B000YQHMGU

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For fans of the movie Gladiator comes this bloody account of the clashing of civilizations, as Attila the Hun, "The Scourge of God," struggles to overthrow the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire is weakening. In 367 AD, approximately eight years after the great battle at Hadrian's Wall, Roman garrisons begin to hear rumors of barbarian tribes massing to the north. By 449 AD, Attila, the ruler of the Huns, has become the continent's most powerful monarch, his reputation in battle earning him the title "The Scourge of God."Anticipating an imminent attack by the Huns, Roman leaders negotiate with one of Attila's lieutenants, convincing him to play the part of assassin. He is joined on his mission by a Roman citizen, Jonas, an ambassador dispatched to negotiate a peace treaty with the Huns. When the plot is discovered, Jonas becomes a hostage, forced to fight for his captors if he wishes to remain alive. But he soon learns that Attila intends to conquer Rome itself, and is caught between two mighty empires, both poised for one of the greatest conflicts the world has ever seen. Jonas, knowing his life could be forfeit, has the potential to tip the battle in either direction––and his decision will alter the face of Western civilization. For readers of historically nuanced thrillers and adventure stories by authors like Bernard Cornwell and Colleen McCullough. For readers interested in Roman and Barbarian culture and warfare.From Publishers WeeklySet in the dark final days of the Roman Empire, Dietrich's rousing fifth novel (after Hadrian's Wall, etc.) chronicles the bid of the charismatic Attila the Hun to conquer the West and dominate all of Europe. Standing in his way are the crumbling vestiges of the Roman Empire, now divided between West (Rome) and East (Constantinople) and still struggling with the adoption of Christian faith. The story of Attila's western march is given additional human dimension by a romance between Jonas Alabanda, a scribe assigned to an embassy mission to Attila from Theodosius II, emperor of the Eastern Empire, and Ilana, a gorgeous Roman taken by the Huns as a slave. Because of a foiled Roman plot to assassinate Attila, Jonas finds himself held hostage, but with the aid of a cunning and intrepid dwarf jester, Zerco, he manages to steal a legendary giant sword and upset Attila's plans and fortunes long enough for the Roman general Aetius to assemble the Germanic tribes into an effective defense force. Because the period is comparatively undocumented, the historical background is somewhat thin, and the standard-issue romance doesn't quite fill in the blanks. Still, the story unfolds swiftly and satisfyingly, and the confusing array of tribes and leaders are deftly presented--no mean feat. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistLife was not secure for citizens of the Roman Empire in the mid-fifth century, who had reason to fear the "scourge of God," as Attila the Hun was called. A canny leader and warrior, Attila had his forces destroy everything in his path as he set out to conquer both eastern and western Roman empires. Dietrich (Hadrian's Wall, 2004) hews strongly to historical fact, providing a cast of characters and map of the period, adding just three fictitious characters to his primary cast: Jonas Alabanda, a Roman historian and diplomat from Constantinople; Ilana, a Roman who loses father, home in Axiopolis, and fiance to the Huns, who take her hostage; and Skilla, a Hun soldier and nephew of warlord Edeco. Their personal relationships help connect the actual events of the time and add humanity to them. Dietrich vividly describes treachery, betrayals, assassination attempts, executions, and battles, culminating in the almost incomprehensibly massive and bloody Battle of Chalons, in 451 A.D. Michele LeberCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved