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Agricola #4
Conqueror
This thrilling Roman adventure novel from Simon Turney sees Agricola return to the scene of his greatest exploits, but to achieve glory he must vanquish his greatest foes yet.
Following years of distinguished military and political exploits, Agricola has been rewarded with control of Aquitania by the Emperor Vespasian.
But Agricola's greatest glories have always come in that rainy northern corner of the Britannia. When Vespasian sends him back to Britannia, this time as governor, he has a chance to cement his place in Roman history.
To conquer Britannia completely Agricola must overcome its many Celtic tribes. The Ordovices have massacred a Roman cavalry unit. The Selgovae and Damnonii resist Imperial rule fiercely. And he must take them on with ever fewer troops due to a series of changes at the heart of Roman power.
Failure will mean disgrace or death, but if he should succeed, Agricola will be forever lauded among the pantheon of Rome's heroes.
'You should be reading Simon Turney' Anthony RIches
Following years of distinguished military and political exploits, Agricola has been rewarded with control of Aquitania by the Emperor Vespasian.
But Agricola's greatest glories have always come in that rainy northern corner of the Britannia. When Vespasian sends him back to Britannia, this time as governor, he has a chance to cement his place in Roman history.
To conquer Britannia completely Agricola must overcome its many Celtic tribes. The Ordovices have massacred a Roman cavalry unit. The Selgovae and Damnonii resist Imperial rule fiercely. And he must take them on with ever fewer troops due to a series of changes at the heart of Roman power.
Failure will mean disgrace or death, but if he should succeed, Agricola will be forever lauded among the pantheon of Rome's heroes.
'You should be reading Simon Turney' Anthony RIches
- GenresHistorical Fiction
413 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 27, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 9, 2026
The book is full of talk talk talk
Even after the last battle talk talk talk
I was so bored
It shoulv been only 200 pages
Even after the last battle talk talk talk
I was so bored
It shoulv been only 200 pages
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The last book in this series about Agricola, a Roman general in the 1st century AD most famously known for finishing the British subjugation and conquest.
I've really enjoyed this series, Agricola was an interesting person to follow and Turney did a good job with that, skipping the "dead" moments in his life and focusing mainly on the parts in which things happened, without making it feel disjointed. The action scenes were really well-written and immersive, the tactics made a lot of sense, and the bromance with Luci was refreshing and kept the story light at times. The parallels with Uthred and Finan are quite visible though.
As I haven't read any other books by Turney, yet!, I can't judge his general writing style but in this series I felt it was a level higher than his colleagues in the military historical fiction genre.
I also appreciated the detailed historical afterwords to provide interesting context to the story.
All in all, a definite recommendation if you are into military fiction and the Roman Empire.
I rate this book 4,5*, which I will round up to 5* for the enjoyment of the whole series.
Thank to NetGalley for an ARC.
I've really enjoyed this series, Agricola was an interesting person to follow and Turney did a good job with that, skipping the "dead" moments in his life and focusing mainly on the parts in which things happened, without making it feel disjointed. The action scenes were really well-written and immersive, the tactics made a lot of sense, and the bromance with Luci was refreshing and kept the story light at times. The parallels with Uthred and Finan are quite visible though.
As I haven't read any other books by Turney, yet!, I can't judge his general writing style but in this series I felt it was a level higher than his colleagues in the military historical fiction genre.
I also appreciated the detailed historical afterwords to provide interesting context to the story.
All in all, a definite recommendation if you are into military fiction and the Roman Empire.
I rate this book 4,5*, which I will round up to 5* for the enjoyment of the whole series.
Thank to NetGalley for an ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Agricola has gained a reputation in Rome that is very much deserved. So when reports come in from Britannia that an uprising has happened, he is tasked to go back to an island where he has found glory in the past.
This time it’s different, Emperor Vespasian wants to finally conquer Britannia for good.
That means putting down an uprising, and then bringing the final tribes of this rebellious land into the fold of the Roman Empire.
But the Selgovae and Damnonii will not give in easy, also with fewer troops than usual, this will be his most difficult task of his military career. But if he succeeds he will be hailed as a hero of Rome, and have his name put up there with the greatest leaders of all time.
This is the fourth book in this brilliant series about the life of Agricola, and it’s just as fine as the previous ones.
The story has a real feel authenticity in its writing, the characters are excellent, and the atmosphere is perfect throughout the story.
Simon Turney is one of the finest historical writers in the business and he never disappoints.
If you want to read historical fiction you can’t go wrong with this author.
This time it’s different, Emperor Vespasian wants to finally conquer Britannia for good.
That means putting down an uprising, and then bringing the final tribes of this rebellious land into the fold of the Roman Empire.
But the Selgovae and Damnonii will not give in easy, also with fewer troops than usual, this will be his most difficult task of his military career. But if he succeeds he will be hailed as a hero of Rome, and have his name put up there with the greatest leaders of all time.
