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Oath of Empire #1
The Shadow of Ararat
In what would be A.D. 600 in our history, the Empire still stands, supported by the Legions and Thaumaturges of Rome. Now the Emperor of the West, the Augustus Galen Atreus, will come to the aid of the Emperor of the East, the Augustus Heraclius, to lift the siege of Constantinople and carry a great war to the very doorstep of the Shahanshah of Persia. It is a war that will be fought with armies both conventional and magical, with bright swords and the darkest necromancy. Against this richly detailed canvas of alternate history and military strategy, Thomas Harlan sets the intricate and moving stories of four people. Dwyrin MacDonald is a Hibernian student at a school for sorcerers in Upper Egypt, until he runs afoul of powerful political interests and is sent off half-trained to the Legions. His teacher, Ahmet,undertakes to follow Dwyrin and aid him, but Ahmet is drawn into service with the queen of Palmeyra. Thyatis is a young female warrior, extensively trained by her patron in the arts of covert warfare. And Maxian Atreus is Galens youngest brother, a physician and sorcerer. He has discovered that an enemy of Rome has placed a dreadful curse on the City, which must be broken before Rome can triumph. Woven with rich detail youd expect from a first-rate historical novel, while through it runs yarns of magic and shimmering glamours that carry you deeply into your most fantastic dreams
480 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
16 people are currently reading
809 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Harlan
17 books94 followersFantasy, alternate-history and science fiction writer Thomas Harlan is the author of the critically acclaimed Oath of Empire series from Tor Books. He has been twice nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Author (in 1999 and 2000). In May of 2001, he received the SF^2 Award for Best New Fantasy Author. His first novel, The Shadow of Ararat was selected as one of the Barnes & Noble Top 20 Best SF&F Novels of 1999. The sequel, Gate of Fire, was chosen as both a B&N Top 20 book and placed on Locus Magazine’s Recommended Reading list for the year 2000. The third and fourth Oath of Empire novels, The Storm of Heaven and The Dark Lord were released in May of 2001 and 2002. A new series followed the cataclysmic end of Oath; an alternate-history science-fiction archaeological/combat series called In the time of the Sixth Sun. The first book, Wasteland of Flint, was published in 2003 and received a starred review in Kirkus. House of Reeds followed in 2004, and Land of the Dead in 2009.
Thomas has published a variety of very well received short fiction in Dragon magazine, as well as the largest adventure module ever published in Dungeon.
Twenty years of game design have produced a number of play-by-email systems, of which the long-running and increasingly complex Lords of the Earth is the best known. Lords is a historical simulation game, encompassing the whole of the Earth, modeling political, economic and military conflict from the early Iron Age to the late 1800’s. There are over forty Lords of the Earth campaigns currently in progress, in English, Spanish, and Italian. The initial campaign has been running for over twenty years and has chronicled the period from 1000 AD to 1770 AD. Lords of the Earth was nominated for an Origins/GAMA award for Best PBM Game of the Year in 2003.
Thomas was born in Tucson, Arizona on February 25th, 1964. He was raised by archaeologist – dendrochronologist – botanist parents and traveled widely throughout the American southwest and overseas as a result. A steady diet of Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings), Herbert (Dune), Herge (Tintin), Goscinny & Uderzo (Asterix), John Buchan (Greenmantle, The Thirty-Nine Steps, etc.), Talbot Mundy (The Nine Unknown, Jimgrim, King of the Khyber Rifles), Edgar Rice Burroughs (John Carter of Mars), Kenneth Bulmer (Prescot of Scorpio) and other purveyors of the fantastic inform his literary background. An excessively long stay in college provided him with a moderate background in creative writing, history, art and other sundry skills helpful to a novelist.
Aside from his literary career, Thomas spent too many years in the information technology industry as a developer, manager and architect for government, education and healthcare. He currently lives in Salem, Oregon.
Thomas has published a variety of very well received short fiction in Dragon magazine, as well as the largest adventure module ever published in Dungeon.
Twenty years of game design have produced a number of play-by-email systems, of which the long-running and increasingly complex Lords of the Earth is the best known. Lords is a historical simulation game, encompassing the whole of the Earth, modeling political, economic and military conflict from the early Iron Age to the late 1800’s. There are over forty Lords of the Earth campaigns currently in progress, in English, Spanish, and Italian. The initial campaign has been running for over twenty years and has chronicled the period from 1000 AD to 1770 AD. Lords of the Earth was nominated for an Origins/GAMA award for Best PBM Game of the Year in 2003.
Thomas was born in Tucson, Arizona on February 25th, 1964. He was raised by archaeologist – dendrochronologist – botanist parents and traveled widely throughout the American southwest and overseas as a result. A steady diet of Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings), Herbert (Dune), Herge (Tintin), Goscinny & Uderzo (Asterix), John Buchan (Greenmantle, The Thirty-Nine Steps, etc.), Talbot Mundy (The Nine Unknown, Jimgrim, King of the Khyber Rifles), Edgar Rice Burroughs (John Carter of Mars), Kenneth Bulmer (Prescot of Scorpio) and other purveyors of the fantastic inform his literary background. An excessively long stay in college provided him with a moderate background in creative writing, history, art and other sundry skills helpful to a novelist.
Aside from his literary career, Thomas spent too many years in the information technology industry as a developer, manager and architect for government, education and healthcare. He currently lives in Salem, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 10, 2011
I loved the lead utensils being used as a reason for roman conquest. Seriously.
April 7, 2020
Read as part of my ongoing shelf audit. Verdict: Not awful, but not a keeper.
There's a lot going on here, which is ultimately this book's downfall: everything happens, but nothing really concludes. It's not so much clearly setting up for a sequel as it is clearly existing only to prepare for a sequel, and that's a valid strategy I guess, but not one that works on me. The concept that I was most interested in was the magic, which... sort of seemed like it was using concepts of platonic forms? maybe? It often felt like magic was taking second stage to descriptions of troop movements... and I don't just mean the exciting ones in actual combat. Harlan is very interested in detailing the effort it takes to move an army, and I applaud that diligence, but I also don't particularly care.
Anyhow - curiosity assuaged; my copy will be donated to the library book sale from whence it came so they can make a little more from it.
There's a lot going on here, which is ultimately this book's downfall: everything happens, but nothing really concludes. It's not so much clearly setting up for a sequel as it is clearly existing only to prepare for a sequel, and that's a valid strategy I guess, but not one that works on me. The concept that I was most interested in was the magic, which... sort of seemed like it was using concepts of platonic forms? maybe? It often felt like magic was taking second stage to descriptions of troop movements... and I don't just mean the exciting ones in actual combat. Harlan is very interested in detailing the effort it takes to move an army, and I applaud that diligence, but I also don't particularly care.
Anyhow - curiosity assuaged; my copy will be donated to the library book sale from whence it came so they can make a little more from it.
August 7, 2009
Rome and Byzantium against Persia with magic first round: impressive
May 2, 2011
I am for the most part not a fan of alternate history books but when the back of the book said roman empire and magic I thought it would be a fascinating read. I was unfortunately disappointed, I still love the idea behind this story but I was not drawn to the characters and I found the excessive detail boring.
I am by no means a stranger to series with a large scope and large sets of characters but I was not drawn into this story enough to make the effort of remembering everything worth it.
I may try other Thomas Harlan books but I won't be continuing with this series.
I am by no means a stranger to series with a large scope and large sets of characters but I was not drawn into this story enough to make the effort of remembering everything worth it.
I may try other Thomas Harlan books but I won't be continuing with this series.
February 12, 2015
Long, hard work, but massive fun too. Written in a very stylized fashion - there's a lot of brushing of robes and repeated weather motifs, for example - Thomas Harlan builds his world up with steady strength and isn't afraid to kill off apparently major characters. Necromancy plays a large part in the magic system, which is suitably damaging to the caster as much as the target.
April 19, 2019
The idea is so cool! This mix of ancient and alternate history was a lure I simply couldn't resist. The only thing that tarnishes the fun of this book is its length. I believe that had it been edited a bit stricter and cut away some 100 or 150 pages, it could have attracted Major Audiences.
However, as it is delivered now, I'm afraid it's more for nerds and connoisseurs, but for those it's a dream.
However, as it is delivered now, I'm afraid it's more for nerds and connoisseurs, but for those it's a dream.
September 6, 2019
I have read and reread this series, phenomenal world building, I love the way he allows magic to work and be used in the world he has created here, I love how he develops his characters, you really get to know and care for them even as some become evil and others set out to destroy the evil that you have come to care for.
