The Gate of Fire

I have finished the first three of the Oath of Empire books. I appreciate Harlan's style and realism. The characters are distinct and undergo believable growth and change. Dahak is a superb "bad guy" his strategies and actions are intelligent and chillingly effective. He is not without weakness but he recognizes that and adjusts accordingly. Nothing is more fun than a bad guy you respect. Overall a pleasurable and intelligent read. I got a little tired of Zoe's whining though...

Right now, there are perhaps three series that are as rich, complex, and well written: George Martin's Song of Fire and Ice; Jordan's Wheel of Time; and Mary Gentle's Secret History of Ashe. Harlan's writing is extremely skillful in that it never gets in the way, yet paints extremely complex portraits of characters and situations. He does not depend on devices such as deus ex to help him out, as he never paints himself into a corner--his plots are tight and well thought out and his characters are understandable and empathetic. They do not agree with eachother, they do not always get along, and life is not wonderful. This is a sophisticated work, with one of the main personalities gradually subverting to evil, although his intentions are the purest.Gate of Fire is the second in the series, and it is as good as the first. Do yourself a favor. Read it.

I waited with bated breath for Book 2 of the Oath of Empire to be published. I wasn't disappointed! Once again Thomas Harlan has written a deliciously intriguing novel with most of the characters we've loved and hated from The Shadow of Ararat. Handsome and powerful Prince Maxian continues to use his magic to shape the world. Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great feel like old friends and add wit and humor to the story. Sorcerer Dahak returns, growing ever more powerful, continuing to manipulate and control an ever growing service of men. Loveable and needy Dyrin is back, abandoned once again to his own devices. And Mohammed rises up and leads readers through a spiritual experience that at times feels personel. Once again we're led through the development and execution of a war between Persia and Rome, between evil and good, between man and monster. A detailed history of those ancient days weaves throughout the story, enhancing and bringing the story to real life. Thomas Harlan has blended the best of all people through the humor, joy, sorrows and tragedy of his characters. The last 100 pages build to a climax that can only be reached when his third novel appears. As I checked and re-checked for the release of The Gate of Fire, so will I wait for the ongoing saga and full blown war sure to be found as the Oath of Empire continues!

Having read "Shadow of Ararat" and not contributed any comment, I definitely have to say something about "Gate of Fire." This is a stunning, almost overwhelming sequel to "Shadow." Considering the size of the tapestry and the many threads we were given in "Shadow," "The Gate of Fire" somehow manages to weave these ever more intricately, preserving threads we had thought cut, and adding new ones to boot.In "Gate" we are introduced to a new character in the form of Nicholas, who wields his sword Brunhilde in his service as an agent of the Empire. He soon gains a sidekick who has, shall we say, a lycanthropic aspect. Other favorite characters we had thought lost are re-introduced. Necromancy abounds-I wonder if any character we love will really stay dead for long (although one of my favorites does appear to suffer a rather permanent demise). We learn that Mohammed (one of my favorite "Shadow" characters) may really be THE Mohammed of this world (although some small details insure that he can't really be the exact analog to our world's prophet of Islam). And so the threads of Jihad are now added to the weave...There are battles a-plenty, on land and sea, both great and small. Thomas Harlan can put you in the middle of a pitched combat like no other author I know of. Each scene is captured in slow-motion detail that creates poetry from the chaos of the melee.What about rest of the cast? Maxian still seeks to save Rome, but a great tragedy of timing and misunderstanding leads to one of the more ambitious climaxes and cliffhangers I've read. The survivors of Palmyra seek vengeance. More of Thyatis' history is revealed, and she is given a mission that may be the last of her career. In Persia, dark forces stir as Dahak's purposes are further revealed. The list goes on and on.Other characters are coming into their own as well-Dyrwin proves a skilled and apt pyromancer, Shirin discovers talents of her own, Krista is torn between love and loyalty. And the goals of resurrected legends become clearer...All I can say in conclusion is this: Thomas, hurry up and finish "Storm of Heaven!"

Gate of Fire is pretty terrific. The action is even better than in 'Shadow' and other than the slightly - well, silly - lesbian love scene with the tinkling of ankle bracelet bells on the beach (!), Gate of Fire has all the things you look for in a sequel - explosions! death! insanity! bands breaking up! betrayal! The author continues to mature as a writer, there are still an abundance of smarty-pants italicized words to keep the dead language mavens all giggly and happy, and the story grows more compelling with each page. New favorite character: Mohammed. Read it and you are likely to love him best too.