In the fourth volume of his Oath of Empire series, Harlan (Shadow of Ararat) brings his exquisitely detailed, multifaceted saga of an alternative seventh-century Roman Empire to a satisfying close. Familiarity with the three previous installments, however, is essential to understanding the motivations of some characters, Mohammed in particular. While the author relegates some important individuals from the earlier books to bit roles in this movie-like chronicle, he develops others more fully, though with somewhat confusing attributes and rationales. Galen, emperor of Rome, continues to hold the fate of the Empire in the balance, alternately aided and frustrated by his sorcerer brother, Maxian. The resurrected Gaius Julius (Caesar) and the Duchess Anastasia intrigue against one another and the brothers, playing out the traditional Roman grasp for power. All oppose the evil Persian sorcerer, Dahak, lord of the seven serpents, who can count as his allies the King of Kings, the Palmyran queens and the raised dead. The conflict comes to a head first in Alexandria, where Aurelian, the middle brother, faces especially bloody fighting, dust and suffering. On Aurelian's death, the action moves to Sicilia, where Maxian, now emperor, finally understands the true nature of his enemy. Rip-roaring battle scenes offset the sometimes slow pace necessary to keep all the complexities of the story on track. This is opulent historical fantasy on a grand scale.
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The conclusion of Harlan's massive alternate-history fantasy The Oath of Empire isn't quite as successful as its predecessors, The Shadow of Ararat (1999), The Gate of Fire (2000), and The Storm of Heaven (2001). It is wordier than its story can support, and more populous, scene-shifting, and eventful than readers who start the tetralogy with it will be able to process. For veteran series readers, however, the abundant detail just fleshes out the narrative, making the book an outstanding feat of world building, at the very least. Certainly the last stage of the fight against the evil sorcerer Dahak is not without interest. Dahak's minions, the Persians, have captured Constantinople and now are marching on Egypt. If they capture the breadbasket of the empire, Rome is doomed. The aspiring caesar, Maxian, and the ghostly caesar, Gaius Julius, must wield their capabilities, powers, and assorted allies to prevent catastrophe. When it is all over, Maxian isn't promised a trouble-free reign, but Harlan has earned his welcome to the ranks of historical fantasists. Roland Green
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