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The Emperor: Heraclius Battles Persia for the Life of Rome
With the empire collapsing about him, Heraclius, the Exarch’s son, becomes the first Roman Emperor in 300 years to lead an army into battle. But this is no ordinary it is the Last Army, cobbled together from the bits and pieces that remain of once-great legions. Arrayed against him are the most formidable enemies Rome has ever the Avar horde, the Sassanian Persian Empire intent on Rome’s annihilation, and the relentless plague that exploded under his predecessor Justinian and halved the Roman population. Combined, these apocalyptic forces threaten to extinguish Rome's light, once and for all.
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Published October 11, 2023
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About the author
Matthew Jordan Storm
5 books24 followersMatthew Jordan Storm is a Roman History nut who has traveled widely throughout the former Empire and has lived and worked in three former Roman capitals: Rome, Milan and Istanbul - experiences that fomented his obsession for Rome on the cusp of the Dark Ages and contributed greatly to his novels.
Mr. Storm is the author of the LEGEND OF AFRICANUS series set in the 6th century Rome of Justinian the Great.
In the Summer of 2019, Mr. Storm will be releasing his newest novel of historical fiction, THE EXARCH'S SON, the first installment of the new "Heraclius of Carthage" series. Here is a brief description of this new work set in the 7th century Roman Empire:
"Seventy years after the fall of the West, the Emperor Justinian and General Belisarius had nearly stitched the Empire back together when the Black Plague hit, killing half Rome's citizens, bringing the Empire to her knees and evil to Caesar's throne.
THE EXARCH'S SON follows the tale of Heraclius, son of the Exarch of Carthage, born into this humbled Rome, and his quest to rescue the Empire from the clutches of the tyrant Emperor Phocas. Young Heraclius sails to Constantinople to confront Phocas, while the most powerful enemies that Rome has ever known - the Avars and resurgent Persians - overrun her borders. And in Arabia's deserts a new dynasty emerges, one that will change the world forever."
Mr. Storm is the author of the LEGEND OF AFRICANUS series set in the 6th century Rome of Justinian the Great.
In the Summer of 2019, Mr. Storm will be releasing his newest novel of historical fiction, THE EXARCH'S SON, the first installment of the new "Heraclius of Carthage" series. Here is a brief description of this new work set in the 7th century Roman Empire:
"Seventy years after the fall of the West, the Emperor Justinian and General Belisarius had nearly stitched the Empire back together when the Black Plague hit, killing half Rome's citizens, bringing the Empire to her knees and evil to Caesar's throne.
THE EXARCH'S SON follows the tale of Heraclius, son of the Exarch of Carthage, born into this humbled Rome, and his quest to rescue the Empire from the clutches of the tyrant Emperor Phocas. Young Heraclius sails to Constantinople to confront Phocas, while the most powerful enemies that Rome has ever known - the Avars and resurgent Persians - overrun her borders. And in Arabia's deserts a new dynasty emerges, one that will change the world forever."
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October 7, 2023
An amazing novel about the amazing Byzantine emperor, Heraclius. The empire in the 7th century was almost destroyed by an evil and incompetent man, Phocas, who had usurped the throne and executed the previous emperor and all his sons. Phocas was a tyrant who purged any real or perceived internal enemies, while leaving the empire open to external attacks. Heraclius, the son of the exarch in distant Carthage, rebelled against him and took the throne himself. Unfortunately, it was almost too late to preserve the empire - the Avars were attacking from the north and the Persians from the south. The Byzantine army had been almost completely destroyed at the time he took the throne.
This novel recounts Heraclius's efforts to reconstitute his army and lead it in a guerilla warfare attack against the Persians, eventually destroying four armies sent to conquer the empire. The author's recounting of Heraclius's battle strategies was impressive. That emperor had to be a true military genius.
The later years of Heraclius's life were, sadly, not as fortunate when he became mentally ill. But even here, the author intimates how that illness may have begun. Literary license, of course, but still an interesting perspective.
The reasons why I didn't give the book 5 stars were: 1 - his grasp of Byzantine culture was weak. The Byzantines rarely, especially at this time, had church bells. Latin was not the language spoken in churches there. I doubt any emperor would have been practicing w/ his sword on Easter morning- services began several hours before sunrise on Easter. The Hodegetria painting was supposedly by St. Luke, not St. Paul. Church services were "the divine liturgy", not "mass". And while it isn't incorrect to use the term "Sacred Palace" rather than the "Great Palace", that term is rarely used by Byzantine historians. There were other mistakes, but you get the picture.
2 - Editing. A good content editor would have caught at least a few of the errors mentioned above. I know mine did. Even better, a good copy editor would have caught some of the typo mistakes that every writer makes. That and a few rigorous beta readers. These mistakes were not overwhelming, but did diminish the quality of the book.
Overall, despite the flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and would recommend it to anyone interested in fiction about the Byzantines.
This novel recounts Heraclius's efforts to reconstitute his army and lead it in a guerilla warfare attack against the Persians, eventually destroying four armies sent to conquer the empire. The author's recounting of Heraclius's battle strategies was impressive. That emperor had to be a true military genius.
The later years of Heraclius's life were, sadly, not as fortunate when he became mentally ill. But even here, the author intimates how that illness may have begun. Literary license, of course, but still an interesting perspective.
The reasons why I didn't give the book 5 stars were: 1 - his grasp of Byzantine culture was weak. The Byzantines rarely, especially at this time, had church bells. Latin was not the language spoken in churches there. I doubt any emperor would have been practicing w/ his sword on Easter morning- services began several hours before sunrise on Easter. The Hodegetria painting was supposedly by St. Luke, not St. Paul. Church services were "the divine liturgy", not "mass". And while it isn't incorrect to use the term "Sacred Palace" rather than the "Great Palace", that term is rarely used by Byzantine historians. There were other mistakes, but you get the picture.
2 - Editing. A good content editor would have caught at least a few of the errors mentioned above. I know mine did. Even better, a good copy editor would have caught some of the typo mistakes that every writer makes. That and a few rigorous beta readers. These mistakes were not overwhelming, but did diminish the quality of the book.
Overall, despite the flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and would recommend it to anyone interested in fiction about the Byzantines.
Displaying 1 of 1 review