Two young Greek boys swept up in intrigue and violence are the reader’s connection to historic Greece in the young adult novel “In the Heroic Age of Basil II: Emperor of Byzantium.” The book, by Greek author Penelope Delta, has been reprinted more than 40 times in that country. The new English version is translated by Ruth Bobick, of Durham, and published by Peter Randall LLC, of Portsmouth.

According to press materials, the book evokes the legendary war of Basil II with the Bulgarians at the peak of the medieval Byzantine Empire. One of the Greek youths that leads us through the story is heroic and fearless, the other more sensitive and vulnerable. Both are attracted to a mysterious girl they meet in enemy territory under conditions that baffle them.

 “The personal drama that unfolds, interwoven with historical figures and events from 1004-1018, raises a number of universal issues: the treatment of prisoners, the role of spies, and the effect of revenge, sacrifice, and conscience on combatants. In the ancient Greek tradition, the portrayal of the enemy is nuanced. Black and white at the onset, as the story progresses individual Bulgarians gain respect, while individualGreeks become open to some of the same criticism as the enemy.

”The translation can be ordered online at www.perpublisher.com or through a local bookstore.