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He Is Worthy (Warriors of Rome #2)

by Lisa Henry (Goodreads Author)

3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 · rating details · 73 ratings · 32 reviews

Rome, 68 A.D. Novius Senna is one of the most feared men in Rome. He’s part of the emperor’s inner circle at a time when being Nero’s friend is almost as dangerous as being his enemy. Senna knows that better men than he have been sacrificed to Nero’s madness—he’s the one who tells them to fall on their swords. He hates what he’s become to keep his family safe. He hates Ner...more

ebook, 124 pages

Published November 12th 2012 by Riptide Publishing

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Nov 12, 2012 Monique ~ Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Two men whose lives are destroyed by the insane "God Complex" of the Roman Emperor, who with nothing else to lose draw strength from each other and become united in their single objective ~ to assassinate Nero... 3.5 stars

I am not normally someone who is interested in Historical fiction... except for the Roman Empire! where my interest is immediately piqued, probably due to my depraved mind being interested in the excesses and unrestrained indulgence of the time... nothing at all to do with nea...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Kate added it

The blurb makes this sound like two desperate men engaged in a suicidal plot to assassinate a morally corrupt tyrant. I was expecting lots of action, suspense filled tension, fear of betrayal, heart-in-throat kind of thing, and that wasn't at all what this story turned out to be. It is more standard slave fic with lots of sexual abuse and humiliation, and the assassination plot remains low key (view spoiler)...more

12 likes · like · see review

May 14, 2013 kasjo_peja rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, m-m, slaves, tearjerker, short-novella

It was a good story. One that grabbed my interest from the first page and kept me glued to my Kindle for the next two hours.

The action takes place in Rome, at the times of Nero ruling, and there is enough of historical references to make the world real (I wouldn't call it simply a slave fic).
Novius Senna is one of Nero closest confidants, but far enough from the court to see that Roman empire is drowning in Nero's madness. I liked Senna's flashbacks of the past that showed many of the future pr...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Jo * Smut-Dickted * rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: capture-dubcon-slave, historical, m-m, pushing-boundaries-mm, read-on-kindle

Lisa Henry is a fave author of mine for her wonderful settings and gritty characters. There is always a plot as well - and I never find the sex gratuitous although it is often raw, elemental, and rough. I'll admit to being a bit confused in the beginning with all the names but it did force me into the headspace. The language barrier faced by the two MC's actually helped me to keep a perspective on it - oddly it interjected some realism into the story. I'm a fan of Ancient Rome stories like this...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Gloria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, m-m-romance, 2012, hurt-comfort, lendible-pm-me

Sounds interesting, although I have a minor problem with the blurb. Nero was executed by soldiers by order of the Senate. There were emperors who were assassinated by slaves (Domitian comes to mind, he was killed by his daughter's tutor, but I guess this plot wouldn't work with him because while he was a paranoid autocrat, he wasn't a sadistic hedonist) but Nero wasn't one of them. I have to put this out there or it's going to bug the hell out of me.

Edit: Finally read it! Wow, reading two great...more

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 06, 2012 ♆ BookAddict ~ La Crimson Femme rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Roman Historical m/m lovers

Shelves: m-m, netgalley-reviews, short-story, slavery, historical-romance, sadistic, rape, arc

Alea iacta est is one of the phrases most meaningful in this book. The die is cast. What does this mean? For slave Aenor renamed as Canis, it is the motivation for him to withstand horrible torture. For Patrician Novius Senna, it stands for a release and freedom he yearns to feel again.

Set during the Roman Empire, this story makes a reader question what really did happen during Nero's reign. My memory of Roman history is sketchy. I do remember Nero portrayed as a tyrannical emperor. I don't rec...more Alea iacta est is one of the phrases most meaningful in this book. The die is cast. What does this mean? For slave Aenor renamed as Canis, it is the motivation for him to withstand horrible torture. For Patrician Novius Senna, it stands for a release and freedom he yearns to feel again.

Set during the Roman Empire, this story makes a reader question what really did happen during Nero's reign. My memory of Roman history is sketchy. I do remember Nero portrayed as a tyrannical emperor. I don't recall any of his allies or enemies. Regardless of actual history, Ms. Henry's version is interesting.

The sexual slavery involving, rape, hot pokers, knifeplay, castration, sissification to name a few were delightfully sadistic. Despite all these sexual torments, I'm hesitant to classify as a BDSM story. It's not exactly a BDSM fantasy. I think the difference for me this time compared with Ms. Henry's previous stories is the sadism did not turn me on. It wasn't twisted into a guilty depraved pressure. Instead, it was just sadism with very little kinky pleasure.

The romance part of this story is less sweet and more tart. Tart because despite the opposition in social standing, Senna and Aenor are connected with one bond. They are both worthy. They are worthy of love, honour and the determination to make a differences. This is truly a terrible situation which presents no easy way out. Death is the only way. As always, our hero is an anti-hero who is conflicted with what he knows is right but can not follow his ethics.

This trope in this tale is similar to a queen bee gone wrong. Nero is the queen bee who is egged on to behave badly. It proves a Chinese moral lesson - only your true friends will tell you the truth. Your enemies will only tell you what you want to hear with much flattery. Ms. Henry does an excellent job demonstrating this lesson.

The writing is vivid in people, places and action. I can see each of these places in the story. I can see visualize both Aenor and Senna talking and doing something at the same time. I can't quite put my finger on it, but Ms. Henry's books always play like a movie in my mind. It's rich with descriptions and hits on my sense of smell too. She never exposes the reader to detailed graphic in the brutal beatings, interrogations or rape, yet she gives enough for the reader to clearly see every action. I highly recommend this book to history buffs who enjoy non-con m/m romance.

book received from www.netgalley.com(less)

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Apr 12, 2013 LiveYourLife BuyTheBook rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: riptide, tommi, a-good-read

4 Stars

Novius Senna, Nero’s trusted friend, is imparted with the duty of advising those who have fallen foul of the emperor’s favor that they must take their own lives. Aenor, an enslaved Bructeri trader, is used as a source of cruel and humiliating sexual enjoyment for Nero and his cohorts.

In a bid to find peace with himself and at the same time rid Rome of its’ tyrant Emperor, Senna devises a plot to assassinate Nero and sees a potential ally in the brutalised slave, Aenor. The depth of the sl...more 4 Stars

Novius Senna, Nero’s trusted friend, is imparted with the duty of advising those who have fallen foul of the emperor’s favor that they must take their own lives. Aenor, an enslaved Bructeri trader, is used as a source of cruel and humiliating sexual enjoyment for Nero and his cohorts.

In a bid to find peace with himself and at the same time rid Rome of its’ tyrant Emperor, Senna devises a plot to assassinate Nero and sees a potential ally in the brutalised slave, Aenor. The depth of the slaves’ passion for revenge may prove to be the key to bringing them both peace. A feat such as this would potentially result in death for both of them, but neither soldier nor slave have anything left to lose.

Whilst certainly twisted and graphic, the sadistic treatment of Aenor and the other slaves, which includes rapes and beatings, is well handled by Ms. Henry and did not turn my stomach as similar acts have in other reads.

The author does a convincing job with the romantic connection between Senna and Aenor. It is by no means sweet and flowery, yet I could not help but feel the strength and depth of trust and dependence which was quick to develop between the two men.

Having not previously read a book in this era, I was grateful for the rich writing style that had the location of first century Rome jumping off the page with a clarity that had me well emerged in the setting. There were some moments of confusion with the dialogue mainly due to the terminology used but I later realised that there is a glossary at the end – silly me!! (I probably would have preferred it at the start as I tend to flick over the contents page in an e-book and failed to realise it was there).

This is the story of two men who find each under very difficult circumstances in a cold and harsh world. Not for the fainthearted, but a short read which will appeal to those who are interested in a grittier read with a taste for life during the days of the powerful roman empire. I found this story very “worthy” and look forward to reading more from Lisa Henry.

