Publisher's Synopsis
John is a young man of twenty. Born and raised in flourishing Constantinople, he leaves the comfort of city life and pursues adventure as a soldier in the imperial army. He traverses the empire from the shores of Crete to the mountains of Asia Minor and Syria in the company of the great general Nicephorus Phocas and his victorious army. Within a couple of years, he has seen more excitement and action than he ever dreamt possible, and while the swords of the enemy fail to end his life, only a woman's love manages to pierce his heart. When dark clouds gather in the sky over Constantinople, Nicephorus cannot find a better person than John to help save the day. In a time of valor, in an empire of gold, silk, and incense, in the company of great men and women lies the story.
