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Strategos: Island in the Storm (Strategos #3) by Gordon Doherty – Review

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Title – Strategos: Island in the Storm (Strategos #3)
Author – Gordon Doherty
Genre –  Historical Fiction
Length –  402 Pages
Publication – July 2014
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

The storm is upon us, Haga. The answers you seek dance within its wrath . . .

1071 AD. Emperor Romanus Diogenes has rekindled the guttering flame of Byzantium. Yet in the eastern borderlands, two vital strongholds hang in the balance. Manzikert and Chliat must be won to secure the empire’s fragile frontiers and vanquish the would-be usurpers who covet the imperial throne. But Sultan Alp Arslan and his vast Seljuk armies look to those twin fortress-towns also, resolute on seizing them first.

Apion rides by the emperor’s side as they march east, marshalling Byzantium’s armies for the conflict that is to come. He knows only too well that the threat posed by the Sultan’s hordes is well-matched by malevolent forces within the Byzantine ranks. Thus, the road to war is a savage one, but one he cannot refuse. For at its end, Fate beckons, taunting him with a choice of two futures.

On the plains of Manzikert, one great power will rise and another will fall. On the plains of Manzikert, Apion will face the storm.

Review

So here we are.. Apion’s final journey..

Ok let’s stop right here, have you read the first two books in the series? If not check out my reviews of BOOK 1 and BOOK 2.

Now on the book 3!

After the battle that took place in book 2 we are left wondering what will become of the Haga after Nasir’s death.

Emperor Romanus sets out to secure his throne by securing his boarders from the Seljuks. After the build up to this point you know it’s going to be bloody!

Apion has a lot to deal with in this book, not only is he fighting a war while having some insight from the old crone who always seems to be with him but he’s also dealing with the fact Maria, the only good thing in his life left, is out there somewhere.

Nasir’s son plays a big part in this book too as he struggles to come to terms with the death of Nasir. I’ll admit Taylan wasn’t my favourite addition to this book, I struggled at times to like him.. mainly because I thought Nasir was brilliant.. in the end Taylan turned out to be a better addition to the series than I thought he would be.

Gordon manages to bring everything together in this book and we finally get to see an end in sight for the whole Apion/Maria story. Personally I loved how Gordon finished the story. I felt it was a fitting end.. although he had me saying “no no no no” a lot while a was reading.

So character development.. there’s loads. Gordon managed to give an ending to a lot of the characters though the chapters of this book and it’s not all happy endings.  You see a lot of friendships grow and even though a character like Psellos isn’t likable you get a wonderful depth to the person in this one. Not to give anything away but the whole situation with Psellos and the old crone which plays out is brilliant.

We see additions such as Kaspax which I loved along with Vilyam. Vilyam was the star of the book for me.. 🙂

There’s a lot of bloodshed in this book but Gordon again manages to help the reader visualise the battlefield with his impressive knowledge. It gives a great feel to the book as you could imagine the clashes that took place and how many men must have died.

Gordon also uses his knowledge to give even more insight when you read the historical note. He clearly knows his stuff and it pays off well. He makes the subject interesting which isn’t always easy to do.

This series has to be the best I’ve ever read. Credit where credits due, Gordon managed to get me emotionally connected with his characters. For me that is a sign of a truly great author.

I can’t imagine a better end for the series but it’s sad that I won’t be able to read about Apion again. When I get the time I’ll definitely have to read this series again.

I hope Gordon has more books planned..

Head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com to find out more

Death by Dangerous by Olly Jarvis – Review

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Title – Death By Dangerous
Author – Olly Jarvis
Genre – Thriller/Mystery
Length – 368 Pages (Paperback)
Publication – June 2015
My Rating –  5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Death by Dangerous is a compelling legal thriller set in Manchester and Bradford.

John Anderson is one of the North West’s most dedicated and successful prosecution barristers. His career is going from strength to strength and he is on the verge of becoming Queen’s Counsel. But the life he once knew suddenly comes crashing down following a fatal road traffic accident…

“They’re saying it was your fault. Someone died.”

Recovering from his injuries, he has no memory of the collision. Was he responsible for the death of a child? Who was his female passenger? Facing charges of causing death by dangerous driving, the professional and personal life he once knew now lies in tatters. Depressed and taking refuge in alcohol, Anderson refuses, in the face of so many unanswered questions, to accept his guilt. He becomes convinced that the gangster he was prosecuting at the time of the crash is in some way involved.

The mystery deepens as his search for the truth draws him into Manchester’s sordid criminal underworld. Shunned by his former colleagues, Anderson finds help from an unlikely source, enabling him to confront his prejudices and re-evaluate his past life. He embarks on a journey of self-discovery and, ultimately, the path for his own redemption.

Anderson knows that defeat means deliverance to a prison full of violent criminals he has prosecuted over the years. He now has to find the strength to fight the most important trial of his life.

Review

From the synopsis I was already intrigued to read this book and I’m glad I did. It turned out to be a book I was unable to put down.

The story focuses on John Anderson, a barrister who lands himself in trouble after apparently falling asleep at the wheel of his car.. but he doesn’t remember what happened

From here we see his life fall apart, friendships broken, family bonds tested and within the space of a few chapters John’s life is gone from high flying barrister to a nobody facing prison time.

I really can’t give too much away as it would spoil the plot but Olly has created a wonderful tale here and has used his life experiences to give this book lot of detail which adds to the authenticity of the story. It felt real. I felt worried myself what would happen to John and how I would have felt in the same situation where you just can’t control the direction your life takes.

It was really good to see John’s character grow throughout the story. At first he came across maybe a bit arrogant but as the book progresses you find out why he is that way and we also see him change because of what happens. John hits rock bottom but manages to climb his way back up

There were also some wonderful characters in this book aside from John and I enjoyed how each person seemed to have their own motives which came to light as the book progressed

The storyline played out perfectly for me and kept me guessing as to what would happen next and I was hooked right until the end.

This is definitely a book I’d recommend! And I’m glad to hear Olly is working on his next book Cutthroat Defence as we speak.

To find out more head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

The Eagle’s Blood (Caradoc #2) by Keith Nixon – Review

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Title – The Eagle’s Blood (Caradoc #2)
Author – Keith Nixon
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length – 292 Pages
Publication – March 2015
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

The British army is shattered, defeat snatched from the jaws of victory by subterfuge and betrayal. Caradoc flees the battlefield, the crown heavy on his head and his heart set on retribution. He has to make hard decisions and tough compromises, but with the sovereignty of Britain at stake, personal pride sometimes has to take second place.

Emperor Claudius is determined to make as much political mileage as possible out of the Roman victory in an attempt to consolidate his own position. That doesn’t sit well with the Roman military, who have their own objectives and who will do whatever it takes to achieve them.

As the Romans consolidate their gains and begin to push west, Caradoc finds he has few friends left. He must turn to the Durotriges, a wild, hill fort dwelling tribe. But the Durotriges are riven by strife and petty squabbles.

Aulus Plautius, commander of the Roman army, brings his siege weapons to bear, can Caradoc resist the onslaught?

Review

Before I start have you read my review of The Eagle’s Shadow?? If not where have you been? Check it out here

Ok. So here we are trust back into the war between the British and Roman armies. During the first book we learn of a battle which turned out to be a major win for the Romans due to the divided loyalties of the British tribes at the time. This book continues on after book one and we are back we one of my favourite characters Fionn and the action is pretty much non-stop in this fast moving tale.

In the first book I really liked Caradoc but in this book you see a different side to the man. He becomes blinded by revenge and we see Fionn and his friends struggle to see eye to eye with his decisions. Fionn has his own demons in this book too.. I’m not saying too much as it would spoil it for you.

While Caradoc has his mind set firmly on revenge Fionn wants to hit back at the Romans so this book mainly focuses on the period where they are trying to gather support from the other tribes. Needless to say things do not go Fionn’s way.

Keith has written an excellent follow up book which he clearly researched well. I think it’s always hard to get the flow right between two books but the transition is seamless and it felt as if I’d never but the first book down. There were some great additions to the characters in this one which made the book feel fresh but you also had a lot of detail given to some of the characters from the first book which gave them more depth. I particularly enjoyed reading anything involving Anatolius.

One of the things I loved the most was the different point of views. You see the story play out from both the British and Roman stand point and it made for compelling reading

There’s only one downside to this book.. it had to end..I just wanted to turn the page and keep reading. It’s a true talent to keep a reader wanting more when it comes to a series of books but Keith managed to do this within the first few chapters and has hooked me in with his story telling so much already that I already have another non historical fiction piece of his in my review pile and I intend to read more of his work over the next few months

If you are a fan of the genre this series is a must!

Here’s hoping Keith writes Caradoc #3 soon!

To read more reviews or to purchase the book (which i know you’ll want to do) head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Elephant In The Room by Diana J. Febry – Review

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Title – Elephant In The Room
Author – Diana J. Febry
Genre – Mystery
Length –  380 pages (Kindle)
Publication – January 2013
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

Penny Jackson is slowly re-building her life after the abrupt end of her marriage, when she falls in love with the charismatic hotelier, Robert Carver. When dark unspoken family secrets start to surface, Penny has to re-evaluate everything and rely on her own wits to stay alive.

 Review

So this book follows the main character of Penny who after the demise of her previous marriage has found love again.

The man she has falling for is Robert, who already has children of his own including a step daughter who Robert doesn’t have contact with.

Penny offers to track down this step daughter in the hope she can convince her to reconcile with Robert.

As you can guess there is more to this situation than Penny is aware of and an interesting tale unfolds.  Telling you anything would take away the enjoyment of reading the book but in my opinion the story flows well and you are constantly left wondering what is going on and why the step daughter doesn’t want to see Robert or his family again…who doesn’t like a bit of suspense!

I really enjoyed the book and the ending didn’t disappoint for me. This is the second book I’ve read of Diana’s and it’s of the same quality and a very engaging read. To explain this is must point out Penny is by far the most annoying character I’ve ever read about. She makes you want to scream… but as you near the end of the book you start to see why. She really does have her heart in the right place but she’s blinded to the truth which I guess we all are when we fall in love.

This really was a good book to read, my 4 star rating is simply because at times Penny was too annoying verging on stalker and I felt at this point the step daughter would have called the police rather than had a conversation with the woman.. or maybe had a bit of a cat fight.

If you like a bit of mystery or suspense I think you’ll enjoy this book.

To find out more head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

The Serpent Sword (Bernicia Chronicles Book 1) by Matthew Harffy – Review

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Title –  The Serpent Sword (Bernicia Chronicles Book 1)
Author – Matthew Harffy
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length –  347 Pages (Kindle)
Publication – 7th April 2015
My Rating –  5/5 Stars

Synopsis

BRITAIN 633 A.D.

Certain that his brother’s death is murder, young farmhand Beobrand embarks on a quest for revenge in war-torn Northumbria. When he witnesses barbaric acts at the hands of warriors he considers his friends, Beobrand questions his chosen path and vows to bring the men to justice.

Relentless in pursuit of his enemies, Beobrand faces challenges that change him irrevocably. Just as a great sword is forged by beating together rods of iron, so his adversities transform him from a farm boy to a man who stands strong in the clamour and gore of the shieldwall.

As he closes in on his kin’s slayer and the bodies begin to pile up, can Beobrand mete out the vengeance he craves without sacrificing his own honour … or even his soul?

The Serpent Sword is the first novel of the Bernicia Chronicles.

Review

This is the debut novel from Matthew Harffy  and it’s a truly epic one at that. A word to describe this tale would be BRUTAL!

You’re immediately hooked from the prologue where we learn about the death of Octa. We soon learn the main character of the book Beobrand is Octa’s brother.

Having no family left in the world Beobrand swears allegiance to King Edwin to fight in his sheildwall against his enemies. He also learns there might have been more to his brother’s death that he first thought and this sets our hero out on a mission of vengeance.

I won’t give away too much detail but this book is brutal, we read about rape and murder along with a shed load of violence.

Matthew gives great depth to his main character, who we see struggle with his own emotions as he tries to discover what type of person he is. Is he an honourable man?? Read the book.. and find out 🙂

This is honestly the first book I’ve read where I’ve not only not wanted to put it down but at the same time felt like throwing my kindle in the freezer as I couldn’t believe what happened and I didn’t want to read what I thought/knew was going to happen next.

The other day I must have looked like a crazy person  on the bus when I was reading this book and suddenly shouted “No No No”.

Matthew managed to write some brilliant characters. You felt for them. When certain events played out I just couldn’t help hate the writer for what he’s done.. In a good way though ha.

Apart from Beobrand there are a host of characters that stood out to me, namely Dreng, Hengist, Leofwine and mostly Scand.

Who buys paperbacks these days with a kindle being able to store so many titles? I know i don’t especially since space is limited having twin girls around the house but I will definitely be purchasing this for the collection. It’s without a doubt one of the best debut novels I’ve read.

Usually I never read books more than once either but I think this will be the first.. I enjoyed it that much I already want to read it again.

I couldn’t even tell you if there are any errors in this book, I was too engrossed in the story..and that’s how a book should be.

To read more about this book head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Rise of the Wolf by Steven A. McKay – Review

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Title – Rise of the Wolf
Author – Steven A. McKay
Genre – Historical Fiction
Publication – Expected 31st July/1st August 2015
My Rating – 5/5

Synopsis

Sir Guy of Gisbourne is back!

Bent on vengeance against Robin Hood and with a turncoat new lieutenant in tow, an unlikely new hero must stand up for herself…

YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND – 1323 AD

The greenwood has been quiet and the outlaws have become complacent, but the harsh reality of life is about to hit the companions with brutal, deadly force thanks to their old foe, Prior John de Monte Martini.

From a meeting with King Edward II himself to the sheriff’s tournament with its glittering prize, the final, fatal, showdown fast approaches for the legendary Wolf’s Head.

New friends, shattered loyalties, and a hate-fuelled hunter that threatens to wipe out not only Robin’s companions but his entire family will all play their part in the RISE OF THE WOLF.

Review

This is the third book in the series and i can honestly say the books go from strength to strength. If you’ve not  read my reviews for the first two books have a look here at Wolf’s Head and here for The Wolf and the Raven

A word that springs to mind about this series is “Growth” Not only has each story line improved on the previous one but Steven has managed to grow his characters superbly throughout the series. You can really tell the author has put a lot of time and energy into his work.

In my previous review for The Wolf and the Raven i commented on how i felt some of the characters only played small parts… not in this book. Steven managed to give a lot of the characters the word count they deserved and ended up with a cracking story!

This book draws a line under the fight between Robin and Sir Guy and how the story plays out was brilliant. I even had my mouth open wide as i read as the story was that good i couldn’t believe what i was reading

Again Steven took risks as with the previous book, things happened i didn’t see coming but everything worked and there was a very interesting tale that developed with Robin’s sister that i thought brought something extra to this book. It was nice to have more of a family connection throughout this tale.

If you’ve read my previous reviews you know i’m not one to give away plot details but for me all the events that Steven portrayed fitted so well together i can’t think of anything i didn’t like. I can imagine it would have taken quite some time to plan the events of this book and i don’t think Steven could improve on it one bit, he has made a story that is by far the best I’ve read in a long time.

I’ll definitely be buying these books as a gift for my dad, they are just brilliant and i think anyone who likes Robin Hood or just even enjoys a good tale would love to read them.

My advice.. buy the books.. and keep an eye out for Steven’s next book. I for one can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.

The book hasn’t been released yet so keep an eye out on the authors Amazon page

The Eagle’s Shadow by Keith Nixon – Review

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Title – The Eagle’s Shadow
Author – Keith Nixon
Genre – Historical Fiction
Publication – 8th June 2014
My Rating – 5/5

Synopsis

One man stands against the might of the Roman Empire. His name is Caradoc.

In Rome a new Emperor, Claudius, accedes the throne. But he is politically weak, enemies who would take his place circle and plot. If he is to survive Claudius needs a triumph, one that marks him as a leader of men.

Claudius’s eye turns to the mysterious isle of Britannia, home of the supernatural Druids and brutal, wild-eyed warriors, reputed to fight naked. The place not even Julius Caesar could conquer.

AD43 and a massive invasion force, commanded by Aulus Plautius, lands on a tiny corner of Britannia. Caradoc, King of the country’s most powerful tribe, assembles an army to throw his enemy back over the water and into Gaul.

But divisions are rife and there are those who are secretly working with the Romans for their own benefit. The very future of the country is at risk and only one man can safeguard it…

Review

This book is a fast paced, epic war story and boy did I enjoy it.

First of there is a lot of information in this book but Keith very handily added a section at the beginning of the book to explain the names used within the book since place names have changed over the years along with rivers etc. This was not only useful so I could set the scene but it was also very interesting information

We find ourselves thrust into time when Rome was planning to invade Britain and the author decided to tell his tale from both the Roman and the Britons view point. This gave a great feel to the book and broke up the action perfectly so you kept reading without even noticing the time pass.

Keith has picked a very interesting subject for the book and built on this story with the characters. There are a few I liked a lot.. Fionn & Etain stood out for me.  The action with Fionn had me hooked!

There are a large number of characters in this book; Because of this some don’t get a chance to develop. Once you read the book you can totally understand why though as there so much going on in the book it would be too much to squeeze in and also the story is so strong and violent it’s inevitable some of these characters will die

The author goes into some great detail describing the warfare tactics and clearly has researched well.

I felt the story easily pulled me in and I even found myself shouting in my head “Move, Move” when it came to clashes between the two armies.

One of the most interesting parts of this book for me was the relationships between the tribes in Britain at the time. I won’t spoil the book for you but these relationships coupled with the unified force of the Romans made for an epic tale

From reading the authors historical notes he gives a great insight into some of the characters and the time period and it’s definitely peaked my interest and made me want to read up on this time period.

I’m very pleased to see there is a follow up book and I’m looking forward to reading/reviewing that soon

Conclusion… Do I think this book is worth the 99p asking price currently on Amazon? Hell yes!

If you enjoy tales involving warfare, blood, guts, tension, betrayal then you will certainly like this book

To find out more about this book head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Knight of the Cross By Steven A. McKay – Review

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Title – Knight of the Cross
Author – Steven A. McKay
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length – 103 Pages
Publication – 19th September 2014
My Rating – 5/5

Synopsis

The Knights Hospitaller battle ancient evil in medieval Rhodes as mysterious disappearances and insane devil-worshippers threaten to turn the entire island into a bloodbath…

When three Hospitallers go missing from a local village outraged Grand Master Foulques de Villaret sends the English knight Sir Richard-at-Lee and his trusted sergeant-at-arms Jacob to discover their fate. Met with resistance from frightened locals and rumours of a blasphemous sect performing unspeakable rites beneath the village Sir Richard must overcome not only the devil-worshippers but the faceless, unstoppable demon that stalks his dreams.

Fans of the best-selling Forest Lord books “Wolf’s Head” and “The Wolf and the Raven” will enjoy this spin-off novella that sees the much-loved English knight up against a foe that threatens not just his life and his sanity, but God himself!

Review

First off this is a novella. For anyone who hasn’t read a novella before it’s less pages than a full story but more pages than a short story.

This tale focuses on Sir Richard, If you’ve read Steven’s first two books Wolf’s Head and The Wolf and the Raven you’ll be familiar with the character.

I definitely think the author did the right thing. As such a strong character Sir Richard deserved his own tale.

Ok, so in this story we see Sir Richard tasked to investigate some strange disappearances of not only villagers but also some Hospitallers.

It’s a very intriguing story which gives a great insight in to Steven as an author as he adds in a touch of fantasy with this book which gives it a great twist after reading his other work.

In all honesty it’s well worth the 99p asking price currently on Amazon, well written and even though it’s only 100 or so pages if felt like a much larger tale. Steven managed brilliantly to fit a story into such a small amount of pages.

I’m looking forward to reading and reviewing the authors next book The Rise of the Wolf and especially looking forward to seeing what direction he takes after this.

I felt the added fantasy to this book made it quite unique compared to everything else I’ve read and it will be interesting to see if Steven will continue down these lines or branch out in to something completely different.

To find out more head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Strategos: Rise of the Golden Heart by Gordon Doherty – Review

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Title – Strategos: Rise of the Golden Heart
Author – Gordon Doherty
Genre –  Historical Fiction
Length – 410 Pages (Kindle)
Publication – June 14th 2013
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Stay strong, Haga, for the Golden Heart will rise in the west. At dawn, he will wear the guise of a lion hunter. At noon, he will march to the east as if to conquer the sun itself. At dusk, you will stand with him in the final battle, like an island in the storm . . .

1068 AD: the armies of the Seljuk Sultanate tear at Byzantium’s borders, poised to strike the death blow that will bring all Anatolia under their yoke. Alp Arslan’s armies grow stronger with every passing season, while the beleaguered Byzantine soldiers defend for their lives, the hope in their hearts guttering its last.

This war has been Apion’s mistress for many years, casting a dark shadow across his soul. When the mysterious crone comes to him, she can offer him only a glimmer of light. But at the darkest of moments, the smallest chink of light can be blinding. It will sweep Apion into the heart of the empire, Constantinople, and then onto the arid plains of Syria. It will taunt him with trust, betrayal, intrigue, love and brutal conflict. But, above all, it will offer him hope.

