Athens has been weakened by decades of war with Sparta. Now, conflict between political factions threatens to tear the city apart from within. In a violent and crumbling society, Daimon, son of an Athenian general and a Thracian slave, finds himself hunted by enemies on all sides, including by the family of a young man history will come to remember as Plato. Yet under the guidance of the greatest military leader of his age, Daimon will find his destiny as a warrior and take his first steps in becoming the Demon of Athens…
The subject of Martin Sulev's Tyranny isn't the sort of story that normally attracts me. But this action-packed tale set in Ancient Greece was almost impossible to put down. The main character, Daimon, is of mixed heritage and thus is denied citizenship in Athens – a grave injustice in his mind. Driven by anger over that and the deaths of many family members, he becomes a fierce and accomplished warrior. When Ahtens falls into tyranny, he fights ferocious Spartan armies to restore the city-state's lost democracy. He aligns himself with a rebel commonder named Thrasybulus, a nearly forgotten figure from Ancient Greek history whose exploits Sulev brilliantly brings to life. The book is meticulously researched – you'll learn a lot of history in a painless way – and extremely well written. The frequent battle scenes are described in meticulous detail. Be warned: the battles aren't for the faint of heart, but are authentic recreations of historical encounters. The story moves along briskly, with events both tragic and triumphant. This is only the first of three books in Sulov's Demon of Athens series. I'm eager to read the next two.
Action adventure tragedy and politics what more can you ask for...
Firstly this is first and foremost an action adventure novel. The history is good. I am am an amateur historian and my specialised periods include the one depicted in this novel. I already know the timeline well and Mr Sulev has worked within the historical chronology brilliantly. Indeed his portrayal of Greek society and life strikes me as very plausible (it is a subject of which we know very little) However as I previously said this is first and foremost an adventure novel and it is superbly crafted one. I am stingy with stars but this one gets four. I had serious difficulty putting it down which is a pleasant surprise lately. Obviously I was aware of Thrasybulus and he is indeed often over shadowed by that arch contradiction that is Alcibiades. I have immediately bought the second volume and will begin very shortly and that should really tell you all you need to know
Found this an excellent piece of writing that kept you engrossed throughout. I will follow this writer for further novels based in some cases of history! Too many are written re.the Roman period,makes a welcome change to hear re.the Spartans and others of that period. Well recommended
I really enjoyed this historical adventure, based entirely on well-researched facts. The life of Demon in Athens and on campaign at the end of the Peloponnesian War is full of realistic action; the characters are all well defined and believable. The end of the book, besides being thoroughly convincing, is enough to entice the reader to follow Demon in further adventures.
Well done, Martin Sulev, in your first novel. There are many authors tackling takes of Rome but few taking the reader back to Ancient Greece. I look forward to reading more of the adventures of Daemon and his compatriots!
Strong storyline, with credible characters, woven into historical wars between two city powers with entirely opposite philosophies of government. Action scenes very bloodthirsty, and probably therefore all the more realistic.
The title alone pulled me in. The action scenes were well thought-out and easy to follow. It has a nice pace. Some of the pivotal plot points (no spoilers but especially toward the end) seemed kind of quick. Overall a good read.
It starts slowly and builds ,and builds to a climactic ending. We learn of the mighty Spartans,and how Athens fell and rose again. Cannot wait for Damon's next epic.