The Terror of Constantinople

By: Richard Blake

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

610 AD. The Byzantine Empire is collapsing.

Persian armies pour across the eastern frontier. The Balkans are ravaged by barbarian invasions. At the centre of the chaos sits Phocas, a half-mad soldier who has seized the throne and now rules Constantinople through spectacle and arbitrary torture. One province after another declares for Heraclius, the ambitious usurper advancing from Africa. The capital trembles on the brink of destruction.

Into this inferno comes Aelric of England—scholar, rake, and reluctant agent of the Papacy. Blackmailed into abandoning a profitable life of lechery and financial manipulation in Rome, he accepts what appears to be a simple mission: to collect documents for yet another abstruse theological quarrel over the Nature of Christ. Only slowly does he grasp that he has been thrust into a struggle far larger and far deadlier than anything he has faced before.

Why does the sinister eunuch Theophanes take such an interest in him?

Why does the Papal Legate—supposedly there to assist Aelric—refuse to appear in public?

What schemes are unfolding in the Imperial Palace while terror rages across the city?

And why has the monstrous, ageing Emperor Phocas singled Aelric out for favour?

Surrounded by traitors and factional mobs, Aelric must rely on the few gifts the world has given him: beauty, charm, ruthless intelligence, and an unnerving talent for violence. In the most dangerous city on earth, as civil war reaches its climax, he must navigate a world of spies and conspirators before the Empire—and he with it—are drowned in blood.

A darkly comic tale of intrigue, survival, and the last days of the Ancient World, Terror of Constantinople continues the adventures of one of historical fiction’s most original and engaging anti-heroes.

Praise for the Novels of Richard Blake

‘Fascinating to read, very well written, an intriguing plot and I enjoyed it very much.’ - Derek Jacobi, star of I Claudius and Gladiator

‘Vivid characters, devious plotting and buckets of gore are enhanced by his unfamiliar choice of period…. Nasty, fun and educational.’ – The Daily Telegraph

‘He knows how to deliver a fast-paced story and his grasp of the period is impressively detailed.’ – The Mail on Sunday

‘A rollicking and raunchy read . . . Anyone who enjoys their history with large dollops of action, sex, intrigue and, above all, fun will absolutely love this novel.’ – Historical Novels

‘It would be hard to over-praise this extraordinary series, a near-perfect blend of historical detail and atmosphere with the plot of a conspiracy thriller, vivid characters, high philosophy and vulgar comedy.’ – The Morning Star

Richard Blake is a pseudonym for Sean Gabb, who is an historian, writer and university lecturer. He lives in Kent with his wife and daughter.