Saturday, March 5, 2016

My Historical Drama - "Kings and Tyrants"


Kings and Tyrants is a novel I began writing in late 2004.

A lot of research and many revisions took place basically over five years.

Despite my efforts, I have not been able to persuade an agent to take it on, so...

I am planning to "publish" my book in chapters here.
Just look above to the menu point...

Kings and Tyrants - an history novel

Many know of the Athenians at Marathon, of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae, victory over the Persians and the births of democracy, drama and philosophy. Yet before freedom and democracy came tyranny and subjugation. Kings and Tyrants recounts how Athens fell subject to tyranny and how Persia won dominion over Asia. It is the first of a series comparable to Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome.

The story begins with Agariste. Her father, ruler of Sikyon, entertains suitors from all over Greece in order to choose her husband. Agariste falls in love with Megakles of Athens and influences her father’s choice in his favor.

Megakles’ family is famous, yet cursed. He desires to recover his family’s rightful place by winning Athens’ highest office, but he is opposed by other aristocrats and is unwilling to risk civil war. Peisistratos also aspires to leadership and is far less scrupulous: he schemes to become Tyrant of Athens. The two men seem suitable allies: as long as Peisistratos conceals his true ambition. The newlyweds also gain an implacable enemy in a suitor who feels cheated of his prize and does not shrink from rape or murder to satisfy his hatred.

In Asia, Kyros becomes king of the Persians. As an infant his destiny had been foretold: mastery over the Medes. His overlord and own grandfather, the King of the Medes, desired to foil it. Yet the man he sent to kill the boy preserved him instead. Kyros defeats his grandfather and wins an empire.

Kroisos, King of Lydia, is prosperous. Yet his dreams are filled with omens of tragedy. His son’s death destroys his peace, and he contemplates war with Kyros. The famed oracle of Delphi tells him, that should he attack Kyros, a great empire will fall: but which one?

I hope you enjoy it.
Feedback - and especially agent queries! - are welcome.

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