Strategos

When the falcon has flown, the mountain lion will charge from the east, and all Byzantium will quake. Only one man can save the empire . . . the Haga!1046 AD. The Byzantine Empire teeters on full-blown war with the Seljuk Sultanate. In the borderlands of Eastern Anatolia, a land riven with bloodshed and doubt, young Apion's life is shattered in one swift and brutal Seljuk night raid. Only the benevolence of Mansur, a Seljuk farmer, offers him a second chance of happiness.Yet a hunger for revenge burns in Apion's soul, and he is drawn down a dark path that leads him right into the heart of a conflict that will echo through the ages. I'm a Scottish writer, addicted to reading and writing historical fiction.My love of history was first kindled by visits to the misty Roman ruins of Britain and the sun-baked antiquities of Turkey and Greece. My expeditions since have taken me all over the world and back and forth through time (metaphorically, at least), allowing me to write tales of the later Roman Empire, Byzantium, Classical Greece and even the distant Bronze Age. You can read a little more about me and my background at my website www.gordondoherty.co.uk When the falcon has flown, the mountain lion will charge from the east, and all Byzantium will quake. Only one man can save the empire . . . the Haga!In the 11th century AD, the ailing Byzantine Empire teeters on the brink of full-blown war with the Seljuk Sultanate. In the borderlands of Eastern Anatolia, a land riven with bloodshed and doubt, a dark hero rises from the ashes of the conflict. His journey will be a savage one, taking him from the snakepit of Constantinople to the blistering heart of the Seljuk realm . . . all the time leading him towards the fabled plains of Manzikert.

'A great story ... Doherty's writing is evocative, providing richly detailed scenes of life in medieval Byzantium' World History EncyclopediaTragedy broke him. Revenge will remake him. AD 1046. The Byzantine Empire teeters on the brink of full-blown war with the mighty Seljuk Sultanate. The two great powers vie to control Anatolia – a land of strife, riven with bloodshed and doubt. Young Apion's life is shattered one night when his family is murdered during a brutal Seljuk raid. Left for dead in his burning home, then rescued but only to be sold into slavery, it seems that he is destined for a cruel life. Until a benevolent Seljuk farmer, Mansur, offers him a second chance at happiness. Yet despite his new life of pastoral harmony on Mansur's border farm, a hunger for revenge burns in Apion's soul. Then a fateful encounter draws him down a dark path that leads him right into the heart of a conflict that will echo through the ages… The gripping first novel in the Strategos series, perfect for fans of S.J.A. Turney and Simon Scarrow.

Stay strong, Haga, for the Golden Heart will rise in the west. At dawn, he will wear the guise of a lion hunter. At noon, he will march to the east as if to conquer the sun itself. At dusk, you will stand with him in the final battle, like an island in the storm . . .1068 AD: the armies of the Seljuk Sultanate tear at Byzantium's borders, poised to strike the death blow that will bring all Anatolia under their yoke. Alp Arslan's armies grow stronger with every passing season, while the beleaguered Byzantine soldiers defend for their lives, the hope in their hearts guttering its last.This war has been Apion's mistress for many years, casting a dark shadow across his soul. When the mysterious crone comes to him, she can offer him only a glimmer of light. But at the darkest of moments, the smallest chink of light can be blinding. It will sweep Apion into the heart of the empire, Constantinople, and then onto the arid plains of Syria. It will taunt him with trust, betrayal, intrigue, love and brutal conflict. But, above all, it will offer him hope. I'm a Scottish writer, addicted to reading and writing historical fiction.My love of history was first kindled by visits to the misty Roman ruins of Britain and the sun-baked antiquities of Turkey and Greece. My expeditions since have taken me all over the world and back and forth through time (metaphorically, at least), allowing me to write tales of the later Roman Empire, Byzantium, Classical Greece and even the distant Bronze Age. You can read a little more about me and my background at my website www.gordondoherty.co.uk When the falcon has flown, the mountain lion will charge from the east, and all Byzantium will quake. Only one man can save the empire . . . the Haga!In the 11th century AD, the ailing Byzantine Empire teeters on the brink of full-blown war with the Seljuk Sultanate. In the borderlands of Eastern Anatolia, a land riven with bloodshed and doubt, a dark hero rises from the ashes of the conflict. His journey will be a savage one, taking him from the snakepit of Constantinople to the blistering heart of the Seljuk realm . . . all the time leading him towards the fabled plains of Manzikert.

Even in the darkness of war, there is always a flicker of hope. AD 1068. The Seljuk Sultanate tears at Byzantium's borders. Alp Arslan's armies grow stronger with every victory, while the Byzantines forces dwindle, the hope in their hearts guttering its last. All cry out for a new warrior emperor to lead them to salvation. This war has been Apion's mistress for many years now. As Strategos – high general – of the Chaldian border army, he is driven, shrewd and fearless. When news emerges that a new soldier-emperor, Romanus Diogenes, is to be crowned, Apion is summoned to Constantinople to witness the ascension. It is not the formality he expects. Instead, he is lured into a lethal plot, where enemies within seek to divert power into the hands of another. Then reports arrive of a renewed Seljuk assault on the Byzantine borders. Apion must use all his wits to guide Diogenes safely onto the throne, and then spirit him to the head of the army to meet the Seljuk threat… and to give the soldiers back their hope. The thrilling second novel in the Strategos series, perfect for fans of Angus Donald and Conn Iggulden.

The storm is upon us, Haga. The answers you seek dance within its wrath . . .1071 AD. Emperor Romanus Diogenes has rekindled the guttering flame of Byzantium. Yet in the eastern borderlands, two vital strongholds hang in the balance. Manzikert and Chliat must be won to secure the empire's fragile frontiers and vanquish the would-be usurpers who covet the imperial throne. But Sultan Alp Arslan and his vast Seljuk armies look to those twin fortress-towns also, resolute on seizing them first.Apion rides by the emperor's side as they march east, marshalling Byzantium's armies for the conflict that is to come. He knows only too well that the threat posed by the Sultan's hordes is well-matched by malevolent forces within the Byzantine ranks. Thus, the road to war is a savage one, but one he cannot refuse. For at its end, Fate beckons, taunting him with a choice of two futures.On the plains of Manzikert, one great power will rise and another will fall. On the plains of Manzikert, Apion will face the storm. I'm a Scottish writer, addicted to reading and writing historical fiction.My love of history was first kindled by visits to the misty Roman ruins of Britain and the sun-baked antiquities of Turkey and Greece. My expeditions since have taken me all over the world and back and forth through time (metaphorically, at least), allowing me to write tales of the later Roman Empire, Byzantium, Classical Greece and even the distant Bronze Age. You can read a little more about me and my background at my website www.gordondoherty.co.uk When the falcon has flown, the mountain lion will charge from the east, and all Byzantium will quake. Only one man can save the empire . . . the Haga!In the 11th century AD, the ailing Byzantine Empire teeters on the brink of full-blown war with the Seljuk Sultanate. In the borderlands of Eastern Anatolia, a land riven with bloodshed and doubt, a dark hero rises from the ashes of the conflict. His journey will be a savage one, taking him from the snakepit of Constantinople to the blistering heart of the Seljuk realm . . . all the time leading him towards the fabled plains of Manzikert.

A clash of empires that will echo for eternity… AD 1071. Emperor Romanus Diogenes has rekindled the guttering flame of Byzantium, and a reinvigorated empire rises to meet the Seljuk threat. In the eastern borderlands, two vital strongholds hang in the balance: Manzikert and Chliat. The Byzantines and Seljuks race to secure the twin fortress-towns. Apion rides by the emperor's side as they march east, marshalling Byzantium's armies for the conflict that is to come. He knows only too well that the threat posed by the Sultan's hordes is well-matched by malevolent forces within the Byzantine ranks. Thus, the road to war is a savage one, but one he cannot refuse. For at its end, Fate beckons, taunting him with a choice of two futures. On the plains of Manzikert, one great power will rise and another will fall. On the plains of Manzikert, Apion will face the storm. The epic conclusion to the Strategos series, perfect for fans of David Gilman and Christian Cameron.