The Man With Two Names

The Sertorius Scrolls #1

by Vincent B. Davis II

"Is it better to be a bad man and accomplish great things, or be a great man and accomplish nothing?"

Quintus Sertorius has spent the first 20 years of his life training horses on his family farm, but this must end when his father dies and his village's political connections to Rome are severed. For the sake of his family, Quintus must leave his village for the Eternal City. If he succeeds, his people will be fed. If he fails, his people will starve. He begins his political career under the most influential men in Rome, but soon discovers that those in the Senate are less inclined to help him than he had hoped. His journey takes him from the corrupt and treacherous Forum to the deadly forests of Gaul, making powerful friends and enemies along the way. But it will take more than allies to succeed. He will have to decide what compromises he is willing to make, and what risks he is willing to take, if he is to secure a future for himself and his people.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, War, Adventure, Military Fiction, Audiobook

396 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2017

About the author

Vincent B. Davis II writes historical fiction books to keep the past alive through the power of storytelling. He is also an entrepreneur, speaker, and veteran who is a proud graduate of East Tennessee State University and was honorably discharged from the US Army in 2022. Armed with a pen and an entrepreneurial spirit, Vincent quit his day job and decided it was as good a time as any to follow his dream. He went on to publish six historical fiction novels, four of which have now become Amazon International Best Sellers.

Vincent is also a devoted and depressed Carolina Panthers fan and a proud pet parent to his rescue pups, Buddy and Jenny. Join Vincent in celebrating the past through the pages of his books. His newsletter, The Legion, is more than just another author email list. It’s a community of readers who enjoy free additional content to enhance their reading experience—HD Maps, family trees, Latin glossaries, free eBooks, and more. You can join the community and snag your freebies at https://vincentbdavisii.com/join-the-....

Vincent also loves connecting with his readers through social media. Find him on Facebook or Instagram @vbdavisii, vincentbdavisii.com, or email him at Vincent@thirteenthpress.com.

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable novel, purportedly the memoir of Quintus Sertorius, which he termed a "eulogy to the Roman Republic" and also apologia for his decisions and actions. As a young man, Sertorius leaves his village for Rome, where he hopes the family's patron, Caepio, can help them. The village, Nursia, has fallen on hard times. After disillusioning experiences having been thrust into the underbelly of Roman politics, he leaves and joins Gaius Marius, now a consul along with Caepio's son, Gaius. Marius is trying to reform the army. Sertorius reunites with his brother, a prefect, and Lucius, his best friend from the village, now an aide-de-camp to Marius. When Sertorius admits his ignorance of army life and finds no one will help him learn, he gives up his commission as tribune and becomes an ordinary legionary. A centurion tells him why tribunes per se, are disliked by other ranks and officers after Sertorius asks the man to be brutally honest. Through bravery, he is promoted to centurion. There are descriptions of battles, including a raid on Tolosa, where they plunder much gold. This last is at the instigation of Gaius, who has finagled his way there as the head of Sertorius' legion--for Gaius' own personal glory. As the novel ends, the men know they will have to fight the Cimbri and Teutones, two fierce tribes.

I'm eager to read the next installment. The author seemed a bit unsure of himself while dealing with the cutthroat politics of Rome and the backstabbing, but he came into his own writing about the military. His strong point was the descriptions of the men--their psychology, their bonding, and close friendships. This all sounded so realistic; the author has been in the military himself and perhaps he used some of his own experiences and fellow soldiers. Any love interest between Sertorius and Arrea, the native girl, fit in seamlessly. On the cover: the soldier wore imperial segmented armor, which I don't believe was worn in the Republic.

Highly recommended.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Figured it was time for historical fiction. Should have paid more attention, this was part 1 only. Actually did two of these part 1 things in one day, which is more than annoying, closer to infuriating really. I love standalones. And while the life of Quintus Sertorius (the eponymous men with two names denoting the lower status than that of men with three names interestingly enough) is actually exciting and interesting enough to warrant more than one book (or as the case may be here great many scrolls), I would have preferred a more finite ending to this book, first in who knows how many. Aside from that it was an enjoyable read, the quality far above typical kindle freebie, terrific minutiae, even a comprehensive glossary, great characters and the writing was very good, took me a while to really get into it, but then all the details and intricacies of narrative became very immersive indeed, even battle scenes and things I wouldn’t normally care for all that much. In fact the battle scenes probably overpower the complex political intrigue and machinations of Ancient Rome, something about the viscerality (which I insist is a word despite the red wave line claiming otherwise) that the author really does well without going over the top with guts and gore. But in fact all aspects of this story were done well and it served nicely as a historical adventure. The narrative is structured as a memoir/confession of Quintus (real life person, distinguished military commander, statesmen and later a ruler of modern day Spain, so very much a worthy subject) and this book only covers some of his younger years leading up to him becoming Centurion in the Roman Army. It ends leaving the readers wanting more, which is the trick to selling further books. A trick I don’t care for personally, but wouldn’t be opposed to reading more about the man who makes due with two names only. The main attraction was spending time in Ancient Rome as it were. Armchair time travel to a bygone world. What an era.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was attracted to another book about ancient Rome having just finished Steven Saylor's series of 3 books on the subject. This was quite emotional compared to other books of the period, and the reader easily invests in the fate of two young men growing up in the country away from the politics of Rome. Of course both take different paths but eventually end up on the same battlefield. Their varied experiences and connection makes for a rewarding reading experience.


Kindle Unlimited

[Sumit · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In defeat, be calm and work to discover how you may yet wrest victory from its jaws. In victory, be calm and work to discover how you might yet keep what you have fought for.”


The Man With Two Names is the first installment in the Sertorius Scrolls series, written by the first time author Vincent B. Davis II. The book is set just before Julius Cesar comes to power when the Roman republic that had lasted for some 400 years was about to be torn apart.

“Yes, but he has only two names. He is a nobody who has surpassed the limits of his birthright tenfold, and now it is time that he and his lot are returned to their proper place.”

Quintus Sertorius, a 20 years old young farm boy used to live along with his family in a small village of Nursia. When his father, the head of the village dies, Nursia's political connections to Rome gets severed and the entire village has fallen on hard times. Quintus for the sake of his family and his people leave his village for the Eternal City, hoping his family's patron, Gnaeus Caepio, could help them. In Rome, he begins his political career under Caepio but soon discovers that those in the Senate are less inclined to help him than he had hoped. After discovering the corrupt and treacherous nature of Caepio and his family, Quintus leaves him and joins Gaius Marius, now a consul along with Caepio's son, Gaius in return of help for his village. Marius who is trying to reform the army, enlist Quintus in the Roman army. Soon Quintus gets his first deployment in Gaul, where he will make some good friends while some old enemies return to haunt him. But it will take more than friends to survive in Gaul where the battle of Arausio, one of the catastrophic battles in Roman history is going to be fought. Can Quintus survive this battle?


Review:

⚜️The cover with Quintus in imperial segmented armor is fabulous while the title refers to Plebeians who by surpassing their birthright raises to Patrician level.

⚜️The book is structured as a memoir/confession of Quintus and the first-person narrative is used. For a change in narration, his friend Lucius's POV is also added.

⚜️Davis has captured well what it must have been like growing up as an outsider in Rome and earning a place in the changing empire. He also beautifully depicted Roman army life.

⚜️Other characters are also well written, believable and relatable. I like Lucius, Marius, and Arrea's characters the most.

⚜️Davis had done great research work. I enjoy learning about ancient Rome and its republic era and how much politics played a role in the Roman military then.

⚜️Davis's writing is smooth and easy to follow. It is hard to believe this is his debut novel. Ancient Rome comes alive in his writing. However, more development needed in action scenes.

⚜️There is a strong moral code and striving to do what is right in the book, which is quite unusual for an action-packed book to be included, but still enjoyable.

⚜️The use of Latin is well-placed and the glossary at the back of the book was very helpful in understanding the meaning of those words.

⚜️The climax is heart-wrenching and left me anxious to read more. My only quibble with this book is that it could have been longer, as it was a fairly enjoyable read.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Man With Two Names and looking forward to reading the next book. I highly recommend picking up this book to all the historical fiction lovers. If you like reading Simon Scarrow and Bernard Cornwell, then you will definitely love Davis's writing.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Patrick Sherriff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tale of the life of an ambitious young Roman and the price he must pay for advancement, whether to kowtow to the higher-ups, or to earn his advancement by merit (or deceit). These are valid questions and all the more relevant given the parallel universe that Trump's America presents, a cesspool of incompetants and sycophants. My only quibble is with the writing, it took me a while to realise that the chapters were written from the perspective of different characters because they didn't have noticeably different voices. But this is the first book by Davis, so I'll give him a pass on that. The story worked. Sure, it's no I, Claudius, but it is pretty good.

Download my starter library for free here - http://eepurl.com/bFkt0X - and receive my monthly newsletter with book recommendations galore for the Japanophile/crime fiction/English teacher in all of us.

[Alicia Huxtable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed

I love books written in these times, but when I came across this one, I held my breath. I have always found inaccuracies in many a book, but in saying that, this author has clearly done their research. I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this story

[Coco.V]

💝 FREE on Amazon today (11/22/2017)! 💝

[Javir11 · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5/10

Voy con prisa, por lo que reseña rápida.

Novela que se centra en la vida de Quinto Sertorio, famoso militar y político romano, conocido por sublevarse en Hispania contra el gobierno de Sila.

Considerado uno de los mejores generales de su época, esta primera entrega de una saga, nos cuenta los inicios del joven Sertorio y como poco a poco empieza a descubrir las vicisitudes de la política romana.

En general no es una mala novela, pero para mi gusto le falta mucha profundidad a la ambientación y a la historia, por no decir que en términos históricos pega algún patinazo.

No creo que siga con los otros libros, ya que de esta época hay mucho material publicado, y creo que de mejor calidad.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on the real life of a Roman citizen, this book makes for ok historical fiction. I found it dull and the story dragged on.

[Julie Myers]

Can’t really rate this. It was ok but my total ignorance of Ancient Rome definitely affected my ability to review/rate.

[Brook Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a fabulous surprise for me. I'm not as familiar with the Roman history of the late 2nd century BC, though I read Colleen McCullough's books on the same period. Davis, however, approaches them from a manly, miliatry standpoint, more than a political one. And that, in a nutshell, is what makes this book so successful.

Sertorius is a small-town youth, cast into a serpent's nest of late Republican Rome, only to wind up making a few valuable friends and some very lethal enemies. He participates as one of "Marius's Mules", becoming severely wounded in courageous attempts to honorably elevate himself so that respect might be earned.

Davis has done his homework, diving into the ancient sources as well as some favored secondaries, to bring Sertorius and his family to life, beautifully. The world-building is lush and Davis has a real strength for developing not only main characters, but complimentary ones. His plot was simple, following the historical record as much as possible. I'll add that I'm much impressed that an author with such a military background is inviting his "brothers in arms" to assist in beta-reading the storyline. Indeed, of all of the Roman History I've read, Davis's book nearly brought me to tears several times, for he has hit the target when it comes to writing from a soldier's perspective.

There are some editorial misses with typos, but this book so eloquently brings to life the bloody nature of Roman politics and power, it's still worthy of 5 stars. It's a powerful read because of who tells it. Bravo! I look forward to the next books.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed The Man With Two Names quite a bit. The plot kept me engaged, I like the main character, and I love the history of ancient Rome. I am familiar with the history of the Cimbric wars and specifically the Battle of Arausio from previous study, so it was fun to read a fairly accurate novel about the events.

However, there are a few annoying features in the book For example, the main character, Quintus Sertorius, holds very modern moral views about slavery. I really find it disingenuous when an author tries to make a character seem admirable in a modern sense, but those admirable characteristics would be HIGHLY unlikely in the historical context. It's so forced and didactic. Also, the author sprinkles Latin words and phrases throughout the dialogue to lend supposed authenticity to the narrative. This is such a small thing, but it's always driven me nuts. If you are writing in English, write in English (or whatever language). Throwing in a few Latin phrases doesn't really add verisimilitude. What's more, even though I really enjoyed the book, I don't feel compelled to spend the money to read the rest of the series. It was good but not that good.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first of a series of books about a Roman who rises through society and the ranks of the military. The date is shortly before Marius ends up as dictator of Rome, and things are a bit unstable. Young Sertorius is a hick out of northern Italy who goes to Rome to learn to become a man of substance and things do not go as planned.

Eventually he ends up as a legionnaire but shows great personal ability and leadership skill, and soon is an officer, when the Legions fight the "Reds"; Tutonics and Celts in France. The book is very much an introduction and it is not a great first book for a series because it takes a very long time to get to any sort of real action. And the action is not glorious or heroic, its gristly and bloody and real. The book ends abruptly, feeling unfinished, but is a fairly quick read.

Later books in this series are much more compelling and strong, but there's some in here that shows through and the author's experience with war definitely tells in his storytelling.

[Micheal Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent

An interesting and historically reliable tale of ancient Roman family struggles during a time of economic and cultural upheaval. The author presents a captivating story of familial love , political ambition and the glorious horrors of Roman conquest. He does a great job of making the reader familiar with his cast of characters and developing our empathy throughout the story.

[Richard Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent piece of historical fiction

For Ancient-Rome lovers like myself, Davis has captured a bit what it must have been like growing up as an outsider and earning a place the changing, growing empire.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start for a promising career

If I hadn't known it was the first and only book by Mr. Davis, I'd have thought it a novel written by an accomplished veteran of the genre. I look forward to the next.

[Seb · Rating 5 out of 5]

cannot believe this is the first book this author has written.

Wow.

The story is just magical. I've been hooked from start to finish. I read it in two days and would've finished it faster had my weak body not needed to sleep.

I cannot wait to read the second book to this.

Well done.

[michael mcmains · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait for the next one.

[Tony Giannattasio · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written page turner of a book about the ancient Roman Republic.

A well written book. It was also well researched and if one bothers to read the glossary included in the book you can learn a great deal about life in ancient Rome just before the time of Julius Caesar. This was also a fascinating time when the republicThat had lasted for some 400 years was about to be torn apart. My one quibble with this book is that he should have been longer, as it was a fairly enjoyable read.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This was everything I wanted it to be - if you enjoyed Stephen Pressfield’s Gates of Fire or if you just like classics and good combat writing, I’d recommend it. The very beginning didn’t quite hook me, but by the time we introduced the second perspective I was into it. I’ll absolutely be continuing the series, and I’m hoping to see more of the characters we’ve met so far.

[Steve George · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows in the tradition (?) of Barbara McCollough's, First Man of Rome, and portrays a more in-depth dynamic of the relationship between Quintus Sertorius and Gaius Marius, TWO men with only two names. The use of Latin is well-placed and the meanings of the words tend to pop out because of the context. I thoroughly enjoyed reading historical fiction at the level of individuals and their fears, angst, and joy of companionship amid the horrors of battle.

[Debbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to this will be out in December and I will be reading it. Very good book about a family in ancient Rome.

[Liviu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and nothing jarring historically speaking but could have been better

[Debra Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Keep me reading for hours, and I was actually annoyed that the story did not go on! Very well written. Highly recommended.

[Elaine Donadio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who loves the history of ancient Rome will love this book. The author has done a great job of researching and using facts and vocabulary from that time in history. Compelling story about the Roman armies—victories and defeats. A little too much background detail. More development needed on action scenes. I enjoyed this book very much.

[Joyce Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book and cannot wait till the next one. Reads like simon scarrow and bernard cornwell. Well done!

[Audrey Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not usually a huge fan of "Roman Political" historical novels. I was surprised at how much politics played a roll in the military then!
This book is set just before Julius Cesar comes to power. In fact he is seen a couple of times in his brother's tent during meetings to talk about elections that he's not a part of, and later again at J. C.'s wedding!
The book is kind of an autobiographical depiction of a young farm boy who's dad was head of their village but died when he was 17, leaving him to carry on doing the same providing for family & town/village but with a lot to learn about how.
Everyone expected him to do one thing, and he tried, but he eventually found his world again flipped upsidedown and became a Roman Soldier instead.
By the end of the book he is unrecognizable as the 17 yr old whom the book first described a scant 2 1\2 - 3 years earlier.
I really became engrossed in this book and read it in one sitting straight through. (I didn't even get up to find food or a drink!)
I love that the book was as factual as possible by following a lot of his own letters, correspondence, etc. (Unless this was a very well done and clever ploy by the Author! I do know that this man DID exist back then!😳)

Side Note: Personally, I would not recommend this book to just any one and everyone. Only because it is so very true to the Roman culture of that time which means that while there are no actual sex scenes, they were very free and open about saying things.
They also displayed very graphic statues, drawings, art... And no problem with men being with younger boys.
For this reason alone, while this book doesn't really go into any of that, there are comments, statements, "jokes", off color comments by soldier's, etc. that make it (in my opinion) not appropriate for any & all ages.

[Terry Lynn Shroyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting Read from start tofinsh

Picked up the book sat down and read in one sitting. Action intrigue and doublecrosses at every turn, made you feel as if you were there with the people.

[Kirsten McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sublime. I felt like I was there, following these men and their lives. It was written in such a personal manner that I couldn't help but be drawn into the political intrigue, and the machinations of the Roman empire.
I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
This book really does make me appreciate that I am not a politician! I don't think much has changed over the last few millennia!
I loved that the author put a glossary at the back of the book, which I found particularly helpful.

[jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Can't wait for next chapter. Please put me on me Davis' mailing list. I can hardly believe this is the first book by a new author.