The Shadow of Ararat (Tor Fantasy)

Rating:
Summary: An impressive effort--too bad it doesn't work
Review: Even if it weren't a debut novel, the sheer prodigious immensity of The Shadow of Ararat would be stupefying. And I'm not just talking about length, either; jillion-word fantasy epics are ten-a-penny these days. First-time novelist Harlan has brought nearly two decades of experience creating historical war games, as well as an obvious lifetime of love for ancient history and archaeology, to this sweeping story set in an alternate ancient Rome, which, in Harlan's milieu, still exists well into the 7th century C.E., and where magic plays a prominent role. If awards were handed out solely on the basis of excellence in astonishingly detailed and researched world-building, we could just hand Harlan his lifetime achievement award now and save time. But there are other elements to fantasy novel writing just as important, and it's in these areas Harlan shows he could use serious improvement. Although the scenes of military conflict--that is, any of the scenes in which Harlan brings his prodigious knowledge of military history to bear--are rousing, the fantasy elements fall flat on their collective faces, as Harlan simply does not make them make much sense for the reader. Harlan is a fabulous historian, but a dreary storyteller. There are many things about his story that Harlan fails to make clear, and this flaw literally suffuses the book from beginning to end, despite the obvious hard work that Harlan put into realizing his alternate ancient world for us. At no time did I ever have a clear grasp of the nature of the magic in Harlan's milieu. There is an "unseen world," apparently, from which forces both good and evil called be called forth. Necromancy plays a big part; both the bad guys and Maxian raise men from the dead to assist them (Maxian raises no less a personage than Julius Caesar, here called Gaius Julius, a potentially staggering plot element that Harlan does a dazzling job of nothing with). But none of the rituals or methods that mages employ in Harlan's world make much sense; I never had a clear understanding of what Maxian was up to throughout the whole book. At one point in the novel we are suddenly treated to Maxian and his cohorts in an iron foundry in Constantinople, building an enormous mechanical flying machine for no apparent reason other than it will get him to the front lines of battle quickly! Whoa! Where did Maxian's knowledge to build this come from? If the technology to do this exists at all, why aren't the skies of Harlan's Empire chock full of these things? That is just one example of Harlan's slipshod plotting. The book is filled with intriguing ideas that Harlan introduces early on only to seem to have forgotten hundreds of pages later. For example, this curse on Rome. Where did it come from? So many questions that Harlan leaves unanswered. For instance, a potentially suspenseful plot element in which Maxian tries to figure out the deaths of several well-to-do merchant families that may be a clue as to the nature of the curse (one of the families has invented movable type) literally disappears from the story. We never learn why these particular families were killed, nor what they had to do with anything at all that transpires later in the novel! Still, it's true that Harlan's deeply sloppy plotting may go unnoticed by fans of alternate history and historical fantasy who will rightfully be impressed by Harlan's research and skills at world-building. No doubt about it, the man knows his stuff. But then, even here, I found a much more prosaic problem with this book. To be blunt, it's just plain boring. Only in the book's last 200 pages or so (out of the paperback's 793) does the story offer up some of its most stirring sequences, particularly in its battle scenes. This kind of sweeping, epic storytelling would be insanely ambitious even for veteran authors the likes of James Clavell or Wilbur Smith; for a debut novel, well, Jeez...you have to admire Harlan's cojones, but that the whole thing is crushed under its own weight ultimately doesn't come as much of a surprise. A guy can't reasonably expect to write his very first novel and have it turn out to be War and Peace, any more than a first-time film director can expect to make Lawrence of Arabia.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad
Review: Harlan brings alive the brutal and majestic sights and experience of life during the Roman Empire. Harlan's ability of DESCRIPTION are awesome! Whether he's bringing to life the earth-shaking charge of the Roman heavy horse, or the mysterious way thaumaturges summon power from the earth itself to unleash hell, Lovecraftian ways of necromancy, to the true image-invoking scenes of confetti-laden victory parades, forboding mountain fortresses, beautiful island sanctuaries, etc... Again, his description skills are up there with the best!

And the other thing that Harlan does exceptional is his PACING of the story. I am always wanting to keep reading! His chapters are broken up by sections, some longer some shorter, and by doing that, it truly is hard to put the book down. His story is very complex, and with small print you would think that is a turn-off, but Harlan writes so well that it is a definite plus!

My ONLY complaint is some of the characterizations and character motivations. Not that he doesn't write well-done believeable dialogue between his characters - he does! It's just that one of his characters in particular, Thyatis, a gung-ho amazon, annoys ... me - I guess for a woman, she's a bit too much .... She is the the 'characterization' I mentioned. In the 'character motivation' department, Prince Maxian would be the guilty party. early in the book, he is described as a healer and a priest, but before long, he is resurrecting heroes out of Rome's past and getting involved in quite grisly situations and keeping company with a motley crew of truly bizarre companions - quite unexpected of a healer and a priest. Oh well. Maxian is still a good guy. These are mostly superficial complaints. And I do agree with some other reviewers about his Deus Ex Machina-like revival of some characters thought dead - just kill 'em off like George RR Martin does!

