The Wolves of the North

Warrior of Rome #5

by Harry Sidebottom

In AD 263, the Roman Empire faces violent uprisings that threaten to shatter the fragile balance of power. In the north,the tribes are increasingly bold in their raids on the Imperium. Ballista must undertake his most treacherous journey yet, facing the Herulithe Eaters of Flesh,the Wolves of the North the most brutal tribe of all, and try to turn them against one another. As Ballista and his retinue make their journey, someone or something is hunting them, picking them off one by one, leaving a trail of mutilated corpses and terror. Ballista is in a strange land among strange people, but is it possible that the greatest threat may come from within his own circle?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, War, Roman, Audiobook, Fantasy

484 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 5, 2012

About the author

Harry Sidebottom is Lecturer in Ancient History at Merton College, Oxford, and part-time lecturer in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Warwick. He has written for and contributed to many publications, including Classical Review, Journal of Roman Studies, and War and Society in the Roman World.

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Should Read as 4.5 Stars!**

Read this book in 2012, and its the 5th volume of the wonderful "Warrior of Rome" series.

As ever the historical details concerning this story are superbly researched and implemented within this Roman adventure of survival and death in the far North.

The year is AD 263, and Ballista is sent into the North to deal with the insurrections there that are disrupting the Imperium.

This time Ballista must face a northern tribe called the Heruli, the eaters of Flesh, the Wolves of the North, and while making this journey one by one of his retinue will disappear and get horribly killed.

Ballista must find out if this threat is coming from the tribes of is one of his own men the perpetrator that kills the men forming this retinue.

What is to follow is a very entertaining Roman adventure, in which Ballista will excel in dealing with the Heruli and other hostile tribes, but also from the deadly threat from within, and all this is brought to us by the author in his own remarkable and captivating fashion.

Highly recommended, for this is another great addition to this amazing series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "An Excellent Wolves Of The North"!

[happy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This entry in Prof Sidebottom’s Warrior of Rome series takes us into the Steppes of what is now Southern Russia/Ukraine. Ballista is leading an embassy to the barbarian Heruli to try and get them to stop raiding Roman territory and raid another barbarian tribe – basically buy them off (ala Byzantium)

As with his other books in this series, Prof Sidebottom writes exciting and engaging battle sequences. In this novel there are both small and large scale battles. There is a battle between the Heruli and the Alani involving thousands of warriors on both sides reminds me of the battle sequences written about the Mongols. It is a vivid description of the tactics of the horse archers of the Steppes. He also has some small scale battles between the embassy and raiding Alani, reminding me of pioneers and Indians of the American west where the pioneers form a lager with their wagons to defend themselves against the hostile natives. In the author’s note he says he got the inspiration for this scene from a battle between the Zulus and the Boers during the Boer’s Great Trek.

In addition to the battles, the author explores the culture and politics of the horse nomads of the steppes. Prof Sidebottom admits in his authors note, that not much is known about the Heruli. He uses this to explore the cultural practices of the Steppe nomads. He makes his Heruli almost Hun like.

His descriptions of traveling on the Steppes with the vast horizons and storms really brought the vast distances to life for me.

In addition to the main plot, there is also a subplot that someone is killing members of the embassy and mutilating their bodies. Warning - The descriptions of the mutilations is somewhat graphic. So not only are we getting a solid historical fictions novel, but a historical mystery as well. For me the mystery got in the way of the main story and wasn’t resolved particularly well.

All in all a good read and as with all of Prof Sidebottom’s novels a chance to learn about 3rd Century Rome. I can give this novel a solid 4 stars

[Adrienne]

Did not finish

[Centurion Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book five in the warrior Of Rome series by Harry sidebottom.

We find our hero ballista and his entourage traveling through the rough and dangerous lands of the steppe.

With enemy's at every turn ballista has been ordered by the emperor to seek peace/alliances with the nomad tribes.

With enemy's made in his journey so far baying for his blood and an assassin ballista has embarked on his hardest challenge yet.

Filled with the usual great story telling and action which I have loved from the previous books, Harry delivers yet again another outstanding novel which I can't get enough of.

[Aston Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoying it, just as good as the first four books.


