THESSALONICA
Harry Turtledove
Baen January 1997
PB 408 pgs
ISBN 0-671-87761-5

When the Roman garrison at the city of Thessalonica in Greece gets called
away to fight elsewhere, the local militia consisting of common folk must
come together as a fighting force to defend their walled city against an
invasion force of Slavs and Avars. But these invading forces come with more
than just fighting men and machines, they also come with their pagan demons
and gods. Can the ill-defended Christian community repel these forces of
evil???

The central character of the book is George the shoemaker. Just an average
guy, George and his eclectic group of artisan buddies form the only line of
physical defense for the city. But what sets George apart from his buddies
is his demeanor. George is essentially a thinker, and although a devout
Christian, he is able to reconcile his sometimes nonchristian thoughts and
actions, such as befriending a satyr (one of the last remaining creatures of
the native Greek faith), with the needs of the situation and the greater
good that is at hand.

Author Turtledove is a master of characterizations. His creations live and
breathe, scratch and pass wind. I look at his group of heroes in this book and
I can easily visualize my group of zany buddies up on the ramparts trying
desperately to look and act like professional soldiers. Being a history
professor, one can also feel the authenticity (ok, maybe he really has me
fooled) of his time frames and city scapes. One can smell the odours, hear
noises and feel the textures of the Thessalonican daily life. Even his
secondary characters are marvelously portrayed, Menas the pompous noble,
Dactylius the henpecked jeweler, Rufus the aged retired centurion in charge
of the militia et al...jump off the pages and live before our eyes.

Ok, I admit that Harry Turtledove is perhaps my favourite living author and
therefore I'm biased when singing his praises, BUT I do have one criticism,
and that's his stories' pacing. Many of his books get bogged down in their
characterisations, and for chapters on end the plot makes very little
advancement. THESSALONICA is a prime example of this. I almost put the book
down a few times from sheer boredom early on, yet I kept going because of
his descriptive talents, and I'm glad I did as the story ended with a bang.

I can only give THESSALONICA a 4 out of 5. Try reading his GUNS OF THE
SOUTH, a virtual 5 out of 5 !