Release Date: 01/08/13
Publisher: Hodder
SYNOPSIS:
615 AD. A vengeful Persian tyrant prepares the final blow that will annihilate the Empire. Aelric - the young adventurer from England - is now almost as powerful as the Emperor. Seemingly without opposition, he dominates the vast and morally bankrupt city of Constantinople. One step at a time, in his fortified palace, he is pushing forward reforms that are the Roman Empire's only hope of survival, and perhaps restoration to wealth and greatness. But his domestic enemies are only waiting for their moment to strike back. And the world's most terrifying military machine is assembling in secret beyond the mountains of the eastern frontier. The plot to destroy the English upstart begins with an ancient and apparently accursed Babylonian treasure - and continues with kidnap, revolution and a brutal invasion. Can Aelric overcome his greatest challenge yet? Can he call on new and unexpected forces to save the Empire? And can he find a personal happiness that has so far eluded him?
REVIEW:
I love an anti-hero as you’re never sure which way things are going to go. After all they’re unbound by the usual set of ironclad rules that most have to stand by and for that reason the wonderfully dark as well as delicious Brother Aelric is a cracking change from the nrom.
In this historical adventure (the sixth title for our hero) we get to see his own brand of trouble in Constantinople as a man of rank. It has great prose, some wonderful twists and of course with a lead character that you’re never 100 percent sure on then you know that its going to be a whole lot of fun. The only problem that I have with this type of book, and its been a bug bear for years to me, is that I hate books being a look back on a characters life from their own point of view. It means that there’s no danger to the characters person, that they’re always going to get out of a situation which really does take a huge edge off the plotlines.
Release Date: 07/06/12
SYNOPSIS:
The Roman Empire faces the barbarian horde. 612 AD. Decadent, desperate Athens is the Roman Empire's most vulnerable city. Aelric - senator of the Roman Empire, fresh from a bloodbath in Egypt that may or may not be regarded in Constantinople as his fault - is forced to divert the Imperial galley to Athens for reasons the Emperor has neglected to share with him. He finds a demoralized and corrupt provincial city threatened by an army rumoured to contain twenty million starving barbarians. Not to mention an explosive religious dispute, an unexplained corpse, and hints of something worse than murder. Is he on a high level mission to save the Empire? Or has he been set up to fail? Or is the truth even worse than he can at first imagine? He will have to call upon all his formidable intellect and lethal ingenuity to survive his enemies inside and outside the city walls ..
REVIEW:
To be honest I picked this title and expected something completely to what was present. What this story offers the reader is a tale that takes the reader through a journey of warfare, intrigue, politics and of course survivability in a world where there’s a dagger at everyone’s back with no telling when it might suddenly be thrust forward. The prose is reasonable, the characters solid but sadly one of my bugbears raises it head as the principle character is never in any real danger as the story is told by him in his elderly age.
That for me eliminates a huge part of the thrill of an adventure with so many perils and as such left me feeling cheated. All in it is a reasonable offering but had it been told from the time it was happening rather than looked at from the future, it would have added a better twist to keep the adrenaline flowing.
BOOK BLURB:
610AD. The bloodthirsty Emperor Phocas is preparing for the greatest battle of his life. Enemy armies are racing closer to attack his fortress, the golden city of Constantinople, and traitors within plot his downfall. Clinging to power by masterminding a campaign of terror, he is running out of funds, allies and time ...but he has one card left to play. Aelric, a naive and ambitious young clerk from Britain, is sent to Constantinople ostensibly on a mission to copy old texts for the Church of Rome. On his arrival he discovers the terrible dangers lurking behind the shining streets and glittering facades. A pawn in a secret conspiracy that will change the course of history, he can only rely on his wits, charm and fighting skills to stay alive.
REVIEW:
Set during the reign of Edward (Longshanks) the first of England, this offering takes the reader to a time where warfare was fought as savegly against the people as it was against the invaders in this offering from Paul Finch. He gets the feel right for the time period and with characters who are as much villain as hero it sets a tone for a war of attrition that no side can afford. Add to the mix zombies and a siege and you know that its something that is quite cinematic. It’s well written, it’s got crisp description and it’s a stand alone title that makes it easy for people to dip into. Whilst this won’t be for all fans of Urban Fantasy it’s a title that will please a lot of readers who enjoy a dip into Historical Fiction alongside their zombies. An offering I really enjoyed.
BOOK BLURB:
The tears of Alexander shall flow, giving bread and freedom ...612 AD. Egypt, the jewel of the Roman Empire, seethes with unrest, as bread runs short and the Persians plot an invasion. In Alexandria, a city divided between Greeks and Egyptians by language, religion and far too few soldiers, the mummy of the Great Alexander, dead for nine hundred years, still has the power to calm the mob -- or inflame it ...Aelric, the young British clerk who has become a senator and the trusted henchman of Emperor Heraclius, has come to Alexandria to send Egypt's harvest to Constantinople and to force the unwilling viceroy to give its land to the peasants. But the city -- with its factions and conspirators -- thwarts him at every turn. And when an old enemy from Constantinople arrives, supposedly on a quest for a religious relic that could turn the course of the Persian war, he will have to use all his cunning, his charm and his talent for violence to survive.
REVIEW:
The second novel for me by Richard Blake and one that I really devoured after finishing the first. As with the original, its beautifully written with a great excursion from modern times that’s backed up with a seriously enjoyable writing style. Top notch entertainment and something of a guilty pleasure. I’ll definitely seek out other titles by this author and I really want to see what he has in store for his characters in future excursions.
