cover image THE SHADOW OF GOD

THE SHADOW OF GOD

Anthony A. Goodman, . . Sourcebooks, $24 (500pp) ISBN 978-1-57071-904-2

Christianity and Islam face off in the siege of Rhodes, the subject of Goodman's gripping first novel. In 1520, a century after the final Crusade, the only remaining Christian outpost in the Near East is the small Greek island of Rhodes, from which pirates harass Muslim shipping. Suleiman the Magnificent, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, is determined to destroy the outpost. Philippe de L'Isle Adam, grand master of the Knights of Rhodes, rallies his 500 battle-hardened knights in their near-impregnable fortress. Two generations earlier, the knights had fought off a siege by Suleiman's grandfather. Now the sultan sends an army of 200,000 men and hundreds of warships to surround the island and to destroy Philippe. The thoroughly researched book is occasionally didactic, but that doesn't get in the way of the spellbinding, historically accurate plot or Goodman's sensitive portrayals of the warring leaders and the civilizations they represent. He even manages to pull off a tender and credible romantic subplot (less explicit than his gory descriptions of amputations, tortures and executions). But perhaps the most satisfying element of this novel is Goodman's artful rendering of the landscapes and pageantry of the Ottoman Empire. The immense walls of the fortress at Rhodes, impervious even to huge cannonballs; the elaborate network of tunnels dug at great cost of life; the winding, dark streets of the town within the fortress—all these are so vividly rendered that historical fiction fans and medieval history enthusiasts will be crossing their fingers for a follow-up. (Oct. 1)

Forecast:Word of mouth should help sell this meaty historical novel, as should striking period jacket art.