The Tide of Victory

Belisarius #5

by Eric Flint, David Drake

Armed with lancers, breech-loading rifles, steamships, and galleys, General Belisarius, accompanied by his own ally from the future, ventures into the Malwa Empire, a sixth-century kingdom ruled by Link, a horrifying and evil entity from the future.

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

561 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Eric Flint was a New York Times bestselling American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works were alternate history science fiction, but he also wrote humorous fantasy adventures.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Belasarius series is a six-volume alternate history that pits the legions of Rome against the Malwa empire of northern India within a science fiction infrastructure of time travel and artificial intelligence. It's a vast, sprawling fantasy with many characters and enough manly derring-do to satisfy any fan of Conan. The story was devised and outlined by David Drake, a master of both military science fiction and an expert on Roman history, and the books were written by Eric Flint, who was a relatively new writer when he began the work. Drake plotted it as a trilogy, but Flint added depth and details that caused the doubled expansion. Trying to keep the historical details straight from the time-changed anachronisms became challenging, but I found the plots captivating throughout. I enjoyed checking to see which characters were fictional and which were taken from history. Flint diverged a bit from Drake's plot in the first book which caused some problems later on in the series, but it recovered quite satisfactorily. There's adventure and romance and philosophy and gritty military action and good (if occasionally rough) humor and I enjoyed it all immensely. I read the first five books back-to-back in 2001 (and the details have merged in my memory, which is why I'm using the same comments for all the book listings here), but I remember how impatient I was for the final volume and how much I enjoyed it after a five year wait. Good stuff!

[YouKneeK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed this fifth book in the Belisarius series, I found it to be a little slower than the previous four. It’s difficult for me to pinpoint why, but I can think of three factors that probably contributed to it:

1. I’m not sure if this is quantitatively true, but it seemed like there were fewer Belisarius chapters in this book, especially in the middle 50%. I usually enjoy the Belisarius sections the most, so I wanted to see more of him.

2. The main characters were spread out more into different areas, so there was less interaction between the different characters. That interaction is a large source of the humor that I’ve enjoyed so much about the series.

3. The previous (fourth) book had been my favorite out of the series and I found it to be the most fast-paced book I had read so far in the series. That might have made this book seem slower by contrast.

Despite these things, this was still a good book. There were some sad parts that added realism to the story. There was also still humor, even if I thought there was less of it than normal. The story was still interesting, for the most part. But, unlike with the previous books, there were times when it didn’t hold my interest.

One thing I’ve enjoyed in all the books so far, that I haven’t really talked about in any of my past reviews, are the epilogues. They consist of multiple short sections that make the rounds of all the main characters and show us what everybody is up to after the main action has been wrapped up. I wish every author did this, because I often find myself unsatisfied with book endings even when I otherwise enjoyed the book. I’ve been pretty satisfied with the endings in each of the Belisarius books, which is especially impressive given that this is a series and the over-all story isn’t complete yet.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. The whole series is.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not as bad as the lower rating implies, but with this volume the Belisarius series is taking a decided Robert Jordan shift (That's not a compliment.) Squeezed 300 pages of story into 450 pages. have created so many characters and subplots that even extended glossaries and maps don't suffice.

War is not all fun and games. People we care about are killed. And lots of people suffer horribly. If anything Flint and Drake's battles are too antiseptic and clean.

Still, the story has a good heart to go with the rousing story. It's too bad a few good people can't overcome the racial, national, tribal and gender hatred and fear in the world, but that's no reason for them (or us) to stop trying.

Quibbles: Hundreds of miles of telegraph requires many electrical generators, which aren't mentioned and which Aide, if not Belisarius, could probably put to other military uses. Also, Belisarius may hear the term "line of countervallation" from Aide, but he's sure to have read Julius Ceasar describe using it at the battle of Alesia.

A good read.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had forgotten how long this book is. It moved a lot slower than I remembered from the last time I read it (granted, it also takes longer to read when you read primarily over your lunch breaks). Also, there is a lot more dialogue in it than I remembered, and a lot more scheming than actual "action" (so to speak). It has good character development in it, and it has some "moments" I had forgotten about, so those were some surprises when I read them again. I liked most of the book; there was a "moment" I had forgotten about that left me a little squeamish this time around. There are a lot of sub-plots going on in the book that have to be "resolved" on some level by the end of the next book.

It is "fun" to read about Romans using technology that should technically be beyond their ken. They are weapons we modern-folk would consider "archaic" but which are still centuries ahead of what they were using backwhen. Well, not just the Romans but the Malwa as well. It makes for some pretty crazy moments in the novel.

The cover is hilarious and a bit of a joke, as such a scene never happens in the book. I cannot quite figure out who she is supposed to be (I have always assumed Antonina, except her body-type does not match the description of Antonina in the book, so now I am thinking it might be Irene), and that sword in the foreground always reminds me of Excalibur, for some reason. hahahah

The Death of Eon -I had forgotten about that, that this brave young man had died. It was quite a shock to me, in most respects. I "hated" that he was the one who died, but I "get it" as to why he did. (Somebody important had to die at this point in the series, right?)

It will be interesting to see who Belisarius' plot with Narses unfolds. I do not remember if Rana Sanga figures out that his family has been taken as "hostages" for safe-keeping or not; I got the impression that he might have figured it out because of what Narses says just before he leaves Rana Sanga's presence. However, I enjoyed the dialogue between Valentinian and Rana Sagna's son; that was quite humorous to read. It was equally interesting to read about Rana Sanga's belief that his family may not actually be dead because of some items that were missing from Nanda Lal's "exhaustive report" about the brutal attack and murder of Rana's family. It will be interesting to see how that plays out as well.

I do like how the authors are keeping Belisarius "human" over the course of these novels. His inner discussion with Aide about Calopodius and Calopodius losing his eyesight was one of the better "conversations" in the book, I felt. It would be easy to make Belisarius a "straw figure" of sorts in the novel, or make him lose his humanity as the war progresses because of Aide, but the authors do a good job of keeping his character grounded.'

I thought a couple of things were kind-of odd in the book. Well, one was "odd" and the other left me distinctly uncomfortable. The "odd" moment was the conversation between Ousanas and Antonina about their being potential lovers. I say "potential" because the conversation is couched in terms of "if things had been different, would you have me/want me?" and is initiated by Antonina. They both agree they would have made great lovers, but Ousanas claims he could never have had her as a wife because of his responsibilities to his tribe and to the Axumites; the best she could be would be a concubine and she would not tolerate being a concubine. I was not expecting it in the book, is all, and it was odd. I "get it" though, because I know people who have had similar such conversations of "If we were not already married, would you want me/have me?" Always seemed a dangerous conversation to have, to me. Anyway.

The "moment" or "scene" that made me uncomfortable was when Tahmina and Photius share a romantic moment in bed on their wedding night. She is fifteen and he is between ten and eleven years old. Knowing David Drake's predilection to having children sexually abused or raped or the focus of sexual acts by men in his other books, it does not make this "scene" any "easier" even though it is not violent in nature. Nothing is really described in detail, but enough is described to paint a picture in the mind. I realize people were married at a much younger age than today, but it is still awkward to read about a teenage girl having sexual relations of some sort with a pre-teen boy.

I did enjoy the "gunboat battles" (in India), such as they were. They were humorous in some respects and fascinating to read in terms of the level of technology compared to the time period. It would be interesting to see what the Roman naval vessels actually looked like versus how my mind's eye sees them when I read the book. I also enjoyed the comments directed at each captain by his counterpart to a junior officer; some of them were quite humorous as well.

Overall, I did enjoy reading the book. There was quite a bit going on in it, to be honest. I did miss the "comradery" of the earlier novels, but the characters are all pretty spread out by this point. There is still enough humor in this book to make me chuckle from time to time; it is not nearly as strong as in previous books, but it is still there. It is still an interesting interpretation of Christianity during that time period; I am not used to reading about such a "militant Christianity" (apart from the Crusades, that is). I am looking forward to starting the last book and finishing the series.

[Coyora Dokusho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read at least (3) times

The first two books in the series are still my faves, but this one is really good too!! I'm connecting with a dad I never met and I feel scared to be vulnerable (to loss/rejection) but it's by living life fully that life is best. Even when the characters experience losses, their lives are still richer for having known them at all. Reading always helps me get through the hard times!!!

[Freyja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things are coming to a head! There are more battles, more intrigue, more gadgets, another wedding or two, and a heartbreaking death. The death was so well-written that my husband came in to see why I was crying and hugged me when he saw why. He agreed with the impact of the death. See? I can do this without spoilers! Just file off serial numbers. The way things stand at the end of the book leave you needing to read the next book to see how it all ends. This is definitely one of my re-reads, now that I've read it.

[Paul Close · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not on a par with the previous series. This feels like a filler between the earlier books and a real conclusion. The enemy is not particularly threatening or evil, and a successful outcome is never in doubt.





King Eon dies in battle. Minor (unresolved) intrigue involving Kungas's wife, Holkar's daughters, and Narses / Damodara.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

5th book in the saga. Surprisingly well written. Historical fiction mixed with sci-fi? What more can a nerd ask for?
I’ve go the 6th and final book on the way. Human history in this world created by Flint and Drake is now effectively changed seeing as gunpowder weapons are introduced 800 years too early. Loads of fun. I will be sad when I’ve completed the series.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great series by David Drake and Eric Flint.

[Antoine Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!
Nice development in the plot, lots of great characters, top action!

[Karsten Stiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as the first four books in the series.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good entry in a quite good alternate history saga.

[John Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite series. Alternative history of conquest.

[Padraic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Onwards to great reading.

This is the 5th book and the author keeps going strong. Worth the reading. Get the whole series as it is worth it.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Publishers Weekly

High spirits and ingenuity mark the fifth volume in the Belisarius series from veteran Drake (Foreign Legions) and relative newcomer Flint (The Philosophical Strangler), who have devised an intriguing premise and developed it intelligently. Agents from two mutually exclusive futures travel back to the sixth century and begin to steer history in conflicting directions. One wants to mold humanity into a single pattern and is directing a ruthless, fanatical empire based in India but designed to take over the world; the other accepts human diversity and attempts to rally the quarreling nations of Asia and Africa to resist domination. Fortunately, the benign intelligence has teamed up with the Roman general Belisarius, a military genius with a gift for coordinating people as well as army maneuvers. This novel focuses on Belisarius's invasion of India. With all military history to draw on and action scattered across several continents, the story races through many scenes as steamboats launch Greek fire, telegraph lines connect the Romans and their allies and delicious palace intrigues simmer. The far-ranging locations and huge cast of characters may be confusing, but the book does include maps and a long glossary of names, places and unfamiliar vocabulary. More seriously, readers might wish for fewer conferences during which characters cheerfully congratulate themselves on how clever they are. Overall, though, the fascination of seeing familiar tactics applied in unfamiliar situations makes this novel a winner.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Guided by a crystalline entity from the future, General Belisarius's Roman armies continue their campaign into the land of Indus, seeking to thwart the malign plans of the Malwa overlord. Flint's fifth installment of his popular alternate history series (e.g., An Oblique Approach; In the Heart of Darkness) depicts ancient history as it never was, complete with alien intelligences, 20th-century technology, and modern sensibilities. Purchase where the series is popular.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

[Jeremy Preacher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Tide of Victory suffers a little bit of Epic Fantasy Plot Bloat - there are an awful lot of subplots and minor characters that all need to be followed and wrapped up, and the pacing in this book suffers somewhat because of it. I couldn't pick which plots I'd get rid of, though. They're all mostly delightful.

Actually, that's not entirely true. The plot that I, personally, am least interested in is the military campaign. There are well-done aspects of it - the attention given to the morale of the common people gives it some emotional context, and I am a fan of Calopodius, although he doesn't really shine until the next book - but all of the nitty-gritty military details just read as "blah blah Ginger" to me after a while. The early books focused more on the relationships between the officers, and I like that, but detailed discussions of early machine guns and lines of countervallation just do nothing for me.

It's also the book where the body count starts to rise. The Calopodius plotline is touching, but it's Eon's death that gets to me. It's both pointless and inevitable, arising naturally out of the character as he's been built throughout the series, and it works for me. (Antonina's reaction doesn't, so much, but more because all of their interactions were glossed over in favor of battles than that they didn't have those interactions.) There needs to be a major character death in a six-book series about war, I think, and this one was well-chosen.

The Kushan plotline is only lightly sketched out, which I regret, because Irene and Kungas are great. And all of the setup of the heist plot in India is fantastic, even though it is mostly setup at this point. I can't recall if I figured out the endgame by this point on my first readthrough, but it seems both obvious and well-structured in hindsight. On the whole, it's not exactly the book I would have chosen, but all of the good bits are there even if I would debate their proper proportions.

[Andreas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Military SciFi/Alternate history in which an evil empire appears in India in the fifth century. Famous historical general Belisarius receives a warning from the future and must counter the threat. This series goes deeper into philosophical and poetical tangents than similar works. Eric Flint’s classic wry humour pervades the prose. The books can almost be read as historical novels and contain quite a few interesting tidbits about the period. The series consist of:

An Oblique Approach
In The Heart of Darkness
Destiny’s shield
Fortune’s Stroke
The Tide of Victory
The Dance of Time

The sixth and final book, The Dance of Time came out over two years late and seems a bit of a late addition. It tied up all the loose ends neatly, even though the actual conclusion to the conflict was foregone by this time. However, the habit of the authors to show off their characters’s cleverness, while only a minor annoyance in the first five volumes, really grated on my nerves in the sixth book. Endless uses of “Why not?” and equally endless enumerations of “how cool are we” items both in the exposition and the dialogue are just plain bad style. Still and all, a satisfying conclusion.

http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=660

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though the allied Roman, Persian, Kushan and Axumite (Ethiopian) forces are pushing the Malwa back, the Malwa have their own counter-moves by putting up strong resistance and scorched earth policies. There is little movement on the Indian front so that everyone there are almost reduced to talking heads. The "Peninsular War" in the Deccan was once the most interesting in terms of persons and matters of the heart, not the state. Now, it's just eh.

Flint is not afraid to kill off good guys. There were two very colorful heroes - Eon and John of Rhodes - who got killed off. Eon died like Achilles - young and in combat. John died from sheer dumb bad luck. From a literary perspective, neither has "protagonist invulnerability armor". On the other hand, their losses were truly felt as if you were there. And for those who have experienced combat, some soldiers do die from sheer bad luck and friendly fire. It's tragic, even if Eon and John are just characters in a story. Then there is Calopodius, the young Greek officer, who is horribly maimed and blinded. He did his duty all right and was in the right place and time yet paid the heavy price. It makes him more human and the war more realistic.

Overall, it does move the story along despite the death of heroes.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not the last in the Belisarius series, it is the last you can download free from Baen. Sad! I do, of course, have the sequel on reserve from the library!
I am not going to review books 3-5 individually since they all concern several campaigns in the same war against the Malwa in India. The Romans have allied with their old enemies the Persians (aka Aryans) as the Indian threat is on the latter's doorstep. Belisarius is also well on his way to subverting one of the Malwa subject peoples, the Kushans, as well, and some of his other "honorable enemies" are growing deeply uncomfortable with the direction that their own "Talisman of God" is taking.
The series is full of good character development on both sides of the conflict: it is, perhaps, almost cliche nowadays to cast highly honorable, good men as "bad guys" as in a military novel, but I appreciate the practice none the less. I also appreciate an author's willingness to kill off important / major characters - that's as much of a plot spoiler as I'll release, though!

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fifth in the histo-military sci-fi series, Belisarius, Tide of Victory starts right off forcing you to teeter back and forth! What is Narses playing at? Whose side is the traitor on?

I have thoroughly enjoyed the behind-the-scenes action between rulers. What a treat to get something accomplished while we get to thumb our noses at the politicos! Woohoo!!

Lots of weddings, new kingdoms rising, reforms in the Persian empire. Justinian comes into his own with his gadgets as he helps Belisarius and Antonina thwart Theodora. A change of heart for Lord Damodred and Rana Sanga. Betrayal with a twist. Tragedy with the unnecessary death of a well-loved character---I think I cried for two days! Dammit, Flint and Drake, he didn't have to die!! Oh yeah, you made good use of it eventually, but dammit...it was so unnecessary. All of this interspersed with strategies and battles by land and sea. Fascinating to read of more-modern type weapons being deployed in a less-modern time.

[Nathan Balyeat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review applies to all of the books in the Belisarius series by Eric Flint and David Drake. I read them all quickly, in a row, and there’s honestly not a whole lot of difference in the elements that make them good books. You get the best mix of David Drake’s detailed outlines, sense of pacing, action sequences, and depth of historical knowledge with Eric Flint’s ability to manage description and nuances of character that Drake isn’t quite as good at. The series is an interesting twist on historical fiction, though not unique. It’s one of those “what if this technology was available at this time” sort of deals, and an interesting compare and contrast between several different cultures and their values, and how those values would affect how they interact.
If you like action and science-fiction with an historical twist, you’ll love this series. If you like exploration of cultures as part of examining the human condition, you’ll find something to like here as well.

[Charlie Moses · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flint is an engaging author who makes us come to know and love his characters and the world they live and move in. I very much enjoyed this series. Unlike his Ring of Fire series, in which the changes to history are having multiple and cascading ramifications as history continues to change, the Belisarius story sticks mostly to the task of successfully accomplishing the desired change and the efforts of the characters. Despite the large canvas of the story, it is, nevertheless, told at a more-intimate level.

[colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

read 03.23.06

[formlit · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Mickey Schulz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having got the first three or four of these from the Baen Free Library, I actually paid for the last couple of these. So worth it.

[Chris Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked up this book from Baen Books for my Kindle. I'm really enjoying the light mixture of historical fiction and military strategy.

[Bryan Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first several Belisarius books on the Baen Free Library, totally loved the series, and then bought the least two. The series of 6 novels is being re-released in three "Omnibus" volumes.

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better written than the previous three books in the series, "The Tide of Victory" still suffers from a weak beginning, and one of the dumbest covers I've ever seen.

[Cris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a good book to start this series with. Begin with the first in the series, An Oblique Approach.