The Stolen Throne

The Stolen Throne (1995) is the first fantasy novel in the Time of Troubles series. This series is set in a world where plains dwelling nomads had long ago conquered the civilization between the two rivers. This Makuran empire is ruled by the King of Kings from his capital in Mashiz. Their traditional, and most powerful, enemy is the Empire of Videssos. In this novel, Abivard is the son of diqhan Godarz of the Vek Rud domain. He asks for insight into the future from his local soothsayer and receives a strange foretelling. Tanshar isn't even aware that he had spoken and so cannot explain his own words. The Klamorth nomads are stirred up and war is expected. Then the red flag is brought to Vek Rud and Abivard is allowed to ride to war with his father. All the Makuran noble castes are warriors, so naturally he is excited and pleased to be going to war. Yet Peroz King of Kings loses this war. Peroz is killed, along with most of the warriors in his army. Abivard escapes death by a fluke and survives to return home. His mother Burzoe advises him to do two things: marry his betrothed Roshnani and arrange the marriage of his older sister Denak. He sends messages to both domains and both marriages are consummated. Abivard is pleased to learn that his new wife is both good looking and smart. Soon a messenger comes asking Abivard to swear allegiance to Smerdis as King of Kings. At first he is puzzled, for his father had mentioned Sharbaraz as the heir. After the messenger explains that Peroz's son had abdicated the throne, Abivard swears fealty as diqhan of Vek Rud. Denak had married Pradtak, diqhan of the Nalgis Crag domain. About a month later, Abivard receives a letter from her stating that Sharbaraz is being held prisoner at Nalgis Crag and that he claims to be the rightful King of Kings. Suddenly affairs are no longer simple. In this story, Abivard and Denak, with help from Tanshar, liberate Sharbaraz from his cell and return to Vek Rud. They send messengers to all diqhans in the northwest province and set a date to discuss the upcoming civil war. Most of them are already angry with the usurper due to the Klamorth raids on their domain. At the meeting, Sharbaraz stirs up the diqhans and almost everyone agrees to follow him to roust Smerdis from the throne. One diqhan, however, tries to assassinate Sharbaraz, but what can you expect from rural diqhans? Still, Prypat goes to his execution with dignity. This story is obviously loosely based on the Sassanid and Byzantine empires, probably about the sixth or seventh century AD. Yet the geography is reversed and otherwise distorted and the major cultural themes differ significantly. For example, the Makuran religion involves four Prophets instead of a single Prophet -- Zoroaster -- and the Videssian religion has Phos -- the Sun God -- as its major deity. Still, the everyday occurrences of daily life in both empires are much the same. This series takes place in the same universe

This is the first of the original four books of the "Time of Troubles" quartet. It is set in the same world as the "Misplaced Legion" books, but several hundred years earlier. Anyone buying the books of this sequence has to be careful because of a change in the way the volumes are organised in more recent printings. As originally published, the four books of this story were: "The Stolen Throne" "Hammer and Anvil" "The Thousand Cities" "Videssos Besieged" "The Stolen Throne" and "Hammer and Anvil" have also been published together as "The Time of Troubles Part I"; similarly "The Thousand Cities" and "Videssos Besieged" are published together as "The Time of Troubles Part II". "The Stolen Throne" is told from the viewpoint of Abivard, who at the start of the book is the son and heir of a frontier noble or "Dihqan" in the Kingdom of Makuran, the great rival of the Empire of Videssos. At the start of the book he hears a prophecy: "Son of the Dihqan, I see a broad field which is not a field, a tower on a hill where honour will be won and lost, and a silver shield shining across a narrow sea." Shortly after this, Abivard goes to war for the first time, and takes part in a disastrous battle, the effects of which will throw both Makuran and Videssos into years of bloodshed, war, rebellion, and chaos ... Abivard tries to follow an honourable course during the years of war and betrayal which follow. He learns that good and bad men are to be found in both Videssos and Makuran. The first part of the prophesy quickly comes true - but what does the rest mean? The first and third parts of the quartet are told from the viewpoint of Abivard, the second and fourth from the viewpoint of a Videssian general, Maniakes. There are currently 12 novels set in the "Videssos" universe of which this is chronologically the second. The full list is as follows (dates assume that years in Videssos correspond to those in our world.) c. 850 BC - "Bridge of the Separator" c. 700 BC - The Time of Troubles series "The Stolen Throne" "Hammer and Anvil" "The Thousand Cities" "Videssos Besieged" c. 550 BC - "The Tale of Krispos" trilogy "Krispos Rising" "Krispos of Videssos" "Krispos the Emperor" 56 BC - "The Misplaced Legion" quartet "The Misplaced Legion" "An Emperor for the Legion" "The Legion of Videssos" "Swords of the Legion"

Turtledove wrote the "Legion of Videssos" series and the "Krispos of Videssos" series from the Videssan side of the world he created. This time he has crossed to "the enemy" in Makuran and is telling the stories of that side of the world.This book tells the story of Abivard, a lord from a small but loyal family who makes a king and marries his sister to the king. As a result he finds himself thrown into a senior military command and enmeshed in the complex politics of the world of Makuran. As he becomes increasingly distanced from his ruler Abivard must prove his loyaly, keep his holdings and protect his family.It sets up the plot nicely for the second book of the series.

Having enjoyed the books in H.Turtledove's WorldWar series, I picked up The Stolen Throne. The setting apparently is in the same world as his Videssos and Krispos novels, though the tale here occurs several hundred years before either of those series. The setting reminds me of descriptions of the Middle East, a dry landscape dependent on irrigation systems for farming with a steppe-land to the north. The main character is a young noble thrust into a leadership role by political events between his country, Makuran, and its main rival, Videssos. I found myself more than mildly interested in him but was only occasionally emotionally stirred by his trials. Plot progress varies throughout with numerous interludes examining women's life in a very male-dominated society. I found these enlightening of themselves and they helped push the story forward. Some twists occur but mostly the action is predictable. Turtledove's descriptions of war here, as in other of his stories, deals in reality and does not glorify it, an aspect of his writing that I wholeheartedly approve. Magic is present in this world though it is rarely depended on for effects or plot advancement. The ending chapters are a little disjointed, in part I think because he's trying to tie things up for this book while introducing the crisis that starts the second book in the series. I hope that one is at least as good as this one.