The Storm of Heaven (Oath of Empire, Book 3) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "The sea gleamed like spoiled glass, a flat murky green..." (more)
Key Phrases: voice from the clear air, rowing gallery, eating tine, Gaius Julius, Gains Julius, Lord Prince (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Campbell Award nominee Harlan's third, grittily realistic installation of the Oath of Empire series (Shadow of Ararat and The Gate of Fire), imperial Rome under Emperor Galen is simultaneously in the midst of war with Persia and fighting a new and God-aided battle against the forces of Mohammed the prophet, while the magical protective "Oath" is in danger of shattering. Prince Maxian has, until now, been trying to break the oath laid on Rome in the hope of helping the Western Empire. To his dismay, he learns that he has been deceived by powerful magic and is actually bringing about the empire's defeat. In an abrupt about-face, he recants the path of evil to find a way to strengthen the oath. In the meantime, the two men Prince Maxian raised from the dead, Gaius Julius Caesar and Alexandros of Macedonia (Alexander the Great), are using their skills to Rome's advantage. Alexander starts to build an army to aid the west, while Gaius Julius schemes his way into the inner circles of Roman power. This is an epic novel, with lots of power-mongering, glorious battles and the fate of the Roman Empire squarely at the center. Some series books can be picked up easily this is not one of them. Regardless of the introduction, the plot is so diverse and the characters so numerous that reading the two earlier books is a must. Harlan portrays the ancient Roman world in exquisite detail; the battle scenes in particular are so vivid you can almost taste the blood and dust.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

As the empire of Rome engages in a war against the rival armies of Persia as well as a group of desert warriors led by the prophet Mohammed Al'quraysh, the three sons of Atreus hold the destiny of the world in their hands. Continuing the epic saga of alternate history begun in Shadow of Ararat and The Gate of Fire, Harlan expands his story to introduce new characters while developing the complex relationships that bind familiar characters to their destinies. For most fantasy collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (April 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312865597
• ISBN-13: 978-0312865597
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #601,065 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling Tale of an Alternate Roman World, October 10, 2001

By	Paul (New Orleans) - See all my reviews

The Storm of Heaven, (TSoH) is the 3rd book of author Thomas Harlan's compelling tale of an alternate world where magic is real, and Rome never fell.

It is 624 A.D. In the previous 2 books, the Emperors of the Eastern and Western Roman empires had joined forces to devast and defeat Persia. But the tactics of the Eastern Emperor cost some of his allies dearly, resulting in the destruction of the city-state of Palmyra. Prince Maxian, youngest brother of Galen, Emperor of the West, had discovered that there was an Oath which cast restrictions on the Empire, attacking and destroying anything that the Oath perceived as a threat to Rome.

Maxian set out to destroy the Oath, convinced that the Oath was actually harming Rome. He was blessed with healing magical talent, and quickly grew in power, resurrecting Julius Caeser and Alexander the Great.

But there are other plots and stories, all intertwined. A young student named Dwyrian, from far off Hibernia (Ireland) is drafted into the Roman army, and gains magical powers far faster than he should.

Dwyrian's teacher, coming after him, meets a merchant named Mohammed of Mekkah. And there is an evil, inhuman sorcerer, Dahak, who is in league with Persia. There is Thyatis, an agent in service to the Emperor of Rome, and more characters and subplots than you can shake a stick at.

Book 1, The Shadow of Ararat, was sheer brilliance. Book 2, The Gate of Fire, was well done, but not as good as the 1st volume, due to a host of new elements which were introduced without enough foundation being laid.

The Storm of Heaven is not as good as Book 1, but it is better than book 2. Maxian deals with the devastation that he wrecked by accidently causing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Thyatis deals with her own survivor's guilt, and ends up in the arena of the Colosseum. Dwyrian grows in power. Mohammed leads, along with Dwyrian's one time companion, Zoe, who is now the Queen of the destroyed city of Palmyra, the march for vengence against the Emperor of the East. Empress Martina of the East struggles to hold the Eastern Empire together for the benefit of her young son, while her husband is wracked by an illness of mysterious origin. Her Uncle, Prince Theodore, the brother of her husband, has his own plans for who should rule the Eastern Empire.

Gaius Julius Caesar and Alexandros, have their own dreams of power, which they have not given up, even though they have been cast aside by their master, Prince Maxian. Oh, and the Persians are on the march as well.

ALthough a long book, TSoH, suffers from covering too much ground with too few pages. THe author's note at the end indicates that the author exceeded the size limit which had been decreed by the editors, and excised portions are available via a website.

Still, despite that flaw, author Harlan has created a highly detailed alternate Roman world, with compelling characters and a complex and entertaining storyline. I look forward to Book 4 of this series.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful series, exciting action, August 31, 2001

By	booksforabuck "BooksForABuck.com" (Dallas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

The leaders of Rome, both east and west, seem hopelessly sunk into grief and guilt. Meanwhile, a revived Persia and the desert armies of Mohammed win victory after victory over the dispirited Roman armies. Even Prince Maxim, who has tried to break the Oath of Empire that holds Rome together while preventing any progress, seems unwilling to do anything to prevent destruction.

In this third novel in the OATH OF EMPIRE SERIES, players with more minor roles in the earlier books come to the fore. The revived Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great have to act independently because Maxim refuses to give them direction. The wizard-boy Dwyrin has found incredible powers. Thyatis has lost her memory and must fight for survival on her own.

With two books under his belt, Harlan has mastered the impressionistic style. His plot still jumps from one action-center to the other across the Roman and Persian worlds, but these transitions are less jarring and the overall plot moves forward more smoothly than in the earlier novels.

I look forward to the next volume in this fascinating series set in a 7th century world where magic works and where the power of the Oath has kept Rome from falling.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The climax of "Storm" eclipses a volanic eruption, April 29, 2002

By	John Kuo (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having just re-read Thomas Harlan's third installment in his epic "Oath of Empire" series, the "Storm of Heaven," in anticipation of the next and final novel, I must say that the books just keep getting more enthralling. "Storm" follows the further actions and fates of the characters introduced in the earlier novels. Without revealing too much, we learn what has become of Thyatis, Maxian, Mohammad, Nicholas, Dwyrin, and their companions. And let us not forget Gaius Julius, Alexandros, Dahak, "The Boar," the Queen of Cats, and many other characters...

Yes, Thyatis does battle in the arena, in among the most vivid and adrenaline-producing descriptions of gladiatorial combat this reader has ever experienced. Yes, Maxian does grow a bit wiser, and yes, Dwyrin comes into the fullness of a power only hinted at in the previous novels; Harlan's brilliant imagery of sorcerous combat produced as much a rush for me as his heart-pounding descriptions of more "conventional" battle.

As Rome attempts to recover from the disaster of Vesuvius, the reincarnated Julius Caesar finds great opportunities, which entwine his fate with other characters. Alexandros marches off to war, for Rome, but not with Romans. Mohammad communes and continues to act as a channel for his god, but who is using who?

There are so many twists of fate and events of such magnitude that even the volcanic eruption of Vesuvius at the end of "Gate of Fire" seems to pale in comparison. Much is resolved, but more remains unresolved, and as the climax of each novel eclipses the one before it, "The Dark Lord" should have an ending that will be literally earth-shattering. I, for one, can't wait!