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Lost Scrolls of Archimedes
"Lost Scrolls of Archimedes is a true must-read for ancient history fans." - K.C. Finn for Readers' FavoriteTwo feuding empires. A doomsday device. Can a young man break an ancient code and save Egypt from Rome’s deadly attack?
Alexandria, Egypt, 34 BC. Marcus Bassus dreams of a life of intellectual pursuits. Entrusted by his missing mentor with the enigmatic scrolls of Archimedes, he resolves to prove his worth by decoding the complex documents on his own. But when a close friend betrays him and steals one of the scrolls, Marcus vows to prevent its secrets from falling into the corrupt hands of Roman Consul Octavian.
Devastated when the Romans assassinate his father, but aided by the smart and alluring linguist, Electra, Marcus works furiously to recover the lost treasure. And after learning Octavian plans to use the ill-gotten information to construct the ultimate weapon against Antony and Cleopatra, he realizes he is Egypt’s only hope.
Marcus crosses desert sands and turbulent seas in a quest to build a counter-weapon in time to stave off Roman conquest.
Tom Roberts’ award-winning Lost Scrolls of Archimedes is the first book in the action-packed Lost Artifacts historical fiction saga. If you like ancient-world adventures, scholarly heroes, and well-researched settings, you’ll love Tom Roberts’ epic struggle for supremacy.
Alexandria, Egypt, 34 BC. Marcus Bassus dreams of a life of intellectual pursuits. Entrusted by his missing mentor with the enigmatic scrolls of Archimedes, he resolves to prove his worth by decoding the complex documents on his own. But when a close friend betrays him and steals one of the scrolls, Marcus vows to prevent its secrets from falling into the corrupt hands of Roman Consul Octavian.
Devastated when the Romans assassinate his father, but aided by the smart and alluring linguist, Electra, Marcus works furiously to recover the lost treasure. And after learning Octavian plans to use the ill-gotten information to construct the ultimate weapon against Antony and Cleopatra, he realizes he is Egypt’s only hope.
Marcus crosses desert sands and turbulent seas in a quest to build a counter-weapon in time to stave off Roman conquest.
Tom Roberts’ award-winning Lost Scrolls of Archimedes is the first book in the action-packed Lost Artifacts historical fiction saga. If you like ancient-world adventures, scholarly heroes, and well-researched settings, you’ll love Tom Roberts’ epic struggle for supremacy.
412 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 17, 2020
20 people are currently reading
434 people want to read
About the author
Tom Roberts
2 books5 followersTom Roberts is the author of Lost Scrolls of Archimedes, a historical novel, and Moving Pieces, a short story collection. In 2019, at the Florida Writers Association’s Royal Palm Literary Awards, his historical novel, Lost Scrolls of Archimedes, was awarded Gold for best unpublished historical novel. The novel was published in paperback and eBook in March 2020. A software engineer in a previous life, Mr. Roberts began writing in 2017. He is avid reader of ancient history and technology and a member of the Florida Writers Association, the Atlanta Writers Club, and the West Florida Literary Federation. He still dabbles in software, maintaining websites for two non-profits as well as his author’s website, TomRobertsAuthor.com. An Air Force veteran, he loves dogs and enjoys hiking, classical music, video games, and college sports. He lives with his wife in Pensacola, Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 14, 2020
The Lost Scrolls of Archimedes is a book that encompasses much of the modern day thrillers, like Steve Berry and the Eddie and Nina Chase triology and puts it into an ancient setting. There is never a single moment in the book, that makes you feel you aren’t immersed at all. The world-building is comparable to that off the dedicated research team that Ubisoft has employed for their Assassin’s Creed Origin video game set in the historical time period of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. This is a book about a boy becoming a man in many aspects.
Tom is not afraid to show the diversity of the ancient world, and he is not afraid either to show the brutality of the world. You’ll find yourself in the streets of Alexandria, exploring dusty libary scrolls, you’ll find yourself on pebbled streets of stone, pillars of vast temples and the massive light house of Alexandria itself. You’ll explore many such locations. Marcus as a character himself, is very personally developed and well written. As a scholar, he represents the highlight of the ancient world trapped in the machinations of the wars of this time.
Electra is a very well written character, including characters like Kleon and many others. Talus is also good, but in my mind, as I’ve read a lot of historical fiction, he’s more like Macro from the Simon Scarrow Series, only except a bit more intelligent. Some parts of the novel did feel slow-paced, and I would have wanted to seen more mystery behind the Scrolls of Archimedes. What was it exactly that he was hiding from humanity? I can’t wait to see what this series holds, because it is the perfect blend of ancient conspiracies, and the perfect blend of mythology that can be added in. Overall, this is a book WELL worth your purchase.
Tom is not afraid to show the diversity of the ancient world, and he is not afraid either to show the brutality of the world. You’ll find yourself in the streets of Alexandria, exploring dusty libary scrolls, you’ll find yourself on pebbled streets of stone, pillars of vast temples and the massive light house of Alexandria itself. You’ll explore many such locations. Marcus as a character himself, is very personally developed and well written. As a scholar, he represents the highlight of the ancient world trapped in the machinations of the wars of this time.
Electra is a very well written character, including characters like Kleon and many others. Talus is also good, but in my mind, as I’ve read a lot of historical fiction, he’s more like Macro from the Simon Scarrow Series, only except a bit more intelligent. Some parts of the novel did feel slow-paced, and I would have wanted to seen more mystery behind the Scrolls of Archimedes. What was it exactly that he was hiding from humanity? I can’t wait to see what this series holds, because it is the perfect blend of ancient conspiracies, and the perfect blend of mythology that can be added in. Overall, this is a book WELL worth your purchase.
July 9, 2020
I have read a lot - really a lot - of historical fiction about Rome and Egypt and didn't expect to be surprised - and yet I was when I read this book, the Lost Scrolls of Archimedes by Tom Roberts. And I tried to jot down some of the things that the author did really well. Here are three things I loved about this book:
(1)New Ideas: Allows ancient people to explore new ideas about slavery, technology and justice
(2) Great on basics of storytelling: Many twists and turns in this action packed book still come together as a harmonious whole. This book also transported me to the ancient world with a steady flow of very well researched details.
(3)Wonderfully surprise ending: How do you surprise readers in a historical fiction when the facts are already known to everybody? The author does accomplished a great ending for his book.
I loved this book and highly recommend it if you are looking for great historical fiction.
(1)New Ideas: Allows ancient people to explore new ideas about slavery, technology and justice
(2) Great on basics of storytelling: Many twists and turns in this action packed book still come together as a harmonious whole. This book also transported me to the ancient world with a steady flow of very well researched details.
(3)Wonderfully surprise ending: How do you surprise readers in a historical fiction when the facts are already known to everybody? The author does accomplished a great ending for his book.
I loved this book and highly recommend it if you are looking for great historical fiction.
October 7, 2020
The scrolls of Archimedes are entrusted to young Marcus Bassus, who vows to guard them and decode them for his mentor. After a heinous betrayal by a close friend, Marcus must pursue a former close friend to retrieve one of the scrolls. Overcoming personal tragedy, Marcus enlists the aid of a talented linguist, Electra and together they travel over sands and seas to retrieve the scroll, thwart the plans of a corrupt Official, and ultimately discover what happened to his missing mentor.
Politics, culture, and intrigue collide in this story where a young man pits himself against a wealthy and powerful man within the government. The backdrops of this historical world are handled well, and the story is a good one. I didn’t like some of the dialogue between the characters, it wasn’t in keeping with how someone would speak in that era. Also, I found some of the reveals were too predictable. Overall, an enjoyable tale if you overlook some things.
Politics, culture, and intrigue collide in this story where a young man pits himself against a wealthy and powerful man within the government. The backdrops of this historical world are handled well, and the story is a good one. I didn’t like some of the dialogue between the characters, it wasn’t in keeping with how someone would speak in that era. Also, I found some of the reveals were too predictable. Overall, an enjoyable tale if you overlook some things.
September 25, 2020
Cleopatra and Anthony are brought to life in the historical fiction
This is a historical fiction based in Egypt around 34 bc. Marcus Bassus is an intellectual powerhouse who is decoding the scrolls of Archimedes when a close friend steals one and appears intent on using it to destroy Egypt. Marcus then finds himself on the journey of his life as he rushes to recover the scroll and save the future of his people. This is a good read that is very descriptive and fun to follow. This journey will take you way back and expose you to this early world where evil a treachery exist just as they do today. Follow Marcus as he works to save his people and recover the scroll that could be used as a devastating weapon. The story is easy to follow and the characters are relatable. Check this one out if you like history and fiction. This one is a good read.
This is a historical fiction based in Egypt around 34 bc. Marcus Bassus is an intellectual powerhouse who is decoding the scrolls of Archimedes when a close friend steals one and appears intent on using it to destroy Egypt. Marcus then finds himself on the journey of his life as he rushes to recover the scroll and save the future of his people. This is a good read that is very descriptive and fun to follow. This journey will take you way back and expose you to this early world where evil a treachery exist just as they do today. Follow Marcus as he works to save his people and recover the scroll that could be used as a devastating weapon. The story is easy to follow and the characters are relatable. Check this one out if you like history and fiction. This one is a good read.
September 24, 2020
Lost Scrolls of Archimedes (Lost Artifacts Book 1) by Tom Roberts is one of those books that is so immersive and at the same time so educational it is a joy to read. The author writes with ease, using language that is accessible while dealing with complicated historical times. He has developed engaging characters, especially Marcus Bassus, a scholar who is trying to break a code that will reveal ancient secrets. There's a little something for everyone here, but for those who enjoy a heady mix of history with warfare and the military, this is the perfect book to delve into. There are also very human emotions well represented in this tale, exposing the effects of betrayal and captivating romance. Overall an excellent read, one that is well developed and researched. Highly recommend.
August 27, 2020
I won this as a Goodreads giveaway..
Ok.. I am not a history person, I hated it in school and did not do well reading about it for some reason. So, I had a block when I started to read this book.. but I chugged along.
This is a modern day thriller set in ancient times. So, once I got past that I was able to read it and enjoy the story. The story was well written and thought out. I just had to get past my history block!
Ok.. I am not a history person, I hated it in school and did not do well reading about it for some reason. So, I had a block when I started to read this book.. but I chugged along.
This is a modern day thriller set in ancient times. So, once I got past that I was able to read it and enjoy the story. The story was well written and thought out. I just had to get past my history block!
June 5, 2022
Enjoyable Read
The Lost Scrolls of Archimedes was an enjoyable read with an interesting plot. The heroes are easy to like and villains easy to dislike. I found Roberts' Egyptian/Roman lives and world believable. The only hiccup I had was the use of more modern slang, such as "Get the bastards, boys!" and references to "kicking ass".
The Lost Scrolls of Archimedes was an enjoyable read with an interesting plot. The heroes are easy to like and villains easy to dislike. I found Roberts' Egyptian/Roman lives and world believable. The only hiccup I had was the use of more modern slang, such as "Get the bastards, boys!" and references to "kicking ass".
September 30, 2020
Received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. I love historical fiction, but I haven't read a book from this era. Book was well written, easy to read and follow along with the strong. Enjoyed the book.
February 16, 2021
The book started really interesting but started to drag towards the middle of the book. From the halfway point on, I was barely into the book. The concept was great but I think it was unnecessarily drawn out.
I won this book thru a goodreads.com giveaway.
I won this book thru a goodreads.com giveaway.
July 16, 2020
Refreshingly well composed in virtually all aspects. A pleasantly immersive read, except for the dialogue, which I found a bit stiff. Still highly recommendable and enjoyable.
March 3, 2024
The story is good, but I thought the dialog was too modern for the story. There could have also been a little more historical detail.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews