This is the conclusion to the story of Apion, the strategos of Chaldia Thema. The prologue shows us a somewhat older and battle-scarred Apion on the threshold of the Battle of Manzikert, then with Chapter 1 the story conveys us to events two years earlier. The novel builds little by little to the big climax at Manzikert, one of the big turning points in history. Manzikert ushered in the beginning of the Byzantine Empire's decline. The ending was marvelous--bittersweet but perfect!! I had tears in my eyes at Apion's touching reunion and time with his lifelong love, Maria, and at the final confrontation and conversation with his son, Taylan, a bey in the Seljuk army. The meetings of Apion and of Emperor Romanos, with Alp Arslan, the Seljuk sultan, after the battle showed the civility of all three men. All wanted peace. Alp Arslan was a complex man in Doherty's portrayal: a Saladin-like figure.

I forced myself to read this novel slowly so I was able to savor it. I can see where this would be a page-turner, though. The author's writing has improved and is more mature. For the most part his choice of expressions and turns of phrase have become more sophisticated. Two word choices do irritate me no end; over and over the author uses the word 'grapple' where I think he means 'grasp' and ' bar' for 'except' or 'except for'. He has kept nicely balanced history and fiction: political maneuvering, danger, treachery, exciting battles and a bit of non-maudlin romance. All the main characters, and even some of the minor ones, such as Kaspax the young soldier, are real flesh-and-blood people, with hopes and fears. We see loyalty and devotion in Apion's three soldier-colleagues. Well, the villains' evil was a bit exaggerated. I wondered at how a 15-year-old kid [Taylan] could become a high-ranking officer at such a young age; that didn't seem realistic although his authority and his hatred moved the plot along. I felt as though I were a part of the quieter scenes, such as in the hospital, off-duty with Apion and his comrades, or Apion's quiet personal conversation with Kaspax. The hippodrome scene with its attendant sabotage and the attempted assassination of Apion in the city of Trebizond were heart stopping. I also enjoyed observing the training in the Seljuk military camp and the battle in the gorge with Greek fire.

This whole trilogy has the potential of becoming a genre classic If Books I and II, both more immature but earnestly written, were revised: layout in Book I, doing away with modernisms, modern slang, proofreading errors and tightening up somewhat in each. Also the author could double check the proofing errors in this book, minimal as they are. I was glad the author didn't rush his novel through to publication, and was thoughtful in his writing. His historical research was impeccable. The supplementary material was a very happy addition; the cover art of all three volumes was extremely striking. ( )