Clash of Eagles

Published by Del Rey in March 2015: CLASH OF EAGLES, by Alan Smale.

The Roman Empire never fell. Now, in 1218 AD, jaded commander Gaius Marcellinus leads his legion into North America confident that he will find easy victories and the gold necessary to finance his Emperor’s endless wars with Mongol China.

Marcellinus couldn’t be more wrong. The inhabitants of Nova Hesperia have impressive fighting skills, along with sophisticated flying machines constructed of wood, skin and sinew which decimate even his disciplined legionaries. And after a harrowing march into the middle of the vast continent, Marcellinus will face the full might of the Mississippian mound-builder culture in a battle that will change his life forever….

CLASH OF EAGLES continues on from the novella, “A Clash of Eagles”, winner of the 2010 Sidewise Award for Alternate History. Two more volumes from Del Rey in 2016 and 2017 complete the continent-spanning ancient American saga.

“Just when it seems there is nothing new in [alternate] history comes this debut.” – Library Journal, starred review.

“Smale debuts with an intriguingly original alternate history… grounded in solid research into Roman history and pre-Columbian native society… The author’s best work comes with descriptions and characters, both of legion life and Cahokian society.” – Kirkus Review

“Authoritatively researched, compellingly told, and with pleasing echoes of L. Sprague de Camp, CLASH OF EAGLES is a modern masterpiece of what-if speculation.” – Stephen Baxter, Philip K. Dick Award-winning author of The Time Ships.

“In Smale’s writing, speculative fiction has been dealt a winning hand. Part historian, part anthropologist, part scientist, Smale is a renaissance man with a storyteller’s gift for letting tireless research inform the narrative without overwhelming it. Smale entertains, educates and enraptures.” – Myke Cole, award-winning author of the Shadow-Ops series.

“CLASHOF EAGLES is epic in its sweep, exciting in its narrative, and eyeball-kick sharp in its details.” – Nancy Kress, Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author of Beggars in Spain.

“Alan Smale has done wonderful work with the world-building in CLASH OF EAGLES, dropping the sole Roman survivor of a massacre into the complex civilization of the Cahokian Native Americans in the thirteenth century. Yet what follows is more than a standard clash of cultures yarn, for there are other forces at play in this alternate North America, and Marcellinus knows his imperial masters will send more legions to replace his lost men. Can the determination and ingenuity of one man change the fate of a continent? I’m eager to find out.” – Harry Turtledove, New York Times bestselling author of How Few Remain.

“My favorite kind of alternate history: epic, bloody, and hugely imaginative.” – John Birmingham, author of Without Warning.

“Alan Smale is one of those Renaissance men who make the rest of us look positively lazy… Smale’s take on this premise is fresh and intriguing. The worldbuilding is stunning: in terms of a detailed alternate world imagined in depth, I was reminded of Harry Harrison’s classic Eden trilogy…. Visit Smale’s world. You won’t regret it.” – Don Sakers, Analog Science Fiction and Fact

“Smale wrings every delightful ounce of fun and edification out of his chosen thesis… he proves himself a dab hand at conjuring up alternate cultures, rousing action scenes, and the ethical quandaries besetting all imperial ventures. When Smale is finished, we will have a landmark work.” – Paul Di Filippo, Asimov’s Science Fiction

“This was a very entertaining story and the characters were well-drawn, coming alive with the author’s intent. I appreciated the author’s efforts to build a world based on archaeological findings consistent with the time, while not letting that interfere with a good story” – Catherine Book, The Nameless Zine

“[Alan Smale] breathes life into the New World civilizations and offers up a compelling view of what might have happened had these two continents collided… I found the New World of 1218 AD fascinating. I look forward to the next installment.” – Editor's Choice, Historical Novels Review

“Careful characterization, clever extrapolation, and grand battles distinguish this novel honoring patriotism and camaraderie.” – World Magazine

“A must-read for every historical fiction/alternate history fan.” – The Book Plank

“Smale’s writing is masterful… A damned good read.” – Theo Taylor

“CLASH OF EAGLES, the first book of Alan Smale’s trilogy, introduced the series with a lightning bolt. Bracketed between two breathtaking and meticulously strategized battles is a sensitive evocation of a lost culture, an act of literary archaeology like no other I’ve read. My advice is to get in on the ground floor now!” – James Patrick Kelly, Nebula Award-winning author of Burn

US cover, published by Del Rey

UK Clash Cover
UK cover, published by Titan

Eagle in Exile

Published by Del Rey in March 2016: EAGLE IN EXILE, book II of the CLASH OF EAGLES trilogy, by Alan Smale.

