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Tales of the Empire #1
Interregnum
Tales of the Empire 1:
For twenty years civil war has torn the Empire apart; the Imperial line extinguished as the mad Emperor Quintus burned in his palace, betrayed by his greatest general. Against a background of war, decay, poverty and violence, men who once served in the proud Imperial army now fight as mercenaries, hiring themselves to the greediest lords.
On a hopeless battlefield that same general, now a mercenary captain tortured by the events of his past, stumbles across hope in the form of a young man begging for help. Kiva is forced to face more than his dark past as he struggles to put his life and the very Empire back together. The last scion of the Imperial line will change Kiva forever.
For twenty years civil war has torn the Empire apart; the Imperial line extinguished as the mad Emperor Quintus burned in his palace, betrayed by his greatest general. Against a background of war, decay, poverty and violence, men who once served in the proud Imperial army now fight as mercenaries, hiring themselves to the greediest lords.
On a hopeless battlefield that same general, now a mercenary captain tortured by the events of his past, stumbles across hope in the form of a young man begging for help. Kiva is forced to face more than his dark past as he struggles to put his life and the very Empire back together. The last scion of the Imperial line will change Kiva forever.
474 pages, Nook
First published May 14, 2009
177 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
S.J.A. Turney
92 books493 followersSimon lives with his wife and children and a menagerie of animals in rural North Yorkshire, where he sits in an office, wired on coffee and digestive biscuits, and attempts to spin engrossing tales out of strands of imagination while his children drive toys across his desk and two dogs howl as they try to share a brain cell.
A born and bred Yorkshireman with a love of country, history and architecture, Simon spends most of his rare free time travelling around ancient sites, writing, researching the ancient world and reading voraciously.
Following an arcane and eclectic career path that wound through everything from sheep to Microsoft networks and from paint to car sales, Simon wrote Marius’ Mules and, with help and support, made a success of it. Now, with in excess of 20 novels under his belt, Simon writes full time and is represented by MMB Creative literary agents.
Simon writes Roman military novels in the form of the bestselling Marius’ Mules series based on Julius Caesar’s campaigns, Roman thrillers in the Praetorian series, set during the troubled reign of Commodus, medieval adventures in the Ottoman Cycle, following a young Greek thief around the 15th century world, and a series of Historical Fantasy novels with a Roman flavour, called the Tales of the Empire.
Simon can be found on Twitter as @SJATurney and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SJATurney/ as well as on his website http://www.sjaturney.co.uk
A born and bred Yorkshireman with a love of country, history and architecture, Simon spends most of his rare free time travelling around ancient sites, writing, researching the ancient world and reading voraciously.
Following an arcane and eclectic career path that wound through everything from sheep to Microsoft networks and from paint to car sales, Simon wrote Marius’ Mules and, with help and support, made a success of it. Now, with in excess of 20 novels under his belt, Simon writes full time and is represented by MMB Creative literary agents.
Simon writes Roman military novels in the form of the bestselling Marius’ Mules series based on Julius Caesar’s campaigns, Roman thrillers in the Praetorian series, set during the troubled reign of Commodus, medieval adventures in the Ottoman Cycle, following a young Greek thief around the 15th century world, and a series of Historical Fantasy novels with a Roman flavour, called the Tales of the Empire.
Simon can be found on Twitter as @SJATurney and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SJATurney/ as well as on his website http://www.sjaturney.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 22, 2013
Having read the author's more recent works, the Marius Mules series and the first in the Ottoman Cycle series, I was curious as to how his earlier works would compare. Interregnum is the first of a fantasy-history trilogy set in a fictitious time period reminiscent of the Late Roman Empire/early medieval eras. The story revolves around the crumbling of an empire and the attempt 20 years after the death of the last Emperor to restore it. Naturally there are rivals and factions and that is what feeds the main plot in this tale.
The characters are complex, the action is scintillating, the sub-plots are full of surprises. While reading this book I came to the realization of why I like Mr. Turney's later efforts in Marius Mules 1-5 and A Thief's Tale. He has a way of evoking strong emotions from his readers, some even from a stoical, unemotional and cynical soul like myself. Internal turmoil redeemed in the end. That's the stuff I like in a book and this one fit the bill. Suffice to say I will be reading the rest of this well written trilogy.
I give this a 4.5.
The characters are complex, the action is scintillating, the sub-plots are full of surprises. While reading this book I came to the realization of why I like Mr. Turney's later efforts in Marius Mules 1-5 and A Thief's Tale. He has a way of evoking strong emotions from his readers, some even from a stoical, unemotional and cynical soul like myself. Internal turmoil redeemed in the end. That's the stuff I like in a book and this one fit the bill. Suffice to say I will be reading the rest of this well written trilogy.
I give this a 4.5.
November 22, 2017
A foray into fantasy that works perfectly! So glad I started this new series from an author I already liked. well worth a read.
November 13, 2023
Masterful
I'm thoroughly impressed as Turney cements himself master of the genre yet again. I picked this up not knowing what to expect and I'm glad I did.
I'm thoroughly impressed as Turney cements himself master of the genre yet again. I picked this up not knowing what to expect and I'm glad I did.
September 20, 2019
I had recently finished MM12 and figured that a book titled "Interregnum" would be appropriate while trying to determine my next endeavor. Such a great story told in a very entertaining manner. It was everything that I have come to expect from Mr. Turney. He has moved up near the top of my Favorite Author list, and is one of the few living authors on it. Thank you for such a well written book. It was a wonderful read.
January 11, 2018
Not quite Scarrow
Overall a good read with decent plot. Some nice twists and turns and suprises. Did not get the fifth star from me because unlike Scarrow there was never a sense of being part of a real part of history with characters and places all feeling fictional. I like books of this era to be linked even a little to actual historical characters and places.
Overall a good read with decent plot. Some nice twists and turns and suprises. Did not get the fifth star from me because unlike Scarrow there was never a sense of being part of a real part of history with characters and places all feeling fictional. I like books of this era to be linked even a little to actual historical characters and places.
December 27, 2018
Can’t wait to start the next volume!
It has been a while since I have discovered a new series that has pulled me in quite as quickly as this one has, and thus it has been an absolute pleasure to have discovered S.J.A. Turney’s writing. Look forward to reading the rest of the series, and then onto his other books!
It has been a while since I have discovered a new series that has pulled me in quite as quickly as this one has, and thus it has been an absolute pleasure to have discovered S.J.A. Turney’s writing. Look forward to reading the rest of the series, and then onto his other books!
May 17, 2020
Worthy of the Roman genre!
One quibble, the vineyard in the north at the end might not work; depends how cold it is up there. Other than that, wow! Twists, surprises, compelling information revealed only at the right moment! All the qualities of a great story, and set in a Roman Empire background. Well done sir!
One quibble, the vineyard in the north at the end might not work; depends how cold it is up there. Other than that, wow! Twists, surprises, compelling information revealed only at the right moment! All the qualities of a great story, and set in a Roman Empire background. Well done sir!
November 14, 2018
A Well-written Story
The overall plot of this book was carried through with good characters, good descriptions, and carefully crafted action scenes. I thought the conclusions presented in the epilogue were especially well-done and provided a fine ending.
The overall plot of this book was carried through with good characters, good descriptions, and carefully crafted action scenes. I thought the conclusions presented in the epilogue were especially well-done and provided a fine ending.
January 5, 2021
Another Epic Begins
Mr. Turney has again created a saga that I am sure will entertain with every book. He has managed to create an empire that reminds one of Rome in its glory yet is not Rome. I’m anxious to start the next book.
Mr. Turney has again created a saga that I am sure will entertain with every book. He has managed to create an empire that reminds one of Rome in its glory yet is not Rome. I’m anxious to start the next book.
December 13, 2024
Trademark Excellence.
In any sector, there are brand names that speak of quality & excellence. In the world of writing, this author is one of those bastions of excellence. You can pick up any book by him and know you will be well satisfied.
In any sector, there are brand names that speak of quality & excellence. In the world of writing, this author is one of those bastions of excellence. You can pick up any book by him and know you will be well satisfied.
June 23, 2017
Excellent
A very good story, loosely based on the fall of Rome. If you like historical fiction, although mostly fiction, this is a great read
A very good story, loosely based on the fall of Rome. If you like historical fiction, although mostly fiction, this is a great read
December 15, 2017
No time for a review. Simply amazing.
February 6, 2018
A good read that keeps you guessing until the end.
February 20, 2018
Military fantasy at its best
Based on the Roman model of legionnaires the story is one of loyalty, honor, betrayal, and good story telling with lots of bloody fighting of course.
Based on the Roman model of legionnaires the story is one of loyalty, honor, betrayal, and good story telling with lots of bloody fighting of course.
October 21, 2018
Valour and Honour
Tourney builds the depth of the characters with honour and mortals. Page turning story line. I highly recommend this series!
Tourney builds the depth of the characters with honour and mortals. Page turning story line. I highly recommend this series!
December 6, 2018
Good story
It started a little slowly, but after sticking with it the story was worth the wait. I think your would enjoy it.
It started a little slowly, but after sticking with it the story was worth the wait. I think your would enjoy it.
April 27, 2020
This author does it again!
Transported out of the Marius Mules Rome, this yarn captures the traditions and honour of ancient history. Very realistic and believable. When does Book 2 arrive?
Transported out of the Marius Mules Rome, this yarn captures the traditions and honour of ancient history. Very realistic and believable. When does Book 2 arrive?
October 26, 2020
Wow!
Couldn't put it down!
The story weaves tangled web, mystery, thriller and fantasy all rolled into one
Well worth the time to read
Couldn't put it down!
The story weaves tangled web, mystery, thriller and fantasy all rolled into one
Well worth the time to read
January 14, 2021
Very good
Well written story with interesting characters. I like that it is part of a series but can also be read as a standalone story.
Well written story with interesting characters. I like that it is part of a series but can also be read as a standalone story.
December 25, 2023
One word Brilliant!
July 23, 2014
Excellent military fantasy debut; set in a world similar with late Imperial Rome though with some notable differences, the novel takes place 20 years after the death of the last emperor Quintus who went mad, declared himself a God, was imprisoned by the Senate in his palace and died in an escape attempt engineered by his most loyal marshal Kiva Caerdin.
Later, General Caerdin shattered by the death of his Emperor and resting at his estates was caught in the war between the 3 remaining marshals and when his villa was burned with his wife and son inside, he died looking for vengeance.
At least this is the official story.
Only the political marshal Avitus who later took the name of the Imperial capital as Lord Velutio walked away alive from the big battle but the Empire fell to pieces with the army splintering in local units, lords claiming independence, while Velutio could retain only a stronghold around the capital.
The offhsore island of Isera, home of the Emperor's Palace and hard to reach due to reefs and treacherous currents, became a "jail" for the important politicians of the Empire as Velutio pondered his options.
20 years of fighting led to the rise of 34 year old Sabian a general believed to be on par with the last great Imperial general Caerdin who became Lord Velutio's commander despite the mistrust between the two since Sabian thought only Velution unsavory and all can reconstitute the Empire while Avitus have never been much of a soldier despite his rank.
In an obscure corner of the Empire, weary mercenary leader Kiva Tregaron fights one more battle for some losing lordling, while a strange young boy, escaping other mercenary captors asks for help in return for a considerable sum of money.
On Isera, former minister Sarios leader of the exiles has been grooming two young promising boys Darius and Quintilianus in the arts of fighting and government
And the story begins.
A very, very compelling page turner from the first page to its epilogue some 440 pages later, I could not put this novel down unless I *really needed* to. It has a combination of the expected and some twists and turns I did not see and the characters are generally very well drawn and believable. It is a blood and guts novel, brutal at times with quite a lot of fighting and intrigue and it behooves such the main characters are men, most notably Kiva, Quintilianus, Sabianus and Darius with lots and lots of other important characters with serving maid Sathina who seizes her chance for a better life and helps our heroes, as the one woman featuring prominently.
A great and fitting ending followed by an epilogue that was not truly necessary but adds a historical fiction touch to the novel.
While the novel has great narrative flow and the prose is very clear, the one noticeable though minor niggle is the use of anachronisms like "planet" - in reference to the world of the story which implies a subtle cosmological worldview or "genetic" which implies a subtle scientific worldview, and those just leaped from the pages to my attention as very discordant
A great debut and excellent novel, highly recommended and a personal favorite.
Later, General Caerdin shattered by the death of his Emperor and resting at his estates was caught in the war between the 3 remaining marshals and when his villa was burned with his wife and son inside, he died looking for vengeance.
At least this is the official story.
Only the political marshal Avitus who later took the name of the Imperial capital as Lord Velutio walked away alive from the big battle but the Empire fell to pieces with the army splintering in local units, lords claiming independence, while Velutio could retain only a stronghold around the capital.
The offhsore island of Isera, home of the Emperor's Palace and hard to reach due to reefs and treacherous currents, became a "jail" for the important politicians of the Empire as Velutio pondered his options.
20 years of fighting led to the rise of 34 year old Sabian a general believed to be on par with the last great Imperial general Caerdin who became Lord Velutio's commander despite the mistrust between the two since Sabian thought only Velution unsavory and all can reconstitute the Empire while Avitus have never been much of a soldier despite his rank.
In an obscure corner of the Empire, weary mercenary leader Kiva Tregaron fights one more battle for some losing lordling, while a strange young boy, escaping other mercenary captors asks for help in return for a considerable sum of money.
On Isera, former minister Sarios leader of the exiles has been grooming two young promising boys Darius and Quintilianus in the arts of fighting and government
And the story begins.
A very, very compelling page turner from the first page to its epilogue some 440 pages later, I could not put this novel down unless I *really needed* to. It has a combination of the expected and some twists and turns I did not see and the characters are generally very well drawn and believable. It is a blood and guts novel, brutal at times with quite a lot of fighting and intrigue and it behooves such the main characters are men, most notably Kiva, Quintilianus, Sabianus and Darius with lots and lots of other important characters with serving maid Sathina who seizes her chance for a better life and helps our heroes, as the one woman featuring prominently.
A great and fitting ending followed by an epilogue that was not truly necessary but adds a historical fiction touch to the novel.
While the novel has great narrative flow and the prose is very clear, the one noticeable though minor niggle is the use of anachronisms like "planet" - in reference to the world of the story which implies a subtle cosmological worldview or "genetic" which implies a subtle scientific worldview, and those just leaped from the pages to my attention as very discordant
A great debut and excellent novel, highly recommended and a personal favorite.
March 3, 2017
Interregnum
S.J.A. Turney, is a genius of a writer.
My husband picked this book and read it within a few days. Me, I take longer but although I thought this book started out a bit slow, as I read along it become a book that I couldn't stop reading.
Great book.
S.J.A. Turney, is a genius of a writer.
My husband picked this book and read it within a few days. Me, I take longer but although I thought this book started out a bit slow, as I read along it become a book that I couldn't stop reading.
Great book.
December 28, 2017
Original Review Here
As soon as I saw Interregnum was inspired by Roman culture and history, I had to read it. One thing to bear in mind: it’s a long book! It’s the first in a series by Turney.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It made me laugh, and made me cry. It kept me on the edge of my seat as you learn pretty early on that being one of the “good” guys isn’t a guarantee that you will survive the story.
It did, however, feel quite long-winded. There were chapters that could have been shortened, or even excluded, in order to quicken the pace of the plot. Then again, this is one of the strongest books that I have read in regards to character development, so perhaps the slow pace is what enabled those changes to feel realistic? I’m unsure whether some techniques such as the slow pacing helped or hindered the story!
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characterisations. Each person, even if they only played a minor part, had depth to them. Kiva changed the most, from a grumbling and pessimistic mercenary to a man almost single-handedly putting the Empire back together. His dedication to the cause and his men, plus his father-like attitude towards other characters made him a favourite.
Darius and Quintillian are on par with one another in regards to development. Darius ultimately goes further due to events occurring earlier in the book, but you see both of them grow into their roles. I really like Darius’ character: he shows insecurities and doubts after being thrust into a world and role he only has theoretical knowledge of. Darius felt real.
Sabian is a good guy on the wrong side. His character intrigued me the most because I couldn’t predict what he was going to do given the difficult choices ahead of him.
I really liked the development of the relationships throughout this book. The older generation cared for the younger, while the younger ones were inspired to be the men that the veterans saw in them. The relationships are what made the book moving: certain deaths really struck a chord, as much because of how they impacted the other characters.
At times, I felt the language used felt too modern for the time. Were words such as “mate” used in those times? Perhaps that is my lack of knowledge, but it jarred the reading experience for me: I was conscious of those words compared to others.
Apart from feeling like the book was a touch too long, I remained engaged. Overall, the pacing was slow but the tension remained high throughout. By the time the final battle came around, I was gripped and had to find out how it ended. Any book that makes me react – sniggering or gasping – is a winner for me.
I’ll be interested to read more from Turney as I enjoyed his writing style, world-building and characterisations. If you enjoy historical fiction set in the Roman times, Interregnum is a strong read.
As soon as I saw Interregnum was inspired by Roman culture and history, I had to read it. One thing to bear in mind: it’s a long book! It’s the first in a series by Turney.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It made me laugh, and made me cry. It kept me on the edge of my seat as you learn pretty early on that being one of the “good” guys isn’t a guarantee that you will survive the story.
It did, however, feel quite long-winded. There were chapters that could have been shortened, or even excluded, in order to quicken the pace of the plot. Then again, this is one of the strongest books that I have read in regards to character development, so perhaps the slow pace is what enabled those changes to feel realistic? I’m unsure whether some techniques such as the slow pacing helped or hindered the story!
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characterisations. Each person, even if they only played a minor part, had depth to them. Kiva changed the most, from a grumbling and pessimistic mercenary to a man almost single-handedly putting the Empire back together. His dedication to the cause and his men, plus his father-like attitude towards other characters made him a favourite.
Darius and Quintillian are on par with one another in regards to development. Darius ultimately goes further due to events occurring earlier in the book, but you see both of them grow into their roles. I really like Darius’ character: he shows insecurities and doubts after being thrust into a world and role he only has theoretical knowledge of. Darius felt real.
Sabian is a good guy on the wrong side. His character intrigued me the most because I couldn’t predict what he was going to do given the difficult choices ahead of him.
I really liked the development of the relationships throughout this book. The older generation cared for the younger, while the younger ones were inspired to be the men that the veterans saw in them. The relationships are what made the book moving: certain deaths really struck a chord, as much because of how they impacted the other characters.
At times, I felt the language used felt too modern for the time. Were words such as “mate” used in those times? Perhaps that is my lack of knowledge, but it jarred the reading experience for me: I was conscious of those words compared to others.
Apart from feeling like the book was a touch too long, I remained engaged. Overall, the pacing was slow but the tension remained high throughout. By the time the final battle came around, I was gripped and had to find out how it ended. Any book that makes me react – sniggering or gasping – is a winner for me.
I’ll be interested to read more from Turney as I enjoyed his writing style, world-building and characterisations. If you enjoy historical fiction set in the Roman times, Interregnum is a strong read.
Read
January 2, 2017This book was free on Amazon. I recently have been reading more Roman Fiction and I found that I really liked it. Anything historical for me is very good, as I love history. I found myself really liking the characters especially Kiva from the old Empire and all of his band of men, who had fought together in the Imperial Army before the empire fell.
I dont really go in for writing reviews on here as its not my thing, but one thing I can say is if you like this kind of genre then you will not be disappointed with this book.
I dont really go in for writing reviews on here as its not my thing, but one thing I can say is if you like this kind of genre then you will not be disappointed with this book.
July 7, 2012
I really, really, really liked this book. In the interest of full disclosure, Simon is a good friend of mine, so I admit I was a little nervous about reading his book. I mean, what if I hated it?!
I should never have worried. Roman(ish) history has never fascinated me the way it has Simon, but he brought that time period to life so vividly with an amazing amount of detail. It got to the point where I was surprised to find myself in the 21st century when I tore my eyes away from my nook.
His characters are quite likeable, and it's easy to root for the good guys. But they have their flaws too; they're not perfect. And that's what makes them even more likeable. Each and every one of his main characters were well fleshed-out, with the exception of Sathina. I would have liked a little more detail on her as the sole female character in the entire book.
I admit the battle scenes for me are a little tedious, but that's because military stuff just isn't my thing. Also be warned -- there is plenty of gore and killing and blood and dead people littering this book. But it's easy to skip over if you are easily grossed out.
The ending was superb. It was clear throughout most of the book that Kiva had something up his sleeve, but would it work?! And for that matter, what was he planning? I didn't see it coming, which made it even more exciting to read. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, and Simon is a gifted enough author to not telegraph what he's doing so it comes as a total surprise to the reader.
My only minor quibble is the editing. There are grammatical errors that really could be cleaned up for better reading, missing quotation marks and the like, but it's just a tiny glitch in an overall well-written book.
I should never have worried. Roman(ish) history has never fascinated me the way it has Simon, but he brought that time period to life so vividly with an amazing amount of detail. It got to the point where I was surprised to find myself in the 21st century when I tore my eyes away from my nook.
His characters are quite likeable, and it's easy to root for the good guys. But they have their flaws too; they're not perfect. And that's what makes them even more likeable. Each and every one of his main characters were well fleshed-out, with the exception of Sathina. I would have liked a little more detail on her as the sole female character in the entire book.
I admit the battle scenes for me are a little tedious, but that's because military stuff just isn't my thing. Also be warned -- there is plenty of gore and killing and blood and dead people littering this book. But it's easy to skip over if you are easily grossed out.
The ending was superb. It was clear throughout most of the book that Kiva had something up his sleeve, but would it work?! And for that matter, what was he planning? I didn't see it coming, which made it even more exciting to read. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, and Simon is a gifted enough author to not telegraph what he's doing so it comes as a total surprise to the reader.
My only minor quibble is the editing. There are grammatical errors that really could be cleaned up for better reading, missing quotation marks and the like, but it's just a tiny glitch in an overall well-written book.
February 4, 2014
This is my first read of Simon Turney, I can say in all honesty it won't be my last. Mr Turney loves his characters, it's totally obvious from the first page. He loves his stories as well. This is a take off on the Roman Empire...And at the same time it isn't. There are the Imperials and the Barbarians. Things are close to history but better and more interesting. Interregnum is the story of a fallen Empire and it's rebirth due in large part to the man who caused it's fall in the first place. That said, it is the story of a man who did what was necessary to endthe reign of a madman, unfortunatly ending that mad man's reign destroyed the empire that he ruled over and caused twenty plus years of war, civil war, which it is well know is the worst kind of conflict. Our hero (main protagonist rather)had sunk down into a morass of guilt and even dispair due to his act of regicide and also to the loss of his wife and son. He travels on as a mercenary captain of many years until a chance meeting (or is it) with a young man who is the nephew of the man he destroyed and is changed forever by that meeting. And here begins the real story. One of rebirth and redemption on a personal level for Kiva (our hero) and for the Empire. Read this book and enjoy it's wonderfull story...This is a book well worth the effort.
August 26, 2012
I recently picked this up as an impulse buy and was intrigued at the whole historical fiction thing. Well, after reading it any chance I could over the next few days, I was hooked.