March 11, 2025
The worldbuild is interesting (with Christianity not in the picture, the entire Roman Empire continues into the 7th Century and West and East unite for a final war against the sorcerous Persian Empire) but the characters are unexciting and the story (with its admittedly rich descriptions) simply goes on too long.
January 13, 2013
A lot of fantasy is epic, and usually involves dwarves, elves and wizards. Well, I can't say The Shadow of Ararat is epic in that tradition, but as the first volume of The Oath of Empire series, it sure has scope.
This is a sweeping tale. If it were less fantastic, it's the sort of thing that would have made a great Hollywood blockbuster sword 'n' sandals picture in the late 1950s or early 1960s. It's got big battles featuring Roman soldiers, subterfuge and a cast of characters written so large it's fun to imagine the actors that would fill these roles. It's that kind of story.
Thomas Harlan, long a fixture in the roleplaying and play-by-mail communities, doesn't completely tie the knot with this first published novel. Some of the early descriptions of the curse that afflicts the Empire are not clearly written, and many of the scenes featuring Maxian Atreus are muddled, at best. The story always pivots when Maxian appears, but sometimes you're left wondering "why." It also seems there are sometimes missing scenes, as if the characters are referencing some scene that did not survive the editor's pen.
Still, there is no shortage of characters to care about or despise (Harlan is fearless in writing about both kinds). Who is more compelling? Dwyrin, the boy sorcerer, Ahmet, his teacher, or Thyatis, the covert operator? That doesn't even cover the historical persons that make appearances, though to say more would introduce spoilers. And in his narrative, the fates are fickle. There's really no telling which characters will live, which will die and which may actually live again (sort of).
Harlan's strength is his action scenes. His battles are filled with smoke and fear and bravery and blood. It's his depictions of heroism and cowardice -- rather than gratuitous violence -- that carry this novel. Perhaps his biggest strength is portraying the battle from both sides. While the outcome of a given battle may not be in doubt, sympathetic characters can be found beneath banners on both sides. There are maps in the front of the book to help clarify the action. But really, they aren't needed to support the narrative so much as to ground the book in its "reality." (This story gets classified as alternate history, but really, magic is such a powerful force in this world, that it clearly falls into the sword and sorcery category.)
Fantasy readers that want a taste of something that feels familiar (Rome as it appears on the big screen), but are tired of elves and dwarves, should give this series a try.
This is a sweeping tale. If it were less fantastic, it's the sort of thing that would have made a great Hollywood blockbuster sword 'n' sandals picture in the late 1950s or early 1960s. It's got big battles featuring Roman soldiers, subterfuge and a cast of characters written so large it's fun to imagine the actors that would fill these roles. It's that kind of story.
Thomas Harlan, long a fixture in the roleplaying and play-by-mail communities, doesn't completely tie the knot with this first published novel. Some of the early descriptions of the curse that afflicts the Empire are not clearly written, and many of the scenes featuring Maxian Atreus are muddled, at best. The story always pivots when Maxian appears, but sometimes you're left wondering "why." It also seems there are sometimes missing scenes, as if the characters are referencing some scene that did not survive the editor's pen.
Still, there is no shortage of characters to care about or despise (Harlan is fearless in writing about both kinds). Who is more compelling? Dwyrin, the boy sorcerer, Ahmet, his teacher, or Thyatis, the covert operator? That doesn't even cover the historical persons that make appearances, though to say more would introduce spoilers. And in his narrative, the fates are fickle. There's really no telling which characters will live, which will die and which may actually live again (sort of).
Harlan's strength is his action scenes. His battles are filled with smoke and fear and bravery and blood. It's his depictions of heroism and cowardice -- rather than gratuitous violence -- that carry this novel. Perhaps his biggest strength is portraying the battle from both sides. While the outcome of a given battle may not be in doubt, sympathetic characters can be found beneath banners on both sides. There are maps in the front of the book to help clarify the action. But really, they aren't needed to support the narrative so much as to ground the book in its "reality." (This story gets classified as alternate history, but really, magic is such a powerful force in this world, that it clearly falls into the sword and sorcery category.)
