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The Shards of Heaven, by Michael Livingston
Free Ebook The Shards of Heaven, by Michael Livingston
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Julius Caesar is dead, assassinated on the senate floor, and the glory that is Rome has been torn in two. Octavian, Caesar's ambitious great-nephew and adopted son, vies with Marc Antony and Cleopatra for control of Caesar's legacy.
But as civil war rages from Rome to Alexandria, and vast armies and navies battle for supremacy, a secret conflict may truly shape the course of history: two sons of Caesar have set out on a ruthless quest to find and control the Shards of Heaven, legendary artifacts said to possess the very power of the gods -- or of the one God.
Caught up in these cataclysmic events, and the hunt for the Shards, are a pair of exiled Roman legionnaires, a Greek librarian of uncertain loyalties, assassins, spies, slaves . . . and the ten-year-old daughter of Cleopatra herself.
The Shards of Heaven�reveals the hidden magic behind the history we know, and commences a war greater than any mere mortal battle.
- Sales Rank: #893335 in Books
- Published on: 2015-11-24
- Released on: 2015-11-24
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.41" h x 1.36" w x 5.95" l, 1.00 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 416 pages
Review
A brilliant debut. Livingston has spiced real history with a compelling dose of fantasy!�(Bernard Cornwell, New York Times Bestselling author of The Pagan Lord)
Accurate history, magic, a diverse cast, intrigue and action, all set in ancient Rome. And Egypt. And did I mention the legionnaires? (Mary Robinette Kowal, Hugo award-winning author of the Glamourist Histories)
Breathtaking in scope. With the first volume of a planned series intertwining Roman history and myth with Judeo-Christian mythology, Michael Livingston has created something truly epic from beginning to end.... A truly inventive epic fantasy-like novel, a massive undertaking that launches a tremendously ambitious series. (Barnes and Noble SFF Blog)
This is a top-notch tale. An accomplished nonfiction author and historian, Livingston has a talent for storytelling that will keep readers immersed in the complex tale. (Library Journal)
This multipronged tale is dense with action and incident; it's grounded in history, mythology, and religion, but not weighed down by them. (Publisher's Weekly)
About the Author
An award-winning writer and professor,�Michael Livingston�holds degrees in History, Medieval Studies, and English. He teaches at The Citadel, in Charleston, South Carolina.
Most helpful customer reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
History seasoned with magic
By Neal Reynolds
This is an exquisite merging of history and fantasy. The author, who previously has had only short fiction published, is an associate professor specializing in the middle ages.
The book's in three parts: The trident of Poseidon, The Battle of Actium, and The fall of Egypt. I recommend reading one part at a time and let it soak in before starting the next part. It is quite heavy on the history, starting immediately after the assassination of Julius Ceasar. While Mark Anthony and Cleopatra are characters in the book, the main characters have names of real people who are mentioned in historical records, a couple of whom very little is known. A glossary at the end of the book tells us what is known about the characters while also listing the very minor characters who are unknown to history.
The writing style tends to be a bit professorial and I actually liked that. There's lots of narrative here, and less dialogue than you'll find in most novels. We see more of the thoughts and attitudes of the characters than we do of their spoken words. This conveys the illusion of this being authentic history rather than the historical fiction that it is. There is fantasy here, but it's presented in a highly believable way.
All in all, this is powerful book that takes you into ancient Rome and Egypt while spicing it with a little magic.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
A step back in time through history mixed with a little Indiana Jones!
By Jessica Higgins
The Empire of Rome has been rocked by recent events. Julius Caesar has been murdered. An assassin has been sent by Octavian to kill the son of Caesar and Cleopatra, but fails at his duty. After Octavian and Marc Antony have joined forces to avenge Caesar’s death, the empire is split into factions. A rift is created between Marc Antony and Octavian and Octavian has managed to make Marc Antony appear as a traitor to Rome by choosing to live in Alexandria with Cleopatra and their children. Octavian’s adopted brother Juba is after religious relics that have mysterious powers. After he finds Poseidon’s trident, he discovers that the powers are actually from little shards that have been scattered throughout the earth. Based on his research, he knows that the most powerful relic in the world is the Ark of the Covenant. If he can find that, he can overthrow his brother’s shadow and rule the world.
This book was an overall enjoyment for me. I have always enjoyed Roman history, even though this particular book has a bit of science fiction to it as well. There are two sets of main characters that are followed throughout the book, Juba and Cleopatra Selene as their stories are naturally intertwined through actual history. The second set is Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, who might be recognized as the main characters from HBO’s Rome. The book follows the history of the events of the battle of Actium and of the suicides of Marc Antony and Cleopatra. Additionally, the book correctly speaks of the writings of Julius Caesar and the mentioning of both Vorenus and Pullo. So naturally, the book was very enjoyable (even if the sudden demise of one character doesn’t follow history quite so well. Hopefully he will be back in book two).
The characters were able to develop themselves rather well. Most of the supporting characters had very few speaking roles, but played their part in mention. Overall flow of the story was great. Very little language overall and no love scenes to get in the way. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Entertaining Historical-fiction Novel
By Wendell
The Shards of Heaven is a wonderfully written work of historical-fiction; one which is able to evoke the awe and majesty of the final days of the Roman Republic while mixing in enough fantastical elements to create something fresh and original. Enjoyable alone, it is the first installment in The Shards of Heaven series and loudly proclaims a new voice in the genre, a writer whom we will all be reading for years to come.
The story begins immediately after the fall of Julius Caesar at the hands of disgruntled senators. Rome is in chaos; the specter of war looms over all. The figures at the center of the political maelstrom are Caesar’s grand-nephew and adopted son Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus; his supposed biological son Caesarion by the Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra; and his ally and a renowned general Marc Antony. Each of these titans of history playing a pivotal part in a dramatic assassination attempt immediately after Caesar’s death
Once the frantic beginning is done, Shards skips ahead in time to the period before the final war of the Roman Republic, focusing on Prince Juba of Numidia. This young man is another adopted son of Julius Caesar; his biological father having fought unsuccessfully against Rome in northern Africa and having died rather than be captured; and while Juba plays the dutiful Roman and subservient brother of Octavian, deep down he is neither, but rather a hater of Rome who is diligently plotting his revenge against it. A revenge which depends on him locating and wielding the god-like powers of the Shards of Heaven; an artifact which legend says is the Trident of Poseidon and perhaps the Staff of Moses.
While Juba’s quest proceeds, the narrative weaves a vivid picture of a Mediterranean world sitting upon the edge of a precipice; war seemingly inevitable, as Octavian eyes the eastern lands which Mark Antony and his paramour Cleopatra hold in trust for Caesarion and their own children. All that is needed is a spark to begin yet another war in the Roman Republic. A war which will sweep aside the old and usher in the new!
As a lover of history and a student of Roman history when I was in college many decades ago, my favorite aspect of Shards was its amazing portrayal of this epoch in time. The Mediterranean world literally comes to life before your eyes. The Rome Republic and Ptolemaic Egypt shown in their true historic brilliance. Dr. Livingston delving far below the surface of each to reveal their unique natures, distinct qualities, and the huge differences which separated them from one another. And for a few hours, I actually felt like I had walked in the streets of both Rome and Alexandria, which is something I will never forget.
Characters are the other highlight of this story. The faithful rendition of many familiar legendary players is extremely well-done. Octavian, Mark Antony, and Cleopatra literally burst off the pages here, mesmerizing in their grandeur and perplexing in their faults. But even more impressive than them were the other – lesser known – characters such as Caesarion, Juba, and Cleopatra Selene. Each of these youths grow before your eyes into living, breathing individuals caught up in titanic events, desperately attempting to live through it all, and it is through them (more than their more well-known co-stars) that Shards’ real story shines.
My only criticism of the novel would be its assumption that readers have a rudimentary understanding of this period of Mediterranean history. As I mentioned, the beginning is fast and furious, introduces the names of Cleopatra, Caesarion, Mark Antony, and Octavian, but then fast-forwards ahead to a world where Octavian rules in Rome and Mark Antony and Cleopatra rule in Egypt. How all this occurred isn’t really explained except in the most basic ways. Not knowing how Octavian and Antony and Cleopatra arrived at this moment in history won’t necessarily keep you from enjoying Shards, but it does make it a tad bit more difficult to understand why these people are acting as they are.
Fantastical elements, engaging characters, a vivid world and a fast-moving plot, Dr. Livingston has endowed The Shards of Heaven will all these elements — and many more. It really is a historical-fiction novel which should not be missed, and I’d highly recommend all lovers of intricate, epic stories to give this amazing novel a try.
I received this novel for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. The thoughts you have read are mine alone.
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