not particularly *realistic*, but it sure is a great read.

I still have no bloody clue where the change point is. Read more

Published on Sep 12 2000 by Brad Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars Rich Complex Believable
Right now, there are perhaps three series that are as rich, complex, and well written: George Martin's Song of Fire and Ice; Jordan's Wheel of Time; and Mary Gentle's Secret... Read more

Published on Sep 3 2000 by Patrick Darden

3.0 out of 5 stars Rich characters, but gets bogged down in complexity
Second book in a four book series continues the very dynamic and large story of a fictional alternative history novel that take place in ancient Rome and Persia. Read more

Published on Aug 31 2000 by Jayson A. Olson