Agent of Byzantium

In this captivating alternate-history adventure, a skilled spy named Basil Argyros fights to protect the flourishing Byzantine Empire in a 14th century where wondrous technologies like gunpowder and telescopes emerge early. Devoted to his emperor after losing his family to smallpox, Basil goes undercover to thwart the sinister plots of his Persian adversary, Mirrane, while also confronting threats from the Franco-Saxons. With an array of interlocking stories, Agent of Byzantium showcases Harry Turtledove's masterful world-building, blending ingenuity and daring in a richly imagined landscape.