Review: The Time of Troubles I

The Time of Troubles I by Harry Turtledove
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the start of a re-read of a Harry Turtledove Videssos series from the 90s. It bundles The Stolen Throne and Hammer and Anvil together in a story set in the Empires of Videssos and Makuran, which are basically the Byzantine and Sassanid Empires with working magic. The names are changed, of course, but we're talking about the crisis in Byzantium and Persia just prior to the Islamic invasions, when Byzantium was ruled by Heraclius I and Persia by Chosroes II.

The points of view are interesting when compared to the other Videssos series. The first half (The Stolen Throne) is based in Makuran instead of Videssos, and follows the adventures of a minor noble, Abivard, who, unexpectedly, gets involved in royal politics and emerges as the brother-in-law to the king. The second half (Hammer and Anvil) focuses on the minor general, Maniakes (a character in the first novel), who returns from exile from the back end of beyond to overthrow the tyrannical emperor of Videssos and then to try to restore the mess that that tyrant created.

The result is very, well, Harry Turtledove. The heroes are standard Turtledove fare- honest to a fault, thoughtful, politically savvy, clever. Yet, it is put together in aa convincing way as we see the two heroes navigating their (forgive the allusion) byzantine court politics. I enjoyed back in the 90s and I am enjoying it again. And, of course, I got the second book....

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