Videssos Besieged

Videssos Besieged (1998) is the fourth fantasy novel of the Time of Troubles series, following The Thousand Cities. In the previous volume, Sharbaraz King of Kings finally told Abivard and Tzikas why they were not allowed to kill each other. Two years before, Sharbaraz had sent two emissaries to the Kubratoi to coordinate an attack on Videssos the City. The nomads would provide boats carved out of tree trunks to ferry the Makuraner troops across the strait and the Makurans would provide siege engines to attack the walls. In this novel, Avtokrator Maniakes learns that Kubratoi nomads are observing his troops within Videssos the City. He briefly wonders why, but then gathers his soldiers and sails away to Lyssaiion. From there, he leads his troops into the land between the rivers. Abivard waits for news of the third invasion of the Videssians into the Thousand Cities. As soon as he is learns of the Videssian presence, Abivard takes the field army through the westlands toward Across. Of course, he leaves the infantry behind to delay Maniakes. Maniakes finds only infantry, with just a few cavalry, facing him in the land between the rivers. He puts out scouts even further than usual looking for Abivard, then settles down to attacking the mud brick walls of the cities and advancing toward Mashiz. Sometimes he wonders what is holding up the boiler boys, but he mostly concentrates on his ultimate goal. The infantry finally catches up with the Videssians at the Tib, but Maniakes defeats them and bridges the river. Mashiz is now only a few days away. Then a courier reaches him with news of the investment of Videssos by the Kubratoi and the presence of the Makurans in Across. Maniakes immediately realizes the threat, abandons the advance on Mashiz, and turns his army back to the coast. In this story, Maniakes loads his troops back on the ships and sails back to Videssos the City. A great storm sinks some of his ships north of the Key and the Kubratoi treeboats attack the survivors. However, the Videssian domons handily drive off the crude nomad boats with only slight losses. Now Maniakes has his troopers manning the walls of the city and the Makuraner troops are still across the strait. With the assistant of a little timely magic, he learns that the Makurans are expecting the nomads to ferry their troops across the Cattle Crossing in their treeboats. Unfortunately, he doesn't know what signal will be used to signal the gathering of the nomad boats at Across. The Kubratoi try to take the city by storm, but the walls are too high and too well defended. Then the nomads bombard the walls with catapults, but the walls are too thick and shrug off the minor damage. Then the nomads work the siege towers into position and cross the planks over the moat. The Videssians retaliate with arrows, bolts, spears and firepots, burning several of the towers. Yet some Kubratoi gain the walls for a time. This story relates the final efforts of the Ma

In which Maniakes has to defend Videssos against Abivard of Makuran ... This is the concluding volume 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 "Time of Troubles" series works best if you read the components in chronological order, but it does not particularly matter whether you read them before or after the "Misplaced Legion" or "Krispos" books. "Videssos Besieged" is told from the viewpoint of Emperor Maniakes of Videssos. Invading Makuran seeking to recover the territory his empire has lost, Maniakes finds no sign of the main Makuraner Army. Then he hears why - Abivard has taken it to attack the City of Videssos while the main Videssian Army is in the land of the thousand cities ... We also find out the meaning of the final part of the prophecy given to Abivard as a young man. This series alternates between books told from the viewpoint of Abivard the general of Makuran, and books told from the viewpoint of the Emperor of Videssos, Maniakes. This is an excellent conclusion to the highly entertaining "Time of Troubles" quartet and I highly recommend ir. There are currently 12 novels set in the "Videssos" universe, of which "Videssos Besieged" is chronologically the fifth. 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 once again is trumphant in this series. He succinctly tells the tale of a siege and revolt while also imparting a good view of the inner thoughts of the main characters. My main criticism is the lack of a map. The earlier novels in this series suuply a map (however, bad they may be). A map gives the reader easy reference materials. A map of the City would also be advantageous. All people interested in Byzantine history will enjoy this series as well as his earlier Byzantine modeled series.

With an eye toward history and another on fantasy Turtledove has allowed us to walk in the Empire once again. His Time of Troubles series has continued his fictional history of the Big V, and I am struck at the lack of "common" plot themes. The heroes are enemies, the victory is won by chance and cunning, and the story takes the reader far past the typical end point of "we win." Well done, and keep them coming! I am wondering just WHO will rise on the Shield as the next Avtokrator........

Harry Turtledove's "Videssos" books are among the classics of the fantasy genre -- solidly grounded in history (albeit intriguingly warped!), meticulously backgrounded, and narrated through living, vivid characters."Videssos Besieged" brings the latest (but hopefully not last) Videssian series to a satisfying conclusion. It has intrigue, suspense, and a pair of sympathetic antagonists -- the Videssian Avtokrator and the great Makuraner general Abivard. Both of them are human beings, complete with crotchets, faults, virtues, and a three-dimensional life away from the battlefield and council-chamber.The action scenes are as vivid and gripping as Turtledove's high standards lead us to expect, and the final resolution is both satisfying -- full closue -- and realistic. Life goes on after the end of the book...