Invicta: Fall of Rome

by Chris Hackett

The Old Gods are gone, and they are taking the ancient world with them.

Now, as Rome falls, he must rise.

Seventeen years after the barbarian general Odoacer deposed the last Roman Emperor in the West, the young aristocrat Orephes is told by his dying father that he is the last surviving demigod, hidden away by the old gods before they vanished forever.

Abandoning his post as a feared knight in the army of the Roman general Eschelus - an aging yet respected believer in restoring the throne to a "true Roman" - Orephes sets out to Mount Olympus to reclaim his birthright as the heir to an ancient power he knows little about.

As his power grows, so does his connection to the magic that built the ancient world - and the dark forces tearing it down. With time running out for Rome's future, Orephes must face a destiny forged for him in centuries past - and an enemy that has been waiting for him ever since.

233 pages, ebook

Published October 27, 2023

About the author

Chris Hackett was born in Brooklyn, NY on April 13, 1990, but was raised in Union, NJ for most of his life where he attended the public schools. He attended Rutgers University in New Jersey where he received a M.S. in Biotechnology and Genomics. He is a mixed-race Dominican American. He currently lives with his wife and three children in Hunterdon County, NJ.

Chris is the author of the PROFESSOR BRIDGES Saga, a humorous crossover space opera, and other works over the years. His scientific background informs but does not limit his science fiction approach. His enjoys history, particularly the Antiquities, and writing books that make people "feel good" after reading them - that a book that inspires a positive imagination leaves a positive mark on the world.

Reviews

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good historical fantasy with elements of Ancient Rome history and Greek mythology. It wasn't love at first page but after some chapter I was hooked.
Interesting world building, characters and storytelling.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Janessa Lima · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into the book - by chapters 5 and 6 it started to pick up for me. There is a lot of emotion, action, and a sense of mystery throughout the novel.

I thoroughly enjoy flashback scenes - this book has them clearly marked with clean cuts to them, so thank you, author!

As a historical fiction novel about Rome, I'll admit the names threw me off for a second, which I think is the reason it took me a bit to get into the book.

Overall, it's a solid choice - I've already recommended it to some people who enjoy tales of Rome and Greece to get their opinions on the book!

[Penny Cipolone]

I would rate this book as minus one star. Poorly written. Thin plot. Really doesn't make much sense overall.

[Maddy McGlynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

fantasies set in Ancient Rome aren't something I see much of. So this book immediately felt original and something different, something that the shelves need.

Hackett's Invicta: Fall of Rome struck a good balance between fantasy, history and action. I enjoy historical fantasy that isn't led by the fantastical element and maintains gritty, real history. This book achieved that. It had all the elements of a rip-roaring historical read with plenty of battles, violence and politics and (occasionally) a little bit of naughty language.

The story isn't focused solely on Orephus, which at first I was surprised about but it did work, because it showed what was happening in a wider context and introduced elements that weren't focused on the fantasy. There was a strong cast of supporting characters; from Orephus' likable brother Gargarus, to the nefarious Volusian who made my skin crawl. Hackett isn't afraid to kill his darlings - no spoilers but at one point, I screamed "no!" and scared the kittens sleeping on my lap.

Lastly, the ending - which again, I won't reveal, felt like things were concluded neatly and made sense, but scattered the breadcrumbs for more to come...which definitely created the anticipation for the next in the series.

There were some times when the language used wasn't quite right. Modern terms (as in post-Roman Empire) did tend to creep in such as "knights," "turncoat" and "pants"(trousers). Whilst the meaning still was clear, these to me, are phrases and ideas which wouldn't have been around in Roman times so it pulled me out of the story slightly. However, this is the historical snob in me being pernickety. These instances were quite rare so I was able to look past it.

Overall, this was great. Hackett's book has a fresh new idea that walks the line between history and fantasy skillfully. It's a book that's really easy to get stuck into (once your tongue gets acclimated to the names!) I

I would recommend and I'm definitely keeping my eyes open for the next one.

[Gamgee_potaytoes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.


Usually in fantasy books they are set in medieval times and it was refreshing to see this one take place a few years after the fall of Rome. The pacing of the book was a bit too fast for my liking and I feel like the book could've done better if it was broken up into two books. The magic system was interesting but I feel it was confusing at times as certain aspects were not explained clearly. Orephes coming to his powers is something I wish that wasn't rushed just like his training. It would make more sense in the story to see him training and to slowly get better instead of skipping all of it and having head out to adventure. The villains of the story were great villains and I would've liked to see how they came to be. One of the villains was made to seem extremely powerful and how to beat him extremely difficult to do. Which is why I didn't like how the book ended with Orephes defeating him without too many obstacles and the whole event happened way too quickly. It was an event that was built up so much and when it actually happened it left a lot to be desired. With Orephes coming back to his home and saving his brother and sister in law, it would've been better to start the second book like that than to end the first one. Overall I did enjoy reading the book and would read the next installment.

[Gabriel Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a long overdue review, but Invicta: Fall of Rome is a must-read for fans of Roman history and Historical Fantasy. I truly enjoyed this book as a Classical Historian due to the historical elements presented throughout the book. The characters are so well written, and the narrative is very original. In this book, we are introduced to the main character, who comes to learn that he is a descendant of Jupiter, the Roman god. At this time, most of the western empire has fallen to the Goths, with a few Romans living in northern Gaul. Under the command of an aging general, he plans to bring the Romans back to the forefront while the main character quests to discover his heritage with the help of a few unlikely allies. Along the way, the church learns of this and sends their top agent to kill him before he discovers the truth. Their journey takes them from the Western Empire to the seas of the Mediterranean, to the insulting starts of Constantinople, and ending at a climactic showdown on Mt Olympus in Greece. I cannot stress enough that this is a must-read book. You will not be disappointed.

[Hiding in A Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d first like to thank the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful blend of mythology and fantasy in a historical setting. The characters are well written and the world building is great.

A young aristocrat, Orephes, is told by his dying father that he is the last surviving demigod. The author takes us on a journey with the demigod to Olympus to find the truth and save the Roman Empire.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to more, as I understand this will be a series.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for more from this book. The concept is cool - fall of Rome, last descendant of the gods - but I was left wanting more. There were multiple storylines that didn't seem to add to the advancement of the plot. And the main character, said descendant, I wanted to see more of his powers but it felt like they were only shown at the end. I liked the travel buddies he had, but could have used more development (I wanted to know more about the assassin!!).