Today we kick off the blog tour for Tribune and the Sword by Adam Lofthouse!
I promised myself minimal blog tours this year but if you’ve seen my blog you’ll probably know Adam Lofthouse is a firm favourite here so how could I not jump at the opportunity to read his new book prior to release!!!!
Here’s the blurb.
August. 383 AD. Flavius Maximus has declared himself emperor and crossed into Gaul. The civil war with Gratian has been short, and the rightful ruler of the West lies in an early grave.
Now two men face off across an empire. Theodosius in the east, his armies large but reliant on mercenaries. Maximus in the west, his forces small, but battle hardened and loyal to a fault.
In the middle of the chaos, at the heart of a dying world, two old friends march at the heads of opposing forces. Tribune Sixtus Victorinus fights for the West. Not out of loyalty to Maximus, but to his two sons who are bound by oath to fight for the pretender.
And General Gaius Felicius for the East. Outcasted by Maximus, he will stop at nothing to see the usurper toppled. But if his old friend stands in his path, is the road to vengeance still one he will choose to tread?
War is coming, and both men must look inside themselves and decide what is greater: the cause they fight for, or the bonds of fellowship. 🔥⚔️
Review
Before we get into this, I’m going to keep this spoiler free.. It’s book 3 in the Shadow of Rome series so if you haven’t already do check out the other books. I will say I love the authors writing style though as you are given just the right amount of backstory, as and when needed, so you could jump in to book 3 if you really want, but to be completely honest this series is too good not to enjoy so go grab them all!!
Tribune and the Sword is set around the reign of Maximus, who usurped the throne and headed to Gaul.
Tribune Sixtus Victorinus fights for Maximus, not out of loyalty.. He has to.. Blood runs thicker than water.
Now if you know anything about the time you’ll know the race to the purple was fierce.. Why they craved this so much I don’t know as all it seems to lead to is death…
Theodosius also considers himself Emperor, the difference being I don’t think he ever wanted it. He has a real likeability to him.
The issue is what he wants doesn’t really matter.. He knows what he must do.. Sooner or later these two men’s forces will collide.
Theo also has General Gaius Felicius on his side, who I love by the way, forced from Britannia by Maximus.
This battle is going to push all to their limits..
I’m not going to pretend I’m an expert on the period but having read a few books already I wondered how quickly the Church would rear their heads.. It doesn’t take long.. So what we’ve got is a stressful job anyway to be Emperor, impending war, but then add then add religion, which at the time played such a big part.. These men had zero chance of success whoever the victor was.
For me this book ticks a few boxes that others maybe don’t.. The detailed plot is so beautifully weaved, real history blended with the authors own thoughts on the period to make a riveting read..like you don’t question anything.. The flow is spot on and everything fits…it feels complete.
There’s also a lot of complexity in my opinion in this period of time, lots of different players involved. The author doesn’t dumb it down as such like you won’t understand it, rather makes it simple.. Gives you exactly what you need to understand the flow, the motives, but at the same time makes it exciting….sometimes you have to remember certain people/events are actually real.
The other thing Adam Lofthouse can do that others can’t is that you can tell from his writing he had fun, which just makes the whole story flow that much better…. Read the author’s notes and you’ll see he himself added a little something just for his own amusement but it’s that energy that makes a story stand out and makes a 4* read a 5* instead!
The kicker is simply that the author has a real talent of easing the reader in.. when you read as much as I do sometimes you just don’t feel like reading.. Tired.. Bored.. Life stresses etc.. Lofthouse seduces the reader making it impossible not to want to read more.. And you feel so much better for it! When life gets you down all you need is a bit of Adam Lofthouse ha!
The book ends well too.. Leaving the promise of good things to come. I for one cannot wait to see what comes next.
5* cracker!
My thanks go to the author, publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources for having me on the tour!
Tempted?
Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/TribuneandtheSword
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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
David's Book Blurg 