Empire of the Eagle (Paperback)

~ (Author), Susan Shwartz (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An exotic blend of Roman, Hindu and more distant lore informs this second collaboration (after Imperial Lady ) between Grand Master Norton and Shwartz. After the crushing defeat at Carrhae of the Roman proconsul Crassus in 43 B.C., the victorious Parthians lead a captive remnant of one legion, along with its eagle standard, to the distant eastern Lands of Gold. As dispirited captives, a contingent of Ch'in and merchants struggle through the desert, a friendship develops between the tribune Quintus and Ch'in leader Ssu-ma Chao, who allows the Romans to win back their self-respect by rearming them to fight bandits. After one particularly dangerous stretch, Quintus encounters a strange old man, Ganesha, and the beautiful Draupadi who, much to Quintus's perturbation, claims that he is the reincarnation of her long-gone hero husband. As Ganesha and Draupadi join the larger group on its journey to ever greater dangers, Quintus learns they are being pursued by Black Naacals, immortal members of a sorcerous order. The doubting Quintus must master ancient powers to save his followers and others threatened by the ancient evil. Norton ( The Crystal Gryphon ) and Shwartz ( The Grail of Hearts ) weave a curious and convincing tale melding otherworldliness and dire reality.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

The tribune Quintus was once a man of honor. But when Rome's might is crushed at the battle of Carrhae, Quintus can only watch with honor and hope gone as Rome's Eagles--the golden standards which every Roman believes houses the very essence of the gods--are dragged through the mud by the barbarian hordes. The Eagles will go East as bloody testimony to Rome's humiliation.

But even in Hell, there sometimes lies a path of redemption. Quintus will follow the Eagles, and strive to somehow recapture the honor that Rome has lost. He will abandon the logic that is Rome...and travel into the mists of myth and legend, where he will see visions of magic unknown to any Roman

And where he will learn to use barbarian magic to win back Rome's gods....

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: TOR Fantasy (May 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812513932
• ISBN-13: 978-0812513936
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,376,619 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Details, details, details, April 8, 1999

By	Barbara E. Brewer (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

I am so used to Andre Norton using just the right amount of details to stimulate my imagination and then leaving it up to me to fill in, that I found this book very draggy. It wants to tell you everything and leaves nothing to the imagination. I have never read anything by Susan Schwartz but if this is her effect on Andre Norton's work I don't think I will. Sorry, I like Andre Norton's style. And, while she collaborates well with some people, I don't feel that this is one of those times.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great potential ,disappointing delivery., July 21, 1998

By A Customer

I think the subject matter is fascinating . However one cannot help but be somewhat disappointed by the amount of time spent describing ....thirst in the desert. I agree that tragedy and suffering are an integral part of this story......but only part. Having suffered through this morbid tale I was forced to finish the story because I purchased the book.

The scenario promised an exciting tale by a master storyteller, unfortunately the delivery was disappointing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Numbingly dull, May 31, 2006

By	Elizabeth A. Root (Laurel, MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The book starts off on an interesting story - the real life capture of Crassus' Roman legions. As soon as they hit the desert, the book goes down hill fast. The overall plot is the stock story of a confrontation between good and evil, with a hero who must learn his supernatural powers. If the story isn't to be banal, the author has to bring the world and the characters to life, to make them so involving that reader finds them compelling and urgent, not just a rehash of a cliche.

Except for Quintus, most of the characters didn't interest me. There isn't enough character development to engage my sympathies. The allies that he meets up with are rather boring people, given to gnomic sayings. Drapaudi postures rather than lives, and she and Quintus have no chemistry.

Norton and Shwartz have turned to Hindu myth and legend, the Mahabarrata, which ought to be a refreshing change. Unfortunately, they don't use it very well. Their allusions to it strike me as rather too elliptical for the presumed audience. How many Americans or Europeans are truly familiar with the Mahabarrata? I don't think that the authors can rely on a few words conjuring a lengthy episode for their readers. It is a vast work, and the authors have not confined themselves to the parts that are more familiar to the West. It is like listening in on a conversation between two old friends talking about a distant shared past; they may know what they mean, but bystanders who have no context or familiarity with the subjects of the conversation are baffled.

Further, the walk through the desert becomes incredibly boring. In the first place, it is hard to believe that they decided to cross an uninhabited desert. The Chinese, who presumably have already made this journey in the opposite direction, certainly didn't plan well; did the commander give no thought to how his troops were to be provisioned? What is now known as the Silk Road has numerous towns, oases, etc.: it was a major trade route, for heavens sake! Wouldn't that be the sensible path to travel? This is rather like describing I-95, the Federal highway that runs across most of the East coast as a animal track through a desolate wilderness.

But having decided to cross Asia the hard way, the story is a monotonous account of the struggle to survive: food, water, exhaustion. A skilled writer ought to be able to convey the miseries without endless repetition. Of course it is part of their experience, but this is a novel, it is supposed to have a compelling narrative. Blinking is certainly an important part of the human condition, but I really don't want to read a chronicle of eyeblinks. There should be some point to telling this tale. I think that most readers already know that deserts tend to be hot, dry and barren.

A tedious trip for characters and readers alike.