See Tommi's full review here Live Your Life, Buy The Book (less)

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Nov 28, 2012 Vanessa theJeepDiva rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, historical, m-m, request, romance

He is Worthy, Lisa Henry’s novel in the Warriors of Rome series is gripping and edgy. Set in 68 A.D. Rome, the tale illustrates life under one of Rome’s most feared and disturbing men, Nero. Senna, Nero’s friend and henchman lives a dangerous life as the deliverer of Nero’s madness. Aenor is a newly captive Bructeri, enslaved by Nero for his demented pleasure.

Turmoil surrounds the time period as Nero grows more insane, brutalizing his friends and enemies alike. Torturing slaves; raping and pilla...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Sineala rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, fiction, gay, historical-fiction, queer, rome, romance

This is one of those books where the blurb sounded a lot better than the book. Roman noble Senna is tired of, essentially, being Nero's executioner, and is also tired of Nero. He buys a slave, Aenor, who ends up hating Nero possibly even more and together they come up with a pact to assassinate Nero. Also they fall in love.

I had thought there would be a lot of spying, political intrigue, and so on. What there is is a very non-con slave story of Senna and Aenor falling in love while Nero rapes Ae...more

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Nov 16, 2012 Jody rated it 4 of 5 stars

Since I became obsessed with the TV show Spartacus I've been on the lookout for books featuring gladiators/Roman life and immediately became drawn to He Is Worthy. There's a lot happening in the shortened length of this book and I became thoroughly immersed in this world and the outcome of its appealing characters.
Novius Senna has grown tired of doing dirty deeds at Nero's request and has luckily stumbled across the one man who can help him end Nero's nightmarish deeds. Aenor's life took a bruta...more Since I became obsessed with the TV show Spartacus I've been on the lookout for books featuring gladiators/Roman life and immediately became drawn to He Is Worthy. There's a lot happening in the shortened length of this book and I became thoroughly immersed in this world and the outcome of its appealing characters.
Novius Senna has grown tired of doing dirty deeds at Nero's request and has luckily stumbled across the one man who can help him end Nero's nightmarish deeds. Aenor's life took a brutal turn the day he went from trader to slave and after being brutalized by Romans for entertainment is hesitant to trust Senna and the feelings being generated. Aenor's desire for revenge and a gentle hand have him agreeing to a plan that will result in both of their deaths but will end Nero's tyranny.
Knowing their lives are quickly coming to an end has them clinging to each other quickly. Senna was gentle with Aenor during their sexual encounters and it was sad knowing that almost every previous encounter for him was abusive. Seeing this other side of Senna, being caring instead of killer, was appealing and showed why they needed to be together. Senna liked himself with Aenor as Aenor drew strength from Senna after being emotionally defeated for so long.
There were many names being bandied about which made it hard to keep track of who was who at times. Some of the political/war talk became a bit distracting at times as well but the images and language of that time felt very realistic. It was easy to picture what was happening and helped me immerse myself in the story. The conclusion of the story was a bit rushed and after the big build-up of the assassination plan there was a bit of a let down.

All in all though I found much to like about this emotionally engaging m/m read. The main characters were sympathetic and immensely likable along with the visually descriptive historical scenes which kept me turning the pages with great anticipation. Lisa Henry's writing is new to me and judging by my enjoyment of this story I look forward to reading more of her works.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 28, 2012 Cryselle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, riptide

I don’t often read slave-fic, the power imbalances bother me. I do however, read historicals, the more accurate the better. I took a chance on the slave aspect here in order to reach first century Rome through Lisa Henry’s words, and I am very glad I did.

The blurb hints that the need to assassinate Nero and get Rome out from under his pustulent thumb is foremost, and it is. Senna’s function is to tell prominent men that they no longer enjoy the favor of the emperor, a code universally understood...more I don’t often read slave-fic, the power imbalances bother me. I do however, read historicals, the more accurate the better. I took a chance on the slave aspect here in order to reach first century Rome through Lisa Henry’s words, and I am very glad I did.

The blurb hints that the need to assassinate Nero and get Rome out from under his pustulent thumb is foremost, and it is. Senna’s function is to tell prominent men that they no longer enjoy the favor of the emperor, a code universally understood to mean “Go kill yourself.” And they did. His last straw was delivering this message to a victorious general, and from then on Senna watched for the right assistant to engage in the suicide mission of taking Nero out. Aenor, the Bructeri slave and Nero’s plaything, still has enough spirit to act.

