Customer Reviews

The Dance of Time (Belisarius Saga)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unfortunately it had to happen at some point, the conculsion of the Belisaruis series...

I found it to be a great read all in all. There where places in this the last book I could have wished for more detail, more pages or just that the series wasn't ending. But I must say that Eric Flint and David Drake have pulled off a conclusion to a series that in my mind is right up there at the top of the stack in science fiction!

In case you don't recall, the series contains these books: An Oblique Approach, In the Heart of Darkness, Destiny's Shield, Fortune's Stroke, The Tide of Victory, The Dance of Time.

In many tales of Science Fiction AI spells the downfall of humanity. We see it in film and print and it is becoming a phobia of the technology set even today.

But here is a tale that says "No". A machine, no matter how smart, possessing no matter how much information of science and the history of war is no match for a human. Oh this is unmistakeably a human who is one in millions. But a being of flesh, bone and of breath none-the-less.

It is in this tale that the authors show us what loyality and belief in a cause can do. What one man, one person can summon up to destroy evil. Oh it is a fictional series we say... But our history is full of men and woman who in greater or lesser measure have step in to the breach and for an measure of time, some longer than others have, have held the forcess of darkness at bay.

This is the final book in a six book series, so it cannot really be reviewed as a stand-alone item. I will assume the reader has read the other books before starting on this one.

But if you have, then what should you expect from the finale? Not much, really. Unfortunately this is a case of a series that started out very strong and eventually drifted into mediocrity. The long gap between the release of the fifth book and publication of this final one made it even worse for people reading the books in "real time"; the momentum of the story was strongly disrupted.

But even if you start with the first book (An Oblique Approach) right now and read all six without any delays, you will likely find the last few books to be disappointing. Unlike the first books, there is none of the fun derived from "inventing" industrialized warfare in the middle of the sixth century AD. And there are no real surprises left in the story. It is sort of like watching a videotaped ballgame when you already know the outcome.

The most interest that the book develops does not even have to do with the main story -- it involves a side plot about the creation of something along the lines of the International Red Cross.

But the biggest problem is that the characters have stopped being people and have become caricatures of themselves. This was a problem that the first few books struggled with, but in this one the struggle is over and the authors have lost. The accumulated in-jokes and references to established character traits have completely overwhelmed the characters themselves. Which is a shame, because some of them were quite interesting once upon a time.

I suspect the authors took so long to come out with this book because even they realized that they probably should have wrapped things up more quickly.

I'm not at all suggesting that a fan of the series will not want to read this conclusion. But the truth is, it doesn't really live up to the promise of the first few books. Alas.

Belisarius, the Roman/Byzantine General has ended the perpetual Roman wars with the Persian Empire and created a rebellion among the nomadic tribes which formed the shock troops of the Malwa armies. Now Roman and Persian troops stand at the banks of the Indus river. But the Malwa are not without resources. The entire wealth and population of India are at their service, and the mathmatical mind of Link, a computer sent from the future, is calculating the optimal strategy for reversing the Roman advances and turning the tide once more. After all, India has eternity on its side.

Belisarius, with his futuristic crystal-computer-friend, Aide, suspects that the Malwa will eventually self-destruct, but eventually is too long. He's always looking for a shorter path, a route which, while possibly violent, can convert tens of millions of casualties into tens of thousands. Even if millions are needed, though, Belisarius is willing to pay the price. He's seen the future where Link wins--a future where all of mankind is brought under Link's heel and where progress is stamped out. Fortunately, Link has access to all of the world's great battles, but lacks much imagination--and Belisarius is counting on that to doom the Malwa plans.

Authors Eric Flint and David Drake zoom from protagonist to protagonist as they take the reader from the siege warfare at the Indus river across the deserts of western India, into the Hindu Kush mountains and the Khyber Pass, and into Kausambi, the very capital of the Malwa Empire.

THE DANCE OF TIME is the sixth and final novel in the Belisarius series. By this time, the basic military innovations created by Link and Aide are fully in place. Rather than relying on sword and spear, Roman Cataphracts carried muskets and the army had developed siege cannons, mines, telegraphs, and ironclads as well. Rather than concentrate on these, Flint and Drake put the focus on the rebel Damodara, and his attempt to save his family before Link and the Emperor Skandagupta are able to hunt them down.

Fans of this series (like me) will enjoy seeing the conclusion as the military genius of Belisarius is pitted against the sheer computational abilities of Link. Although many of the modern innovations have already taken place, a charming sub-plot involving the creation of a sort of Red Cross shows the diffusion of knowledge and creativity beyond the circle immediately influenced by Aide and Belisarius.

Flint and Drake are polished writers and THE DANCE OF TIME shows it. Still, I think the book, and indeed the whole series, would have been more enjoyable if Belisarius's plans didn't always go right, if he had to extemporize more often. After all, detailed long-term planning is where Link should be strongest, not Belisarius. This book probably won't make much sense, and certainly won't be enjoyable, to readers who haven't already read the earlier books in the series. If you have read them, though, you won't want to miss this exciting conclusion.

The Dance of Time (2006) is the sixth novel in the Belisarius Series, following The Tide of Victory. In the previous volume, the allies have forced the Malwa back into northern India. Calopodius is blinded while commanding the defense of Bakkur Island. Narses has faked the death of Rana Sanga's wife and children and left them in the custody of Lady Damodara. The Damodara palace cellars are also a refuge for the family of Dadaji Holkar and the Roman cataphracts Valentinian and Anastasius.

In this novel, Damodara finds himself under heavy pressure from the Mahaveda priests. When Rana Sanga says that he believes his family to still be alive, Damodara immediately thinks of Narses, the master manipulator. Then Narses confirms his suspicions and tells them the current location of the family. Damodara is quite irritated, but also feels a sense of relief; the die is cast and he is now free to pursue his own destiny.

Calopodius finds a niche for himself as the director of communications for Belisarius. He also begins writing an official history of the war and the unofficial, but highly regarded, Dispatches to the Army. The wife of Calopodius the Blind pursues her husband into India, leaving confusion, better sanitation, and effective hospitals along her path.

The Empress Regent Theodora allows the young Emperor Photius and his consort to travel to India by way of Egypt and Ethiopia. Antonina appoints Ousanas as angabo and husband of Eon's widow Rukaiya, then takes Ousanas out of Ethiopia with the Emperor's progression. Agathius and his wife join the progression at Charax.

This series is another tale based on the life of Belisarius, arguably the best general of the Eastern Roman Empire. He may have been the best general of all time, but his strategy and tactics were based on the archaic war machines of his age. Thus Belisarius cannot be directly compared with Napoleon, Robert E. Lee, or other modern generals.

Several science fiction and alternate history tales have provided Belisarius, or his equivalent, with artillery and other advanced weapons. Yet such fiction proves nothing about his inherent capability to accept and use such tools. However, it does prove the respect of these authors.

This series is unusual in that such advanced weapons were developed from existing materials and technologies. Only the basic knowledge was imported from the future. In that respect, this series is much like De Camp's Lest Darkness Fall.

Highly recommended for Flint & Drake fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of great generals, psychological warfare, and battles against horrendous odds.

-Arthur W. Jordin

All good things must come to an end. The ONLY thing I hated about this book was that it is the last in the marvelous series that began with "An Oblique Approach", and continued with "In the Heart of Darkness", "Destiny's Shield", "Fortune's Stroke",and "The Tide of Victory." I've reviewed all of them in glowing terms, and I'm happy to say the final book is worthy of its predecessors.

In many ways, this book comes down to the "bunker scene." We start out KNOWING the vile Malwa Empire is doomed, but Flint and Drake draw dramatic tension from other problems. Will LINK, the monster from the future escape, possibly to start over again and succeed next time? What sort of peace can people who have spent years as enemies create? How will the various empires fare, in a new history where the industrial revolution has been kicked off a millennium early?

Flint and Drake show us all of the above and more, along with incidents funny and tragic, grand and small, as this story sweeps toward a conclusion both victorious and tragic. For examples, I'm never going to forget the Parable of the Onions. Or the Great Gamble... Or the Mongoose and his pupil... Or Calopodius... Or The Wife... and all the rest of the treasures, laughter, and tears this book holds.

This series, as a whole, is a magnificent tapestry, with threads artfully woven together and apart, forming a marvelous and beautiful whole.

Thank you Eric and David.

I have read all the books in this series, and this one is as good if not better than the rest. It finally ties up all the loose ends. If you enjoy military (science) fiction, than this is a good series for you.

This book does not disappoint. It brings to conclusion the entire series and makes me want to see a sequel as the earth develops along the new lines created by Justinian and Theodora.

The book is wonderful, it ties up the loose ends. Those of us that started this series at the beginning were wondering if would ever get here. So why only four stars? To get someone's attention: The maps suck, as they have from the first book, and for the same reason: the font borders on illegible and they name places and rivers without putting them on the maps. It doesn't do to have a modern map of India or Pakistan as too many places have had name changes. They took the time to create the maps and then seem to have forgotten to fill in the places cited. In a series with as grand a geographical sweep as this including such paltry maps is just (fill in your own word).

Rtov Flint is always entertaining and the Bellisarius series is no exception. It has elements of a mystery novel as the tactics and strategy chosen by a military genius unfold, as well as plots and counterplats in the Malway empire. I spent hours at a time reading and only put it down when called away by outside events.

Original and creative, this alternative history stands out for its detailed characterizations, and for not getting carried away with the science fiction aspects. The SF is a spice, but the characters drive the story, moving it forward in a page-turning style. Drake does well at war fiction, and Flint has other alternative histories sagas (the 1632 series for instance), so you are in capable hands. It's hard to put it down, a combo of history, SF, suspense, romance and adventure.