- Hardcover: 400 pages
- Publisher: Orion (10 Jan 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0752890409
- ISBN-13: 978-0752890401
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.6 x 4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 957,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Tyrant
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
A well-born officer of Athenian cavalry, Kineas fought shoulder to shoulder with Alexander in his epic battles against the Persian hordes. But when he returns to his native city, he finds not glory but ignominy, as all veterans of the Boy King's campaigns are sent into exile. With nothing to his name but his military skills, Kineas has no choice but to become a mercenary, and soon accepts a commission to soldier for the Tyrant of Olbia, a wealthy city on the Black Sea. But when he reaches Olbia he finds he and his tight-knit band of Athenians have stumbled into a deadly maze of intrigue and conspiracy as the Tyrant plots to use them as a pawn in the increasingly complex power games between his own citizens, the so-called barbarians of the encroaching Scythian plains, and the dread military might of Macedon. Caught between his duty to the Tyrant, his loyalty to his men and a forbidden love affair with a charismatic Scythian noblewoman, Kineas must call on all his Athenian guile, his flair on the battlefield, and even - he is convinced - the intervention of the gods, to survive.
About the Author
Christian Cameron is a former US Naval Intelligence officer and the co-author, with his father, Ken Cameron, of the acclaimed Gordon Kent military thriller series, as well as WASHINGTON AND CAESAR, a novel of the American Revolution. He lives with his family in Toronto.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good but not great,
By C. Green "happily low brow" (Quenington, Glos, UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Tyrant (Paperback)
Tyrant, the solo fictional debut of Christian Cameron, who with his father writes naval thrillers under the nom de plume of Gordon Kent, is a pretty handy addition to a genre I can best describe as pre-Christian historical military fiction. Fans of the likes of Conn Iggulden's Emperor series, Simon Scarrow's Eagle series or Steven Pressfield's work are likely to enjoy Cameron's tale of Greek mercenaries, fresh from Alexander the Great's campaigns, fighting against impossible odds on the plains of what is now the Russian caucasus. Certainly both the setting and the cast of characters (the latter a mix of Greeks, western European mercenaries and local tribesmen) feel fresh, the historical details feel accurate and for the most part there is enough action to sustain a sense of excitement.
Good though the book for the most part is however, it is by no means perfect. For a start it felt longer than its 400 pages, and at certain points I found it hard to sustain interest in it. This is mostly due to pacing issues during the third quarter of the book where the reader, like the characters, is left waiting for something to happen. Tightening up the narrative and getting rid of some of the flabbier bits of the book would not have gone amiss. Speaking of flab, my other major gripe is that as the book progresses at times it increasingly veers towards the prentensious. Not only did I find the repeated 'dreams' experienced by Kineas, the central character, an increasingly wearisome plot device, but some of the authors' descriptions of people, places and events tended towards the overly florid and excessive at times. Despite all this when the action get's going Tyrant remains an enjoyable read. Intended as the first in a series I will be interested to see where Cameron takes Kineas and the other characters he has introduced here. If he or his editors can correct the weaker elements on display in this first book then this could have the makings of a successful series. A good start if not a great one.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A real surprise treat,
By Gareth Wilson - Falcata Times Blog "Falcata T... - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: Tyrant (Paperback)
Usually an author in conjunction with his father, this made his first solo project something that many fans have clamoured for for a while. So the question is, can he actually write of was it just a case of riding on the coat tales?
Whilst when reading I did seem to notice a tip of the hat to David Gemmell in not only writing style but the way that the characters were crafted yet it was these very character that made this book a pure joy as .each one a living breathing person that you actually cared about during the combat. Whilst some inevitably die it's a real struggle for the reader to lose them and then have to carry on reading about the war into which they've been plunged and yet, whilst we all tend to know the history to a certain degree, Christian has picked a time and place where his characters can stand tall and act like men defending their homeland from the clutches of the "monster" of Macedonia. Exciting, intriguing and above all a tale that drags the reader down into the mud to fight side by side with the heroes. A book I can heartily recommend.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tyrant,
By
This review is from: Tyrant (Paperback)
Excellent story all the characters were brought to life plenty of action To me a good book is one that if you have to stop reading it, when you go back you remember everything you have read.I look forward to the second book. Well done !!.
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