Invasion

Tales of the Empire #5

by S.J.A. Turney

For the glory of Empire!At the Empire’s northern edge lies strange, savage, unconquerable. Twenty years ago this rain-sodden island defeated a huge Imperial army.

Now the Empire returns. Disgraced generals are looking for vengeance. Their forces are accompanied by three promising warlike Bellacon, intelligent Convocus and the joker in the pack, Cantex.

As the armies journey into the interior, it becomes clear all is not as it seems. Beyond the realms of the Emperor, treachery is never far away. The invasion will be harder than anyone could have imagined. Can the Tribunes triumph against the odds? Or is this the very limit of Empire?

Explosive and unputdownable, Invasion is perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow, Conn Iggulden and George R.R. Martin.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction

350 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 20, 2017

About the author

Simon 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

Reviews

[Paul Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there's one thing I've learned after reading so many of Mr. Turney's works, it is that to expect the unexpected. In this the fifth volume in Tales of the Empire we find the Empire invading the isle of Alba; it is reminiscent of Rome in Britain but with enough plot twists to keep the reader guessing as this invasion is fraught with much more than just battles between 3 legions and tribal warriors. As in the previous four volumes in this series, we are introduced to a whole new set of characters and with the action mostly on Alba, a new location. Once again, the author shines as he creates his characters with a wide range of personalities. The three tribunes are a good example of that as each one has something different about him to bring to the table. Of nasty specimens be assured that there are plenty and they are wonderful additions indeed. The reader also gets to enjoy the imaginative descriptive prowess of the author as he paints a vivid picture of the surroundings and the hill forts; especially the fortress of the Queen. Another winner for Mr. Turney; that's also to be expected. :-)

4.4 stars

[Leonard Bacica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite being a big fan of Simon's books, I have so far avoided his 'Tales of the Empire' series mostly due to the word 'fantasy' he uses is the description. I was wrong, and this is not a fantasy book. If anything, it is worth of the historical fiction label more so than the Marius' Mules or Praetorian series which are fictionalization of history, or historical fictionalization, if you will. Sounds like a minor difference in spelling, but it becomes obvious in meaning: whereas the two aforementioned series are based on very real and sometimes very well documented events, leaving the author with the sole task of fleshing out the documents and instill some life into characters, Tales of the Empire is completely made up, at least in terms of chronology and location. There is no doubt in anyone's mind when it comes to atmosphere or time period: we are in early empire Rome, and the changed names are not going to fool anyone, nor do they intend to. Simon's only justification for this is to have the freedom to invent his own campaigns and stray from the historical course of events. Alternative history, of sorts, that wretched thing historians hate and writers love.

Invasion deals with the conquest by 'the Empire' of an island just outside the continental mass, by the name of Alba. We are dealing with a reinterpretation of the Roman conquest of Britain in which Queen Cartimandua puts in an appearance in the guise of Verctissa, queen of the Albantes. Unlike any of his historical books though, this one does not have a lead hero on the part of the invaders, but three. There is a silent implication that Lucius Bellacon is the main guy in this story, but it is in fact the story of three Roman officers. I mean Imperial officers, of course.

Which means either or all could be killed at any point during the novel, and I did fear for their lives just like I feared for Fronto's once the main objective of Marius' Mules has been achieved.

Strangely enough, from a military point of view this book might be more accurate than its historical counterparts. It is more specific, for sure. The readers will familiarize themselves with Roman use of artillery in battles and the purposes and functionalities of scorpion bolt throwers. Plenty to cherish for the lovers of close combat or commando missions too, but I feel artillery is really the department that gets the bigger slice of this pie.

I bookmarked a self-sacrificial scene worthy to stay right next to the Oscar-nominated Hacksaw Ridge. Self-sacrifice for your fellow soldiers always makes for a good story, the only difference between this and Mel Gibson's is that Simon's soldiers do not consciously object to any sort on violence. Quite the opposite, actually.

Also in line with Simon's sympathetic view of the natives, we are introduced to Lissa, a native seer slave who is a key accompaniment to the action and the alleged story teller. Her background story is barely sketched, and for such an important character there are lots of gaps in her personal history. Just enough to fill up a book, I suppose, and I'm pretty sure there is a readership awaiting for that book, too.

Invasion ends just as it was predictable, so much so that Lissa sees the end from the very beginning: it's the conquerors' boot on the natives' neck and the conqueror's flag on top of the mud huts. But knowing the end of the journey takes nothing away from the pleasure of getting there, as it is often the case with Simon's writings.

I am, upon reading Invasion, intrigued by the 'Tales of the Empire' series and I shall take on to reading it. There is talk of Khans plundering the capital, how can one not want to see what's it all about in this beautiful historical mash-up with changed names?

[Ian Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parallel Worlds

Pirates are operating on the northern fringes of the empire of Velutio. They appear to be operating from the island of Alba, once the site of a failed imperial invasion. Three generals whose reputations were severely blemished in that campaign lobby the Emperor to urge him to commit legions to another invasion which will put paid to the piracy and add new territories to the empire. Privately, they hope to salvage their honour. These ambitious men have been troublesome at court and the idea of dispatching them to the periphery of the empire is appealing although the Emperor is ever conscious of the expense of such military operations. Wearily he agrees but later sends an aide to enlist three trusted tribunes, Bellacon, Convocus and Cantex, to ‘monitor things, to provide a sensible voice in strategic meetings and…try and keep things on track.’
These facts are the motors of the plot.
Three generals, three tribunes, three legions: it sounds at first a little formulaic, but that is only a starting point. The three legions march off through different landscapes, encounter different adversaries, endure different losses and make different gains. All the time there is the sense that the scenario is being manipulated toward failure from afar, perhaps by some individual or interest back in Velutio, perhaps some agent within the senate itself.
In fact the action is far from formulaic. Turney is a master of the unexpected. As they advance the legions find themselves time after time in hazardous circumstances where their annihilation seems inescapable. Time after time, the courage, wit, and lateral thinking of the tribunes manages to extricate them from peril. So far so good, but it is the unlooked-for nature of the traps set for the men that creates the suspense and the ingenious tactics deployed to extricate the troops that keeps you turning the pages as the pace is ratcheted up.
The delineation of character is appropriate to the genre. Bellacom, the warrior (echoed in the etymology of his name); Convocus, the tactician, hatcher of convoluted and risky gambits, and Cantex, the witty, nimble thinker - each is clearly imagined. And amid the reeling turmoil and hideous carnage of battle, it is their comradeship which is the focal point of the story and the seed of some sort of humane hope.
Battle scenes are Turney’s forte and battles there are aplenty, all different and all as detailed and vivid as the battles in The Iliad. There is often something filmic about them too: the probe of a wedge-shaped vanguard or the wheel of a flanking movement as seen from above. Then there are close-up encounters with metal shearing through flesh, and there are blood and bone and brains and shit. Turney doesn’t spare us the detail just as he doesn’t censor the ripe language of the soldiery. It all adds to the intense credibility as does Turney’s knowledge of Roman military strategy and equiment. I learnt much about the artillery of the era, for instance, both light and heavy.
The three threads converge for the final battle as they must in an epic. If I say any more I will be in danger of spoilers and everyone hates a spoiler. Needless to say, I guarantee you will not be disappointed by the dénouement or by its many startling surprises.
Of course, the world of the Velutian Empire echoes that of Rome and the invasion of Alba parallels that of Britannia. I should perhaps have said ‘those’ of Britannia since, as Turney points out in the Author’s Note, there was no one definitive invasion and the partial colonisation of the island might be better understood as a process rather than an event. Creating this parallel world liberates Turney from the tyranny of facts to conduct his military campaigns in the best interests of narrative fiction.
There are points where the worlds of Velutian Alba and Roman Britain meet: the southern tribes are happy to trade; there are treacherous fens to the east; there are savages to the north (unlike today) and it is fun to recognise these parallels and the way history speaks to fiction and vice versa. Indeed, some of the locations have real geographical avatars, perhaps inviting a future pilgramage. I couldn’t help thinking of echoes of Game of Thrones: House Lannister and Stark echoing the Houses of Lancaster and York, for instance, and all the resonances of the Wall.
Which leads me to ask, isn’t it time Turney’s work hit the screen? His writing is so very visual - it would work superbly.

[Simon Binning · Rating 4 out of 5]

History set in the ancient world is very popular, and there are a huge number of authors for enthusiasts to choose from. In my experience the quality is, shall we say, mixed. There is a lot of swords, sandals and togas 'by numbers', where it's difficult to tell one character, one plot or one author from another. However, there are exceptions.
Amongst a handful of authors writing about the period whose works I invariably read, is SJA Turney. I first encountered him through his 'Marius Mules' series, which is still going strong. (I've also loved his Ottoman Cycle, set much later). Over the last few years, he has also published a number of books under the 'Tales of Empire' umbrella, of which this is the latest, and these are a little different.
Although set in an ancient world that is seemingly recognisable, it is an imagined one. Elements of real cultures and peoples are there, but all the places and individuals are invented. I assume this allows the author to let his imagination run further than he can in the novels he sets in the real world. Each of the books take place in and around an imaginary empire, and each one is largely independent of the others. Although there are a few links, and some characters appear in more than one book, they are not a continuous story, and are often separated by a generation or more. In fact, this volume is probably closer to the previous one than any others in the series have been.
It takes place ten years after 'Insurgency', and the opening segment takes us back to events at the end of that story, to introduce us to three men - Bellacon, Convocus and Cantex. They are noticed by an imperial marshal and marked for greater things. By the beginning of this story, they are experienced and promising young officers. Twenty years earlier, the empire had sent a huge army to conquer the island of Alba; it met disaster and defeat. It's leaders returned in disgrace, and although still active, they have never recovered their reputation.
Now, pirates from Alba are ravaging the northern coast of the empire, and the Emperor is persuaded that the only way to deal with the problem is to launch another invasion. He is far from keen, so only allocates three legions for the job. Their Generals - Volentius, Crito and Quietus - are the very men who failed during the last invasion, and are itching for revenge. To their consternation, the Emperor decides they should command as a group rather than appointing an overall leader, and, worse still, allocates each a new tribune as their second-in-command; Bellacon, Convocus and Cantex. Their orders are to prevent the Generals doing anything stupid.
After the invasion force has landed, events move quickly, and it soon becomes apparent that things are not quite as they seem. I won't spoil your enjoyment by giving away any more of the plot! You probably won't be surprised though, if I do say that the overall inspiration for the story is the Roman invasion of Britain.
As always with the author, the story is complex and constantly shifting, and the characters beautifully drawn. Although there is almost constant action, the personalities of the three older Generals and of the three younger tribunes gradually emerge and give us a real understanding of their motives. We also encounter Lissa, a seer, who becomes an integral part of the story, and whose intentions and loyalties are uncertain to many, and Verctissa (surely inspired by Boudicca?).
If you are familiar with Simon Turney's work, you will know what an excellent storyteller he is. His people are complex, rarely black and white; the unexpected often happens, and he's not afraid to allow characters to die! This book is no exception. Can you read this as a standalone novel? Yes. But I think you would be better off reading the 'Tales of Empire' series in order. You will then have a better understanding of the world the characters inhabit.

[Nick Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Basically, it's a fictional Roman Empire allowing Turney to write the stories that he wants to write, with only the tiniest nudges of fantasy being added into the mix.

First off it works. It feels like historical fiction, and the pinch of fantasy through a prophetess adds to the novel without really undoing the historical fiction feel. Having read a lot of other invasion of Britain historical fiction - it's a well covered topic - this didn't feel out of place in terms of setting or atmosphere.

As ever Turney writes well. His habit of sticking with one of the characters for a prolonged period of chapters continues to work well getting you engrossed in their story. The added dimension of each of the heroes serving under a politicking general, undermining the invasion, further adds to the tension.

The weakness with these books is that they are a tad cinematic, with somewhat improbable heroics and timings. However these are less improbable than book 4 and less cliched than book 3 making it a stronger read. The book comfortably gets its 4 star rating, without having anything wow to catapult it to 5 stars.

[Joanne Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one

If you've read him before you know this involves ancient Rome, it's marvelous soldiers and battle tactics. It has 3 main characters that you'll bond with. They are the good men fighting a battle, yes, but this battle is wrapped in political intrigue, money, greed and the self advancement of 3 other men. Written in 2005, it eerily parralles today's political culture and the major players of the Obama years. Human nature does not change but sometimes the good guys do win.

[Michal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.2 stars
It is a good book, likable characters, loads of action. The downside is that some of the episodic characters do not have much depth and they do not behave like any real people would, which allows some improbable escapes etc. I am used to Turney being much more careful and subtle...

[Larry E Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ideal storyline

Although this is the fifth book in the series, it's characters are fresh, bold and clearly fit into the overall storyline. It will keep you enthralled