Rubicon

Sword of Rome #4

by Richard Foreman

Ravenna, 50BC.

Caesar’s forces stand upon the borders of Gaul and Italy. The prospect of a civil war grows ever likelier each day.

But for the veteran soldier Lucius Oppius, this may be one conflict too far.

With a new lover, he is tempted to end his long military career – and start a new life.

But can any man truly be free of his past and who he is?

In Rome, Cicero attempts to secure a peace. Against him, a powerful faction in the Senate is bent upon destroying Caesar, for personal and political reasons.

War hinges upon the will of Pompey, the only man capable of stopping Caesar.

Caesar stands upon the banks of the Rubicon, an enemy of the state. The die is cast. An empire will now be at war, spearheaded by the two great men of the age.

And Lucius Oppius will be caught in the middle, unable to escape his fate.

‘Sword of Rome: Rubicon’ is a gripping novella, encompassing war, politics and the tragedy and duty of a soldier.

The 'Sword of Rome' series brings together history and adventure in stories which will appeal to fans of Simon Scarrow, Conn Iggulden and Steven Saylor.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

67 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 14, 2013

About the author

Richard Foreman is the author of numerous best-selling Kindle books, including Augustus: Son of Rome and the Sword of Rome series of novellas which follow Julius Caesar and his centurion Lucius Oppius during their campaigns in Britain, Gaul and the Civil War. The stories are a blend of action, intrigue and Ancient History.

He is also the author of Warsaw, a literary novel set during the end of the Second World War, and the historical novel A Hero of Our Time, as well as the Raffles series of historical crime novellas.

His latest novel, Band of Brothers: The Game's Afoot, is a story is action, intrigue and historical insight set in medieval times.

He has worked as a literary consultant and publicist to a number of bestselling authors, including Tom Holland, Conn Iggulden and Simon Scarrow. He is now a publishing director at Endeavour Press, the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books, with his business partner Matthew Lynn.

He lives in London.

Reviews

[Haydn Pope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very disappointed to find this was a novella, but it was written by Richard Foreman which makes up for the shortness of the book. Great characters, descriptions so I almost feel I am taking part. A damned good book, however short!

[Anthony King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crossing the line

Five stars because like the others before it, RUBICON is a very good read, despite the author's 'poetic licence' of Caesars crossing of the Rubicon.

[J.D. Schechter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

The saga continues, the writing as solid and the characters as consistent. The fictional history is as intriguing as the real

[Liana Goode · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced, easy to read and relatively accurate

Although other books in this series can almost be read as stand alones, Rubicon is best read after reading previous titles. Rubicon focuses on Oppius, a veteran legionary, who is struggling with the decision of wanting to leave the army so he can start a new life with his lover. With the Senate turning against Caesar however, war is declared and Oppius must fight alongside him once more. At the end though we see Oppius fighting out of a sense of vengeance, rather than revenge. Rubicon is a fast-paced, easy read that's a relatively accurate account of history (aside from odd bit of adult humour and violence the books are suitable for teenagers to get interested in period).
There are plenty of five star moments to this series but it's very difficult to give any quick read five stars.

[Darlene Hull · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad novel. Decent story. Great for a break when you need something lighter to read. Not terribly memorable.

[[ J o ]]

Read the first book in the Sword of Rome series, Standard Bearer. 1 Star, therefore will not continue with the series.