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JD Smith
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The Better of Two Men (Overlord Book 3) Kindle Edition

by JD Smith (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 10 ratings
My name is Zabdas: husband, warrior, conscience and confidant. I am a son of Syria. I write the history of this country in my own hand and tell the tale of my Zenobia: loyal subject, wilful woman, Queen of the Sands, Protector of People and wife to the King of Kings …

Zenobia has won the respect of her people, she has provided King Odenathus with a second son, while he controls Rome’s eastern legions. With Emperor Valerian gone, it is the perfect opportunity for Odenathus to seize the title “Emperor of Rome”.

But the war is not yet won. Zenobia and Zabdas have a revenge to exact, the Persians must be pushed back beyond Ctesiphon, and there are other pretenders rising in the east. Odenathus’ loyalties are called upon once more as he struggles to maintain control and quell the uprising.

And his accumulation of power has not gone unnoticed ...

“JD Smith's wonderful characterisation and meticulous research paints a vivid and dramatic picture of Syria in the 3rd Century AD at a time when Rome is disintegrating under the weight of its own corruption. The early years of Zenobia, one of the great enigmatic figures of history, are seen through the eyes of her cousin Zabdas, a slave who becomes a general. Zabdas is the perfect narrator and his story follows Zenobia from clever, precocious young girl to imperious manipulator of kings and emperors, from the desert kingdom of Palmyra to Rome and back. Full of passion, intrigue and drama it draws the reader in and holds them to the very last page.”
Douglas Jackson, author of Caligula

"Syria's Boudica [Boadicea], self-styled Cleopatra, and real-life Daenerys Targaryen."

"Zenobia, Queen of Palymra, can now take her place beside a couple of other picturesque and photogenic fictional queens - Danerys and Maergery from Game of Thrones. The difference is, Zenobia really existed."
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  1. Book 3 of 4
    Overlord
  2. Print length
    258 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    July 6, 2015
  5. File size
    807 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 4 books in this series.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0115C9S40
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Quinn Publications (July 6, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 6, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 807 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 258 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

About the author

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JD Smith

JD Smith

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To the world of all things design and literary I'm JD Smith, to everyone else I'm just plain Jane. I'd like to think I'm not too plain - I love books and stories after all.

I am the author of several historical fiction novels, a member of the Triskele Books collective, editor of the writers' ezine Words with JAM, and the readers' review site Bookmuse.

I am also an award-winning book cover designer. I love books, both the physical and the words contained within. I'd like to think it was no surprise that I ended up immersing myself in the world of book design rather than marketing materials for corporate companies, but in many ways it was.

My office door is always open, although in its current state you will have to sit on a box of books if you wish to join me for a cup of tea.

I love cake. Just in case you were wondering.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
10 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • BD
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another in series?
    Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Love books in this series. Hoping there will be more soon.
    Thanks for beautiful writing & strong characters. I love the reflective thought processes of main character!
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  • Cindy Taylor
    4.0 out of 5 stars A powerful and emotional story
    Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2016
    True rating - 4.5 stars

    Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres, and when you add a strong main female character into the mix, it is a definite recipe for success! The Better of Two Men is the third in the Overlord series by J. D. Smith, and I would have to say that put me at a bit of a disadvantage since I have not read the first two books in the series. Don’t get me wrong – I had no problem following the plot or becoming familiar with the setting, but I think it took me a little bit longer to sort out the relationships between characters as a result. Once I had everyone figured out though, I was quickly swept up into the continuing story of Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra in 261 AD Syria, as told thirty years later by her half brother, Zabdas, who has risen through the years from slave to warrior and finally ear to King Odenathus, husband of Zenobia.

    Zabdas loves Zenobia deeply, even deeper probably than a half brother should, so the story he tells paints a picture of a woman like no other. She is strong, smart, fearless, cunning, very powerful, and a well respected leader, and she is determined to protect her entire country at any cost, even if it sometimes means going against her husband’s wishes or cleverly swaying the King to her way of thinking when she needs to. The Persians are still a very real danger in the east and must be pushed back, and the Tanukh tribe is still a danger to the trade route on the Eurphrates. At the same time, there are new pretenders in the east whose goal is to unseat the Emperor of Rome and take his place. King Odenathus is caught between the two sides, struggling to keep the protection of Rome but also protect the city of Palmyra which he rules and loves and maintain Syria’s identity as a separate country.

    Historical Fiction. It takes you to another place and time and teaches you about different eras and cultures. What J.D. Smith does with historical fiction is to take it one step further. She makes you feel – feel what it was like to exist in that place and time, feel what the people who lived then went through emotionally, mentally, and physically. She picks you up and plunks you right in the middle of it so that you get the real experience of the characters’ lives with her vivid descriptions and her ability to make you feel the emotions of the characters. She makes you think and compare the differences and similarities to our own lives today, culminating with the conclusion I came to that no matter when or where we live we all go through the same general struggles, including the dilemma that love poses in our lives. As Zabdas says, “love is both the thing we live for most, and our greatest undoing”. The Better of Two Men is a powerful and emotional story of loyalty, love, family, power, politics, deception, revenge, and regret, and definitely proves that revenge doesn’t always bring satisfaction. It does not bring back what you have lost. By telling his story, Zabdas tries to come to terms with everything that has happened over the years. It’s a history of warring peoples but also a tale of warring emotions and morals and coming to terms with the past. In essence, it’s a story of conflict, personal and political, and I highly recommend it!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Annie
    4.0 out of 5 stars The story speaks of love, loss
    Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2016
    I had the pleasure of reading all three books in the Overlord series so I was able to appreciate and follow the last one a bit more. I was intrigued with the story line. I was pulled in from the beginning with the story of Zenobia and her ability to do and say things that women in those earlier times would not even think of. Zabdas' character was a bit torn; his commitment to Zenobia, dedication to her father and to the Roman woman he would take as his wife. The story speaks of love, loss, dishonesty, war, loyalty, and the ability to seek revenge with no regrets. The struggle of an empire whose leader cared more for protecting its people than simply to be able to attain a title also pulled me in. I found myself trying to guess what was going to happen next with every character and know there has to be an extension to this story and can't wait to find out where the story ends.
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