The Centurion's Empire

by Sean McMullen

Cursed with an ability to time travel that is stolen by a renegade priest in 1358, Vitellan the Centurion wakes up in the twenty-first century prepared to battle the hatred that has followed him across the ages. 10,000 first printing.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Time Travel, Ebooks, Alternate History

383 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Dr. Sean McMullen, author of the acclaimed cyberpunk/steampunk Greatwinter Trilogy, is one of Australia's top Science Fiction and Fantasy authors.

Winning over a dozen awards (including multiple Analog Readers Awarda and a Hugo Award finalist), his work is a mixture of romance, invention and adventure, populated by strange and dynamic characters. The settings for Sean's work range from the Roman Empire, through Medieval Europe, to cities of the distant future. He is a musician, medievalist, star gazer, karate instructor, felineophile, and IT manager.

Reviews

[Abulafia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun idea (What if ancient Rome's best and brightest, and most cold-resistant, maintained their Empire via cryonics?) marred by its execution. First half (Roman and medieval times) is largely prelude and wordy back story. Second half, in the (now-not-too-distant) future, is strongly reminiscent of "Snow Crash," although Stephenson does it better. The Centurion himself is stoic, honorable, wooden, adaptable, dull. His Roman/medieval supporting cast are forgettable, with the exception of an Ice Keeper or two. The 21st century women are Lara Croft-esque ciphers. Dialogue can be clunky ("Such cruelty, such evil...it hangs over this place like a cloud, chilling me though the sun shines brightly"). Narrative likewise is at times hokey ("...he took five days to reach the fort. Had he hastened and made it in three, the course of history would have been changed" and "...she had also been working for herself, and to an agenda that nobody could have suspected.") Diverse plots and betrayals in support of a single, prosaic goal are by turns confusing, improbable, and then facile (David Mamet meets Dan Brown at Ellis Peters' place; later, William Gibson stops by). The value is in its assertion that time travelers from the past could have as much (or more?) to teach their descendants (emphasis on manners, good governance, military strategy, and courtly love) as those from the future would their ancestors. This is a theme for which I have much sympathy (as do many others, if "Downton Abbey" is anything to go by). Also touches on cryoethics and questions of autonomy and personality. Put it down with a renewed interest in Latin and a thought of sampling the author's Greatwinter trilogy, which appears to have received better notices.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

McMullen is quite the imaginative writer! Here he presents a twist on time travel. The "time machine" is essentially an ice vault. Those who use it drink a sort of antifreeze, which is, of course, poisonous. The process of bringing them around is complex. These are the gods. Vitellan, a young Roman centurion, just missed being killed when Mount Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii--he was out of town, so to speak. Through a series of events and some adventure, young Vitellan becomes one of the frozen. He is occasionally awoken, albeit without the benefit of the full process. He has some serious stomach problems. And some wild adventures. During one awakening he is somewhat horrified to find himself having to deal with barbarians (the Brits), trying to bring some civilization to them (from his time in Imperial Rome) while keeping them alive, essentially by teaching them how to fight, based on his ancient experience. His latest awakening is in the 21st century; he's been frozen for something like 700 years. Imagine being a young man whose father saw Christ in the flesh and finding yourself in a most technologically advanced place (here, McMullen was rather optomistic)--though it is no more civilized than was Rome. More adventure--big time--as Vitellan makes his way through the U.S., keeping ahead of "the bad guys," even though he can't be sure who is actually out to get him. One delightful scene has his learning to ride what is effectively a 21st century motorcycle.

The characters, particularly Vitellan, are fleshed out quite nicely. McMullen keeps a reader guessing as to who is on which side of hard to pinpoint and define conflicts. He also raises issue of morals (and, without this language, their social construction), loyalty, love and more.

This is a fun read! Enjoy!

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual book. The books are much better than the execution with multiple time settings and characters. The biggest problem bar the section set in the future not enough time is spent in any time period. The main character is interesting but somewhat a cipher. The ending is also somewhat a disappointment but it feels left open and I would be curious to see what happens next.

[Jacquie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never read any of McMullen's books before, but picked this up at my library's book sale and knew I had to have it as soon as I read the description. It's a pretty unique storyline about a group of ancient Romans called the Temporians who were basically human time machines. They discovered how to freeze themselves in ice chambers with a combination of natural resilience and a special mixture of cryoproteins isolated from glacial-dwelling insects.The Centurion is the last of the Temporians and he carries on their tradition of freezing himself during times of peace and then having his Ice Keepers thaw him when the world needs him most. The first two thirds of the book were fantastic, but the transition into the modern age toward the end of the story when he is unfrozen for the last time was pretty sloppy and didn't mesh with the rest of the story at all.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started this book in high school and remembered it being much more exciting than it was. I must not have finished it then, because I didn't remember anything about the ending when I read it this time around. As a concept, the book is absolutely fantastic - I love the idea of seeing a citizen of the Roman empire suddenly thrust into the 21st century - but the execution for this novel was difficult for me to read. The pacing made the exciting portions unexpected and confusing, and I had trouble figuring out the reasons for everyone's double- and triple-motives with regards to the centurion. By the time I finally made it to the end, I began expecting chaos to ensue not because it made sense for the plot, but because it had been nothing but unexplained chaos up until that point.

[steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not entirely sure the first half of the book is necessary; it's more like an extremely long prologue, setting up the background so that the action can continue without breaking stride with exposition.

That said, it is well thought out and entertaining, but on a second reading I'd skip the first hundred pages or so -- I doubt my experience will be negatively hindered, except in fully understanding the psychopathic nature of the Icekeepers.

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This won an Aurealis Award back in 1999. But I don't know why. Roman centurion finds a means to move through time a la Buck Rogers. Finds himself in 21st C and gets involved in cyberpunk activities. No real resolution. Side characters and plots that go nowhere and a fair few unexplained events. Started ok but downhill slide all the way. Rated M for violence and infrequent coarse language. 2.5/5

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very tedious to begin within, but it gets better and with a better pace toward the end. I'm still left with the feeling I've read the outline of a novel, rather than a completed work. There are so many gaps with no background to help you get any depth from the story. Which is a shame really, because it had some pretty good bits.

[Globalt38 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book awhile ago - but remember being impressed! An interesting story that takes you through history from the Roman Empire to the future - a kind of combination historical fiction/time travel/sci-fi with a little Da Vinci code style world order conspiracy theory mixed in.

[bluetyson]

isbn,original

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book about a journey through time and a not-so-impossible, in the the near future, way of becoming immortal.

[Henning · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book - didn't even finish it.

[Ketan Shah]

Seems strangely rushed.And overly complicated. Some nice ideas but still a lot to plough through.

[Bethanne Bruninga-Socolar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terribly written. Plot didn't hang together, characters were poorly developed. Not enjoyable at all.