“Do you hate Nero?” Senna asks, and Aenor can tell him in broken Latin, “I hate him. Hate all of you.” With reason. The men are together for reasons other than love or attraction, yet something blossoms between them. Loyalty. Respect.

The atmosphere in this book is incredible. I was absolutely present in the slave markets and in Nero’s pleasure gardens, there with the characters, seeing what they saw, even smelling what they smelled. Small details made the setting come alive—it wasn’t just knowing there were hot and cold rooms in the Roman baths, but more feeling the heat of the water soothing bruised flesh.

This was Nero’s court, and all his excesses jump off the page too, making this book gritty and raw, and in places it may raise the reader’s gorge. None of the history comes in infodumps—it’s all worked in organically and naturally. I was going to say beautifully, but little of the subject matter is beautiful, though ugliness can be very well done. Nero's relationship with Christians assaults Senna's senses in the garden. Not every detail is horrific. “Bructeri, not German,” Aenor corrects Senna, showing his pride and placing his tribe on the map all at once.

The political tension is the greater part of the story, with furtive whispers about what prominent citizen would next declare for Galba, and everyone stepping softly lest the crazed emperor withdraw his friendship. That any kind of relationship can prosper between a man with no hope and no autonomy and a man who’s condemning himself and his accessories to a certain death must be a triumph of life.

Both Senna and Aenor are deftly drawn, well characterized in a small word count. We can feel Senna’s despair as the friend of his childhood becomes the monster that will bring down the Empire.

He wasn’t just planning treason, but the killing of a god, no matter how much Rome would benefit from it. If he needed redemption as a character, he achieved it by being willing to sacrifice all and die gruesomely. However, I didn’t see Senna as the villain, I saw him as the man who fell down the slippery slope. Nero didn’t start out awful.

Aenor has no love to turn to loathing—his tribe mocked the Romans until he learned of Roman rule the hard way. He’s systematically ground down, and the grinding is often sexual and ugly, difficult reading. If Nero hadn’t burned his city nor slain his generals, he’d still deserve his fate for what he did to his pleasure-slave.

This story succeeds beautifully as an historical piece, and that’s why I treasure it, but does it fare as well as a romance? To a degree yes, but when looked at in the cold light of analysis, it’s missing a fair chunk. And you know what? I don’t care. Normally an absent section of relationship development makes me froth at the mouth. Here absolutely everything works so well to make me relieved that everyone didn’t end up dead in the gutter after the political crisis that I wasn’t looking too closely at the transition. After finishing the book I sat transfixed, imagining for myself how the missing sections went, so perfectly immersed that I could continue spinning the story. But the details were not laid out. Connoisseurs of slave-fic might find this lacking. I find it to be more mainstream.

It’s been a long time since a book kept me reading late into the night. The hours of sleep were well spent. (less)

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Jan 22, 2013 Jax rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, all-the-feels, bamf-hero, kindle, queer-babies, tw-rape, s-m, bluebird, m-m

This review and others can be found on my blog, Bluebird Books.

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I first found He Is Worthy on NetGalley, back when I’d just joined the site and had no idea what the fuck I was doing. While I’m not sure if I found it in the Gay and Lesbian department or the historical fiction one, I do remember thinking that it sounded very interesting. I’m a total sucker for the ancient worlds, and a LGBTQ fiction set in Rome sounded pretty great. I didn’t get the advanced reader copy I put in for, and for a whi...more This review and others can be found on my blog, Bluebird Books.

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I first found He Is Worthy on NetGalley, back when I’d just joined the site and had no idea what the fuck I was doing. While I’m not sure if I found it in the Gay and Lesbian department or the historical fiction one, I do remember thinking that it sounded very interesting. I’m a total sucker for the ancient worlds, and a LGBTQ fiction set in Rome sounded pretty great. I didn’t get the advanced reader copy I put in for, and for a while, I forgot about it. Then it showed up on a recommendation list on Amazon. I recognized it immediately and got excited. It still sounded like something I wanted to read, so I bought it, downloaded it onto my Kindle, and got to work.