P.s more please

.The Wolves of the North

[Speesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange one. Not entirely an unpleasant experience, but nothing more than that. Though, as I remember the first three in the Warrior of Rome series as being pretty good, it is a bit of a let down.

The cover claims it ‘“Blazes with searing scholarship” (The Times). Well hardly. There’s scholarship, yes - and god knows there’s plenty of it. But nothing approaching a blaze. A warm glow, maybe.

We’re I to be churlish, I might describe it as ‘boring.' It’s not that I want non-stop action, in my Hist Fic, but some would be interesting. Something happening would be nice. Ballista, the hero of the Warrior of Rome books, has been sent on a trip by some Roman Emperor or other, to somewhere or other far away. He has a whole load of people with him, from soldiers, to old friends, to young boys and homosexuals (though that could cover any of them back then it seems) to eunuchs and courtiers. Think that got them all. They’re off over the Steppes in what is now Russia, going north, I think. Quite why, I never really did figure out. Maybe to negotiate with someone or other out there, to do Emperor-type business anyway. Ballista is travelling in the direction of ‘home.’ His home, where he is originally from in the north. The others, the more urbane of his party, are clearly out of their depth. They’re a long way away from where they’re from and where they’d prefer to be.

What we get here is pretty much a ‘what we did on our holidays crossing the Steppe and the people we pre-judged on the way.’ A character in the book describes the party as; “This strange caravan plodding across the Steppe.” Plodding is right. Me, I’d describe it (so far) as just a long-winded trip through Harry’s research on the tales and legends of Ancient Greek philosophers, storytellers, his library shelves. Northern World section. It sure is clear Dr. Harry Sidebottom has, in the break between (the last one) and ‘Wolves’, been reading his book(s) of Ancient Greek Legends. And he really, really wants us to know what he’s found out. So, far from being in the slightest concerned about a possible ancient serial killer in their midst, his characters spend the long evenings around the campfire on the desolate Steppe, swapping lines from Greek, Roman poetry and philosophy and phrenology and mathematics (possibly). As you would. All riveting stuff - if you’re one of Harry Sidebottom’s history professor colleagues. It has to be said, it isn't easy to keep track of who's who with the tribes mentioned. Which tribe’s side we’re on, who we’re looking out for, who we’re passing through the territory of and who were here over the last three hundred years. That sort of thing. There are so many mentioned that after the first three or four and I’ve not heard anything that is sticking, my brain just hears ‘blah, blah, blah, please stop and get on with the story, will you?’ You see, when he talks about all the other tribes, sometimes, as when they’re gathering for battle, it’s pretty much pointless. The names mean absolutely nothing to us. Us who aren’t ancient history professors. He might as well have made the names up. He did, for all I know. There are no names that even sound familiar to act as a point of reference, as it were. So why do it, if not for the reader's enjoyment? Because I sure as fuck ain't gonna call him out if he mentions a tribe that I know either didn't exist in that area, or did, but not at that time. Because I don't know. And I'm not likely to remember, should I read in another book that a tribe lived there at that time, that contradicts what he says. And who is to say it's not HS who is right, the other book, wrong. I don't know. And I don't really care. As long as I get to know 'all the tribes of the Steppe pledged allegiance,' I'm happy enough. I'm really not that bothered to have them named, as I don't know if they're right or not. Who does? Other professors? And one often gets the feeling that this (and previous volumes) were actually written for them. Other professors.

Yeah, there was something about a killer stalking them, but we don’t come across the ‘why’ in the bits of the book it’s ok to describe to you here. It could have been a decent idea. It could have built up to be a ‘Deliverance,’ or ‘Southern Comfort’ or even ‘Predator,’ set 2000 years earlier - an unseen stalker picks off the party one by one. Could have had have them worrying about the who and the why and the when. The story turning tense and them turning on each other trying to find out who it was. But no. It has no meaning to us the reader either, as the characters killed either have no influence on the story development, or are plainly the uninteresting ones, so - meh! They get on with their meandering over the Steppe, their discussions of the local tribes’ customs and the killer in their midst is forgotten, until the end. Which is ok, the killer coming back into the story towards the end, but not ok, when he and the theme has disappeared, had no influence whatsoever on the story in betwween.

