Empire RisingIt is 3157 B.C.—The beginning of the Bronze Age and the rise of cities—and at the eastern edge of the great southern desert in Mesopotamia, men are at war. Bandits and worse plunder the countryside seeking women, slaves, and gold. Into this unsettled land come the outcast Korthac and the remnants of his mighty desert fighters. They encounter a band of thieves led by Ariamus. The two join forces and set their sights on the biggest prize of all: the burgeoning city of Akkad—the town formerly known as Orak that just a few months earlier defeated a horde of raiding barbarians by building an impenetrable wall. Akkad is known not only for its riches, but also for the courage and wisdom of its leaders, the former barbarian Eskkar and his enchanting wife, Trella. Together they drove off the barbarian horde, and now they face an even more daunting challenge—to preserve their victory. But it's only by defeating Eskkar, Trella, and the people of Akkad that Korthac and Ariamus can claim Akkad's wealth and enslave its people . . . Korthac devises a plan to slip his men into Akkad and conquer the city from within. And while Eskkar is roaming the land, winning the trust of other towns and bringing them into his growing empire, Korthac and Ariamus strike, wreaking havoc on the young city. Told with rich historical detail and set in a time of promise and peril, Sam Barone's thrilling, beautifully rendered tale places him in the ranks of the best historical fiction writers working today. Empire Rising is another marvelous trip into the past with an unforgettable cast of characters. |
Contents
Section 21 | 282 |
Section 22 | 288 |
Section 23 | 310 |
Section 24 | 327 |
Section 25 | 332 |
Section 26 | 340 |
Section 27 | 352 |
Section 28 | 357 |
Section 9 | 113 |
Section 10 | 134 |
Section 11 | 155 |
Section 12 | 174 |
Section 13 | 186 |
Section 14 | 195 |
Section 15 | 203 |
Section 16 | 213 |
Section 17 | 225 |
Section 18 | 234 |
Section 19 | 258 |
Section 20 | 273 |
Section 29 | 366 |
Section 30 | 378 |
Section 31 | 389 |
Section 32 | 400 |
Section 33 | 406 |
Section 34 | 415 |
Section 35 | 423 |
Section 36 | 433 |
Section 37 | 447 |
Section 38 | 467 |