Review

First off have you read the first book in the series?? If not… why?? Head here to read my review of Strategos – Born in the Borderlands

12 years have passed since we last saw Apion.. and by the authors own words they have been 12 bloody years..

The tone of the book is set from the start. Words that come to mind are Dark, Revenge & War

Apion and Nasir are locked in what looks like a never ending war between their opposing armies and from the start of the book you can tell Apion is currently on the losing side.. the borderlands of the empire look set to fall.. the Haga and his loyal men including my favourites from the previous book Sha, Blastares and Procopius stand in the way of the Seljuk army.

After a lot of bloodshed we see Apion summoned to Constantinople where we are introduced to a lot of new characters. The one I found interested me the most was Dederic a fellow solider, his character gains depth throughout the book, I love Apion don’t get me wrong but I absolutely loved Dederic.

The plot of the book surpassed any expectations I had. There’s so much crammed in to the book its crazy but nothing feels rushed or misplaced.

Now Apion along with his men are tasked to head into Syria and take the war to the Seljuks..and Nasir.

I don’t want to give away anything but Gordon manages to bring some conclusion to the whole Apion/Nasir revenge storyline while also leaving you on tenterhooks as to what will happen next. There are some big surprises in store for you lucky readers.

The author clearly knows his stuff, he fills you with so much background information throughout the book  but I never felt bogged down.

If I was to think of anything I didn’t like it would only be that Sha, Blastares and Procopius don’t play as big a part in this book as I would have liked but saying that once you read the story you can tell why.. Gordon weaved such a good tale that these guys needed to take a step back in order to see the story develop.

This is such a good book and I can’t wait to get time to read the 3rd book! I highly recommend to check out Gordon’s work.

Gordon has quickly became a favorite author of mine and i’m excited to see what lies ahead

To find out more head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Palatine: The Four Emperors Series: Book I by L.J. Trafford – Review

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Title – Palatine: The Four Emperors Series: Book I
Author – L. J. Trafford
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length – 428 Pages (Kindle)
Publication – 30th June 2015
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Debauchery. Depravity. Decadence.Just everyday life at the imperial palace.Whilst Emperor Nero plays with his new water organ and a cross-dressing eunuch, his wily secretary Epaphroditus manages affairs of state. But dissent and rebellion are growing across the empire, and Nero is soon to discover playtime is over.Praetorian prefect Nymphidius Sabinus, disgusted by the moral degeneracy, secretly plots the overthrow of Nero’s court. Motivated by the traditional Roman values of valour and nobility, yet blinded by his own righteousness, Sabinus is ignorant of what he has unleashed – The Year of the Four Emperors.Palatine is the first in an enthralling four-book series about the tumultuous ‘Year of the Four Emperors’ which will appeal to fans of Lindsey Davis and George R. R. Martin.

Review

I’m a big fan of historical fiction so when I was offered a review copy of this book I was very excited to say the least.

This book focuses on Emperor Nero and his eventual death after the Praetorian prefect Nymphidius Sabinus decides he’s had enough of his behaviour and gets the Praetorian Guard to desert him and back Galba as Emperor.

The author decided to write this book from a number of different perspectives which made it a very interesting read. I think that’s probably the thing I liked the most about the book.. the characters and the sheer number of them. Best of all, the story didn’t feel rushed/forced and flowed nicely from one person to another

I thought each character was handled well and was given depth as the story went on even though it was subtle.. when you finish the book and look back you can see the time that has been put into each of their stories.

Ok.. so you want me to tell you somethings I didn’t like.. Well…there’s nothing really.

For me this was a well-planned/written book that hooked me in. The way the author managed to fit so many little stories into the main story was brilliant! I particularly enjoyed any conversation involving Philo. His life is so wonderfully complicated. Not to spoil anything I won’t say much but he was by far my favourite person in the book. I’ve been left wanting more.

The good news is there are 3 more books planned and I’m looking forward to Galba arriving on the scene. With my limited knowledge of the man I expect the second book will be as good as the first if not better!

I can’t really comment on historical accuracy as I’m no expert but everything seems to fit with me so I hope anyone who enjoys historical fiction will give this book a read. I wasn’t disappointed and I believe you won’t be either

To view the book in more detail head to Goodreads, Karnac Books, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com