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Field of Mars
Marcus Licinius Crassus's lust for gold and glory was legendary. What became of his army is myth.
In Crassus the tyrant, Rufinius the soldier, Appias the historian, Mena the hag and Lucia the Golden Whore, David Rollins brings to life a mystery that has plagued historians for centuries. The only constant in this world is Mars, the god of war, and who he will favour is anyone's guess.
Desperate to write himself into the pages of history, proconsul Marcus Licinius Crassus marched 40,000 Roman legionaries into the heart of the Parthian empire. More than 10,000 were never seen or heard from again.
In a story that spans empires and generations, this vanished army's fate is finally unveiled. From the streets of Rome to the deserts of ancient Iran, around the globe into the heart of an empire vaster than anything Rome ever imagined, a young Alexandrian soldier is borne on the tides of the age of empires from soldier of Rome to slave of Babylon to commander of armies.
Perfect for fans of Robert Harris and Conn Iggulden, this sweeping historical thriller takes the reader on an epic journey across ancient empires and into the unknown stories of myth and legend.
In Crassus the tyrant, Rufinius the soldier, Appias the historian, Mena the hag and Lucia the Golden Whore, David Rollins brings to life a mystery that has plagued historians for centuries. The only constant in this world is Mars, the god of war, and who he will favour is anyone's guess.
Desperate to write himself into the pages of history, proconsul Marcus Licinius Crassus marched 40,000 Roman legionaries into the heart of the Parthian empire. More than 10,000 were never seen or heard from again.
In a story that spans empires and generations, this vanished army's fate is finally unveiled. From the streets of Rome to the deserts of ancient Iran, around the globe into the heart of an empire vaster than anything Rome ever imagined, a young Alexandrian soldier is borne on the tides of the age of empires from soldier of Rome to slave of Babylon to commander of armies.
Perfect for fans of Robert Harris and Conn Iggulden, this sweeping historical thriller takes the reader on an epic journey across ancient empires and into the unknown stories of myth and legend.
- GenresHistorical
480 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 2015
2 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
David Rollins
21 books86 followersHiya, I'm a fiction author and I live in Sydney, Australia. I guess my best-known work is the series featuring Vin Cooper, a special agent in the United States Air Force OSI.
I have published eleven novels, which most recently includes the seventh novel in the Cooper series, the highly controversial KINGDOM COME.
I've recently discovered the joys of Substack. Come and take a look at davidrollins@substack.com where I'm also serializing BLOOD & EMPIRE, the sequel to FIELD OF MARS.
I have published eleven novels, which most recently includes the seventh novel in the Cooper series, the highly controversial KINGDOM COME.
I've recently discovered the joys of Substack. Come and take a look at davidrollins@substack.com where I'm also serializing BLOOD & EMPIRE, the sequel to FIELD OF MARS.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 27, 2016
I was first introduced to Marcus Licinius Crassus in Spartacus. I still get goosebumps when each man stands, proclaiming, “I am Spartacus!” Laurence Olivier was perfect for the role, he easily portrayed a man above all others. But who was Crassus? By all accounts he was the richest man in Rome; he could buy anything or anyone his heart desired. But there was one thing that Crassus desired that he could not purchase, the love and admiration of the people of Rome. The people loved a conquering general. Crassus had some stiff competition. Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Gauis Julius Caesar had proven their military prowess and brought glory to Rome, but Crassus defeated an untrained slave army filled with goat herders and tutors. Crassus needed his conquest to gain the love of Rome that he desired.
Unfortunately for Crassus, when the opportunity presented itself to conquer the Parthian Empire and claim his glorious victory, Crassus’ hubris got the better of him and forty thousand Roman soldiers were lost; Crassus never returned to Rome. David Rollins has taken this little piece of Roman failure and asked, “What went wrong?” and “What happened to the survivors?”
Through the eyes of a select group of survivors, David Rollins has painted an intricate picture of what could have happened. An alternate-ish history, perhaps. History too often pays attention to the leaders, generals and politicians. I like the aspect of seeing the impact that these events may have had on the common person. In Field of Mars, we can see that the world was still a very small place, even in 53 B.C.
Field of Mars is a well written, entertaining story. I particularly enjoyed the banter between the soldiers. There is room to build upon the story, but if this is the end of Rufinius’ and Appias’ story, I am completely satisfied.
* I received a copy of the book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately for Crassus, when the opportunity presented itself to conquer the Parthian Empire and claim his glorious victory, Crassus’ hubris got the better of him and forty thousand Roman soldiers were lost; Crassus never returned to Rome. David Rollins has taken this little piece of Roman failure and asked, “What went wrong?” and “What happened to the survivors?”
Through the eyes of a select group of survivors, David Rollins has painted an intricate picture of what could have happened. An alternate-ish history, perhaps. History too often pays attention to the leaders, generals and politicians. I like the aspect of seeing the impact that these events may have had on the common person. In Field of Mars, we can see that the world was still a very small place, even in 53 B.C.
Field of Mars is a well written, entertaining story. I particularly enjoyed the banter between the soldiers. There is room to build upon the story, but if this is the end of Rufinius’ and Appias’ story, I am completely satisfied.
* I received a copy of the book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
September 18, 2015
Field of Mars: Complete Edition
David Rollins
Momentum Books
Expected Publish date: October 8th 2015
I was fortunate enough to have been given the complete edition of the Field of Mars by the publisher to review in exchange for a fair and impartial review.
This is the complete edition of the book, but it is also available as three slightly longer than novella instalments, parts one, two and three. I have already written a review on the first part which sets the scene and can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and this review concerns the final two parts.
I’m not going to say very much about the plot line following the aftermath of the Battle of Carrhae, which resulted in the death of the Roman Proconsul Crassus for obvious reasons. What I will say is that much of this is speculation on behalf of the author of what may have happened to the remains of Crassus’s Roman Army. The outcome of Carrhae us one of historical fact, what happened to the survivors is simply not known, because it either hasn’t been recorded or if it was, has been lost.
What the author does in the remainder of the book is weave a plot and storyline around quite a rational and logical explanation of what may have happened to those survivors. He’s been able to do this through some very thorough and meticulous research into what evidence that does exist and interwoven a fictional story line involving the central characters from part one of the book. This is seen for the most part through the eyes of the fictional historian Appius who narrates the story to his slave for posterity with his own thoughts introducing each of the three book parts.
Much of what I wrote about the first part of the book also applies here. The characters are well drawn and believable. Rollins breathes life into his characters and landscape through efficient descriptive narrative—there’s neither too much nor too little, he achieves exactly the right balance for the story to unfold quickly and efficiently. I loved the pacy, punchy way the story line moves on inexorably to its conclusion. There’s no padding, flowery narrative of fluff here—just a story line that whooshes along, forcing you to keep on turning those pages to find out what happens next.
What Rollins does best here however and what really makes the book for me, is his character dialogue and it’s clear he’s put some thought and effort into this by his author’s note at the end of the book. Believability is so important in the historical fiction genre, for the simple reason you’re dropping fictional characters into a historical setting. If you can’t believe in those characters or they appear to be too anachronistic, the whole book will lack credibility. Rollin’s use of latin or latin derivative words in his character dialogue is the glue that holds the whole book together and what make’s it so believable. This is one of my main criticisms of some of the other author’s writing Roman historical fiction, but not here. Rollin’s gets his dialogue absolutely right and the book really sparkles as a result.
I really can’t praise this book highly enough. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, it’s a right rollocking good read. As far as I’m concerned, and I read a lot of Roman historical fiction books, this is right up there and compares equally with the best authors currently writing roman historical fiction—Ben Kane, Conn Iggulden, Robert Fabbri and S J A Turney all spring to mind.
I’m going to do something I rarely do. I’m going to rate this 5/5—outstanding, it’s that good. Highly recommended to all fans of roman historical fiction.
I can’t wait for the next instalment of this trilogy. Come on Mr Rollins where’s book 2?
I’d like to thank the author and the publisher Momentum Books (Pan Macmillan) for allowing me the opportunity of reading and reviewing an advance publication copy of this book.
David Rollins
Momentum Books
Expected Publish date: October 8th 2015
I was fortunate enough to have been given the complete edition of the Field of Mars by the publisher to review in exchange for a fair and impartial review.
This is the complete edition of the book, but it is also available as three slightly longer than novella instalments, parts one, two and three. I have already written a review on the first part which sets the scene and can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and this review concerns the final two parts.
I’m not going to say very much about the plot line following the aftermath of the Battle of Carrhae, which resulted in the death of the Roman Proconsul Crassus for obvious reasons. What I will say is that much of this is speculation on behalf of the author of what may have happened to the remains of Crassus’s Roman Army. The outcome of Carrhae us one of historical fact, what happened to the survivors is simply not known, because it either hasn’t been recorded or if it was, has been lost.
What the author does in the remainder of the book is weave a plot and storyline around quite a rational and logical explanation of what may have happened to those survivors. He’s been able to do this through some very thorough and meticulous research into what evidence that does exist and interwoven a fictional story line involving the central characters from part one of the book. This is seen for the most part through the eyes of the fictional historian Appius who narrates the story to his slave for posterity with his own thoughts introducing each of the three book parts.
Much of what I wrote about the first part of the book also applies here. The characters are well drawn and believable. Rollins breathes life into his characters and landscape through efficient descriptive narrative—there’s neither too much nor too little, he achieves exactly the right balance for the story to unfold quickly and efficiently. I loved the pacy, punchy way the story line moves on inexorably to its conclusion. There’s no padding, flowery narrative of fluff here—just a story line that whooshes along, forcing you to keep on turning those pages to find out what happens next.
What Rollins does best here however and what really makes the book for me, is his character dialogue and it’s clear he’s put some thought and effort into this by his author’s note at the end of the book. Believability is so important in the historical fiction genre, for the simple reason you’re dropping fictional characters into a historical setting. If you can’t believe in those characters or they appear to be too anachronistic, the whole book will lack credibility. Rollin’s use of latin or latin derivative words in his character dialogue is the glue that holds the whole book together and what make’s it so believable. This is one of my main criticisms of some of the other author’s writing Roman historical fiction, but not here. Rollin’s gets his dialogue absolutely right and the book really sparkles as a result.
I really can’t praise this book highly enough. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, it’s a right rollocking good read. As far as I’m concerned, and I read a lot of Roman historical fiction books, this is right up there and compares equally with the best authors currently writing roman historical fiction—Ben Kane, Conn Iggulden, Robert Fabbri and S J A Turney all spring to mind.
I’m going to do something I rarely do. I’m going to rate this 5/5—outstanding, it’s that good. Highly recommended to all fans of roman historical fiction.
I can’t wait for the next instalment of this trilogy. Come on Mr Rollins where’s book 2?
I’d like to thank the author and the publisher Momentum Books (Pan Macmillan) for allowing me the opportunity of reading and reviewing an advance publication copy of this book.
September 27, 2015
Like a typical legionnaire's day the first part of this book seemed a bit repetitive and predictable as the army went about it's business. It was only later, when, freed of the shackles of Roman, we start to see why this book has to be read. Yes life in the legion is predictable but when the call to action comes the reader is carried forward by the power and precision of the unstoppable powerhouse that is a legion at work..
There is a lot of technical language and frequent use of latin names and phrases which, for me, detracted slightly from my enjoyment (David Rollins explains his reasons for doing this in his afterword) but I believe this would appeal to a real fan of novels focused on ancient Rome. For the casual reader looking for an adventure the level of technical stuff just gets in the way.
There is a lot of technical language and frequent use of latin names and phrases which, for me, detracted slightly from my enjoyment (David Rollins explains his reasons for doing this in his afterword) but I believe this would appeal to a real fan of novels focused on ancient Rome. For the casual reader looking for an adventure the level of technical stuff just gets in the way.
November 13, 2015
I’m going to begin my review of Field Of Mars: Complete Edition by talking about the end of the book. Not what happens; this is a spoiler free review. Just the fact that it becomes apparent some way from the end of the book that this is only the first part of an on-going series; a fact not made clear anywhere in the blurb or marketing literature. It also turns out to be a series based around a single central narrative, so there is no wrap up of a stand-alone plot for this first part of the series to leave a sense of satisfaction and closure. The story simply takes a break, pending Part 2. So if you’re not in the market for an ongoing series where the ultimate conclusion of the story will not come until the final part is published then I would recommend going elsewhere.
If however, you’re willing to commit the time to a multi-volume series then there is quite a lot to enjoy here. Field of Mars of is an entertaining, if not entirely original or successful, tale of military adventure at the height of the Roman Empire that is offers plenty of action and intrigue, some sex and romance and enough historical detail to keep those interested in such things happy.
Originally published in three episodes over a six week period in 2015, Field Of Mars represents a departure for Australian author David Rollins. Previously best known for his entertaining Vin Cooper series of contemporary military thrillers, Rollins has never produced a historical novel before. He has previously produced a novel based on real life events, namely the downing of Korean Flight 007 in 1983 which he dealt with in the Zero Option, but that was a traditional contemporary thriller that drew on a recent and well documented incident. Going back thousands of years to recount similarly real events is something he has never done before.
He is however, a solid writer and for the most part he handles the challenge well. Starting in a Rome that he paints vividly and colourfully, the action soon shifts to the deserts of Parthia (what is now Iraq) and the campaign against the Parthians by Marcus Crassus. Roman military history buffs should enjoy this first part of the book as it features plenty of massed battles between legionaries and Parthians and is also the only part based on recorded history. Personally however, I found it the least engaging section of the novel; partly because I was already very familiar with the story of Crassus’ ill-fated campaign and partly because book featuring the Roman Legions in battle are ten-a-penny and Field of Mars does little that is new with the genre.
It does serve to introduce the reader to the main cast of characters though, and does so reasonably successfully. Crassus, his son and the various senior officers never become more than one dimensional sketches, which is a shame bearing in mind their significance in Roman history, but as they’re not the focus of the rest of the novel it’s not the end of the world. The book’s hero Rufinius however, is better portrayed and given more depth as you would expect, as are some of the supporting cast such as Appias the scholar and and Mag the hag/seer. Even the Parthians, and in particular their commander Surenas, are portrayed as reasonably complex, human characters. With the exception of one or two out and out bad-guys Field of Mars is a novel that prefers to paint its characters in shades of grey rather than black and white. My only regret is that none of the key cast, including Rufinius, exude genuine charisma. They’re often strong and determined, but you never feel drawn to any of them.
Once the story of Marcus Crassus is left behind, in what was Episode II of the original release, the story for me picked up. Now free of the historical record Rollins is able to play faster and looser with history. He’s also able to explore far less familiar territory both geographically and dramatically. We get to visit ancient civilisations that don’t normally feature in novels set around this period, and introduced to places that are far less familiar than the Roman Empire. It gives the story an unpredictable edge, which is welcome.
Especially since the core of the narrative is a never ending march eastward towards what is now modern day China and eastern parts of the former Soviet Union (Tashkent, Kyrgyzstan, etc.). This gives the novel a very linear structure through Episodes II and III, so it’s good to have a feeling of unpredictability to keep things interesting. Rollins bolsters this sense that the unexpected to could happen any time by adding in a couple of surprising twists involving the fates of characters who you felt sure would be around for the long run.
He also finds time for a couple of romantic subplots, more military action, a vendetta and some reasonably graphic sex. Some of this may appeal more than other parts, but none of it dominates to the exclusion of other aspects of the book, and you can’t accuse Rollins of failing to create a tale with variety.
Well before the end of what was originally Episode III it becomes very apparent that the three Episodes collectively only represent part one of a much longer story. As I said at the beginning, unlike with some ongoing series there is no big finale to Field of Mars that wraps up various subplots and leaves the reader with some sense of closure. In fact this part of the story simply ends, and on something of a cliff hanger too. How you feel about that will no doubt depend on whether you enjoyed the first three episodes enough to try the next ones when they come out. Personally, by the end I had become sufficiently invested in the trials and tribulations of Rufinius and his friends that I will certainly be picking up the next volumes when they’re published. I also didn’t mind the slightly abrupt ending, which felt in keeping with the rest of the book.
The only unanswered question that has left me scratching my head is why Field of Mars was published first in episodic form. I was lucky enough to receive Episode I from the publishers via Netgalley and read that first. Whilst I enjoyed it nothing about it seemed to demand that it be released as an episodic tale. A few weeks later I received the Complete Edition, so ended up reading Episodes II and II back to back. Personally I found that a far more enjoyable experience, as the book tells one unbroken story and deserves to be read as one. There are no time jumps, radical changes of perspective, style or location that would justify breaking it into separate novellas, so the decision to do so seems a strange one to me.
It also means that I will probably wait until the complete edition of Part II of the story is released before I pick it up, but I definitely will stick with this series. Part I has done more than enough to whet my appetite for where the story goes next.
If however, you’re willing to commit the time to a multi-volume series then there is quite a lot to enjoy here. Field of Mars of is an entertaining, if not entirely original or successful, tale of military adventure at the height of the Roman Empire that is offers plenty of action and intrigue, some sex and romance and enough historical detail to keep those interested in such things happy.
Originally published in three episodes over a six week period in 2015, Field Of Mars represents a departure for Australian author David Rollins. Previously best known for his entertaining Vin Cooper series of contemporary military thrillers, Rollins has never produced a historical novel before. He has previously produced a novel based on real life events, namely the downing of Korean Flight 007 in 1983 which he dealt with in the Zero Option, but that was a traditional contemporary thriller that drew on a recent and well documented incident. Going back thousands of years to recount similarly real events is something he has never done before.
He is however, a solid writer and for the most part he handles the challenge well. Starting in a Rome that he paints vividly and colourfully, the action soon shifts to the deserts of Parthia (what is now Iraq) and the campaign against the Parthians by Marcus Crassus. Roman military history buffs should enjoy this first part of the book as it features plenty of massed battles between legionaries and Parthians and is also the only part based on recorded history. Personally however, I found it the least engaging section of the novel; partly because I was already very familiar with the story of Crassus’ ill-fated campaign and partly because book featuring the Roman Legions in battle are ten-a-penny and Field of Mars does little that is new with the genre.
It does serve to introduce the reader to the main cast of characters though, and does so reasonably successfully. Crassus, his son and the various senior officers never become more than one dimensional sketches, which is a shame bearing in mind their significance in Roman history, but as they’re not the focus of the rest of the novel it’s not the end of the world. The book’s hero Rufinius however, is better portrayed and given more depth as you would expect, as are some of the supporting cast such as Appias the scholar and and Mag the hag/seer. Even the Parthians, and in particular their commander Surenas, are portrayed as reasonably complex, human characters. With the exception of one or two out and out bad-guys Field of Mars is a novel that prefers to paint its characters in shades of grey rather than black and white. My only regret is that none of the key cast, including Rufinius, exude genuine charisma. They’re often strong and determined, but you never feel drawn to any of them.
Once the story of Marcus Crassus is left behind, in what was Episode II of the original release, the story for me picked up. Now free of the historical record Rollins is able to play faster and looser with history. He’s also able to explore far less familiar territory both geographically and dramatically. We get to visit ancient civilisations that don’t normally feature in novels set around this period, and introduced to places that are far less familiar than the Roman Empire. It gives the story an unpredictable edge, which is welcome.
Especially since the core of the narrative is a never ending march eastward towards what is now modern day China and eastern parts of the former Soviet Union (Tashkent, Kyrgyzstan, etc.). This gives the novel a very linear structure through Episodes II and III, so it’s good to have a feeling of unpredictability to keep things interesting. Rollins bolsters this sense that the unexpected to could happen any time by adding in a couple of surprising twists involving the fates of characters who you felt sure would be around for the long run.
He also finds time for a couple of romantic subplots, more military action, a vendetta and some reasonably graphic sex. Some of this may appeal more than other parts, but none of it dominates to the exclusion of other aspects of the book, and you can’t accuse Rollins of failing to create a tale with variety.
Well before the end of what was originally Episode III it becomes very apparent that the three Episodes collectively only represent part one of a much longer story. As I said at the beginning, unlike with some ongoing series there is no big finale to Field of Mars that wraps up various subplots and leaves the reader with some sense of closure. In fact this part of the story simply ends, and on something of a cliff hanger too. How you feel about that will no doubt depend on whether you enjoyed the first three episodes enough to try the next ones when they come out. Personally, by the end I had become sufficiently invested in the trials and tribulations of Rufinius and his friends that I will certainly be picking up the next volumes when they’re published. I also didn’t mind the slightly abrupt ending, which felt in keeping with the rest of the book.
The only unanswered question that has left me scratching my head is why Field of Mars was published first in episodic form. I was lucky enough to receive Episode I from the publishers via Netgalley and read that first. Whilst I enjoyed it nothing about it seemed to demand that it be released as an episodic tale. A few weeks later I received the Complete Edition, so ended up reading Episodes II and II back to back. Personally I found that a far more enjoyable experience, as the book tells one unbroken story and deserves to be read as one. There are no time jumps, radical changes of perspective, style or location that would justify breaking it into separate novellas, so the decision to do so seems a strange one to me.
It also means that I will probably wait until the complete edition of Part II of the story is released before I pick it up, but I definitely will stick with this series. Part I has done more than enough to whet my appetite for where the story goes next.
April 16, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.
As you all know I am a huge fan of historical fiction, so I was really excited to try out this book. Unfortunately it just wasn't for me. I didn't feel connected to the main character. First because the story jumped from the present back to the past in the life of the character and it was a little confusing. Second found it hard to really focus on the character because the writing. I wasn't a fan of the writing style at all, it was boring and hard to focus on. Also the POV changed and seemed like it was going to continue to jump around from character to character, and that's one of my least favorite things in books.
And third pretty much right away Appias has to mention his dick and his wife touching his dick, which I just wasn't into. And then the next scene he is at a sacrifice where an animal is killed in really gruesome detail. And then soon after that there is an extended sex scene, with Appias cheating on his wife with two slave girls. Which really didn't make me care for him, especially when he excused it as "Oh well, I'm just a man after all." I get that Romans had different ideas about sex, but if I'm going to be interested in continuing a story I'd like to at least like the main character.
In the end I quite the book about 10% in and I gave it one star on Goodreads.
As you all know I am a huge fan of historical fiction, so I was really excited to try out this book. Unfortunately it just wasn't for me. I didn't feel connected to the main character. First because the story jumped from the present back to the past in the life of the character and it was a little confusing. Second found it hard to really focus on the character because the writing. I wasn't a fan of the writing style at all, it was boring and hard to focus on. Also the POV changed and seemed like it was going to continue to jump around from character to character, and that's one of my least favorite things in books.
And third pretty much right away Appias has to mention his dick and his wife touching his dick, which I just wasn't into. And then the next scene he is at a sacrifice where an animal is killed in really gruesome detail. And then soon after that there is an extended sex scene, with Appias cheating on his wife with two slave girls. Which really didn't make me care for him, especially when he excused it as "Oh well, I'm just a man after all." I get that Romans had different ideas about sex, but if I'm going to be interested in continuing a story I'd like to at least like the main character.
In the end I quite the book about 10% in and I gave it one star on Goodreads.
December 13, 2015
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Marcus Licinius Crassus's lust for gold and glory was legendary. What became of his army is myth.
In Crassus the tyrant, Rufinius the soldier, Appias the historian, Mena the hag and Lucia the Golden Whore, David Rollins brings to life a mystery that has plagued historians for centuries. The only constant in this world is Mars, the god of war, and who he will favour is anyone's guess.
Desperate to write himself into the pages of history, proconsul Marcus Licinius Crassus marched 40,000 Roman legionaries into the heart of the Parthian empire. More than 10,000 were never seen or heard from again.
In a story that spans empires and generations, this vanished army's fate is finally unveiled. From the streets of Rome to the deserts of ancient Iran, around the globe into the heart of an empire vaster than anything Rome ever imagined, a young Alexandrian soldier is borne on the tides of the age of empires from soldier of Rome to slave of Babylon to commander of armies.
I have long been a fan of the historical fiction work of Robert Harris, Conn Iggulden and Colleen McCullough (amongst others) so when I saw that one of my favourite Australian authors was branching out into that genre, I knew it was something I had to have a look at.
And I was very happy that I did. Essentially a story of the Roman Army taking up arms against the Partian empire, there was a lot of action to keep me happy, as well as the intrigue that always works its way into these types of stories. The first third of the story is action-packed and a great introduction for the rest of the book - both in characters and motivations.
The one thing that let me down was a lot of technical jargon - it was, at times, frustrating to break the narrative to find out what was being talked about as I didn't have an overarching knowledge of Roman times. This took me out of the story on numerous occasions and I could have done without that. If you have ever read a Tom Clancy novel, you will know what I mean!
Other than that minor quibble, this was an extremely entertaining read and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the books by those authors I mentioned earlier.
Paul
ARH
Marcus Licinius Crassus's lust for gold and glory was legendary. What became of his army is myth.
In Crassus the tyrant, Rufinius the soldier, Appias the historian, Mena the hag and Lucia the Golden Whore, David Rollins brings to life a mystery that has plagued historians for centuries. The only constant in this world is Mars, the god of war, and who he will favour is anyone's guess.
Desperate to write himself into the pages of history, proconsul Marcus Licinius Crassus marched 40,000 Roman legionaries into the heart of the Parthian empire. More than 10,000 were never seen or heard from again.
In a story that spans empires and generations, this vanished army's fate is finally unveiled. From the streets of Rome to the deserts of ancient Iran, around the globe into the heart of an empire vaster than anything Rome ever imagined, a young Alexandrian soldier is borne on the tides of the age of empires from soldier of Rome to slave of Babylon to commander of armies.
I have long been a fan of the historical fiction work of Robert Harris, Conn Iggulden and Colleen McCullough (amongst others) so when I saw that one of my favourite Australian authors was branching out into that genre, I knew it was something I had to have a look at.
And I was very happy that I did. Essentially a story of the Roman Army taking up arms against the Partian empire, there was a lot of action to keep me happy, as well as the intrigue that always works its way into these types of stories. The first third of the story is action-packed and a great introduction for the rest of the book - both in characters and motivations.
The one thing that let me down was a lot of technical jargon - it was, at times, frustrating to break the narrative to find out what was being talked about as I didn't have an overarching knowledge of Roman times. This took me out of the story on numerous occasions and I could have done without that. If you have ever read a Tom Clancy novel, you will know what I mean!
Other than that minor quibble, this was an extremely entertaining read and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the books by those authors I mentioned earlier.
Paul
ARH
October 4, 2018
I’m going to begin my review of Field Of Mars: Complete Edition by talking about the end of the book. Not what happens; this is a spoiler free review. Just the fact that it becomes apparent some way from the end of the book that this is only the first part of an on-going series; a fact not made clear anywhere in the blurb or marketing literature. It also turns out to be a series based around a single central narrative, so there is no wrap up of a stand-alone plot for this first part of the series to leave a sense of satisfaction and closure. The story simply takes a break, pending Part 2. So if you’re not in the market for an ongoing series where the ultimate conclusion of the story will not come until the final part is published they I would recommend going elsewhere.
If however, you’re willing to commit the time to a multi-volume series then there is quite a lot to enjoy here. Field of Mars of is an entertaining, if not entirely original or successful, tale of military adventure at the height of the Roman Empire that is offers plenty of action and intrigue, some sex and romance and enough historical detail to keep those interested in such things happy.
Originally published in three episodes over a six week period in 2015, Field Of Mars represents a departure for Australian author David Rollins. Previously best known for his entertaining Vin Cooper series of contemporary military thrillers, Rollins has never produced a historical novel before. He has previously produced a novel based on real life events, namely the downing of Korean Flight 007 in 1983 which he dealt with in the Zero Option, but that was a traditional contemporary thriller that drew on a recent and well documented incident. Going back thousands of years to recount similarly real events is something he has never done before.
He is however, a solid writer and for the most part he handles the challenge well. Starting in a Rome that he paints vividly and colourfully, the action soon shifts to the deserts of Parthia (what is now Iraq) and the campaign against the Parthians by Marcus Crassus. Roman military history buffs should enjoy this first part of the book as it features plenty of massed battles between legionaries and Parthians and is also the only part based on recorded history. Personally however, I found it the least engaging section of the novel; partly because I was already very familiar with the story of Crassus’ ill-fated campaign and partly because book featuring the Roman Legions in battle are ten-a-penny and Field of Mars does little that is new with the genre.
It does serve to introduce the reader to the main cast of characters though, and does so reasonably successfully. Crassus, his son and the various senior officers never become more than one dimensional sketches, which is a shame bearing in mind their significance in Roman history, but as they’re not the focus of the rest of the novel it’s not the end of the world. The book’s hero Rufinius however, is better portrayed and given more depth as you would expect, as are some of the supporting cast such as Appias the scholar and and Mag the hag/seer. Even the Parthians, and in particular their commander Surenas, are portrayed as reasonably complex, human characters. With the exception of one or two out and out bad-guys Field of Mars is a novel that prefers to paint its characters in shades of grey rather than black and white. My only regret is that none of the key cast, including Rufinius, exude genuine charisma. They’re often strong and determined, but you never feel drawn to any of them.
Once the story of Marcus Crassus is left behind, in what was Episode II of the original release, the story for me picked up. Now free of the historical record Rollins is able to play faster and looser with history. He’s also able to explore far less familiar territory both geographically and dramatically. We get to visit ancient civilisations that don’t normally feature in novels set around this period, and introduced to places that are far less familiar than the Roman Empire. It gives the story an unpredictable edge, which is welcome.
Especially since the core of the narrative is a never ending march eastward towards what is now modern day China and eastern parts of the former Soviet Union (Tashkent, Kyrgyzstan, etc.). This gives the novel a very linear structure through Episodes II and III, so it’s good to have a feeling of unpredictability to keep things interesting. Rollins bolsters this sense that the unexpected to could happen any time by adding in a couple of surprising twists involving the fates of characters who you felt sure would be around for the long run.
He also finds time for a couple of romantic subplots, more military action, a vendetta and some reasonably graphic sex. Some of this may appeal more than other parts, but none of it dominates to the exclusion of other aspects of the book, and you can’t accuse Rollins of failing to create a tale with variety.
Well before the end of what was originally Episode III it becomes very apparent that the three Episodes collectively only represent part one of a much longer story. As I said at the beginning, unlike with some ongoing series there is no big finale to Field of Mars that wraps up various subplots and leaves the reader with some sense of closure. In fact this part of the story simply ends, and on something of a cliff hanger too. How you feel about that will no doubt depend on whether you enjoyed the first three episodes enough to try the next ones when they come out. Personally, by the end I had become sufficiently invested in the trials and tribulations of Rufinius and his friends that I will certainly be picking up the next volumes when they’re published. I also didn’t mind the slightly abrupt ending, which felt in keeping with the rest of the book.
The only unanswered question that has left me scratching my head is why Field of Mars was published first in episodic form. I was lucky enough to receive Episode I from the publishers via Netgalley and read that first. Whilst I enjoyed it nothing about it seemed to demand that it be released as an episodic tale. A few weeks later I received the Complete Edition, so ended up reading Episodes II and II back to back. Personally I found that a far more enjoyable experience, as the book tells one unbroken story and deserves to be read as one. There are no time jumps, radical changes of perspective, style or location that would justify breaking it into separate novellas, so the decision to do so seems a strange one to me.
It also means that I will probably wait until the complete edition of Part II of the story is released before I pick it up, but I definitely will stick with this series. Part I has done more than enough to whet my appetite for where the story goes next.
If however, you’re willing to commit the time to a multi-volume series then there is quite a lot to enjoy here. Field of Mars of is an entertaining, if not entirely original or successful, tale of military adventure at the height of the Roman Empire that is offers plenty of action and intrigue, some sex and romance and enough historical detail to keep those interested in such things happy.
Originally published in three episodes over a six week period in 2015, Field Of Mars represents a departure for Australian author David Rollins. Previously best known for his entertaining Vin Cooper series of contemporary military thrillers, Rollins has never produced a historical novel before. He has previously produced a novel based on real life events, namely the downing of Korean Flight 007 in 1983 which he dealt with in the Zero Option, but that was a traditional contemporary thriller that drew on a recent and well documented incident. Going back thousands of years to recount similarly real events is something he has never done before.
He is however, a solid writer and for the most part he handles the challenge well. Starting in a Rome that he paints vividly and colourfully, the action soon shifts to the deserts of Parthia (what is now Iraq) and the campaign against the Parthians by Marcus Crassus. Roman military history buffs should enjoy this first part of the book as it features plenty of massed battles between legionaries and Parthians and is also the only part based on recorded history. Personally however, I found it the least engaging section of the novel; partly because I was already very familiar with the story of Crassus’ ill-fated campaign and partly because book featuring the Roman Legions in battle are ten-a-penny and Field of Mars does little that is new with the genre.
It does serve to introduce the reader to the main cast of characters though, and does so reasonably successfully. Crassus, his son and the various senior officers never become more than one dimensional sketches, which is a shame bearing in mind their significance in Roman history, but as they’re not the focus of the rest of the novel it’s not the end of the world. The book’s hero Rufinius however, is better portrayed and given more depth as you would expect, as are some of the supporting cast such as Appias the scholar and and Mag the hag/seer. Even the Parthians, and in particular their commander Surenas, are portrayed as reasonably complex, human characters. With the exception of one or two out and out bad-guys Field of Mars is a novel that prefers to paint its characters in shades of grey rather than black and white. My only regret is that none of the key cast, including Rufinius, exude genuine charisma. They’re often strong and determined, but you never feel drawn to any of them.
Once the story of Marcus Crassus is left behind, in what was Episode II of the original release, the story for me picked up. Now free of the historical record Rollins is able to play faster and looser with history. He’s also able to explore far less familiar territory both geographically and dramatically. We get to visit ancient civilisations that don’t normally feature in novels set around this period, and introduced to places that are far less familiar than the Roman Empire. It gives the story an unpredictable edge, which is welcome.
Especially since the core of the narrative is a never ending march eastward towards what is now modern day China and eastern parts of the former Soviet Union (Tashkent, Kyrgyzstan, etc.). This gives the novel a very linear structure through Episodes II and III, so it’s good to have a feeling of unpredictability to keep things interesting. Rollins bolsters this sense that the unexpected to could happen any time by adding in a couple of surprising twists involving the fates of characters who you felt sure would be around for the long run.
He also finds time for a couple of romantic subplots, more military action, a vendetta and some reasonably graphic sex. Some of this may appeal more than other parts, but none of it dominates to the exclusion of other aspects of the book, and you can’t accuse Rollins of failing to create a tale with variety.
Well before the end of what was originally Episode III it becomes very apparent that the three Episodes collectively only represent part one of a much longer story. As I said at the beginning, unlike with some ongoing series there is no big finale to Field of Mars that wraps up various subplots and leaves the reader with some sense of closure. In fact this part of the story simply ends, and on something of a cliff hanger too. How you feel about that will no doubt depend on whether you enjoyed the first three episodes enough to try the next ones when they come out. Personally, by the end I had become sufficiently invested in the trials and tribulations of Rufinius and his friends that I will certainly be picking up the next volumes when they’re published. I also didn’t mind the slightly abrupt ending, which felt in keeping with the rest of the book.
The only unanswered question that has left me scratching my head is why Field of Mars was published first in episodic form. I was lucky enough to receive Episode I from the publishers via Netgalley and read that first. Whilst I enjoyed it nothing about it seemed to demand that it be released as an episodic tale. A few weeks later I received the Complete Edition, so ended up reading Episodes II and II back to back. Personally I found that a far more enjoyable experience, as the book tells one unbroken story and deserves to be read as one. There are no time jumps, radical changes of perspective, style or location that would justify breaking it into separate novellas, so the decision to do so seems a strange one to me.
It also means that I will probably wait until the complete edition of Part II of the story is released before I pick it up, but I definitely will stick with this series. Part I has done more than enough to whet my appetite for where the story goes next.
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