The Shadow Of The Lion (Heirs of Alexandria)

The Grand Duke of Lithuania, under the control of a demon, is thwarted in his expansion attempts by the Holy Roman Empire. But the Empire has many demands on its resources and the Duke realizes that the focal point is Venice. If the Empire can be persuaded to divert its efforts into the quagmire of Italy, evil has a good chance to run over the weakened borders. Renaisance Venice is a city of feuds, rich merchants, magic, and mystery. The Emperor sends his nephew and possible heir into the Italian stew, accompanied by a Norse/Vinlander bodyguard and a group of Teutonic-style knights. Two young brothers, Marco and Benito struggle for their place in the city, abandoned by their family but still hunted by vendetta enemies. And Maria and Kat work Venice's famous canals in their gondolas. But the forces of evil are strong and Venice's ancient protector sleeps deeply. Authors Mercedes, Eric Flint, and Dave Freer combine to create an intriguing alternate history. In this world, magic exists, Hypatia of Egypt converted to Christianity and became a Saint, the Greeks still control Constantinople, Germany is united in a useful empire that doesn't quite squander all of its resources in Italy, and Lithuania and Hungary rather than the Ottoman Empire threaten the west. The Christian Church is split between Petrian and Pauline branches with the more rigid Pauline being especially strong in Germany closer to the battle against the demons themselves. THE SHADOW OF THE LION is a massive work--and only the first in a multivolume series. Its focus is almost wholly on Venice--the richest city in the world and a major link between east and west. Somehow, Marco and Benito must not only keep themselves alive, but also grow to the point where they can save the city. Because when the day comes, all of the Empire's forces, even his nephew Manfred, will be able to do little unless Venice can shake off its lethargy. Alternate history buffs will enjoy the way SHADOW twists history--making it interesting to people who enjoy history but without beating the reader over the head with it. Be warned, though. SHADOW is a major commitment. It takes time and energy to get through. This isn't the kind of book you can sit down with and get lost in. You'll work at it--but it'll be worth it.

At 823 pages and over 90 chapters long, this is easily Mercedes Lackey's (the lead author) longest single work. It is also more gritty than many of her recent works and collaborations, harkening back to her gutsy early works. Well done! The length of the volume allows for significant character development and plot twists galore (and medieval Italian politics has nothing but plot twists!). This also means the first 50-100 pages of the book kind of drags. That's okay, work your way through that, and you'll be entranced. I finished this sizable volume in less than 3 nights of reading... That good, really. The ending wraps up a little too neatly, quickly, and nicely, something of a Lackey trademark, but it's hard to complain about this meaty and interesting story.

I'm not one who normally likes alternative histories, but this is one of the best, most complex Lackey books I've read in ages. The characters, as always, have depth and humor, and the plot is fascinating -- my one question -- will there be a sequel?One word of caution -- those who have read C.J. Cherryh's Merovingen Nights Series may find many aspects of the plot strangely familiar...

I must admit, I wasn't particularly looking forward to this book. While I love certain of Mercedes Lackey's writing - especially her Elemental Masters and Free Bards series and her historical retellings of fairy tales - I've never warmed up to her Valdemar books, and I'd never read anything by (or even about) her two co-authors, Eric Flint and David Freer.I started the book, and was underwhelmed. While the concept seemed interesting - an alternate Renaissance Italy where magic works - the execution seemed clunky, introducing over a dozen major characters within the first chapter or so (a common mistake in historical novels). But within the first few chapters, I found myself caught up by the characters and the events that tied their lives together. By this point, the book had become so gripping that I couldn't stop until I finished it - and at 800-some pages, that takes a while! This is a wonderful book, and has persuaded me to check out some books by Flint and Freer while I'm at it. Certainly if you're at all interested in historical fantasy (especially dealing with alternate histories) you should give this book a chance.

I love historical novels, especially the really well researched and lushly written kind, like the late, and very much lamented Dame Dorothy Dunnett wrote, and I love science fiction, fantasy and alternate history. Mercedes Lackey, Dave Freer and Eric Flint have managed to write an alternative historical fantasy about 16th century Venice. So I got three of my favorites in one shot.This novel is long. But it never flags. The pace is headlong, but the descriptions are clear, crisp and detailed. And the characters are wonderful, especially the little people, the spearcarriers, and the supporting cast.A case in point is the use of a certain Basque priest as a main supporting character. It plays great without knowing who that character is based on, but it adds piquancy indeed to know that the character is really St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits.The magic isn't intrusive where it shouldn't be, and is organic... that is, it doesn't just come from anywhere, and there are clear rules about how it works.The magic isn't nearly as important to the plot as the convoluted and terrifyingly complex politics in the story. Remember, this is the same part of Europe that was still reading Macchiavelli as a "How To" textbook.I read snippets before publication, and I can't wait for the next one. The collaboration of Lackey, Freer and Flint is greater than each of them alone. And since Lackey and Flint are known for being extremely good on their own, and Freer is too, just not as well known, that's saying a lot.Buy this book. You will be swept away.The Bananaslug. at Baen's Bar.