He Is Worthy wasn’t a book I could deal with in one sitting. It’s short enough that under normal circumstances I probably would knock it out in one read, but the material was … taxing. Not in a bad way, necessarily, but it’s not something I could handle all at once.

Aenor, one of the main characters and narrators, is a newly-enslaved Bructeri boy who is sold into Nero’s court as a sex slave. He is publicly humiliated and brutalized, and raped repeatedly. As I myself am a survivor of sexual abuse, characters who go through situations like Aenor’s strike a deep cord with me. It gets personal sometimes, triggering others, and frequently I need to take breaks to steel myself or calm down. I had to do this throughout the novella because Aenor and the honesty with which Henry writes about his abuse broke my heart.

Maybe I’m a masochist, but despite the fact that this novella turned me into a muttering pile of goop, there was so much I loved about it. Aenor’s situation made it hard to read, but I liked Aenor as a character, more than Novius Senna. He was incredibly brave and strong, and even in the face of torture, he never truly gave up. And Senna wasn’t bad either. I got bored in some of his narration, but he was admirable enough.

The biggest plus had to be the writing, though. Oh, God. Lisa Henry … girl can write. Since reading He Is Worthy, I’ve read two other books by her, and she has to be one of my favorite writers. She’s incredibly descriptive, and she has no problem with emotions, which are easily what brings her writing to life. Most of her writing is character-driven, whether purely through the characters or through the characters pushing the plot, such as in this novella’s case, and it’s just wonderful.

I also also pleasantly surprised at how historically accurate a lot of aspects of this novella were. This ties in with the writing, since it’s world-building and research, but Lisa Henry really brings ancient Rome to life and it’s probably one of the most accurate depictions of Rome I’ve seen in a long time. Even little details were there. Like a lot of people know about Nero on a general level, but not as many people know how into theater and stuff he was, and about Sporus and Sabina, and just how absolutely fucking crazy the guy was. There was also a lot of general stuff about ancient Rome that was put in there that didn’t necessarily have to be, but that made the setting a lot more genuine. I get boners for well-researched historical fiction and I had a boner almost the whole way through this one.

Speaking of boners, thank you, Lisa Henry, for making a strong distinction between the consensual and non-consensual sex in this book on a descriptive and emotional level. The rape is depicted as rape. It is not gratuitous and it is horrifying and it is difficult to read; Aenor’s terror and pain are there, and while that’s taxing on an emotional level, it needs to be there and I’m thankful that it is. Rape shouldn’t be depicted as erotic, and in this novella, I never got the feeling that it was. On the other hand, Aenor’s consensual sex with Senna is just as emotionally raw, but in a different way. It’s Aenor’s rediscovery of sex being something that doesn’t have to hurt, and that was emotionally impacting in a good way. It’s just handled completely differently and I appreciate the distinction. It means a lot to someone like me.

All and all, enjoyment of this novella probably rests on being able to stomach Aenor’s abuse and being interested in the ancient Roman world. I enjoyed it, I know people won’t, but it may convince me to read more out of the Warriors of Rome collection. We’ll see.(less)

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Mar 04, 2013 BarkLessWagMore rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, historical-fiction, disturbing

3 1/2

These Warriors of Rome books published by Riptide are not for the faint of heart. The first in the series is The Left Hand of Calvus and though it was brutal it wasn’t sexually explicit so I was a little taken by surprise at the sexual torment that takes place in this one. If you haven’t read the first book and are interested in this one, no worries, these two are only connected by the ancient Rome setting.

I need to say something before I begin here because I know this sort of thing is a t...more 3 1/2

These Warriors of Rome books published by Riptide are not for the faint of heart. The first in the series is The Left Hand of Calvus and though it was brutal it wasn’t sexually explicit so I was a little taken by surprise at the sexual torment that takes place in this one. If you haven’t read the first book and are interested in this one, no worries, these two are only connected by the ancient Rome setting.

I need to say something before I begin here because I know this sort of thing is a trigger for some readers and many prefer to avoid it. He Is Worthy contains descriptive scenes of sexual torture and the multiple rape and humiliation of an innocent young man. There are several scenes that will make you shudder with revulsion. It’s not an easy read and there really aren’t any moments of levity to make it any less grueling.

He Is Worthy is set in ancient Rome where an emperor named Nero , insane with power, terrorizes his people for pleasure. Oblivious to the pain and terror of the innocents he harms, his reign of terror gets more brutal with each passing day. Senna grew up with Nero and is in a very precarious position. He realizes his childhood friend has gone off the deep end and he is increasingly disturbed by Nero’s actions but standing up to him means instant death. And he should know. It is Senna’s job to visit those the emperor believes have betrayed him. When Senna utters the words "you no longer have the friendship of the Emperor" they fall upon their own sword. Senna is the messenger of death and feared by most men in Rome. He once believed in the cause but he’s seen innocent men die and has realized Nero is mad But Senna can no longer sit back and do nothing and comes up with a plan to murder his old friend but he needs to find a slave willing to help him.

Aenor is a young man accused of a murder he did not commit and turned into a “pleasure slave” for the emperor. Aenor has been used and abused but has not lost his fighting spirit. When Senna sees him for the first time naked, bound and beaten but not defeated he is attracted both to his strength and his beauty and sets his sights on using him to bring his plan to fruition. Senna’s feelings when seeing him bound are mixed and slightly disturbing to me as a reader. “Senna shifted, adjusting the fall of his toga to cover an erection that sickened him.”

Senna is not perfect and is obviously tarnished by the brutalities he’s witnessed but he is kind to Aenor, even if his motives may not be pure. Aenor responds to the kindness despite his battered state. Hate for the emperor binds them as they work together to bring him down. Amidst all of the horror, they find some moments of solace. This isn’t a sweet and fluffy love story. The relationship between Senna and Aenor is built on lust, gratitude and desperation but I understood it and enjoyed watching them grow to trust one another.

But don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a really any kind of romance. I’d classify it as dark historical fiction with some decently drawn main characters. There was a lot of setup, a lot of character introductions and a lot of history that was tossed around early on. I’m not a history buff and admit to being a wee bit confused and rereading the first few chapters to get mostly everything straight. But once things got going it was easy enough to fall into the story. It’s fast paced and filled with pain and in the end Senna turns out to be a loyal man trying to do the right thing in a horrible situation. Senna and Aenor find some peace amidst all the debauchery and loss and it’s a beautiful thing but if you’re looking for a heart stopping, forever kind of romance, well, you might want to look somewhere else.(less)

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Nov 16, 2012 Heather♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Such a sadistic and brutal time for poor Aenor and Senna under the reign of Nero and his henchman Tigellinus. Crazy bastards indeed. The abuse Aenor endured made me cringe (in fact I kind of wanted to fall on my own sword), so that made Aenor's strength and loyalty to Senna even more admirable to me. But even though they eventually found a way out of their hopeless situation, I would have liked to have heard more about their new life together afterward so I could get more of a feel for them as a...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Kazza rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: pre-ordered

I did not identify with the two main characters. They were two dimensional - I kept forgetting the name of one of the MC's, even as I read, and I did not like the other, at all. The book is well edited and the history well researched, but that is where the positive ended for me.

To see my review of He Is Worthy it can be found in depth at On Top Down Under Book Reviews
**Please be warned it contains spoilers**
http://bookreviewsandtherapy.blogspot...

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Jan 14, 2013 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm really enjoying the Warriors of Rome set. This one works very well; the setting and history have been so well done I didn't feel any disbelief as I read it.
There's a gripping plot and two very believable, very male main characters. Yum!
If you like authentic historical novels, especially ancient history, you'll love this one. :)

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Nov 10, 2012 Pat rated it 4 of 5 stars

I don't really remember Roman history well enough to know the accuracy of this book but realistic or not, it is the same well written and taut plot that was displayed in each of the prior Lisa Henry books. Although the book is often gritty and can be painful to read, I highly recommend reading this novella.