The pacing was excellent, never feeling like you were bogged down in lots of descriptions about inanimate objects but rather positioning you in the middle of a Web of intrigue, deception and conflicts!
The characters were for the most part relateable in their own way, though a few of the bit part characters did seem extraneous compared to the main ones.
The thing that struck me however, was how I could imagine this going down in history. It was like reading Plutarch telling us about these great yet ultimately flawed men through history and that was the best part.
A few things as others have touched on in terms of proof reading etc, but they don't detract from the story at all.
After reading the book, I went and bought the rest of his books! Looking forward to reading them soon!
The pacing was excellent, never feeling like you were bogged down in lots of descriptions about inanimate objects but rather positioning you in the middle of a Web of intrigue, deception and conflicts!
The characters were for the most part relateable in their own way, though a few of the bit part characters did seem extraneous compared to the main ones.
The thing that struck me however, was how I could imagine this going down in history. It was like reading Plutarch telling us about these great yet ultimately flawed men through history and that was the best part.
A few things as others have touched on in terms of proof reading etc, but they don't detract from the story at all.
After reading the book, I went and bought the rest of his books! Looking forward to reading them soon!
March 1, 2020
This is the second book I have read by this author, and I have to say, he keeps getting better and better.
He is a gifted storyteller who serves up enough twists and turns to hold the interest and I found myself wanting to keep on turning the next page. Even though this is a substantial novel, I completed the last 50% of the book in one sitting. I really didn't want to put it down, it was that good!
If I had any complaint, it would be the odd typo here and there, but don't let that put you off a terrific story with a twist that I really didn't see coming.
If like me you enjoy a bit of escapism and enjoy reading tales of heroes and villains, honour and treachery, civil war and a quest for peace, with wholly believable characters and settings, then this is probably a book for you.
I will be ordering the other two books by Mr Turney very soon. Very well done!
He is a gifted storyteller who serves up enough twists and turns to hold the interest and I found myself wanting to keep on turning the next page. Even though this is a substantial novel, I completed the last 50% of the book in one sitting. I really didn't want to put it down, it was that good!
If I had any complaint, it would be the odd typo here and there, but don't let that put you off a terrific story with a twist that I really didn't see coming.
If like me you enjoy a bit of escapism and enjoy reading tales of heroes and villains, honour and treachery, civil war and a quest for peace, with wholly believable characters and settings, then this is probably a book for you.
I will be ordering the other two books by Mr Turney very soon. Very well done!
July 10, 2015
Excellent Read
This is a historical fiction with enough research about the fall of the empire and the Roman army during those times to make this an excellent read. If you like plots, twists and turns you'll appreciate what each character brings to the table. The characters themselves are likeable and interesting and you become involved with them. Except for the one person so many people have to overcome. There is intrigue, tactical battle planning and scheming. I very much enjoyed this book as it was hard to put down. If it was true life you'd want these people for friends and that kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning. Suspenful.
This is a historical fiction with enough research about the fall of the empire and the Roman army during those times to make this an excellent read. If you like plots, twists and turns you'll appreciate what each character brings to the table. The characters themselves are likeable and interesting and you become involved with them. Except for the one person so many people have to overcome. There is intrigue, tactical battle planning and scheming. I very much enjoyed this book as it was hard to put down. If it was true life you'd want these people for friends and that kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning. Suspenful.
December 9, 2016
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Intriguing choice of setting and historical fantasy can be a wonderful genre, but I had two issues: the first one being that this read too much like a polished version of a self-published novel, and the second being that military fantasy just isn't my thing. So while the second issue obviously couldn't be helped and might be no problem for other readers, I think it's good to try to sustain quality standards enough that we don't slog through self-published works unless they're really compelling.
Intriguing choice of setting and historical fantasy can be a wonderful genre, but I had two issues: the first one being that this read too much like a polished version of a self-published novel, and the second being that military fantasy just isn't my thing. So while the second issue obviously couldn't be helped and might be no problem for other readers, I think it's good to try to sustain quality standards enough that we don't slog through self-published works unless they're really compelling.
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