If you would like to read a thouroughly engaging and entertaining story that will also make you want to learn more about the true history of ancient Rome, you definitely will pat yourself on the back for tackling this in-depth and wonderfully well-conceived story that combines the best of our own fascinating history with the elements of true fantasy.


Rating:
Summary: Great Characters and brisk plot
Review: Harlan is able to weave a believable version of Rome in a world of magic. The Dahak character intrigues and the battles are fresh and lively. Harlan is able to bring suspense to Thyatis' commando style raids as well as Galen's politicing. An excellent debut to what becomes a decent series. The author does well to describe scenes from many views without getting bogged in repetion.

Rating:
Summary: Good, imaganitive, a little far-fetched
Review: I enjoyed the book. Things that bothered me: Prince Maxian, trained as a healer (so he just happens to be a necromancer and powerful sorcerer...) Woman that kicks everybodies butt...this woman is not trained in martial arts, so why is she high kicking everybody, back flipping and using pressure points. And it seems that the women around are always more powerful than the men. My favorite character was Dwyrin. Unfortunately, he was powerful, then he wasn't, then he was...just like the book. Good at times, makes you say "huh" or "why" outloud at others. I'd still recommend it, I just hope #2 is better.

Rating:
Summary: Empire Lives Again!
Review: I really enjoyed this book! Harlan has skillfully combined "what if" quality of the alternative history genre with scope of epic fantasy and created a sweeping saga of magic and war detailing the brutal conflict between two great empires: Rome and Persia in which will be fought with both armies and magic.This is seen through the eyes of some unforgettable characters: Prince Maxian-roman prince and healer who dabbles in magic and finds out of a sinister curse against the empire.Thyatis Julia Clodia-a lethal young centurion/spy sent behind enemy lines.Dwyrin-a young hiberian student of magic sent to the legions.Harlan has a talent in describing battle scenes in cinematic quality that you can visual in your head and his magic system is both fascinating and chilling especially in detailing scenes of necromancy.Great entertainment!

Rating:
Summary: "A Big Book is like a Big Evil"
Review: The quotation from Callimachus that is the title of this review could in this case be continued, "And Four Big Books...." Mr. Harlan has certainly accomplished a remarkable feat in producing so much prose in so short a time--indeed, he even managed to produce more than Tor would publish, which must be almost impossible. His website indicates that he had to cut over 300 pages. But don't worry, they have been preserved there.......

The main value of these volumes is as a testimony to the lack of editors in publishing today. "Terbert Jordkind" has already demonstrated that, of course, but in Harlan's endless works we have more entire pages which could be omitted and whose omission would considerably strengthen the story.

If you react to the first two volumes as I did, you will find yourself awash in a sea of words and eventually drowning in them. Everything is described in detail, and the book shifts from viewpoint to viewpoint like a kaleidoscope. Soon this whirring becomes a whirlwind and you will not remember, when you encounter Maxim, or Dyrwin, or whoever, for the fourth time, what he was up to when you last saw him. Mr. Harlan's gift for verbosity is not matched by a gift for clarity, so often you will not really be sure what happened at all--but, what the heck, just shrug and go on to the next hundred pages, I mean, what difference does it make? It's not as though this hash were carefully constructed.

And, if you are like me, you will find yourself caring less and less, and skimming, and skipping, and then, at the end of volume II, going to the nearest large trash container, tossing both volumes into it, and thanking heaven you didn't buy all four.

A picky, pedantic note: I will always wonder why Mr. Harlan called the King of Persia "Chrosoes" when the name of those two monarchs is spelled, in English, "Chosroes," (or Khosru Parviz). But then, he also uses the word "avtokrator" when he means "autocrator." Oh, well, as Pope said, a little learning is a dangerous thing.

And as the Duke of Gloucester said, "Another da(r)ned, thick, square book! Always scribble, scribble, scribble! Eh! Mr. Gibbon?" Gibbon didn't deserve it, but Mr. Harlan.....

Rating:
Summary: A waste of time!
Review: This book caught my interest because of the map on the inside covers. An alternative history with both East & West Rome still existing in the 7th century AD, with foederati states on the edges and an ancient foe - Persia - in the east: it looked good. I didn't exactly expect a masterpiece like Turtledove's "Agent of Byzantium" but neither was I prepared for a non-story. The book lacks a coherent storyline, credible characters who act instead of brooding over a fire, and - worst! - any explanation how this alternative to the actual history came into being. So in one word, this book is a disappointment - and a waste of time! Since it's the start of a series,if the writing in the following books doesn't improve dramatically they should be better avoided.

