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Gordon Doherty

Auteur de Assassin's Creed: Odyssey

25 oeuvres 359 utilisateurs 23 critiques

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Comprend les noms: Mr Gordon Doherty

Séries

Œuvres de Gordon Doherty

Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (2018) 94 exemplaires
Legionary (2011) 76 exemplaires
Sons of Rome (Rise of Emperors Book 1) (2020) — Auteur — 10 exemplaires
Masters of Rome (Rise of Emperors Book 2) (2021) — Auteur — 6 exemplaires
Legionary: Dark Eagle (2020) 6 exemplaires

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UK

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Critiques

I read this more or less at the end of a temporary reading list about ancient Mesopotamian and related cultures. My criticism therefore focuses primarily on the historical representation, rather than on the story or the literary quality. And that also explains why this became a turnoff for me. The story is set in the Hittite Empire (present day Anatolia in Turkey) around 1300 BCE. Doherty immediately starts with a huge historical mistake: on a map with the great powers of that time also Greece is represented (the Greeks never were a nation, and as a more or less homogenic ethnic unity they didn’t exist in 1300 BCE). In the story itself, a Trojan king is staged, an Doherty suggests – oh so predictably – that he might get into trouble with the Greeks. And a few moments later, at a ceremony in the Hittite capital, Sumerian is actually spoken, a language that by that time had been dead for almost 700 years. That was the last straw for me. I didn’t finish this. Moral of the story: if you want to, feel free to enjoy the story, but this novel really not is historically correct.… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
bookomaniac | 1 autre critique | Oct 1, 2022 |
Sons of Rome takes place in a Roman Empire that is long past the time of Julius Caesar – in the time of the Empire’s expansive growth across the Continents of Europe, Africa, and into England. Rome was ruling but all was not well as there was now a Triumvirate and anytime you have more than one person in charge you know what happens…

The book follows the fates of two men, Constantine and Maxentius as they meet as boys and rise through the ranks of the Roman army and ruling elite to gain power, acolytes, and ultimately they find themselves on opposite sides. Who will prevail? The answer is in the next book. But this book is involving, exciting and full of memorable characters.

I was absorbed by the story from the very first pages. It is not a read for the faint of heart as we are dealing with war. But it’s not overwhelming, just very real at times. There is also much devious scheming and delightful relationship building. All in all a riveting read for anyone who loves Ancient Roman tales or who would like to dive into the later Roman Empire. I can’t wait for the next installment.
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
BooksCooksLooks | Mar 2, 2021 |
Cette critique a été rédigée par l'auteur .
Four sons. One throne. A world on the precipice.

1315 BC: Tensions soar between the great powers of the Late Bronze Age. The Hittites stand toe-to-toe with Egypt, Assyria and Mycenaean Ahhiyawa, and war seems inevitable. More, the fierce Kaskan tribes – age-old enemies of the Hittites – amass at the northern borders.

When Prince Hattu is born, it should be a rare joyous moment for all the Hittite people. But when the Goddess Ishtar comes to King Mursili in a dream, she warns that the boy is no blessing, telling of a dark future where he will stain Mursili’s throne with blood and bring destruction upon the world.

Thus, Hattu endures a solitary boyhood in the shadow of his siblings, spurned by his father and shunned by the Hittite people. But when the Kaskans invade, Hattu is drawn into the fray. It is a savage journey in which he strives to show his worth and valour. Yet with his every step, the shadow of Ishtar’s prophecy darkens…

Praise for Empires of Bronze: Son of Ishtar:
"A meticulously researched and vivid reimagining of an almost forgotten civilisation" - Douglas Jackson, bestselling author of the celebrated Gaius Valerius Verrens series
"Vivid, immersive...wondrous!" - SJA Turney, bestselling author of Marius' Mules and The Damned Emperors.
"An action-packed epic" - Matthew Harffy, bestselling author of the acclaimed Bernicia Chronicles.

About the Hittites & the Bronze Age:
Over three thousand years ago, before iron had been tamed, before Rome had risen, before the ashes from which Classical Greece would emerge had even been scattered, the world was forged in bronze. It was an age when Great Kings ruled, when vast armies clashed for glory, riches and the favour of their strange gods.
Until the late 19th century, historians thought that they had identified the major powers who held sway in the last stretch of the Bronze Age: Egypt, Assyria… Ahhiyawa (Homer’s Achaean Greece) even. But there was another – a fourth great power, all but lost to the dust of history: the Hittites.
Hardy, fierce masters of Anatolia, utterly devout to their myriad gods, the scale and wonder of their world is only now shedding its dusty cloak thanks to the tireless work of archaeologists. The Hittites ruled from the high, rugged plateau at the heart of modern-day Turkey, commanding a ring of vassal states (most notably Troy) and boasting a dauntless army that struck fear into the hearts of their rivals. Their Great King, titled Labarna and revered as the Sun itself, was every bit the equal of Egypt’s Pharaoh, of the trade-rich King of Assyria, and of the brash lords of Ahhiyawa.
The Hittites were there when the Bronze Age collapsed. They bore the brunt of the cataclysmic events that destroyed the great powers, threw the Near East into a centuries-long dark age and changed the world forever.
This is their story…
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
Gordopolis | 1 autre critique | Jun 13, 2019 |
Another exciting adventure of now-Tribunus Pavo and the XI Claudia, this time fighting Goths. In the aftermath of Adrianople, the huge defeat of the Eastern Roman Army and the deaths of Pavo's comrades and superior officer, Pavo is promoted to that position and now must learn leadership. The lads do defeat a warlord, an easy task as this Ortwin is no comparison to Fritigern, the Gothic leader. More excitement comes in the form of a botched assassination attempt on Gratian, Western Emperor, and the efforts of a Speculator [high-level Agens in Rebus??] to discover the culprit. Pavo and his men are tasked with bringing a rag-tag group of Goths from beyond the Danubius to the Western Empire, not out of compassion, but because the men can swell Gratian's army. Gratian is painted in this novel as a complete villain. We follow them and witness a group of Gothic malcontents and extremists among them roiling the waters, both figuratively and literally. Finally, Pavo and his men are a reserve force, swooping in when the battle is nearly lost against the so-called "Black Horde", a breakaway group of Goths led by two men who had been cheated by Gratian after Adrianople. Gratian had reneged on a solemn promise.

I can see the author's improvement in writing style and I feel if he keeps on this trajectory, he's on to triumph after triumph. This novel was filled with his same trademark gory battles and skirmishes, without neglecting character development, even that of minor figures. The novel brimmed with betrayal, double crosses, treachery, comradeship, even plausible love interest made poignant. I personally see the author's need for injecting some bawdiness to bring out certain individuals' personality traits and as being part of soldiers' lives, but that doesn't mean it didn't make me uneasy. At least it was rather mild. The bragging of Sura got old fast. "Off" as a verb was used several times; to me that is too modern a term for this setting and jarred my ear; why didn't the author use the synonyms "finish off", "murder", or even "kill"? I did like the author's use of the Aesop-like fable of the goose and wolf and how it fit into the novel.

Highly recommended.
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
janerawoof | Jun 20, 2017 |

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Statistiques

Œuvres
25
Membres
359
Popularité
#66,805
Évaluation
½ 3.7
Critiques
23
ISBN
61
Langues
6

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