Book description
Byzantium, 1096. When a mysterious assassin looses his arrow at the
Emperor, he has more than a man in his sights; the keystone of a
crumbling empire, the Emperor is the solitary figure holding its enemies
in check. If he falls, then the mightiest power in Christendom will be
torn apart. Aware of the stakes, the Emperor hires Demetrios Askiates,
the unveiler of mysteries, to catch the would-be-killer. But Demetrios
is entering an unknown and mysterious world, a bubbling cauldron of
princes, slaves, mercenaries, pimps and eunuchs. From the depths of the
slums to the golden towers of the palace, and from the sands of the
hippodrome to the soaring domes of Ayia Sophia, he must edge his way
through a glittering maze of treachery and deceit before time runs out.
Nor are all enemies within the city walls. With the Turks rampant across
Asia, the Emperor has sent to the west for mercenaries to reinforce his
position. He gets more than he bargained for, however, when a great
army, tens of thousands strong, appear before the gates. The first
crusaders have arrived, intent on making their fortunes in war, and they
have no allegiance to an empire they eye with jealousy and suspicion. As
the armies of east and west confront each other, and the assassin creeps
ever closer to his prey, Demetrios must untangle the golden web of
intrigue which surrounds the Emperor before the city - and the empire -
are drowned in blood. A gripping historical epic that transports the
reader back to an eventful and exhilarating era: the violence and
intrigue of the Middle Ages. Tom Harper is the pseudonym for author
Edwin Thomas. Writing as Thomas, he won the Crime Writers' Association
debut award in 2001 for his swashbuckling naval historical novel
The Blighted Cliffs,
the first book in the 'Reluctant Adventures of Lieutenant Martin
Jerrold' series.
This is his second novel and his first as Tom Harper.