Rating:
Summary: Ambitious, sweeping and boring
Review: This is a grandly conceived story, so grand and leisurely that it is obviously part of a larger series (a projected "Oath of Empire" tetrology, whose second volume is The Gate of Fire). The setting is a 7th century Roman Empire split between East and West but jointly confronting a hostile Persia, to which a spectacularly pyrotechnic variety of magic and some living dead have been added. (The idea reminds me of Kirk Mitchell's PROCURATOR, but so far lacking the rising tide of Christianity and Islam.) It took me a long time to figure out the relationships between the disparate stations and farflung locations of the many characters with which this story opens (or which it soon resurrects!). That is good, you have to figure out the storyline and history as you go. It adds mystery and anticipation to the experience. Not so good is the pedestrian prose in which the long story is written, 490 large pages of small print in the hardback. If the text is not going to be poetical, evocative, or strikingly insightful then it might as well be edited shorter than this. (This is a big book, and the complete series is going to cost you over $100 in hardback.)

Four main characters gradually emerge, featuring healing, wild young magic, cunning, or wisdom. In this first volume they acquire separate sets of companions, living or macabrely "dead," and become involved in so-far unrelated quests much larger than one book can hold. An interesting development to watch is the ways each party of companions alters its alliances as it goes through its battles, whether magical or military. I did not empathize greatly with the characters, either because they are just too otherworldly or a bit coldly written. The occasional eruptions of magic are collossal and grossly horrendous but fall short of marvelous (a video may be needed to realize their ferocity). There is some sort of history and system to the magic, since the Persians have lots of it and the Romans don't. The presence of a neophyte and his master teacher provide the opportunity to clarify magic as part of the plot, but this oppportunity is lost. Magic doesn't seem to be used for everyday matters, but rather is confined to one small class of adepts and to issues of state. Much of the rest of the storyline seems to be authentically historic Roman and realistically mountain or desert Middle Eastern (where most of the action episodes in this volume take place). However, Harlan doesn't supply a note on sources and what's historically real and what's not, as some "alternative history" authors do.

I think the back story is supposed to be the real Roman and Persian Empires, but Harlan never explains how his magic became real on earth, or how a Roman Empire could even have come into being if it had, or whether we are really in a parallel universe? (There is one kit-built device that surely sounds like a jet airplane.) Not all of the many many episodes with each character advance the story (whose goals--like why fight the Persians!--are not yet clear). I hope he will "explain all" before the series is finished; at the moment it's a hodgepodge. Description is satisfyingly full and careful, perhaps because Harlan is an RPG game designer (yes, there's a dungeon here, two in fact plus the Roman catacombs) and he is used to creating an immersive environment without the use of any visual aids (beyond a set of detailed maps, which become VERY small and blurry in paperback!). Harlan leaves the story with raw plot hooks sticking out everywhere (although having had the boldness to kill off perhaps the most attractive, or tragic, major character of book 1). I wasn't glued to the story; several times I laid this book aside. I suspect the really audacious scope of this project will draw me to the next book, but I wish the dreary prose would be firmly edited.

Rating:
Summary: A superb example of historical fiction at its BEST
Review: This was a superb novel depicting a perfect, and turbulent time period. I was especially intrigued by the involvement of magic, mixed together with insatiable action, It fit the theme of the story very well and surely expanded my sense of ejoyment of this book. Harlan has written a very deep novel here and it seems to be the start of a great new series. The book had a great start and really gets into cross stories. The way Harlan introduces each character in his/her appearance is well done. From the start the book pulls you in, right when there is a chase in the epicenter of rome to the hot dunes of aegiptus and even to the real,corrupt world of ancient politics. Personally a history buff I enjoyed this novel to the utmost peak. Although the middle parts were somewhat difficult to keep up with as the story had broadened to the hot dunes of syria,egypt and the muggy streets of constantinople. Did I mention the great variety of action and adventure? which is a great part of te book and the ongoing saga. If you enjoy a great historical fiction or even fantasy, filled with intrigue,action,drama and even some hidden surprise twists,then this book is for you, and definetly does deserve the 4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Magic + Rome = Interesting combination
Review: Thomas Harlan's The Shadow of Ararat is an engrossing tale of a Rome that survived into the 7th century with the help of magical thaumaturges, and it's struggles from without and within. For once, all of the major characters are interesting, as well as many of the minor ones. The battle scenes are done well, as is the historical imagery. I also thought the magic was done well enough. And I like the way he didn't explain everything that was going on, that way we'll keep guessing until we get the next book.

However there are some things that bring down enjoyment somewhat. For one thing, Harlan never explains why the Empire has survived, other than perhaps Rome's "curse". History up until when Rome should have fallen stays exactly the same except the absence of Christianity, even with the introduction of magic. I think Caesar would not have been half as docile as presented in the book - although the resurrection may have changed him. And is he paid by the word - this book is HUGE, when it could have been cut down significantly. Not that there are large boring parts, but I had the feeling he could have gotten on with it.

I stayed away from this book for a long time due to bad reviews, which is unfortunate since it IS good. Just don't expect the next Lord of the Rings here. I eagerly await the next one, in paperback.