1 like · like · see review

Feb 05, 2013 Nichole (Dirty H) marked it as abandoned

Turns out this book really isn't for me. I don't really like historical fiction, and I guess I went into this thinking it was going to be more like Henry's book Tribute but it's not really that kind of book - although there is some on-page stuff that might make the more squeamish of you a little uncomfortable. But that's not really what this book is about, it's really just historical fiction which is not my thing usually. I've had an impossible time getting interested in it. When I realized I ha...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Amber rated it 4 of 5 stars

I adore Lisa Henry's voice. Her writing is always quite strong, though maybe less so here. The worldbuilding is fantastic, though due to the length, the romance takes a backseat. I found both characters interesting but didn't necessarily believe they belonged together beyond the sex. This was more like erotic historical fiction.

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Nov 12, 2012 Josie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. It was gritty and dark but I read hope in all the pages, I was glued to it and couldn't put it down. My first Lisa Henry book but it won't be my last.

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Jan 07, 2013 Rosemary O'Malley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: captivity-forced-slavery, hardcore, historical, m-m

Thanks to the fabulous Pjm12, I realized I'd not put in my review for this one!

This is a historical piece set in the heyday of Nero's rule of the Roman Empire. That means one should expect sex, violence, madness and betrayal. He Is Worthy delivers these with relish. What I didn't expect was the gripping and emotional story threaded throughout. The hook at the start is perfect, the follow through exquisitely painful. You feel for these two, the slave and the free man, trying to end the senseless...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Jessie B. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, historical, m-m, guilty-pleasures, historical-ancient-rome

This book wasn't what I was expecting but I really enjoyed it because I found the characters really pulled me into the story.

1 like · like · see review

Nov 10, 2012 Leanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: autobuy-author, historical, made-me-cry, mm, non-con, rape, slave, trauma-abuse, violence, short

I’ve spent an afternoon completely swept up in Lisa Henry’s vivid imagery -the sights and smells of Rome so real… and desperate for the two MC’s to find a way out of that oppressive city. The feeling of claustrophobia and impending doom is relentless. I recently heard a quote by Hitchcock that hits the nail on the head..…”There is no terror in the explosion, only the anticipation of it.”
Part of me wishes it were longer with more of the romance between Senna and Aenor but this is not that kind o...more

8 likes · like · see review

Mar 01, 2013 Jess rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, read-in-2013, reviewed

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 05, 2012 Jeydaa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I would have like the ending to be more detailed.

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Sep 05, 2012 Aleksandr Voinov added it

Shelves: edited-beta-ed-feedbacked

Aaaah, Ancient Rome, Nero the "artist".

1 like · like · see review

Nov 18, 2012 Heidi Belleau added it

I thoroughly enjoyed what there was of this book, but I can't help but wish there was more. I'm not one of those people who complains about short stories automatically, but with this it felt like several scenes were glossed over rather than rung out for the story's full potential. The suspense in the scenes left to breathe was absolutely wonderful and gripping and I wanted more of that.

But for what it is, it's a great story, violent and unflinching and well-characterized. Fans of Lisa Henry wil...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotica-explicit, mm, romances

I was worried when I read in a review that the non-con was on page, not off, but they are brief and not overly described. The story is very biter-sweet, but richly portrayed.

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Feb 12, 2013 BTina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to BTina by: Jen4607

Shelves: historical, historical-ancient, m-m-romance, chall-mm-gb-2013-q1, zzz-chall-mm-month-201302, dubcon, length-2-short-10k-49k, read-2013, rough, violence-torture

Good, not nice.

"Tigellinus’s ancestors were turnip farmers and goat fuckers. Senna had seen that scrawled on a wall in the Forum once. It had been gone by morning, and rightly so. It was an insult to every turnip farmer and goat fucker who had ever lived."

(view spoiler)

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Nov 10, 2012 Simsala*is getting slow* rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, historical

Short, boring slave fic.
As historical fiction it was a total failure. Using Roman names didn`t make a vivid historical setting.
Made me itch to re-read Colleen McCullough...

6 likes · like · see review

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About Lisa Henry

I like to tell stories. Mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters. They gotta work for it though. No free lunches on my watch.

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He Is Worthy (Warriors of Rome #2)

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