This is a rich tale of clashing empires, trade wars and tempestuous love in an a
ge when the fate of the world hung on the survival of Byzantium; an age that mad
e the modern world. The Ottoman Turks are at the gates of Constantinople and Luk
e Magoris, descended from princes of England, has to find a fortune to build def
ences for his beloved Mistra, the last glorious outpost of Imperial Rome, as wel
l as saving the Emperor. He turns to China, to the Ming Empire, for trade and to
Renaissance Italy for its rapidly developing banks.
Both are entirely new ro
les for Luke and his Varangian brotherhood and many pitfalls befall him. And yet
the Varangian treasure - which only he can uncover - may hold the key to all. T
he third novel in the epic Rise of Empires series sees its hero Luke finally com
e face to face with his destiny to save Byzantium.
