Un imperatore per la legione

Videssos #2

by Harry Turtledove, Annarita Guarnieri (Translator)

Mavrikios Gavras, l'imperatore intorno al quale si erano unite tutte le forze di Videssos nel supremo sforzo di battere gli invasori che ne minacciano il futuro stesso, è morto.Le sue armate, sconfitte e disperse, fuggono in disordine davanti alle orde selvagge scatenate dal perfido mago Avshar. Il vile tradimento di Ortaias Sphrantzes ha messo in ginocchio la forza militare dell'impero, eppure ora grazie alla complicità dei burocrati il maggior responsabile della rovina di Videssos ne usurpa il trono, sostenuto anche da un'orrenda stregoneria che appare impossibile da battere. Eppure Thorisin Gavras, fratello del defunto imperatore e comandante supremo degli eserciti imperiali è ancora vivo e ben determinato a sconfiggere il vile Ortaias e a riprendersi il trono.I cavalieri Namdaleni stanno riorganizzandosi per accorrere in suo aiuto e, soprattutto, sulla Capitale sta marciando la Legione, a ranghi compatti, letale e formidabile come sempre. Marcus Scaurus ormai è diventato un autentico condottiero ed è assolutamente determinato ad avere la testa di Ortaias.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Alternate History, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

397 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Dr Harry Norman Turtledove is an American novelist, who has produced a sizeable number of works in several genres including alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.

Harry Turtledove attended UCLA, where he received a Ph.D. in Byzantine history in 1977.

Turtledove has been dubbed "The Master of Alternate History". Within this genre he is known both for creating original scenarios: such as survival of the Byzantine Empire; an alien invasion in the middle of the World War II; and for giving a fresh and original treatment to themes previously dealt with by other authors, such as the victory of the South in the American Civil War; and of Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

His novels have been credited with bringing alternate history into the mainstream. His style of alternate history has a strong military theme.

Reviews

[Raffaello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Videssos è un mondo in cui ci si aggira volentieri e si perdona con occhio clemente qualche ingenuità e una magia troppo spesso pronta a fare da deus ex machina.
Il ciclo è ben scritto, coinvolgente e ricco di personaggi ben caratterizzati...certo ogni tanto avrei voluto davvero trovarvi qualche colpo di scena capace di sorprendermi veramente. Purtroppo la realtà è che sono tutti prevedibili con almeno 20pg di anticipo e in questo senso l'epopea della Legione si sta rivelando un'opera più da neofita del fantasy che da lettore esperto. L'avrei probabilmente apprezzata di più anni fa.

In conclusione non posso ritenermi insoddisfatto della lettura, ma al tempo stesso mi aspetto molto di più da un libro per valutarlo 4 stelle.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Turtledove novel and his best series yet! Yes, even better than Worldwar or Great War. I wish there was a market for Turtledove to write more Videssos novels. This series furthered flamed my love of Roman and Byzantine history. One of the few series I intend to re-read someday.

[Brentman99 · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like fantasy, you will love this series. The characters are well developed and the plot extends over the four books. I love how Turtledove uses his PH D in Byzantine history to weave the best plots you can imagine in his various series. I loved it.

[Al "Tank" · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tremendous follow-on the the Misplaced Legion. Picks up where that book left off.

The Emperor has been slain by foul sorcery and army betrayed when self-centered, cowardly Ortaias Sphrantzes flees the field leaving the left wing in chaos. With panicked soldiers flee in terror, the Romans maintain discipline and are able to find winter quarters and find Thorisin Gravras, now the rightful ruler of Vedessos.

In the meantime the cowardly Ortaias has fled to Vedessos and assumed the throne and rules that impregnable city with the support of an evil sorcerer.

What follows is a thoroughly entertaining tale of war, betrayal, schemes and all the other "fun" pastimes that plague this world. A "can't put it down" story.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like the "displaced person in another world" stories then this is the series for you. Now we get an entire legion of roman soldiers, oh and one crazed Celt, on another world. Throw in that magic works there and you have a fantastic story and some awesome characters. Turtledove is one of my top 5 favorite writers. My highest recommendation.

[Cesare Bartolini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ottimo libro, sicuramente. Turtledove è un maestro nell'articolare il dualismo tra la Roma repubblicana e la Roma imperiale. Ed anche la trama è accurata, consistente ed intrigante. La storia si evolve tra battaglie palesi e non, in un gioco di guerra, diplomazia ed intrighi che, bisogna riconoscerlo, è un arazzo magistrale, e probabilmente sottovalutato dai lettori di oggi.

Anche le storie personali dei personaggi sono ben individualizzate, valorizzando in maniera eccellente i personaggi principali e le loro differenze.

Tuttavia, non posso non trovare una pecca in questo libro: manca di epicità e di passione. La guerra è vissuta in una prospettiva quasi da cronista, poco passionale, narrando gli eventi in modo piuttosto distaccato. Non riesco a non fare il paragone con il coevo Gemmell, il quale, se da una parte è molto meno accurato dal punto di vista storico (in Turtledove si riesce veramente a sentire il sapore dell'antica Roma, mentre Gemmel al contrario ne ricrea solamente un contesto geopolitico approssimativo, peraltro diluito in epoche storiche differenti), dall'altra è molto più intenso, ed i suoi libri mi danno molto più trasporto. Ma mi rendo conto che questo è più legato al mio gusto personale che ad una prospettiva oggettiva.

[Kevin Bracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're not in Rome any more!

The second book in this series continues to flesh out the cultures and histories of the various countries that the Legion find themselves in. It also increases the drama that the individual legionnaires get themselves into with romantic entanglements, misunderstandings, the occasional bar fight, and the ever present wars.

One of the joys of this series is taking the comfortable, putting it into a completely different setting, and then seeing how things turn out. While magic throws everything into question from our science based world, everything else in the story is very plausible. You can feel the emotions from the characters as they are faced with decisions big and small. Your adrenaline will start running as the fights start and blood starts to flow.

The book is a standalone story. You'll be in a better place if you're read the first book to understand where things are starting, but the book does a good job of starting and wrapping up various threads of the story while leaving you wanting more in the next book. Overall, a very satisfying read and looking forward to reading more of the Legion's adventures!

[TammyJo Eckhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the second book in Turtledove's Videssos Cycle better than the first because we spend more time with the mysteriously transported Roman legion as it adapts to its new home on another planet. The society of the Videssos empire is a bit like the Byzantine world in terms of technology, but certainly not identical to it. The story picks up right where The Misplaced Legion (book 1) left off but doesn't end on a cliffhanger this time.

Again the focus is Scarus the legion's leader as he takes on a new position inside the imperial bureaucracy as well as continuing his role as head of the mercenary group the legion has become. In the few years that have passed, Romans have intermingled with the locals though most are maintaining their military discipline and still using Latin (and some Greek). Everyone we've gotten to know is adapting to their new world in different ways which will make it impossible to figure out if they can use the swords that sent them here to get them back. I loved most of the time we spend with these men as they navigate their new home.

[M.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of an odd sequel. The displaced Romans find their way in a strange land, but the book is full of confusion: about loyalties, politics, career paths, etc. The author can't seem to decide if the main character is going to be a soldier or bureaucrat. Undecided on whether to continue the series.

[Ronald Spitzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is enjoyable to read a Byzantine style novel. This is a good follow up novel to the first of the four. Good characterization, vivid settings, action and just interesting reading. Read the first one first.

[Massimo Penazzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastico prosieguo per il ciclo della "Legione Perduta".

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

On an even par with the first book of this cycle. It's OK. I'm not wildly into it but I do pick up new and interesting words. That's always a plus.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Romans lost in Videssos regroup after the defeat against the Yezda. The Empire licks its wounds as a Civil War erupts. The Romans must choose where to tie their future.

This smacked of being a bit of a filler, time-passing book inthe series. While there was stuff going on, there was no tension to amy of it and a lot of it seemed to be there for the sake of having "plot" to hang the prose on. But then, it looks like this whole series was one book carver more or less arbitrarily into four chunks.

That said, it was enjoyable enough. Still nice to have Roman meet Byzantine. I expect things will pick up next time.

Rated M for some violence, some supernatural themes, coarse language and some sensuality. 2.5/5

[Paul A · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this one better than the first, probably due to my lack of familiarity of events after the Battle of Manzikert. I will say that Turtledove does a great job of writing action scenes, both for massed and individual combat - it was easy to visualize the ebb and flow of combat as he writes it. In this second book, claimants to the throne of Videssos struggle for control in the aftermath of the great battle in the first book, with double dealing and scheming being the deciding factors in this game. Turtledove seems to add quite a bit more depth to the characters, which I liked, and I hope to see where they each end up and how their stories are resolved.

[Karl Stark di Grande Inverno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cominciare a leggere questo romanzo per me è stato come andare al cinema, uscire cinque minuti per l'intervallo dopo il primo tempo ("La legione perduta"), e poi tornare in sala per gustarsi il secondo tempo del film: un gran bel film, chiaramente.
Tutto riparte esattamente da dove finiva il primo romanzo, proseguendo le gesta della legione nel mondo di Videssos.
Nuovi personaggi entrano in scena, altri escono, e la trama continua a dipanarsi nel migliore dei modi.
Degni di nota, come al solito, i dialoghi e le relazioni interpersonali: sono il vero valore aggiunto del romanzo.

[Helle · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me seemingly forever to get through An Emperor for the Legion, which does not bode well for rating it. Too slow, too confusing, lacking direction, repetitive. The first book in the series hardly rocked my world, but at least I enjoyed most (if not all) of it, whereas now at some points I struggled to get through. Parts of it were pretty good, so it wasn’t a complete failure, but right now I’m not sure if I’m up for the rest of the series.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2 of Turtledove's misplaced Roman Legion with Marcus Scaurus. In this one the civil war is dealt with.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turtledove at his best...Continues from the first, if you liked the first book in the series you'll like this one....

[Scott Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

good follow up to the book 1

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great follow up to a great first book. Just as fun and interesting as the previous book.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great second book of the Videssos series, if you liked the first one you'll want to read this book and won't be disappointed

[Jeff Crosby]

I should really like Turtledove, but frequently I lose steam. The first book was an okay start to this series, but about 80 pages in to this second volume I realized I didn’t care.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable series

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ponderous

[Timothy Gretler · Rating 5 out of 5]

On to Yezd...and book 3 of the cycle!