Assaph Mehr's Blog, page 52

Tom Islip (of Shadows of the Lost Child by Ellie Stevenson)

Dear readers, tonight with me is a boy from Victorian Curdizan, a fictional version of York, England.

He’s here to tell us about his life, and how it changed when he met Alice. Alice, you see, is from our own time – though she can visit the past, and interact with Tom and his mates.

Read on to find out about Tom’s life and time-crossing adventures.

Tell us a little about where you live. What’s it like?

Curdizan Low? Well, I like it, but I doubt you would. If I say, back st...

Book Rreview: Philip Matyszak’s Gladiator: The Unofficial Manual

Following Matyszak’s 24 Hours in Ancient Rome (because, y’know, he has a great style balancing  information and readability), I sought out his other books. Gladiator touches on a subject core to the third Felix Novel – In Victrix – so I started with it.

What to Expect

A witty, lighthearted non-fiction description of the lives of gladiators in the height of the Roman empire, around the time of Commodus. Matyszak explores various aspects of Gladiatorial life, from histo...

Aemilia (of In Numina, by Assaph Mehr)

Dear readers, with the forthcoming release of In Numina, the second novel by our fearless leaders, we are proud to present an interview with one of the novels’ most charming characters.

This young lady is here to tell us about life in Egretia, that wonderful fantasy city based on Ancient Rome and Alexandria, from a point of view other the Felix’s. The interview is set at a time between the books, and reveals things that might surprise you.

(ote that this interview first appeared...

Playing Publisher

As most of you know, I have my own publishing house – Purple Toga Publications. While it isn’t quite ready open its doors for general submissions, there are opportunities that one just cannot pass by.

These past few weeks I have had the pleasure of playing publisher for another author. As with everything to do with Purple Toga, I have taken this very seriously and put forward my best professional talents. The new author deserves no less – irrespective of the fact that he...

Julius Brutus Caesar (of The Steam Empire Chronicles, by Daniel Ottalini)

Dear readers, 1800 years after Julius Caesar survived the assassination attempt, the Roman empire sits at the forefront of technological and industrial innovations.

We have made our way to the edge of a forest, where the men of the XIII Germania legion prepare for battle. We are going to interview one of the young officers of the legion, on the cracking facade, espionage, corruption, and revolution that are pulling the empire apart.

Can I help you? You must be one of our new recruits.

You’r...

Roma – Underwater!

Some exciting reviews of underwater Roman ruins.

First, a discovery almost 50 acres of ruins off the coast of Tunisia. The North African city of Neapolis is believed to have been submerged after a tsunami in the 4th century AD destroyed most of it, as recorded by Roman soldier and historian  Ammianus Marcellinus. The natural disaster also badly damaged Alexandria in modern Egypt and the Greek island of Crete. This discovery seems to confirm this.

This is a two minute long segment, and below...

George Washington (of A Time of Need, by Brent A. Harris)

Dear readers, tonight with me is a fighting for king and country.

In an alternative time-line to ours, Colonel George Washington fights on the side of the Crown, against upstarts such as Benedict Arnold, who seek to seize power and lead the colonies on a rebellious path.

The interview is conducted by a reporter native to his own time-line, and reprinted here. Read on to hear about the struggles of war, about torn loyalties, and painful decisions.

James Rivington reporting with the Royal Gaz...

Fantasy Fiends – Dragons, Flying Phalluses, and Exploding Eyeballs!

I was honoured to be invited to the Fantasy Fiends Podcast for their 31st episode on the subject of ‘No Shortcuts!’.

(The dancing gladiators have no bearing on the podcast – except that they accurately describe the spirit of the event).

The podcast is hosted by Andy Peloquin And Stevie Collier, two talented fantasy authors. Every week they host another author, have a theme going, and usually a word-of-the-week. For that last bit Andy came up with amorphous, but I offered fas...

Victoria of Ourtown, aka Vic the Blade (of A Wizard’s Forge, by A.M. Justice)

Dear readers, tonight we are republishing an article from the premiere newspaper in Latha, on the fantasy planet Knownearth.

After Vic, a former scholar turned soldier, nearly killed her erstwhile captor, the newspaper issued a scathing article condemning her actions.

The newspaper has followed this up with an interview with Vic, to hear her side of the story. We publish this second interview in full. Read on to learn of Vic’s adventures, and what drove her from being a shy scholar to become...

Book Series Review: Medicus Roman Mysteries, by Ruth S. Downie

I strikes me that while I have mentioned Ruth Downie‘s writing before, have interviewed her protagonist Gaius Petreius Ruso, and have even used him for a guest appearance – with permission! – in In Numina, I have never actually wrote a full review of her books.

I’ve read the first two books a couple of years ago, and have been reading the rest of the series this year. Below are my thoughts on the whole series, as I’ve just finished the last published volume, Vit...