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Tag Archives: Romans

Summer Reading – 2010

22 Friday Oct 2010

Posted by Aaron Brander in On Books

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2 stars, 3 stars, 4 stars, Bernard Cornwell, Dresden Files, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Jim Butcher, R.A. Salvatore, Roman Empire, Romans, Wizards

It’s been a busy summer of devouring books as fast as I can; so fast that I couldn’t get a review written of each of them. So, instead, here’s a rapid fire list of what rocked and what was as dull as a rock.
Books that Rocked:

Outliers: The Story Of Success – Malcolm Gladwell
Gladwell is always an interesting read. His ability to find connections in places where they aren’t expected is uncanny.  In Outliers, you will learn that where and when we are born have a large influence on our future.

 

 

 

 

Time to Hunt – Stephen Hunter
I’ve read a few of the Bob Lee Swagger novels, and this one is the best so far.  Go back in time to Bob’s harrowing escapades in Vietnam, and learn why they call him “The Hammer”.

 

 

 

 

The Dresden Files

  • Blood Rites (The Dresden Files, Book 6) – Jim Butcher
  • Dead Beat (The Dresden Files, book 7) – Jim Butcher
  • Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8 ) – Jim Butcher
  • White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9) – Jim Butcher
  • Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10) – Jim Butcher
  • Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) – Jim Butcher

Yup, it’s been a summer of Jim Butcher. I’m not surprised. Harry Dresden is a perfect lead character. He’s filled with doubt and weaknesses, but always has enough steely resolve and powerful magic to pull himself out of the tightest places.  Each book is better than the last, and I can only hope that Butcher keeps kicking them out.

 

The Night Angel Trilogy

  • The Way of Shadows (The Night Angel Trilogy) – Brent Weeks
  • Shadow’s Edge (Night Angel Trilogy) – Brent Weeks
  • Beyond the Shadows – Brent Weeks

The Night Angel Trilogy was an interesting fantasy series. It focused on a young boy who wants to escape his danger our and hopeless life as an orphan.  He gets himself apprenticed to the greatest assassin of the land and ends up having a drastic influence on the world while defeating a great evil.  Yup, that sounds like just about every fantasy series out there.  Great characters and interesting plot twists make this a worthwhile read.

 
The First Law

  • The Blade Itself (The First Law: Book One) – Joe Abercrombie
  • Before They Are Hanged (The First Law: Book Two) – Joe Abercrombie
  • Last Argument of Kings (First Law: Book Three) – Joe Abercrombie

Other than the Butcher books, this was my favorite series of the summer.  The story was full of intrigue and plotting, but what was interesting is that for all the machinations of man, there was a handful of demi-gods running around pulling the strings that no one really believed in.  Couple that with a half dozen morally gray heroes and heroines and you’ve got a formula for a great read.  Each chapter switches to a different hero’s perspective, and Abercrombie was able to make it so you instantly know which character you are with.

 
The State of the Union – Brad Thor
An interesting thriller that explores what would happen if Russia was playing possum and only pretended to lose the Cold War.  Think Tom Clancy crossed with Dan Brown.

 

 

 

 

As interesting as rocks

Daemons are Forever (Secret Histories, Book 2) – Simon R. Green
Loved the first book for its sheer volume of fantastical creatues.  The follow up fell flat for me.

The Orc King: Transitions, Book I – R.A. Salvatore
Salvatore has dozens of great books starring the dark elf, Drizzt Do’urden.  As he has progressed, the books have taken on a morally preachy timbre. I love the action, but could do without the sermons.

Agincourt: A Novel – Bernard Cornwell
A book about my favorite historical battle?  Count me in.  I can’t remember now why this was bad or good, and I guess that’s enough to say about it. However, Cornwell typically hits the mark and I would not hesitate to recommend him.

The Red Wolf Conspiracy – Robert V. S. Redick
The whole book takes place on a boat.  There’s some interesting characters, but I didn’t really get into it.

Sharpe’s Trafalgar: Richard Sharpe & the Battle of Trafalgar, October 21, 1805 (Richard Sharpe’s Adventure Series #4) – Bernard Cornwell
I really enjoy the Sharpe series, and I’m going to keep reading them. This book wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t that great either.

Soldier of Rome: The Sacrovir Revolt: A Novel of the Twentieth Legion During the Rebellion of Sacrovir and Florus – James Mace
I really wanted to like this series, but it is entirely too dry for me.  I guess I’ll find a different Roman era series to read.

That’s 21 books read since March, not too shabby. Luckily, most of them have been good, including 3 series: The Night Angel Trilogy, The First Law, and The Dresden Files. Get some!

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Soldier of Rome: The Legionary by James Mace

10 Saturday Jan 2009

Posted by Aaron Brander in On Books

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3 stars, Historical Fiction, On Books, Romans

“Thrice happy is the nation that has a glorious history.  Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”

– Theodore Roosevelt, The Strenuous Life

That quote opens Soldier of Rome: The Legionary.  Many authors adorn their books with quotes from people, books, or songs. Typically I skim them and move on, intent instead to read a new story by the author of the book.  This quote struck me though.  I first thought of our country and wondered if still applied to us.  Roosevelt gave the speech in Chicago in 1899. He praised the people of the city for their hard work, for not shirking difficulty, but overcoming them.  With the government stepping in so often to ‘bail out’ companies and people, it seems to me that we no longer embody what Roosevelt sought for himself and for his country.

After ruminating on that idea, I wondered what it meant for the book.  I quickly surmised that it was aimed at the Romans. After all, they built and maintained a glorious nation and empire for a thousand years.  They dared great things, and although they failed from time to time, they had a glorious history.  However, after finishing the book, I’m certain the quote applies to the Germans.  It was Arminius, the German chief who dared to unite the German people as one nation and dared to wipe out three Legions of Roman soldiers.  He won a glorious triumph.  Unfortunately for him, and for the German people, they only woke up the Roman armies, who came back six years later to annihilate them.

My last thought on the Roosevelt quote was that it was the best thing going for the book in the first hundred pages.  I was not initially drawn into the story.  This is Mace’s first book, and I think it showed for a while.  I can’t question his research, or his ability to relay the structure of the Roman Legions.  He did a fine job laying that out. However, his voice early on didn’t fit with his characters.  There were times where his characters would advance the story through dialogue, and to me they were talking well above themselves.  It didn’t fit.

Mace found his voice though.  Once the main characters in the book were trained as Legionnaires and set out to avenge the treachery of Arminius, the story moved along well.  

I’m a bit of a history buff myself, and always enjoy a good Roman book.  Mace did a great job putting the reader into the life of a Roman soldier and I was happy to go there with him.  The portrayal of training, campaigning and going to Rome for a triumphant parade were spot on.  Or so I would imagine, having not been there myself.

The main character, Artorius, grows as a man and a soldier as he campaigns to avenge his brother’s death at hands of the Germans.  I hope Mace keeps Artorius and his comrades and uses them in other stories.  (It looks like he has already done so.)  They were an enjoyable crew.  My favorite was the Sergeant named Vitruvius.  The man was built like a bull, and was the only soldier Artorius saw with no scars.  No one could touch him, let alone beat him in a fight.  There’s a great scene when the soldiers have returned to Rome where Vitruvius fights the greatest gladiator that Rome has.  I won’t spoil the fight for you, but it was rather enjoyable.

I like reading historical fiction because you get a good story, while learning about our world.  You need to be careful in assuming everything is real, but it gives a lot of material to read up on.  I’d recommend reading about the Teutoburg Forest after reading this book to see how closely Mace keeps with accepted historical findings.

I wonder sometimes which is more difficult; writing historical fiction or writing fantasy.  With historical fiction, the story is already there.  The writer just fills in the dialogue.  At the same time, you don’t have a lot of room to maneuver and still keep to the real story.  I’ve seen authors give some notes before or after the story to tell what was and was not real.  

I think that’s a great thing as it gives the author the ability to venture out on his own while not deceiving the reader.  I’m all for the author supplying a full bibliography at the end of the book, while detailing what was real, what wasn’t real, and what was conjecture.  In this case, Mace gives several footnotes for quotes taken directly from the Annals of Tacitus, Book III.  He also took at least one detour from history.  Pontius Pilate shows up as an artillery commander.  I’m assuming Mace was referring to the Pontius Pilate of biblical fame. If so, Pilate’s history is unknown before he shows up in the Gospels.  I thought it was great to drop him into the story.

With fantasy, the author must imagine the entire world. Descriptions of economics, science, magic, and politics must all seem plausible and at the same time relevant to the story.  There’s definitely an art to world building.  But, on the other hand, they can take their story wherever and however they want to.  No one can question how something happens because it’s in a different reality all together. The author has complete control.

Soldier of Rome: The Legionary was an enjoyable read. It’s not my favorite historical fiction, but I’d definitely give another Mace book a read.

3 stars – see the book rating explanation here

Here are a few other books that I’ve read along the same lines:

  

Yes, its not a Roman novel, but its GREAT.
Yes, it’s not a Roman novel, but it’s GREAT.

 


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