Parthian Dawn

The Parthian Chronicles #2

by Peter Darman

‘Parthian Dawn’ is the second volume of the adventures of Pacorus the Parthian and his companions – the fierce and proud Gallia, the ex-Roman centurion Domitus, the scout Byrd and the sorceress Dobbai – as they battle for their lives against the backdrop of the clash between the ancient world's two greatest empires.
After three years fighting by the side of Spartacus, Pacorus and his followers have escaped from Italy in the aftermath of the defeat of the slave rebellion. Made a king by the ruler of the Parthian Empire on his return, he has married his beloved Gallia and made the city of Dura Europos on the banks of the Euphrates his home. But his new kingdom is seething with discontent and surrounded by hostile desert nomads who are the sworn enemies of the Parthians. The aged King of Kings, the man who has united the Parthians for decades, then dies to cast a shadow of uncertainty over the empire, which erupts into full-scale civil war as one of the empire’s most powerful men, Narses, attempts to seize the high crown by force.
Pacorus is forced to fight both Narses and his scheming ally, Prince Mithridates, to preserve the realm and his own crown. And then the Romans, taking advantage of Parthia’s internal troubles, launch their own invasion of the empire. Will Pacorus and indeed the Parthian Empire survive the conflict that engulfs them on all sides?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

529 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

I was raised in Grantham, Lincolnshire and attended the King's Grammar School after passing the Eleven Plus exam. In the latter I clearly remember writing an essay on Oliver Cromwell – my first piece of military writing.

Then came a BA in history and international relations at Nottingham followed by a Master of Philosophy course at the University of York. The subject was the generalship and cavalry of Prince Rupert of the Rhine, my boyhood hero, during the English Civil War. The year I spent researching and writing at York, Oxford and at the British Library in London was a truly wonderful time.
I moved to London and eventually joined a small publishing company as an editor. Thus began my writing career.

Reviews

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice to find a book that isn't the typical Romans or Vikings.
Well written with nice historical details.
Actual rating: 3.5

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unstoppable

Another book I could not stop reading. With all the twists and turns of being on horseback this book keeps you hooked from front to back.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

audio
For me it was an interesting exposure to two things:
1) Sparticus was only known to me from the Kirk Douglas film which was not believable. Really people would say "I am Sparticus" while they are being crucified?

2) I really did not any history of Parthia. And it seems not a lot of others do also. It's placement along the silk road presented an easy target for others who would then wipe out the predessor's history. ISIS and ISIL are now destroying what is left; so imagine what it was like when their ilk was the common behavior.

Good entertainment for those who think history is just a source for entertainment. I was entertained by Michael Page's excellent and clearly enunciated narration. I will go (and have already), on to the next episode.

[Jkane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good sequel to The Parthian. Pacorus has returned to Parthia following the end of Spartacus' slave rebellion. He is king of a small Parthian empire, but both the Romans, and a few of the other Parthian kings have targeted his small kingdom due to its location on the Silk Road. Pacorus and his companions have to fight the might of Rome, as well as the greed of several Parthian kings. With multiple military campaigns, Pacorus' second installment has both intrigue and fierce battles.

I first read this book about a decade ago, and I listened to the audible about 3 years ago. The book holds up well, and the narrator is top notch.

[Ragnar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful story

I have not read much of this part of the world or indeed the times. After years of reading of Vikings and Rome. This is a fantastic extension my reading. I can’t wait to continue the series.. Great author, well researched with some fantastic insights.. Has a knack for creating complex on intriguing characters.. loved it.

[Steven Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasic Book

Now I thought book #1, was good, this one is better 😀 yep lots of fighting but more than that it goes into detail about life in ,Parthia itself the makeup of the country and even talks of the trade and agriculture. Enjoyed it immensely.

[mr. Howard Reggel · Rating 4 out of 5]

good but…….

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series, and whilst I enjoyed the second one, I found it very repetitive. I don’t think I will buy the third and subsequent books in the series as I would get bored.

[Jerry Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Good Story

The characters and events in this book fit the basic plot very well. The dialogue and descriptions are believable. Looking forward to the next volume.

[Ronald Swisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

ANOTHER GOOD BOOK

The second book in Peter Darman's tale of Pacorus the Parthian. Well written and researched, it is a real page turner.

[hamish khayat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous book

Can’t wait for the next in the series. Really great books and beautifully written. Keep up the great work .

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Better then book 1, this one continues the story and growth of Pacorus and friends as they settle in in Parthia. But of course there can be no peace for one loved by the Gods - for War is his domain and battle is where Pacorus thrives.

It bothered me in the first book how Pacorus thought honor was everything, and how he continued to let his enemies live...in this one he learns that maybe that isn't the best idea. But having a main character with some flaws is good, makes him more human. Or as Dobbai says, he has no head for politics, but the Gods gifted him with a mind for war.

Honestly this has to be some of the best writing I've ever read, these books have taken you through the life of Pacorus and his companions and you continually see them grow as they age and learn from mistakes. The battle remind me a lot of Bernard Cornwell in their descriptions and I freaking love it.

The stage is now set for book 3, which I have just purchased and I will be shutting my door at work and reading on my Kindle App. Status is now set to - In Meeting.

[Guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This the follow on from 'The Parthian' by Peter Darman. I am still reading it, but it carries on in the same 'Boys Own' style of the first book. The story is moving into the less well known area of Parthia and the kingdoms therein, so it will be interesting to see how Darman handles this.

So far very enjoyable and will add more comment later.

[Aritra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reasonable read. well written and portrayed the time well. I enjoyed following the characters and thought there was reasonable development of the same. I was hard pressed choosing between a three and a four bit have it a four as I have gone on to read all the other books in the series as well. would recommend it to historical fiction buffs.

[Margareth8537 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the second book in a series. Interesting having a different viewpoint than the Roman. The Partians provided them with a real challenge, and the strle of war and internal politics are quite interesting

[Brian Bigelow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent continuation to the series. Thoroughly researched and well worth the read.