The Hagia Sophia, one of the more important locales in the story.

For those not familiar with the  Ottoman siege, Constantinopolis is a useful companion. It portrays events in an historically accurate way, and Shipman delivers authenticity by stressing the importance of faith and family to the societies in play. On one side of the fence, the establishment is embodied in Constantine XI, Emperor of Constantinople. The city has seen far better days, yet the people seem to love Constantine and see him as a capable ruler. Constantine must also balance his duties against his love life with Zophia, an entirely fictional romantic foil. Opposing Constantine is the disruptive Mehmet II, a brash, young sultan with a lot to prove. While Constantine’s story arc is primarily one of being honorable to his fellow Greeks, Mehmet’s storyline is thematically composed of his desires for glory and vengeance against those who doubt his capabilities.

The chapters themselves are woven seamlessly in their transitions. Each chapter focuses on the point of view of either Constantine or Mehmet, with a few occasional chapters devoted to the Hungarian rulers who would play an important part in the siege’s conclusion. Unfortunately, each chapter becomes more and more repetitive. For example, Mehmet leads a failed Ottoman charge in one chapter, followed by another where Constantine discusses the enemy’s failure from the previous chapter. This will then get broken up by Constantine trying to organize his love life with Zophia. While the point-of-view  format is a great way to spin the narrative and make the characters more believable, the writing does not always work. The dialogue between secondary characters is as interesting as porridge and the reader will likely see the phrase “As you know” countless times.

Not all the writing is poor, however. The characterization of Constantine is historically accurate and Shipman does a fine job representing him as a young ruler with too much on his plate. The emperor’s mind constantly wanders between his vastly different personal desires and professional duties, and this thinking stands in contrast with Mehmet, the Muslim Sultan who sees his personal desires as his professional duties. However, Constantine’s chapters eventually become quite uninteresting, again due to repetition. Constantine tries to gain the affections of Zophia, a beautiful woman who returns his love with loyalty. Their relationship is important, and when things get rocky between them, Constantine makes poor decisions. While the romance is forced and seemingly arbitrarily thrown into the mix, it does help to advance the plot. In the long run, Constantine is simply a likable enough protagonist without this extra angle.

Countering the good guy Constantine trope is the villainous Muslim, Mehmet. While many writers would paint him as a mustache-twirling caricature, Shipman gives the reader ample understanding of the sultan’s motives for wanting to capture Constantinople. Living in the shadow of his father and his Grand Vizier Halil, Mehmet acknowledges that he was not always a wise ruler and wishes to make up for his previous failures by adding Constantinople to his empire. His advisers trust the counsel of Halil, who goes against Mehmet’s interests at every turn and often makes a fool out of the young wolf. Readers will find themselves rooting for Mehmet many times, which paints both warring leaders in shades of grey. While Mehmet’s methods may seem cruel, his faith and his desire for personal growth add humanity to an historically complex character.

Of course, this is a story about war and action scenes are bound to pop up, which are as entertaining as they need to be for those unfamiliar with the historical outcome. Shipman’s description of the battles is vivid, and interestingly enough only seen from the viewpoint of specific characters. Staying true to history, it is unlikely that Mehmet and Constantine would have ever met face-to-face, swords drawn, in the middle of a field while bodies flew every which way around them. Shipman handles the battle scenes with care, and yet everything else is described in much fewer words. A palace is simply described as that – a palace. A wall is simply a wall. Shipman wastes no time in painting the world, which is both good and bad. On one hand, it is a relief not to sift through seven pages just to read the description of a tree. On the other, it would help to have more detail in certain aspects of the novel.

Overall, Constantinopolis is a short read with many great moments. Sadly, there are less than stellar moments that truly weigh down the novel. While it is historically accurate, the modernist dialogue and forced romantic subplot dragged much of the excitement. There is an epilogue at the end which explains what happened to each character after the battle as well, and while it is short, it should be interesting to those who are not as brushed up on their history. If you are inclined to learn more about the great siege of Constantinople, you can purchase the book from Amazon here.

This book was reviewed using a copy provided by the publisher for that purpose.

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Pulpy detective stories are a genre of books that are right in my wheelhouse. The plot twists and intense action make for an exciting roller coaster experience that ebbs and flows from start to finish. However, author Mark S. Bacon is part of a new movement: flash fiction.

On March 30th he’ll release his novel Cops, Crooks & Other Stories in 100 Words: 101 Tales. It’s a collection of mini mysteries each running about 100 words, and each tale promises “satisfying, unexpected endings”. A number of stories in the collection have been published in a variety of fiction magazines -  Stymie Magazine and MicroHorror being a couple examples – tailored to the short story style.

101 Tales will be released through Amazon(Kindle) and the Barnes and Noble Nook Store.

Here is a sample from the book directly from Bacon’s website:

Honor Among Thieves

The darkened home looked empty.  Pete tried the front door.  Locked.  Around back he jimmied open a patio door with a credit card.

Immediately, he saw a man holding a pillowcase full of something.

“Shit.  You startled me,” the man said.  “First time I ever seen two guys break into the same house.  I came in the window.  But hey,  I believe in professional courtesy.  I’ve got jewelry and laptops.  Rest is yours.”

Pete opened a drawer, reached inside.

“Hold it,” Pete said, pointing a revolver.

“What about professional courtesy?”

“I forgot my keys, “ Pete said.  “I live here.”

© 2012 – 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

If you’re into caped crusaders and supervillains, you might want to check out a recently-released novel from indie author Paul Mundane titled The Amelia Academy: Standards. 

A quote from author Paul Mundane:

“The Amelia Academy: Standards is my No Prize letter to the comic industry.  It’s written for everyone, but aimed at those who survived the Iron Age of comics mostly intact.  More importantly; Standards is a fun read.  It hits home on several well known tropes, but stays original and true to itself.  It is also the beginning of something much bigger: The Amelia Academy: Homeroom is already in production, and slotted for release early November, 2012.”

Check out the teaser synopsis below and then go check out the book on Smashwords. Standards is currently available on Smashwords for $4.99 and will eventually be making its way into other bookstores and digital distributors like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple. It is currently available in Kindle, Epub, and a variety of other digital formats.

Chris Stand was once Kid Standard, sidekick to the most powerful superhuman on the planet. Chris left it all behind him a decade ago, and had happily slumped into obscurity since then. Chris finds himself dragged again into the world of flights and tights, when an ex-villain offers him a teaching position at The Amelia Academy: a school for metahuman youth.

Old friends and enemies rise from Chris’ past. The line between hero and villain quickly blurs. Soon, Chris finds himself defending the academy from a plot to destroy the fledgling school before it can open its doors.

© 2012 – 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

FREE Two Days Only: A Vampire Novel with Actual Bite!

As the modern world establishes itself and pushes the supernatural into the shadows, the supernatural fights back.

The Darkening Dream is a chilling new dark fantasy novel by Andy Gavin, creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter, that has received rave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads and is FREE for two days only on Amazon Kindle (February 7^th to 8^th)! Download your FREE copy here: http://amzn.to/yTvZPG

Long-time readers of dark historical fantasy (Tim Powers, Guy Gavriel Kay, Katherine Kurtz) will appreciate the weaving together of mythology, occult, and religion, while younger readers and fans of HBO dramas (True Blood,Carnivàle) or urban fantasy (Laurell K. Hamilton, Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher) will be drawn to the twisted imagination, graphic action, and romantic tension.

About The Darkening Dream

Even as the modern world pushes the supernatural aside in favor of science and steel, the old ways remain. God, demon, monster, and sorcerer alike plot to regain what was theirs.

1913, Salem, Massachusetts – Sarah Engelmann’s life is full of friends, books, and avoiding the pressure to choose a husband, until an ominous vision and the haunting call of an otherworldly trumpet shake her. When she stumbles across a gruesome corpse, she fears that her vision was more of a premonition. And when she sees the murdered boy moving through the crowd at an amusement park, Sarah is thrust into a dark battle she does not understand.

With the help of Alex, an attractive Greek immigrant who knows a startling amount about the undead, Sarah sets out to uncover the truth. Their quest takes them to the factory mills of Salem, on a midnight boat ride to spy on an eerie coastal lair, and back, unexpectedly, to their own homes. What can Alex’s elderly, vampire-hunting grandfather and Sarah’s own rabbi father tell them? And what do Sarah’s continuing visions reveal?

No less than Gabriel’s Trumpet, the tool that will announce the End of Days, is at stake, and the forces that have banded to recover it include a 900 year-old vampire, a trio of disgruntled Egyptian gods, and a demon-loving Puritan minister. At the center of this swirling cast is Sarah, who must fight a millennia-old battle against unspeakable forces, knowing the ultimate prize might be her very soul.

The Reviews Are In

“A vampire novel with actual bite.” ~The Kirkus Reviews

“Mr. Gavin has brought something refreshingly new to a genre now suffused with poorly-concealed bodice-rippers which have more in common with Fabio than Bram Stoker: depth. His big baddies are scary, not romantic interests, and the added religious lore is complex and engaging. Don’t expect another Twilight — the story can get downright creepy, so be prepared for a return to the old horror sensibilities of supernatural fiction.” ~Amazon Review

“With Mr. Gavin’s video-game pedigree, I was expecting something aimed squarely at the 18-25 year old fanboy contingent; what I got in The Darkening Dream was something wholly unexpected: A period novel with a female protagonist, a crash-course on Judaism in the colonial years, and multi-layered series of plot arcs featuring a crazy cast of natural and supernatural characters populating 18th Century Colonial America.” ~Amazon Review

“…A perfect blend of mystery, magic and myth. A grown-up Grimm’s fairy tale…emphasis on grim.” ~Amazon Review

Read the first two sample chapters here >> http://bit.ly/xXVxXS

Get your FREE copy of The Darkening Dream for two days only on Amazon here. http://amzn.to/yTvZPG

No eReader or Kindle? No problem. Get free apps for your Web Browser, PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, or Android Phone.

© 2012 – 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.