Fantasy readers that want a taste of something that feels familiar (Rome as it appears on the big screen), but are tired of elves and dwarves, should give this series a try.
did-not-finish
April 6, 2021Over the last five years or so, I've been getting into alternative history, while realizing that a disproportionate amount of alternative historical fiction is bad. Thomas Harlan's "The Shadow of Ararat" generally conforms to this belief of mine. I remember a copy existing at my local library when I was in grade school, and although I never got around to reading it, I figured that it was a prominent work of alternative historical fiction. Given the small amount of reviews here on Goodreads, I am starting to doubt that.
Anyway, the premise of the book is intriguing--the Western Roman Empire has endured past 476 AD, and its emperor decides to aid the Eastern Roman Empire against the Persians. Unfortunately, Harlan doesn't do much worldbuilding besides that--he tosses in a bunch of magic and treats it like a fantasy novel. I suppose it's theoretically possible to create a 7th century fictional Western Roman Empire which allows 17-year-old female centurion agents to exist, or for a son of a Roman emperor to spend time as a healer. But Harlan didn't put his work in--the point of divergence is 27 AD (when magic arises and protects the Roman Empire), but the world in the 7th century is exactly like it was in our history--except that the West is still intact, magic exists, and every character acts like they're in a late 20th century high fantasy novel. Yet somehow magic and the West existing for the last 600 years was so insignificant that Heraclius is faced with the exact same foreign invasions, at the same exact time, as he did historically. It seems like Harlan looked up ancient geography and places, as well as the events occurring during the reign of Heraclius, but neglected to really analyze how his own alternative history world would develop organically.
The writing can also be a little rough or vague at times, which is probably why other readers found this "boring." I never knew what the fuck was going on whenever magic was being cast. Combined with the half-assed worldbuilding, this book is readable but probably not worth one's time.
Anyway, the premise of the book is intriguing--the Western Roman Empire has endured past 476 AD, and its emperor decides to aid the Eastern Roman Empire against the Persians. Unfortunately, Harlan doesn't do much worldbuilding besides that--he tosses in a bunch of magic and treats it like a fantasy novel. I suppose it's theoretically possible to create a 7th century fictional Western Roman Empire which allows 17-year-old female centurion agents to exist, or for a son of a Roman emperor to spend time as a healer. But Harlan didn't put his work in--the point of divergence is 27 AD (when magic arises and protects the Roman Empire), but the world in the 7th century is exactly like it was in our history--except that the West is still intact, magic exists, and every character acts like they're in a late 20th century high fantasy novel. Yet somehow magic and the West existing for the last 600 years was so insignificant that Heraclius is faced with the exact same foreign invasions, at the same exact time, as he did historically. It seems like Harlan looked up ancient geography and places, as well as the events occurring during the reign of Heraclius, but neglected to really analyze how his own alternative history world would develop organically.
The writing can also be a little rough or vague at times, which is probably why other readers found this "boring." I never knew what the fuck was going on whenever magic was being cast. Combined with the half-assed worldbuilding, this book is readable but probably not worth one's time.
January 4, 2016
Amazon.com Review
Thomas Harlan's impressive first novel, The Shadow of Ararat, delivers big-screen entertainment. It's an alternate history with babes, battles, and believable magic theory and technology, not to mention political intrigue and major spectacle.
The Roman Empire has reached our 7th century without falling or becoming Christian. Galen Atreus, Emperor of the West, and Heraclius, Emperor of the East, join forces to overthrow Chroseos II, Emperor of Persia. The book follows four major characters. Dwyrin MacDonald, a young Irishman learning sorcery, is prematurely initiated and sent to fight with the Roman army, though he can barely control his gift for calling fire. The Roman Thyatis Julia Clodia, a covert warfare specialist, leads her unit behind enemy lines. Ahmet, an Egyptian priest/sorcerer at Dwyrin's school, sets out to rescue Dwyrin but meets Mohammed (yes, that Mohammed). They join Roman allies Nabatea and Palmyra, desert cities facing superior Persian forces without Roman aid. Finally, Maxian Atreus, Galen's youngest brother, a healer-magician, discovers a "curse" protecting the State from inimical magic but also preventing nonmagical progress. He sets out to lift it at any cost, resurrecting canny Julius Caesar and searching for Alexander the Great--an even greater source of magical power.
March 16, 2016
I really liked this book, it was hard to put down. It walked the line of historical fiction and fantasy very well. It's basically like Rome Total War + Avatar (The cartoon series).
The author does a great job with the military and warfare writing, something most fantasy riders are pretty bad it, in my experience. It almost felt like I was reading a Bernard Cornwell book at times. And battles there are aplenty.
Harlan's descriptions of the magical elements were really cool too, different from anything I've read, it's not too fantastical, no elves, wands, or goblins. (A good thing)but more like an elemental Jedi thing, with the occasional eldritch horror summoned from some dark abyss. I particularly liked how he wrote a particular resurrection scene, which was both spectacular and grisly.
There are however weak points. I feel like Harlan's characters aren't written very well, some are dull, other don't feel very "real" and feel more like typical video game or action movie characters, belting totally predictable lines at predictable moments. Also some of the story elements seemed very non sequitur and pointless, like the Valach people in Constantinople and some of Dwyrin's side adventures.
Overall though, great book, I'm definitely going to continue this series.
And the lead!(metal) Genius! That was favorite thing!
The author does a great job with the military and warfare writing, something most fantasy riders are pretty bad it, in my experience. It almost felt like I was reading a Bernard Cornwell book at times. And battles there are aplenty.
Harlan's descriptions of the magical elements were really cool too, different from anything I've read, it's not too fantastical, no elves, wands, or goblins. (A good thing)but more like an elemental Jedi thing, with the occasional eldritch horror summoned from some dark abyss. I particularly liked how he wrote a particular resurrection scene, which was both spectacular and grisly.
There are however weak points. I feel like Harlan's characters aren't written very well, some are dull, other don't feel very "real" and feel more like typical video game or action movie characters, belting totally predictable lines at predictable moments. Also some of the story elements seemed very non sequitur and pointless, like the Valach people in Constantinople and some of Dwyrin's side adventures.
Overall though, great book, I'm definitely going to continue this series.
And the lead!(metal) Genius! That was favorite thing!
November 15, 2020
I usually dismiss reviews that say the book was too long or too slow. But this one was. I was halfway through and moderately interested in some of the storylines, but they moved so slowly because there were so many, and they were all over the map with seemingly no connections. And it would go so long in between updating on how a particular character was doing that you would kind of forget about that character. And then sometimes people would randomly appear or have done something off screen when you go back to them, so you are starting a new chapter wondering "who is this? where are they? why don't I have any idea what they are doing?"
I rarely give up on a book, but I gave up on this one. You aren't George R. R. Martin. Get a better editor. (Also, Martin could've used a better editor. It could've been finished in a trilogy 15 years ago, but that's a different argument.)
I rarely give up on a book, but I gave up on this one. You aren't George R. R. Martin. Get a better editor. (Also, Martin could've used a better editor. It could've been finished in a trilogy 15 years ago, but that's a different argument.)
April 20, 2012
I used to say that I have never read a book that I hated. Then I read "Shadow of Ararat." The concept sounded so promising and it was a meaty book, perfect for one of the books I took on my month trip to China. Sadly, this book was so impossibly boring and the characters so incredibly unlikable that I grew to hate turning the page! Avoid at all costs!
April 12, 2014
I enjoyed the book pretty much. No real complaints except that I thought it was a bit slow at times. That could be because I kept getting interrupted and it took me a while to read. I will be picking up the rest of the series soon.
November 24, 2014
In this alternative world novel of the Middle East, the two separate Roman empires work to defend Constantinople. When a young sorcery student is drafted into the legions from Egypt, his master seeks to rescue him.
April 23, 2015
Long, complicated read. Found it rather hard to follow at times with the story jumping around so much. Kinda dreading the fact that there are 3 more books in the series sitting here on the shelf to read.
Read
July 17, 2016Perhaps it was the reading of this audiobook that put me off. The point of view kept changing abruptly. I enjoyed the book and the concept. Just sorting out the constantly shifting POV and location detracted
October 11, 2010
Just started...
April 20, 2013
I liked parts of the book pretty well, but I was just. so. relieved to finish it. It needed to be cut down by about half its length to improve the ratio of good stuff to stultifying porridge.
December 16, 2007
good book, want to finish series
April 28, 2017
Read about 10% of this book and tossed it aside. I don't much care for books that begin by flipping back and forth between two or more disconnected stories (that presumably come together at some later point). Give me a strong set of characters and a coherent story, please.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews