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The Life and Times of Corban Loosestrife #5
The High City
It is the early years of the reign of Basil II, who became one most successful, and most feared, Byzantine emperors. But for now, Basil rules as a co-emperor with his brother Constantine, and makes war on a would-be usurper, Bardas Phokas, son of a General who Basil supplanted. Basil’s most trusted troops are foreign mercenaries, the Varangian guard hired from the North. Rus and Norsemen, Viking raiders and wild horsemen from the steppes, they fall upon the elegant city of Constantinople like wolves on a garden party. Among them is the wily young son of an Irish slave, who comes to the notice of the emperor’s wife. But being noticed by an angry emperor is not safe at all.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published February 3, 2009
1 person is currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Cecelia Holland
81 books211 followersPen name used by Elizabeth Eliot Carter.
Cecelia Holland is one of the world's most highly acclaimed and respected historical novelists, ranked by many alongside other giants in that field such as Mary Renault and Larry McMurtry. Over the span of her thirty year career, she's written almost thirty historical novels, including The Firedrake, Rakessy, Two Ravens, Ghost on the Steppe, Death of Attila, Hammer For Princes, The King's Road, Pillar of the Sky, The Lords of Vaumartin, Pacific Street, Sea Beggars, The Earl, The King in Winter, The Belt of Gold, The Serpent Dreamer, The High City, Kings of the North, and a series of fantasy novels, including The Soul Thief, The Witches Kitchen, The Serpent Dreamer, and Varanger. She also wrote the well-known science fiction novel Floating Worlds, which was nominated for a Locus Award in 1975. Her most recent book is a new fantasy novel, Dragon Heart.
Cecelia Holland is one of the world's most highly acclaimed and respected historical novelists, ranked by many alongside other giants in that field such as Mary Renault and Larry McMurtry. Over the span of her thirty year career, she's written almost thirty historical novels, including The Firedrake, Rakessy, Two Ravens, Ghost on the Steppe, Death of Attila, Hammer For Princes, The King's Road, Pillar of the Sky, The Lords of Vaumartin, Pacific Street, Sea Beggars, The Earl, The King in Winter, The Belt of Gold, The Serpent Dreamer, The High City, Kings of the North, and a series of fantasy novels, including The Soul Thief, The Witches Kitchen, The Serpent Dreamer, and Varanger. She also wrote the well-known science fiction novel Floating Worlds, which was nominated for a Locus Award in 1975. Her most recent book is a new fantasy novel, Dragon Heart.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 24, 2014
Over the years, I have read almost a dozen of Cecelia Holland's exquisite historical novels. By my reckoning, The High City is the eleventh -- all of which were worth reading and made me swear to read more of her work.
This is the 5th novel in the Raef Loosestrife series -- of which this is the only title I have read -- about a Varangian (Viking) who finds his way his the Constantinople of Basil II. That emperor is fighting off a pretender named Bardas Phocas. At several points, Raef has helped the emperor, but refuses to accede to his plans for him. He is shielded by other Vikings in Basil's service, and ultimately has to decide whether to follow his dream hawk and continue westward, or knuckle under to Basil and everything he stands for.
Cecelia Holland is probably one of the two or three best historical novelists who have ever lived. Her books range from ancient Egypt to the Viking World to the Middle Ages in Europe to 19th century California to the death of Attila to the fall of Hungary to the Turks.
As long as there are more books of hers that I haven't read, I know I have my work cut out for me. And even then, I know I can re-read them with as much pleasure.
This is the 5th novel in the Raef Loosestrife series -- of which this is the only title I have read -- about a Varangian (Viking) who finds his way his the Constantinople of Basil II. That emperor is fighting off a pretender named Bardas Phocas. At several points, Raef has helped the emperor, but refuses to accede to his plans for him. He is shielded by other Vikings in Basil's service, and ultimately has to decide whether to follow his dream hawk and continue westward, or knuckle under to Basil and everything he stands for.
Cecelia Holland is probably one of the two or three best historical novelists who have ever lived. Her books range from ancient Egypt to the Viking World to the Middle Ages in Europe to 19th century California to the death of Attila to the fall of Hungary to the Turks.
As long as there are more books of hers that I haven't read, I know I have my work cut out for me. And even then, I know I can re-read them with as much pleasure.
May 3, 2016
Fluid and readable style, with ever-shifting scenes and points of view in a kaleidoscopic portrayal of Contantinople with Viking mercenaries. This was my first Holland novel.
Overall, it lacked sufficient substance. All the publisher hype notwithstanding, there is a paucity of detail as to the setting and daily life. Everyone eats lentils and unnamed "meat" wrapped in "flat bread". Really, the food research would not have been very taxing for this era! Dress/costume receives but cursory attention. Poor Raef, the main character, is left wearing the same dirty tunic as the first chapter. The word "jewel" substitutes for the more accurate word gem, and the reader is misled into thinking that gems like diamonds are cut to today's standards. They simply were not, the technology didn't exist [ look it up ! ]. The same notable buildings of Constantinople keep appearing, as if we are seeing a closed-loop youtube tour of the ancient city. A map of the area would have been useful; there is none.
The political and military reasons for the conflict between emperor Basil and a pretender named Phokas aren't made clear. Raef remains detached throughout the story, and by its conclusion so is the reader.
Overall, it lacked sufficient substance. All the publisher hype notwithstanding, there is a paucity of detail as to the setting and daily life. Everyone eats lentils and unnamed "meat" wrapped in "flat bread". Really, the food research would not have been very taxing for this era! Dress/costume receives but cursory attention. Poor Raef, the main character, is left wearing the same dirty tunic as the first chapter. The word "jewel" substitutes for the more accurate word gem, and the reader is misled into thinking that gems like diamonds are cut to today's standards. They simply were not, the technology didn't exist [ look it up ! ]. The same notable buildings of Constantinople keep appearing, as if we are seeing a closed-loop youtube tour of the ancient city. A map of the area would have been useful; there is none.
The political and military reasons for the conflict between emperor Basil and a pretender named Phokas aren't made clear. Raef remains detached throughout the story, and by its conclusion so is the reader.
September 13, 2022
I chose this novel in hopes of getting a better read on the life and times of Byzantine Emperor Basil II and the formation of the Varangian Guard. It's much easier to remember historical figures and their legacies if one can attach a face and a personality to them (even if it's only an author's educated conjecture). Cecelia Holland has again succeeded in fleshing out somewhat obscure historical personalities with an enjoyable drama, detailing the internecine politics, treachery, and warfare taking place during the early reign of Basil II. Holland draws a portrait of ruthless, young ruler who is obsessed with imposing his will in all areas of life - from destroying usurpers to making those he admires bend knee and serve him to restoring the empire to its former greatness. If I were casting actors to portray the book's characters, Justin Timberlake would portray young Basil.
The story is advanced by a cast of characters who allow us a glimpse into what life was like in the Byzantine Empire circa 989 AD and insight into their ambitions and fears.
The hero of the book, a Norse-Gael, Raef Corbansson, (imagine Chris Hemsworth of Thor) has found work as a rower on a small trading ship heading from what is modern Crimea into the Greek Sea. When a storm wrecks his vessel, he and the surviving crew are tossed ashore into the midst of a civil war. The other castaways are taken by rebel forces and tortured as spies. Raef avoids detection by disguising himself as one of the captors. He then manages to rescue a fellow crew-mate and disable some catapults allowing the Emperor’s army to come ashore and beat the army of rebel General Delphinas.
Despite his valuable and gallant service to the Romans, because he just wants to go his own way and refuses to kneel down to the Emperor, the elite pressures and persecutes him as they try to force him to become a tool to their plots to gain power. All Raef wants is the freedom to pursue his own destiny - to follow his magic hawk.
One character who has a major influence on Raef's pursuit of happiness is the Empress Helena. I picture Selma Hayek playing this role with the physicality of Satanico Pandemonium of From Dusk Till Dawn and the personality of Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones. Helena is one power hungry πόρνη. She enjoys the power of being the wife of Basil's brother and co-emperor Constantine. She wants her husband to exercise a more active role in governing (he'd rather hunt and party) so she can exert even more power. She fears losing power so much that she spies for the pretender to the throne hoping to become a leading member of the new regime should Basil lose the war.
Of course Helena tries to recruit Raef to her cause.
Then there's Basil's ultimate antagonist, Bardas Phokas, whom I picture as Jack Palance portraying Curly in City Slickers. He's an old general who doesn't like taking orders from upstart brats like Basil and Constantine. He likes power too. So he proclaims himself emperor and overruns most of Asia Minor.
Phokas then lays siege to Abydos, thus threatening to blockade the Dardanelles and cut off a major portion of Constantinople's trade. At this point Basil II obtains timely aid, in the form of Varangian mercenaries.
So the scene is set for Raef to rescue Helena from the clutches of General Phokas who has seen through Helena's amorous machinations and the clash of armies with Phokas galloping forward to seek personal combat with the true Emperor.
If you love adventure with dramatic fight scenes and strong characters, which gives you an easy way in to a fascinating period of history, then this is for you. If you really want to understand the politics you're going to have to wade through some explanations found in non-fiction. You might find Ghost Empire helpful.
The story is advanced by a cast of characters who allow us a glimpse into what life was like in the Byzantine Empire circa 989 AD and insight into their ambitions and fears.
The hero of the book, a Norse-Gael, Raef Corbansson, (imagine Chris Hemsworth of Thor) has found work as a rower on a small trading ship heading from what is modern Crimea into the Greek Sea. When a storm wrecks his vessel, he and the surviving crew are tossed ashore into the midst of a civil war. The other castaways are taken by rebel forces and tortured as spies. Raef avoids detection by disguising himself as one of the captors. He then manages to rescue a fellow crew-mate and disable some catapults allowing the Emperor’s army to come ashore and beat the army of rebel General Delphinas.
Despite his valuable and gallant service to the Romans, because he just wants to go his own way and refuses to kneel down to the Emperor, the elite pressures and persecutes him as they try to force him to become a tool to their plots to gain power. All Raef wants is the freedom to pursue his own destiny - to follow his magic hawk.
One character who has a major influence on Raef's pursuit of happiness is the Empress Helena. I picture Selma Hayek playing this role with the physicality of Satanico Pandemonium of From Dusk Till Dawn and the personality of Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones. Helena is one power hungry πόρνη. She enjoys the power of being the wife of Basil's brother and co-emperor Constantine. She wants her husband to exercise a more active role in governing (he'd rather hunt and party) so she can exert even more power. She fears losing power so much that she spies for the pretender to the throne hoping to become a leading member of the new regime should Basil lose the war.
Of course Helena tries to recruit Raef to her cause.
Then there's Basil's ultimate antagonist, Bardas Phokas, whom I picture as Jack Palance portraying Curly in City Slickers. He's an old general who doesn't like taking orders from upstart brats like Basil and Constantine. He likes power too. So he proclaims himself emperor and overruns most of Asia Minor.
Phokas then lays siege to Abydos, thus threatening to blockade the Dardanelles and cut off a major portion of Constantinople's trade. At this point Basil II obtains timely aid, in the form of Varangian mercenaries.
So the scene is set for Raef to rescue Helena from the clutches of General Phokas who has seen through Helena's amorous machinations and the clash of armies with Phokas galloping forward to seek personal combat with the true Emperor.
If you love adventure with dramatic fight scenes and strong characters, which gives you an easy way in to a fascinating period of history, then this is for you. If you really want to understand the politics you're going to have to wade through some explanations found in non-fiction. You might find Ghost Empire helpful.
June 19, 2011
In Constantinople at the turn of the first millennium, the early years of the reign of Basil II were racked by civil war and his wife's murderous intrigue. This historical novel from the pen of Cecelia Holland captures that intrigue and the glory of the Byzantine empire within an exciting adventure story format. It is one of many volumes she has written over the years and it is both entertaining and educational for those who enjoy this genre. Cecelia Holland is an American novelist, born in Nevada, educated at Pennsylvania State University. Most of her novels are based on historical subjects including her first, The Firedrake (1966), which explores past history from the fall of Rome onwards.
May 18, 2025
Cecelia Holland has been my favorite historical fiction author for as long as I can remember -- and "The High City" is yet another wonderful evocation of the past.
Holland's style is cryptic, and the reader must pay attention, or the blanks won't be filled in. But the action is steady, the characters real, and the historical detail precise.
"The High City" continues the tale of the sons of Corban, in the 10th century, and though it seems hard to believe, the range of experiences by the Northmen, from North America to Kiev to Constantinople, is historically accurate.
But all of that is incidental -- what matters is that it's another wonderful read from Cecelia Holland.
Holland's style is cryptic, and the reader must pay attention, or the blanks won't be filled in. But the action is steady, the characters real, and the historical detail precise.
"The High City" continues the tale of the sons of Corban, in the 10th century, and though it seems hard to believe, the range of experiences by the Northmen, from North America to Kiev to Constantinople, is historically accurate.
But all of that is incidental -- what matters is that it's another wonderful read from Cecelia Holland.
September 21, 2011
The story of a Dane who finds himself in Constantinople with the emperor Basil, around 1000 AD. I think it is in the midst of a series, so there wasn't much backstory for the characters. What I really liked about this story is that the male-female relationships were neither passionately romantic love affairs nor sordid encounters with prostitutes nor brutal--in historical fiction you so often get only the extremes. Rather here there were events and emotions that rang true.
May 21, 2015
Lovely descriptive prose, but I couldn't find much in the way of plot or character.
August 13, 2020
Irish reaver Raef Corbansson has found work as a rower on a small trading ship heading into the Greek Sea. When a storm wrecks his vessel, he and the crew are tossed ashore into the midst of a civil war in Constantinople. The Byzantine city, co-ruled by Constantine and Basil II, is one of violent contrasts—as cruel, corrupt, and vicious as it is glorious and pious. Raef can neither speak the language nor understand the customs of the people among whom he finds himself. But his heroic actions on the battlefield earn him a place among Basil's most trusted warriors, the Varangian mercenaries from Scandinavia and the steppes of Russia, bringing him to the amorous—and perilous—attention of the jealous Constantine's wife.
January 23, 2017
This is a beautifully written historical novel which completely transports the reader into the violent, gaudy, perilous world of the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Basil II. If you love adventure with dramatic fight scenes and strong characters, which gives you an easy way in to a fascinating period of history along the way, then this is for you. I think I may have enjoyed this book more as a younger reader - much of the action and set-up was quite sad. I also found it hard to empathise completely with the major characters, but that may be the perilous state of the world at the moment. This is a classy historical novel, and I'm sorry I wasn't more in the mood for it.
Read
March 30, 20223/27/22 - How can a book with a shipwreck and an invading army by page 35 not have me hooked? Seriously, self, why?
3/30/22 - Page 77 and still not hooked. Not gonna push myself on this one. There were just too many characters without defining stories or characteristics to help me remember them. I just noticed on GR that this is part of a series, so maybe they're supposed to be familiar?
3/30/22 - Page 77 and still not hooked. Not gonna push myself on this one. There were just too many characters without defining stories or characteristics to help me remember them. I just noticed on GR that this is part of a series, so maybe they're supposed to be familiar?
August 10, 2016
This is a book about war, ancient wars battled in the name of power. Instead of electronic blasts they’ve got swords and catapults. There are some nasty torture scenes. I was reading one page on the tram and a fella was standing next to me and read what I was reading. Then he uttered, ‘Sick’.
I nodded, ‘Yep.’
It was probably the worst scene in the book, skewering the Delphinas between the legs on a spike and leaving him sitting on it to twitch. Yep. Sick as. But in view of the setting and plot of this book the violence isn’t gratuitous.
The hero of the book, Raef, begins in an interesting way, from the point of view of a Greek who doesn’t speak Scythian. It makes Raef all action and anything he speaks as gibberish to be interpreted. They’ve been ship-wrecked, in the middle of a war zone and those who have survived are being taken and tortured as spies. Raef is able to get around this by spearing a soldier and taking his helmet and clothing to disguise himself and avoid detection. He is also able to rescue a fellow crew-mate and disables some catapults allowing the Emperor’s army to come ashore and beat the Delphinas.
Despite what Raef does to help the Romans, because he will not kneel down to the Emperor, he becomes a scape-goat to their plots to gain power. Raef is a likable boof with long blond locks and good moral sensibilities. But this novel isn’t about him, so much as the absolute disgusting way rulers rule. Cecelia Holland no doubt was inspired to write this book after coming across information about Emperor Basil II. Who is best known for putting out the eyes of fifteen thousand Bulgar prisoners and leaving a single eye in every hundredth man to lead them all home.
I’m surprised Cecelia Holland didn’t go into more details of the other side of Basil II in the novel, how he shifted the burden of taxation on the rich and restored the lands that local elites had misappropriated from ordinary farmers. But she does leave a little historical note at the end to tell us about the real Basil II and how he did this.
The book is readable, just something in the plot is missing to make it a book to rave about. Yep, so probably the climax is when Raef climbs the building to rescue the empress, not that we care about her. If the sex scene with the empress and Raef is the high-light so be it. (For I don’t want to say that scenes of other kind of penetration are climatic, because…um… sick!) This scene gives insight into beds of manipulation. Here they having a good, whatever that Greek word for ‘fuck’ is that the empress pleads Raef for, in a cave after he rescues her; then they go for it again and this time she wants to get him to kill her husband Basil who is so concerned about power he won’t let any of his daughters marry. Yep. Kill, kill, kill… And because Raef refuses her this, she sends someone to kill him. But Raef senses the axe before it is about to lop his head. Raef has certain instincts that make him likable and magical and heroic. He is also all that is just, honourable and sensible in a world of war and horror. But, so what, even his best mate Lief is a reformed paedophile.
I nodded, ‘Yep.’
It was probably the worst scene in the book, skewering the Delphinas between the legs on a spike and leaving him sitting on it to twitch. Yep. Sick as. But in view of the setting and plot of this book the violence isn’t gratuitous.
The hero of the book, Raef, begins in an interesting way, from the point of view of a Greek who doesn’t speak Scythian. It makes Raef all action and anything he speaks as gibberish to be interpreted. They’ve been ship-wrecked, in the middle of a war zone and those who have survived are being taken and tortured as spies. Raef is able to get around this by spearing a soldier and taking his helmet and clothing to disguise himself and avoid detection. He is also able to rescue a fellow crew-mate and disables some catapults allowing the Emperor’s army to come ashore and beat the Delphinas.
Despite what Raef does to help the Romans, because he will not kneel down to the Emperor, he becomes a scape-goat to their plots to gain power. Raef is a likable boof with long blond locks and good moral sensibilities. But this novel isn’t about him, so much as the absolute disgusting way rulers rule. Cecelia Holland no doubt was inspired to write this book after coming across information about Emperor Basil II. Who is best known for putting out the eyes of fifteen thousand Bulgar prisoners and leaving a single eye in every hundredth man to lead them all home.
I’m surprised Cecelia Holland didn’t go into more details of the other side of Basil II in the novel, how he shifted the burden of taxation on the rich and restored the lands that local elites had misappropriated from ordinary farmers. But she does leave a little historical note at the end to tell us about the real Basil II and how he did this.
The book is readable, just something in the plot is missing to make it a book to rave about. Yep, so probably the climax is when Raef climbs the building to rescue the empress, not that we care about her. If the sex scene with the empress and Raef is the high-light so be it. (For I don’t want to say that scenes of other kind of penetration are climatic, because…um… sick!) This scene gives insight into beds of manipulation. Here they having a good, whatever that Greek word for ‘fuck’ is that the empress pleads Raef for, in a cave after he rescues her; then they go for it again and this time she wants to get him to kill her husband Basil who is so concerned about power he won’t let any of his daughters marry. Yep. Kill, kill, kill… And because Raef refuses her this, she sends someone to kill him. But Raef senses the axe before it is about to lop his head. Raef has certain instincts that make him likable and magical and heroic. He is also all that is just, honourable and sensible in a world of war and horror. But, so what, even his best mate Lief is a reformed paedophile.
April 6, 2016
I haven't actually read it - or rather finished it. Each time I find a new Cecilia Holland book I hope that it is going to be just as brilliant and just as enthralling and just as original as "Floating Worlds" and each time I'm disappointed. There's a flatness of style which leaves me disconnected and dissatisfied.
August 5, 2013
I stopped reading this one before I was even 1/4th of the way through. I usually like Cecilia Holland books but this one had a military setting and too much fighting for my taste. Others might like it though.
November 12, 2009
I very much enjoyed this continuation of the stories of Raef the North American born mystical viking.
September 29, 2013
Well written. This is the 1st book in this series I've read so I am pursuing the others. I am not a fan of the fantasy aspect but a good picture of the times is created.
January 24, 2015
Good pace, interesting characters. I don't think I'll go find the rest of the series, but it reads OK as a standalone.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews