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    The High City
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    The High City
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    The High City
    Ebook323 pages5 hours

    The High City

    By Cecelia Holland

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    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.



    At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateFeb 3, 2009
    ISBN9781466840836
    Unavailable
    The High City
    Author

    Cecelia Holland

    Cecelia Holland was born in Henderson, Nevada, in 1943 and started writing at the age of twelve. Starting with The Firedrake in 1966, she has published twenty-one independent historical novels covering periods from the middle of the first millennium CE up through parts of the early twentieth century, and from Egypt, through Russia, central Europe, Scandinavia, Great Britain, and Ireland to the West Coast of the United States. Most recently, she has completed a series of five novels set in the world of the Vikings, covering a period of about fifty years during the tenth century and following the adventures of Corban Loosestrife and his descendants. The hallmark of her style is a vivid re-creation of time, place, and character, all true to known facts. She is highly regarded for her attention to detail, her insight into the characters she has researched and portrayed, and her battle scenes, which are vividly rendered and powerfully described. Holland has also published two nonfiction historical/biographic works, two children’s novels, a contemporary novel, and a science fiction novel, as well as a number of historical essays.  Holland has three daughters. She lives in Fortuna, California, and, once a week, teaches a class in creative writing at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, California. Holland's personal website is www.thefiredrake.com. 

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    Reviews for The High City

    3.5/5

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    • 3/5
      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.