Videssos Besieged

Rating:
Summary: Turtledove Brings Series to Satisfying Conclusion:
Review: Harry Turtledove's "Videssos" books are among the classics of the fantasy genre -- solidly grounded in history (albeit intriguingly warped!), meticulously backgrounded, and narrated through living, vivid characters.

"Videssos Besieged" brings the latest (but hopefully not last) Videssian series to a satisfying conclusion. It has intrigue, suspense, and a pair of sympathetic antagonists -- the Videssian Avtokrator and the great Makuraner general Abivard. Both of them are human beings, complete with crotchets, faults, virtues, and a three-dimensional life away from the battlefield and council-chamber.

The action scenes are as vivid and gripping as Turtledove's high standards lead us to expect, and the final resolution is both satisfying -- full closue -- and realistic. Life goes on after the end of the book...

Rating:
Summary: praise and critique
Review: Harry Turtledove's "Videssos" books are among the classics of the fantasy genre -- solidly grounded in history (albeit intriguingly warped!), meticulously backgrounded, and narrated through living, vivid characters.

"Videssos Besieged" brings the latest (but hopefully not last) Videssian series to a satisfying conclusion. It has intrigue, suspense, and a pair of sympathetic antagonists -- the Videssian Avtokrator and the great Makuraner general Abivard. Both of them are human beings, complete with crotchets, faults, virtues, and a three-dimensional life away from the battlefield and council-chamber.

The action scenes are as vivid and gripping as Turtledove's high standards lead us to expect, and the final resolution is both satisfying -- full closue -- and realistic. Life goes on after the end of the book...

Rating:
Summary: Turtledove Brings Series to Satisfying Conclusion:
Review: Harry Turtledove's "Videssos" books are among the classics of the fantasy genre -- solidly grounded in history (albeit intriguingly warped!), meticulously backgrounded, and narrated through living, vivid characters.

"Videssos Besieged" brings the latest (but hopefully not last) Videssian series to a satisfying conclusion. It has intrigue, suspense, and a pair of sympathetic antagonists -- the Videssian Avtokrator and the great Makuraner general Abivard. Both of them are human beings, complete with crotchets, faults, virtues, and a three-dimensional life away from the battlefield and council-chamber.

The action scenes are as vivid and gripping as Turtledove's high standards lead us to expect, and the final resolution is both satisfying -- full closue -- and realistic. Life goes on after the end of the book...

Rating:
Summary: praise and critique
Review: Turtledove once again is trumphant in this series. He succinctly tells the tale of a siege and revolt while also imparting a good view of the inner thoughts of the main characters. My main criticism is the lack of a map. The earlier novels in this series suuply a map (however, bad they may be). A map gives the reader easy reference materials. A map of the City would also be advantageous. All people interested in Byzantine history will enjoy this series as well as his earlier Byzantine modeled series.

Rating:
Summary: Once again, Turtledove has hit the mark
Review: With an eye toward history and another on fantasy Turtledove has allowed us to walk in the Empire once again. His Time of Troubles series has continued his fictional history of the Big V, and I am struck at the lack of "common" plot themes. The heroes are enemies, the victory is won by chance and cunning, and the story takes the reader far past the typical end point of "we win." Well done, and keep them coming! I am wondering just WHO will rise on the Shield as the next Avtokrator........