The Shards of Heaven
.jpg) First edition cover | |
| Author | Michael Livingston |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical fiction Fantasy |
| Published | November 24, 2015 |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 416 |
| ISBN | 978-0-76538-031-9 |
| Followed by | The Gates of Hell |
The Shards of Heaven is a 2015 historical fiction debut novel by Michael Livingston. It chronicles Octavian's war against Mark Antony and Cleopatra, seen from the perspective of the minor historical figures who surround them.
Plot
Years after the murder of Julius Caesar, his adopted son Octavian has succeeded him as a powerful force in Rome, if only as a senator with a large personal army. Octavian is somewhat threatened by the existence of Caesarion, Caesar's son by the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, who is himself Pharaoh alongside his mother. Octavian's nemesis Mark Antony has left Italy for Egypt, where he has fathered three children with Cleopatra, and his declaration of Caesarion as Caesar's legitimate heir incites war with Rome. Meanwhile, Caesar's other adopted son, Juba, has found the fabled Trident of Poseidon, a magical artifact with unearthly destructive power. He intends to use it—and the other so-called "Shards of Heaven"—to avenge himself on Rome for the death of his natural father, the king of Numidia.
Characters
- Juba, son and heir to the king of Numidia, adopted by Julius Caesar after his conquest of Numidia
- Octavian, Caesar's adopted son and heir
- Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt
- Mark Antony, former Roman general and Triumvir
- Caesarion, son of Caesar and Cleopatra
- Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Cleopatra and Antony, twin to Helios
- Alexander Helios, son of Cleopatra and Antony, twin to Selene
- Ptolemy Philadelphus, son of Cleopatra and Antony
- Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, Roman centurions formerly loyal to Julius Caesar, now in the service of Antony
- Didymus Chalcenterus, chief librarian of the Library of Alexandria and tutor to Cleopatra's children
Sequel
In a November 2015 interview, Livingston noted that the sequel to The Shards of Heaven would be called The Temples of the Ark.[1] As of January 2016, the author's web site refers to the second installment as The Gates of Hell.[2]
Critical reception
Publishers Weekly said that "this multipronged tale is dense with action and incident; it’s grounded in history, mythology, and religion, but not weighed down by them."[3] Kirkus Reviews wrote, "Readers with an interest in this era will be captivated by the weaving of fiction with the reality of the past and the weaving of the reality of the past with the magic of the unseen world, even if the religious inquiries of the text aren’t especially fresh."[4]
References
- ^ Weimer, Paul (November 24, 2015). "Interview: Michael Livingston on His Secret Historical Fantasy The Shards of Heaven". SF Signal. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ "About: Biography". MichaelLivingston.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ "The Shards of Heaven by Michael Livingston". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ "Review: The Shards of Heaven by Michael Livingston". Kirkus Reviews. September 3, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
External links
- "Excepts: The Shards of Heaven by Michael Livingston". Tor.com. October 14, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016.