Hammer and Anvil by Harry Turtledove (Book II of The Time of Troubles Series)

Turtledove is a master of alternative history. This is the second book in the Time of Troubles Series which deals with a Byzantine Empire time period. The first book dealt with the barbarous hill people and their conflict with the Empire and the nomadic tribes. The perspective was from the hill people’s point of view. This book deals with the Videssosian Emperor and his point of view. The empire is beset by the barbarous hill people and the nefarious and treacherous nomadic Kubratoi. Turtledove delves deeply into the motivations of the Emperor, his personal relationships and the impact of cultural clashes. Sounds boring and certainly isn’t. Turtledove writes about believable circumstances and characters, well worth the read.

Body of work of Harry Turtledove

Site: http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/turtledove.html

Review: http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/hammer.html