Tag Archives: Rome

Galba’s Men by L. J. Trafford – Review

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Title – Galba’s Men – The Four Emperors Series: Book II
Author – L. J. Trafford
Genre –  Historical Fiction
Length –     431 Pages
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis                 

Rome 68 AD. Slaughtering hundreds of civilians at the gates of Rome is hardly the best introduction for new Emperor Galba to his city. However the aged ruler is determined to get on with clearing up the mess Nero left. Assisting him are his three men: Vinius, Laco and Icelus. Also in his entourage one Marcus Salvius Otho. Jovial, charming and fatally reckless Otho is armed with a killer idea: Wouldn’t it be marvellous if the childless Galba adopted him as his heir? Appointing old pal Epaphroditus as his campaign manager, Otho sets about winning hearts and minds in his own unique cheery way. For Epaphroditus it is a harmless way of enlivening his post Nero retirement; either Galba makes Otho his heir, or he doesn’t. What could possibly go wrong? For once the former Palace manipulator has fatally miscalculated. These are paranoid times and Otho’s ‘harmless’ plan is about to bring Rome to its knees.

Review

So this book follows directly on from Palatine the first book in The Four Emperors Series by L. J. Trafford. If you haven’t read the first book I highly recommend you do as this is a brilliant tale which deserves to be read.

This book is based on events around 68/69 AD when Galba succeeded Nero as emperor of Rome. Albeit for a very short time

L. J. Trafford manages to give us real facts about the events but also has fictional side stories to keep you engaged and it’s this mix that makes this series so interesting

Galba arrives in Rome and it quickly becomes apparent he’s not going to make any friends. His reign only lasted 7 months so it’s clear he wasn’t well liked and the way L. J. Trafford portrays him fits with this image

Reading about Galba’s downfall was very gripping but was outshined by one character as with the first instalment.. Philo! The author continues his tale of woe at the hands of Straton just when he hopes his life is on the up. There is so much development for this character during this tale and I think it helped that Galba’s reign was short as it left time in this novel to develop characters like Philo but also Alex, Mina, Sporus & Straton. They all have their part in this story no matter how little.

With so many good characters to use the author had no trouble switching perspectives to allow other’s tales to continue and it was this back and forth that made it all the more gripping as you never had the chance to get bored of a character and you just had to get back to them to see what happened next.

Essentially the end of this book is a repeat of the first instalment.. the emperor is overthrown and it’s bloody, but the author still managed to make the tale fresh and interesting as the build-up is very different and Nero and Galba couldn’t be more different if they tried.

Added shock factor was introduced when the author killed off a few characters. I won’t spoil it by saying who but I did make a little note with a sad face each times.

I think the best thing about L.J. Trafford’s work is how seamlessly she can fit real facts and fiction together so neatly.. nothing feels out of place at all.

We were also introduced to some new characters in this novel. My favourite being Otho who came across as a happy go lucky kind of guy who does things on a whim which is dangerous but very entertaining..his tale will continue in the next book in the series.. I can’t wait for that!

For me this is a shining example of what historical fiction is for me..and I couldn’t fault it. This was my most anticipated book this year and it’s definitely been my favourite read so far.

To me, these are the kinds of tales that make reading as fun as it is.

I’ve already said this but I think it deserves to be brought up again.. Philo.. he outshines this whole series for me and I could read anything with him in it. Such a good character and I hope we see more of him.

Anyone who likes the genre or wants to get into the genre will enjoy this book, great mix of humour, love and death and a perfect blend of characters you’ll love

My thanks go to the author and Karnac Books for the review copy.

If you’d like to buy the book but haven’t read the first installment head to Karnac Books who have a great offer on where you can buy this book and get book 1 at half price.

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

Author Spotlight – Gordon Doherty

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Gordon Doherty is the second author in my spotlight feature.

I’d like to take the time to highlight his work and give you a little insight into why I think his books are so great!

I’m a big fan of historical fiction and while i was looking into books to purchase Amazon kept showing his books in my recommend list.. I thought to myself what the hell.. why not…I’ll buy one of his books.. and I’ve read a further four since leaving only two to read which i’m planning to get through in the next couple of months.

Gordon has wrote two series so far. His Legionary series is by far the one the best I’ve ever read! and I’ve recently been introduced to his Strategos series which has surpassed all expectations

His Legionary series focuses mainly on the character of Pavo and the border legions of the Roman empire. I’m never one to spoil a plot but the tale Gordon weaves is a masterpiece. He manages to mix a great story with his impressive knowledge of the Roman Empire. He really makes you feel for the characters in this series. I’d even bought the next two books in the series before i’d even finished the first book as i was hooked straight away.

The Strategos series is of the same high standard and focuses on the brilliant character of Apion and the Byzantine Empire. Gordon handled this series a little different to the legionary series. It felt darker. I’ve read the first two books in the series so far and i really can’t wait to get on to the third book.

The main thing i like about his stories is the time he takes to develop not only the main character but also the supporting characters. The friendships he builds up are believable and you’re left wanting more every time you finish a book

If you’ve not read any of his books please do check out some reviews. I promise you’ll not be disappointed if you buy these books. The Kindle editions are all up on Amazon for the bargain price of £1.99 each currently so don’t miss out

Check out my reviews for Strategos: Born in the Borderlands & Strategos: Rise of the Golden Heart

Want to connect with Gordon? You can do so via his website Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads or his Amazon author 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