Book description
In the tenth century, the center of the world is not Rome, but
Byzantium - a glorious empire, upon which the sun never sets.
Constantinople, the center of this mighty dynasty, is starting to
unravel. The great kings and princes, the holy city, the affluence of
the empire will be scattered to the winds. Attacked by the Turks on all
sides, Byzantium looks to its emperor for deliverance. Leo Ducas, heir
to the Byzantine crown, must fight for his inheritance, but he doesn't
truly know who his enemies are. Shunned by the citizens of
Constantinople, Leo flees the city and great works are revealed to him.
He learns of a realm that falls outside his Christian training, a realm
of magic and wisdom... Susan Shwartz received her M. A. and Ph. D. in
medieval English from Harvard University. She is the author of several
fantasy novels, Grail of Hearts and Shards of Empire as well as two
novels with the venerable Andre Norton, Imperial Lady and Empire of the
Eagle. She has been nominated for both the World Fantasy and Nebula
Awards. She currently resides in New York City.