Alan Smale’s gripping alternate history series imagines a world in which the Roman Empire has survived long enough to invade North America in 1218. Now the stunning story carries hero Gaius Marcellinus deeper into the culture of an extraordinary people—whose humanity, bravery, love, and ingenuity forever change his life and destiny.

After successfully repelling an invasion by the fearsome Iroqua tribes, Marcellinus realizes that a weak and fractured North America won’t stand a chance against the returning Roman army. Worse, rival factions from within threaten to tear Cahokia apart just when it needs to be most united and strong. Marcellinus is determined to save the civilization that has come to mean more to him than the empire he once served. But to survive the swords of Roma, he first must avert another Iroqua attack and bring the Cahokia together. Only with the hearts and souls of a nation at his back can Marcellinus hope to know triumph.

CLASH OF EAGLES and EAGLE IN EXILE continue on from the novella, “A Clash of Eagles”, winner of the 2010 Sidewise Award for Alternate History. EAGLE AND EMPIRE, the final volume from Del Rey in 2017, completes the continent-spanning ancient American saga.

“[EAGLE IN EXILE] has the pace and scope of a Michener or Uris epic… Smale’s action scenes slash across page after page, intense and bloody… Grab your dagger and sword, for the battle continues.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“The author has done prodigious work into Native American lore and Roman military history to produce this novel, which is filled with intelligent extrapolations of what a 13 th century Roman Imperium might be like.” – Publishers Weekly Book Review

“Alan Smale presents a detailed, fully realized alternate world with the reality of [books such as] Anne McCaffrey’s Pern or Allen Steele’s Coyote. Smale’s Cahokia isn’t just a place you read about, it’s a place you feel like you’ve visited, a place you can imagine yourself living.” – Don Sakers, Analog Science Fiction and Fact

“Warfare, political conflict, family strife – these are all presented in an epic scope where any decision or wrong move can forever change society.” – Tech Times

“Thoroughly believable… Marcellinus is a complicated man, a hero we can all get behind.” – Historical Novels Review

“The plotting is superb and the palette of characters captivating… I am anticipating the next book even more than I did this one.” – Catherine Book, The Nameless Zine

Eagle and Empire

Published by Del Rey in May 2017: EAGLE AND EMPIRE, Book III of the Clash of Eagles trilogy, by Alan Smale, completing his continent-spanning ancient American saga.

Roman Praetor Gaius Marcellinus came to North America as a conqueror, but after meeting with defeat at the hands of the city-state of Cahokia, he has had to forge a new destiny in this strange land. In the decade since his arrival, he has managed to broker an unstable peace between the invading Romans and a loose affiliation of Native American tribes known as the League.

But invaders from the west will shatter that peace and plunge the continent into war: The Mongol Horde has arrived and they are taking no prisoners.

As the Mongol cavalry advances across the Great Plains leaving destruction in its path, Marcellinus and his Cahokian friends must summon allies both great and small in preparation for a final showdown. Alliances will shift, foes will rise, and friends will fall as Alan Smale brings us ever closer to the dramatic final battle for the future of the North American continent.

CLASH OF EAGLES, EAGLE IN EXILE, and EAGLE AND EMPIRE continued on from the novella, "A Clash of Eagles", winner of the 2010 Sidewise Award for Alternate History.

“Smale’s hard-hitting and satisfying conclusion will be a must for his readers, as the trilogy will be for any fan of alternate history” – Publishers Weekly Starred Review

“The pace is breathless and the action relentless, and Smale’s descriptions of battles, tactics, and weapons are informed… A satisfying culmination to the adventures of a Roman warrior in the New World.” – Kirkus Review

“[Eagle and Empire] had awesome worldbuilding, worthy and interesting characters, and a great plot… Altogether, a very satisfying journey.” – Nameless Zine

“Alternate history at its best… Smale delivers in spades… The best of the trilogy. His ability to maintain a large, highly-developed cast of characters is remarkable… Highly recommended.” – Historical Novels Review