Today is release day for War Lord: Scourge of Rome by Adam Lofthouse!
I’m very privileged to be able to kick off the blog tour to celebrate the release!!
Here’s the blurb.
And so we have reached the end of my tale. But what are endings if not new beginnings?
Alaric has been home for a year. He went north and saved the Cimbri, just as he said he would. But the cost has been higher than he ever thought. A shadow of the War Lord he once was, he now trades in amber and dotes on his children.
A simple life. And with it, contentment. But he knew this couldn’t last forever; peace isn’t for someone like him, and sure enough trouble finds him once again. A routine journey south turns into a new and unknown wave of danger as red-cloaked legionaries attack, causing confusion and carnage.
Warriors dressed as Romans have been scouring the country, slaughtering innocent people, and leaving Roman footprints wherever they march. But things are not what they seem, and it falls to Alaric to don his armour once more, and march his Ravensworn in pursuit of a mysterious enemy that could destabilise his world beyond repair.
Review
Oh how I’ve been waiting for this one! We are back with Alaric!
Alaric and his Ravensworn were once the most feared enemy of Rome but after a crushing defeat things have changed.. forced to keep a low profile Alaric has mellowed a little I guess.
The old warlord we know and love is just under the surface though.. just waiting to be set free again.
While he may not command an army there are still those loyal to Alaric.. his name is still well known and when his men are attacked Alaric along with an old friend Balomar soon see signs that something is off.. the men who’ve attacked them appear to be from Rome…but not everything is at it seems.
Who would want to attack the tribes and why? It can only lead to rising tensions..and if not stopped soon war will follow.
Alaric sets off at first to see an old enemy.. someone who will have just as much to loose if war is to come but this comes with it’s own dangers. This leads to a conspiracy but little hint as to who is pulling the strings but the outcome is clear.. war is coming.
War Lord has a smart plot, we explore Alaric’s past and what made him the man he is.. the pain he suffered that turned into steel. We glimpse the effect all this stress and fighting has done to the man too.. there’s a venerability to him.. you adhere to his views and goals.. and we see his future.. while Alaric may only have one eye he sees pretty clearly what’s to come and he’s given his time to shine once again!
The writing flows well, pace is steady and gripping but it’s clever too..broken up nicely with detail, development and a pinch of Alaric’s dark humour.. I loved him remembering the men he’s lost along the way showing another side to him too.
I loved the battle scenes, again clever with the detail..twists and turns but I really loved that Lofthouse showed Alaric as both the man he is, older and less nimble.. but no less sharp.. along with his legend.. the effect his name.. his banner can have.
For fans of the author you’ll know this book has been a needed…. Alaric has to be my favourite character ever to date, the author has developed him like no other and I yearned for more.
Adam Lofthouse is one to watch, he’s established himself in the historical fiction genre as one of the best and he continues to write tales that grip the reader from the first page to the last!
5*
My thanks go to the author, publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources for having me on the tour!
Why not check out the rest of the stops on the tour?
Tempted yet?
Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/WarLord
Author Bio –
Adam has for many years held a passion for the ancient world. As a teenager he picked up Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden, and has been obsessed with all things Rome ever since. After ten years of immersing himself in stories of the Roman world, he decided to have a go at writing one for himself. He lives in Kent, UK.
Social Media Links –
Facebook: @AdamPLofthouse
Twitter: @AdamPLofthouse
Instagram: @adamplofthouse
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/AdamLofthouseNews
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