This is the fourth book in this brilliant series about the life of Agricola, and it’s just as fine as the previous ones.
The story has a real feel authenticity in its writing, the characters are excellent, and the atmosphere is perfect throughout the story.
Simon Turney is one of the finest historical writers in the business and he never disappoints.
If you want to read historical fiction you can’t go wrong with this author.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Conqueror is the fourth and final book in the series depicting the life of Roman statesman and general Gnaeus Julius Agricola.
As with the earlier books - Invader, Warrior and Commander - the events in Conqueror are based on available historical sources, including Tacitus’s biography of Agricola (Tacitus was Agricola’s son-in-law) and the author’s own in-depth knowledge of the period. However, like the previous books, Conqueror is very much a picture of Agricola the man not just the historical figure.
Appointed its governor, Agricola returns to Britannia charged by the Emperor Vespasian with conquering the whole of the island and placing it under Roman control. It’s a huge task made even more challenging by being accompanied by a time limit, the withdrawal of legions to protect other parts of the Empire and, being Britannia, the weather. The pressure to complete the task, likely to be the defining moment of Agricola’s career, is always uppermost in his mind. It informs his tactics, the deployment of forces and increasingly requires a change of mindset. As the pressure to complete the task builds, we see a more ruthless side of Agricola, latterly influenced by tragic events in his personal life.
Agricola was ever the tactician but his relentless progress northwards, quelling the various tribes either through negotiation or direct engagement, really demonstrates his ability to innovate. For example, combining his land forces with the Roman fleet, which at the time was separately commanded. He never quite loses his desire to be at the heart of the action, fighting alongside his men, although now resigned to the fact that, as governor, he can only sit and watch. Well, for a time…
Some of the tribes Agricola encounters prove particularly hostile, seemingly preferring death over defeat. This leads to epic battle scenes including the climactic encounter with the Caledonii at Mons Graupius. It is a bloody affair leaving Agricola, even at the moment of conquest, feeling hollow at the loss of life. ‘All around him, a whole generation of humanity lay strewn in their own blood and gore.’
Being the final book in the series, it’s a time of partings, one especially poignant, and the end of longstanding relationships. As the author notes, history provides a bittersweet ending. As Tacitus records, ‘Perdomita Britannia et statim omissa‘ [Britain was conquered and immediately lost].
Conqueror brings to a close a series which combines fascinating historical detail with the immersive ‘cacophony of battle’.
As with the earlier books - Invader, Warrior and Commander - the events in Conqueror are based on available historical sources, including Tacitus’s biography of Agricola (Tacitus was Agricola’s son-in-law) and the author’s own in-depth knowledge of the period. However, like the previous books, Conqueror is very much a picture of Agricola the man not just the historical figure.
Appointed its governor, Agricola returns to Britannia charged by the Emperor Vespasian with conquering the whole of the island and placing it under Roman control. It’s a huge task made even more challenging by being accompanied by a time limit, the withdrawal of legions to protect other parts of the Empire and, being Britannia, the weather. The pressure to complete the task, likely to be the defining moment of Agricola’s career, is always uppermost in his mind. It informs his tactics, the deployment of forces and increasingly requires a change of mindset. As the pressure to complete the task builds, we see a more ruthless side of Agricola, latterly influenced by tragic events in his personal life.
Agricola was ever the tactician but his relentless progress northwards, quelling the various tribes either through negotiation or direct engagement, really demonstrates his ability to innovate. For example, combining his land forces with the Roman fleet, which at the time was separately commanded. He never quite loses his desire to be at the heart of the action, fighting alongside his men, although now resigned to the fact that, as governor, he can only sit and watch. Well, for a time…
Some of the tribes Agricola encounters prove particularly hostile, seemingly preferring death over defeat. This leads to epic battle scenes including the climactic encounter with the Caledonii at Mons Graupius. It is a bloody affair leaving Agricola, even at the moment of conquest, feeling hollow at the loss of life. ‘All around him, a whole generation of humanity lay strewn in their own blood and gore.’
Being the final book in the series, it’s a time of partings, one especially poignant, and the end of longstanding relationships. As the author notes, history provides a bittersweet ending. As Tacitus records, ‘Perdomita Britannia et statim omissa‘ [Britain was conquered and immediately lost].
Conqueror brings to a close a series which combines fascinating historical detail with the immersive ‘cacophony of battle’.
October 10, 2026
Great endings
A great read to complete this four book series. Less politics and more battles with some strong characters. Also a little insightful look at Agricola's negotiating skills.
A great read to complete this four book series. Less politics and more battles with some strong characters. Also a little insightful look at Agricola's negotiating skills.
September 21, 2026
full review soon
September 29, 2026
Excellence in Historic novel form
Rarely does one encounter such mastery in literature. I am now a Turney fan for my remaining years. Thank you, sir.
Rarely does one encounter such mastery in literature. I am now a Turney fan for my remaining years. Thank you, sir.
October 1, 2026
A great finish to the series.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews