Eskkar & Trella


Book Description

Eskkar the warrior and Trella the keen-witted slave girl come together in a mighty struggle to survive a barbarian invasion and build mankind's first walled city.




Quest for Honour


Book Description

The Bronze Age is brought vividly to life in this action-packed historical saga in the tradition of Conn Iggulden, Bernard Cornwell, and Jean Auel The beginning of civilization is fraught with war, invasion, plunder, and rapine. The little city state of Akkad is carving out a mini-Empire on the banks of the mighty Tigris river-prosperity has returned after the bloody pitched battles waged by Akkad's ruler Eskkar and his beautiful wife Trella. But now comes Akkad's greatest threat from the south: Akkad's rival Sumer, a port city at the hub of the great sea trade routes. Sumer is poised to give birth to the mightiest empire in history. It is ruled by an incestuous parricide and his power-hungry sister who are determined to crush and enslave the nation state on their northern borders. Esskar and Trella must prepare their fledgling nation for total war before it is too late. This time it will be a battle not of villages or of roving warrior bands, but a battle for Empire and a fight to the death. As ever Eskkar, the ultimate warrior and battle tactician, must pit his wits against a vastly superior force in a battle to the death.




Battle for Empire


Book Description

"In Dawn of empire, Eskkar the warrior and Trella the slave girl come together in a mighty struggle to survive a barbarian invasion and build mankind's first walled city. Now they face new menaces to their growing empire--the return of the hostile steppes horsemen, and their rebellious son, Sargon, who threatens to destroy everything his parents have worked so hard to create."--P. [4] of cover.




Empire Rising


Book Description

Depicts war-torn Mesopotamia of 3157 B.C., wherein the bandit Korthac plots with the rogue Ariamus to conquer the seemingly impregnable city of Akkad by winning the trust of its ruler's wife.




Dawn of Empire


Book Description

The leader of a band of marauding barbarians, Thutmose-sin is a warrior gifted by the gods with extraordinary perception and cunning. To survive, he and his people plunder and pillage, killing and enslaving the dirt-eaters who dwell in villages across the plains. But Thutmose-sin also secretly fears these enemies, for they possess a weapon far deadlier than any bow or lance: the food they coax from the ground that allows them to multiply. Someday, he worries, there might be so many of them that even his warriors will not be able to kill them all. And in a prosperous settlement near the headwaters of the Tigris, his suspicions are about to come true . . . Determined to preserve their way of life, the peaceful people of Orak refuse to flee the oncoming barbarians. Instead, they devise a bold, untested plan of defense: build a wall around the village high and strong enough to repel the invaders. Under the guidance of an outcast barbarian named Eskkar and his true love, an enchanting and wise slave girl named Trella, the villagers begin the wall's construction and await the epic battle that will pit them against the unstoppable barbarians—a battle whose outcome will change the world forever. An enthralling historical novel of war, passionate love, courage, and savagery, Dawn of Empire tells in sweeping prose and with heroic, unforgettable characters the story of an ancient people's triumph—an amazing feat that marked the building of the first walled city and the beginning of an era that gave rise to some of history's greatest civilizations.




Dawn of Empire


Book Description

“[A] wonderful book! Big, passionate, powerful, epic...sheer story-telling prowess. I couldn’t put it down!” — --John Lescroart, New York Times bestselling author of THE HUNT CLUB “Beautifully imagined and researched adventure, with terrific action!” — Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Equal parts history lesson, love story and war saga, Barone’s first historical will have readers turning pages.” — Publishers Weekly “[W]ell-crafted...a Bronze Age historical romance with brains as well as brawn, ripe for a sequel.” — Kirkus Reviews “[A] compelling first novel ...Readers will find it hard to put down this dramatic tale of conflict.” — Library Journal “If Bernard Cornwell and Diana Gabaldon decided to collaborate on a novel, the result would be something like this.” — Arizona Republic




Quest for Honour


Book Description

At the dawn of history, an epic war is about to begin in the deadly quest for honour. The city of Sumer, ruled by a brutal murderer and his vicious, power hungry sister, is poised to give birth to the mightiest empire in history. No one stands a chance as it brings a bloody war to all those who stand in its way, determined to crush and enslave those on its borders. The little city state of Akkad must prepare its fledgling nation to fight for its very survival. Akkad's warriors are a loyal and courageous brotherhood, but this is not a battle of villages or of roving warrior bands; it is a battle for Empire and a fight to the death...




Lucrezia Borgia


Book Description

“A fascinating story, rich in detail. In every case, Faunce portrays [Lucrezia] believably, with wit and sensitivity.”--Library Journal Hundreds of years after her death, Lucrezia Borgia remains one of the most enigmatic and notorious women of history, accused of incest, of poisoning her rivals, and even of murdering her own father. Born into scandal, she was the daughter of the treacherous Cardinal Roderigo Borgia, who would later be crowned Pope Alexander VI. When her father ascended the papal throne, young Lucrezia’s life changed forever. From then on, Lucrezia would be unable to escape the political ambitions of her father and her brother, the bloodthirsty Cesare Borgia. In an era when the Vatican was as decadent and violent as any royal court, Lucrezia was its crown princess. Famed for her beauty, she was a valuable pawn in the marriage game, and Alexander VI would use her to create one alliance after another. When her kindly first husband no longer suited the Pope’s needs, Lucrezia’s virginity was restored by papal decree (her new maidenhood was declared “miraculous”), and she was married off again, this time to a man she truly loved, Alfonso, Prince of Naples. But her joy was short-lived. Alfonso loathed her brother and refused to participate in the Pope’s imperial schemes, which threatened to tear apart the Vatican’s political alliances--and Lucrezia’s happy marriage. In this unforgettable debut, John Faunce perfectly captures the rotten decadence of the Borgias’ papal court and the inner steel of Lucrezia Borgia, one of history’s great survivors. “Fascinating...a searing portrait of an intelligent woman, cunning enough to shape her own bizarre destiny.”--Booklist




Clash of Empires


Book Description

Clash of Empires is the sixth novel in Sam Barone's bronze age historical saga in the tradition of Conn Iggulden, Bernard Cornwell, and Jean Auel. In Dawn of Empire, Eskkar the warrior and Trella the slave girl come together in a mighty struggle to survive a barbarian invasion and build mankind's first walled city. Seventeen years have passed, and under Trella's guidance, Akkad has become the most prosperous and powerful city in the Land Between the Rivers. Now Eskkar and Trella face the ultimate challenge to their growing empire - the vast Elamite Empire to the east of the mountains has decided to invade the Land Between the Rivers, determined to subdue the fertile and prosperous land with overwhelming force. The Elamites must expand to survive, and they need the wealth that conquest will provide. A mighty and well trained army, skilled in battle and siege craft, will soon be at Akkad's gates. To survive, Eskkar must first overcome the distrust between the fractious city-states in the Land Between the Rivers. But even united under Akkad's leadership, the numerically inferior army that Eskkar and his allies can will offer little hope for victory. He and Trella must find a way to deceive the King of the Elamites, and bring him to battle at a time and place that favors Akkad. Once again, new ways of fighting must be developed. The world first Engineer must devise ways to halt the invaders, and Akkad's master miners will use their skills to give Akkad's soldiers a fighting chance. The sea, too, will play a part in Akkad's defense. Fighting boats must carry the war to Elam's distant shores. Sargon, Eskkar's son and heir, will also play a major role in Akkad's defense. Only he can unite the Alur Meriki and Ur Nammu warrior clans, and bring their ferocious fighting skills into play against the Elamites. The heir to the Kingdom of Akkad will once again risk his life fighting to save the city. Bracca, Eskkar's cunning companion from the old days, will also be called on to save Eskkar's life once again, even as Bracca's own fate hangs in the balance. Eskkar will need all his battle skills, Trella's planning and logistical support, and more than a little luck if they hope to save their young and growing empire




Jettisoned


Book Description

Jettisoned - a new and original Sci-Fi novella (26,300 words, about 90 minutes reading time) by Sam Barone.The ore freighter The Lady Drake is inbound from Jupiter's moon, Io, returning to earth. Third Officer and navigator Peter Tosco, a last minute addition to the crew, soon realizes that this passage is unlike any other.The crew of The Lady Drake is violent and undisciplined. Its ruthless and brutal captain, Camenson, is even worse. Peter is ordered to perform an EVA inspection of the hull, prior to a mid-course correction. Peter soon finds himself in danger and running out of air, yet unable to return to The Lady Drake. If he is to survive, Peter must find a different solution. But the Captain is jettisoning the crew, and an even more certain death awaits Peter inside.Peter discovers that something is hidden within the ship's cargo hold, something not on the cargo manifest. Whatever it is, Captain Camenson and his cronies are after it, and willing to murder anyone who gets in their way.More than Peter's life is at stake. He also needs to rescue Linda Grayson, the ship's Med-Tech. She, too, is facing termination, but not before Captain Camenson and his crew put her through a different kind of hell. To stay alive, Peter and Linda must decipher the mysterious cargo before it's too late.