'One hell of a fine book' Conn Iggulden. Rome never fell. It became Byzantium . . . As Ottoman forces invade, one man must defend his country and face his own personal destiny.

A rich tale of clashing empires and trade wars, lost treasure and tempestuous love in an age when the fate of the world hung on the survival of Byzantium. It was an era that made the modern world and a place that was then, as now, the hinge between east and west. Luke Magoris, descendant of princes of England, is a man with a rare talent for war and for trade. To him falls the overwhelming task of defending his country and his beloved Mistra against the rampant Ottoman forces.