To be brutally fair, actually, once the caravan gets ambushed - as you know it must - the story warms up and begins to take on a new identity. From about the two thirds mark and to the end, it is actually quite good. Actually, in a similar way to the last one as I remember, I warmed to this one. Too late really, but I did warm. But then…The end. And that’s pretty much how it does end. Just stops. Of course you know it must end soon, as there are only a few pages left, but so suddenly and not even with a ’to be continued.’ I had to go back and see if I hadn’t missed something. I hadn’t.

Sidebottom has quite a sparse style, his writing. Often just enough to convey what he wants. You can tell he’s an academic though, not a natural novel writer. So, if you’re looking for an all-out, blood soaked, sword and sandals riot, like Anthony Riches’ Empire series, then this isn’t it. Though there are a couple of occasions where the body count rises and characters are killed off by more violent means than boredom - and, remember, something of a rarity for a Roman book; not a single, or double, eyebrow raised through the whole of the book. See Anthony R.: it can be done!

[Ron Nurmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sent on a mission (or to keep him out of the way) to gain support from the Heruli for Rome. Lots of action.

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story took a couple of chapters to get into it but soon couldn't put it down, will have to look out for others.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Book Five of Dr. Harry Sidebottom's best-selling series, we find my favorite "Warrior of Rome", Marcus Claudius Ballista venturing even further north into the Asian steppe on a mission to deflect a potential alliance between the various tribes living there and the Persian Empire. Ballista is stIll on tenuous terms with the Roman emperor Gallienus since Ballista was briefly forced to don the purple after the events in book 3, "Lion of the Sun". But, his old friend has continued to avoid ordering Ballista's execution despite pressure from advisors in the emperor's concilium. But, Ballista has other problems plaguing his faithful little band. Even he is concerned about the curse called down upon him by one of the barbarian priestesses he refused to "marry" in Book 4, "The Caspian Gates" and now members of his column are being found murdered and horribly mutilated.

I read that Dr. Sidebottom had become interested in branching out to murder mysteries and it is reflected by this subplot.

Ballista's mission to attempt to negotiate a peace treaty with the fierce Heruli, notoriously known as eaters of flesh, is viewed as nearly impossible and the murders up the ante considerably. So the tension in this novel is pretty much non-stop.

Dr. Sidebottom immerses both Ballista and his readers in the culture of the Heruli as described by 6th century historian, Procopius. In his author's notes he admits that Procopius was hardly objective about these Germanic peoples but Dr. Sidebottom had few other sources to rely on. He then assumed the Heruli also assimilated cultural practices from other tribes with which they came into contact - cannabis use from the Scythians, wife sharing from the Agathyrsi (both attested to by Herodotus) and scapulimancy (divination by the study of a mammal's scapula - shoulder blade - that has been heated in a fire) and cranial deformation practiced by the Huns.

When Dr. Sidebottom first described the Heruli' s cranial deformation I was surprised as I had not studied the Huns in depth so associated cranial deformation with New World cultures like the Maya, especially since I have photographed a number of Pre- Colombian artifacts depicting individuals with apparently deformed skulls. But when I researched this practice further, I learned that archaeologists have found a Neanderthal skull with evidence of intentional deformation dating back 45,000 years.

The earliest written record of cranial deformation dates to 400 BC in Hippocrates' description of the Macrocephali or Long-heads, who were named for their practice of cranial modification.

In the Old World, Huns and Alans are also known to have practised similar cranial deformation. In Late Antiquity (AD 300-600), the East Germanic tribes who were ruled by the Huns, adopted this custom (Gepids, Ostrogoths, Heruli, Rugii and Burgundians). In western Germanic tribes, artificial skull deformations have rarely been found. In the Americas the Maya, Inca, and certain tribes of North American natives performed the custom. In North America the practice was especially known among the Chinookan tribes of the Northwest and the Choctaw of the Southeast. The Native American group known as the Flathead did not in fact practise head flattening, but were named as such in contrast to other Salishan people who used skull modification to make the head appear rounder. However, other tribes, including the Choctaw,Chehalis, and Nooksack Indians, did practise head flattening by strapping the infant's head to acradleboard. The Lucayan people of the Bahamas practised it. The practice was also known among the Australian Aborigines. -Wikipedia

Apparently. Germanic deformation has been confirmed archaeologically by remains found in a burial discovered in Austria. Anyway, I thought this vibrant culture provided a fascinating context for the novel's events.

Another fascinating aspect of the book is one of the characters practices physiognomy. Physiognomy is the assessment of a person's character based upon his physical attributes, particularly the structure of their face. It is thought to have been formalized by Greek philosophers of the 5th century BCE Athens. It gained widespread acceptance among philosophers of the 4th century BCE and was even embraced to some degree by Aristotle.

It is possible to infer character from features, if it is granted that the body and the soul are changed together by the natural affections: I say "natural", for though perhaps by learning music a man has made some change in his soul, this is not one of those affections natural to us; rather I refer to passions and desires when I speak of natural emotions. If then this were granted and also that for each change there is a corresponding sign, and we could state the affection and sign proper to each kind of animal, we shall be able to infer character from features. — Aristotle, Prior Analytics 2.27 (Trans. A. J. Jenkinson)

So it was interesting to read what the book's practitioner inferred from the physical appearance of those around him.

As for Ballista himself we are now in fictional territory since he disappeared from the historical record after the battles with the Persians and Roman usurpers portrayed in "Lion of the Sun". Although he is struggling a bit with getting older, he is still the courageous warrior I first admired in "Fire In The East". I fear my time with him is drawing to a close, though, as death seems to be circling his familia. I've alway had a hard time saying "goodbye" and it will be especially hard this time after journeying with Ballista through so many adventures. I guess I'll find out if he finally meets his end as I've already purchased Book Six, "The Amber Road."

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 2012, 'The Wolves of the North' is the 5th in the 'Warrior of Rome' series about the Roman General Ballista during the decline of the Roman Empire. This episode sees Ballista sent on a seemingly futile mission to the Steppes to defuse attempts my several clans to combine in a potential alliance against Rome. As well as some extremely dark period details the plot takes a turn away from that of previous books in the series leaving one guessing just how the endgame is going to play out in subsequent volumes. Great fun.

[Sasa Borjanovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ultimate test for Ballista and his familia at the endless steppe. Clash with the Alani tribe, semi allegiance with Heruli, possible treason from within. All adventures of familia in this epic adventure are haunted by mysterious killings. These book series are causing addiction :)

[Mark Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book but it was a little so what.... I guess it finished the way it did to encourage reading the rest of the series. Seemed authentic and gory. It does cover a part of roman history not usually covered though.

[David Campton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike the earlier books in the series this one consists of a single, unbroken storyline which has within it not only the customary military historical fiction that many of us come to this genre for, but also a bit of a whodunnit, akin to the Shardlake stories of Sansom. As such it is, for me, the richest of this series. The story has a slow build up, echoing the slow passage across the steppe, but it picks up towards the end like the charging nomads who people this particular tale. The fact that, again, it is about a people and period I knew next to nothing about, making me realise for the first, the connectedness of seemingly diverse and dispersed people groups was a bonus, sending me down a fascinating research rabbit whole. And without giving a spoiler, the story isn't over yet, so I look forward to joining the protagonists on the Amber Road.

[Robin Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review:
As with all of Harry's books I expect that some will call the book slow, over detailed etc. But that's just not the case.

Harry's books and this one in particular are wonderfully written, he has an eloquent way of weaving the descriptive with the action. Like the history teacher everyone wants, you learn while you are entertained.

There are I'm sure a couple of readers out there who will once again claim to know more than the author about history but because there are always times that a fictional author must bend the facts and timeframe to fit the plot and its pace they need to get over that. Any changes are well explained as usual and all done with the very best of intentions to keep the latest story on plot and pace.

As usual our hero Ballista isn't just a 2D character, I always found him to be well rounded and by book five he is a living breathing hero, the good the bad, the imperfect, the stress and strain of position and command, all witten to give you fully rounded REAL person, with a supporting cast just as well written. I personally found even more realism with book five because of the chaotic swirl of the barbarian world clashing with the civilised order that was Rome.
Add a large dose of intrigue that usually accompanies the corrupt world of Rome and all its dealings, both from a family level through to movers and shakers in power. Ballista a Roman by accident / circumstance and deep down a barbarian at heart. This really does make for the most complex and intricate story so far and the best.

Highly recommended
(Parm)

Product Description
In the fifth novel in Harry Sidebottom's acclaimed and bestselling Warrior of Rome historical fiction series, Ballista returns in Warrior of Rome: The Wolves of the North to undertake yet another epic mission - while the Roman Empire reels in chaos around him.
AD 263 - the Roman Empire is close to turmoil, violent uprising threatening to shatter the fragile balance of power.
In the north, the tribes are increasingly bold in their raids on the Imperium - their savagery unlike anything Rome has known before. Ballista must undertake his most treacherous journey yet - a covert attempt to turn the barbarians against each other. He must face the Heruli - the Eaters of Flesh, the Wolves of the North - the most brutal tribe of them all. As Ballista and his retinue make their journey, someone - or something - is hunting them, picking them off one by one, and leaving a trail of mutilated corpses and terror.
Ballista is in a strange land, among strange people, but is it possible that the greatest threat may come from within his own familia?

[Luka Novak · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've read Sidebottom's previous 4 books you know what to expect. If you haven't you'll miss a lot of back story and you should read them before reading this one.

To be honest book starts a bit slow, but then quickens the pace and moves to intrigue and battles, finishing with Sidebottom's trademark cliffhanger.

Synopsis of the book provided by author/publisher can be a bit misleading, Ballista and his familia are not romping around north, that is Germania, lands on the "barbarian" side of the Rhine. They are travelling along the Tanais (modern day Don river in southern Russia). But such vague and somewhat misleading synopsis is nothing new and honestly nothing I really mind.

So, Ballista is once again sent on diplomatic/military mission beyond the Roman border, to deal with local tribes and influencing them in Roman favour. Being Ballista his mission is plagued by mistrust from Emperor downwards and it becomes clear to Ballista that their mission might be to fail. With him are the usual close companions, Calgacius and Maximus, neither of which much differ from their past. I consider that a good point, both add something more to how we see and understand Ballista. Plus Calgacius is his usual self, with no reservations about expresing his opinions, under his breath in his view or loudly in view of anybody withing hearing distance.

To add more troubles, his party (familia, local guides and priests, auxilliary troops, various Roman officials and representatives...) is stalked by a killer who targets members of his party and disposes of them in brutal way. And this may be one of the weaker points of this book. Not so much the subplot itself but rather how party reacts to discoveries of the bodies. Of course, part of it can be explained by overall Roman outlook on life and people, but still sounds a bit off even by those standards. I'll not spoil it for you but you'll see what I'm talking about when you see it.

If you enjoyed previous "Warrior of Rome" books you'll like this one as well.

Recomended and looking forward to new book in the series.

[Keith Currie · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a title for this review I thought `There and (almost) back again' might fit, as it appeared to sum up the plot pretty well and cast a knowing reference to all those Germanic poems and mentions of middle-earth by Ballista and his friends.

Then I toyed with `The Horror! The Horror!' where Hippothous quotes Conrad's Kurtz with reference to one of the book's better jokes and provides a nice example of a heart of darkness.

The novel's best joke, however, in my opinion, opens chapter 10 and reads as follows:

`Hippothous felt like a character in a novel. Not one of those centred on the Hellenic world, but an adventure story that roamed to the end of the earth; something like `The wonders beyond Thule'.

As literary allusion goes, this is beyond price. It helped keep me sane as that interminable journey across the steppe went on and on. I found myself thinking about how many levels of reference there are contained in these two sentences. I thought about how pleased the author must be with the neatness of what he had written and whether he wondered how many readers would actually appreciate the references.

There it is: Wolves of the North is a novel for everyman and has something for everyone. It is not just a rambling journey through the steppes concluding with a series of battles and a serial killer thrown in. It also blazes with searing scholarship. It even finishes not with a bang but a whimper.

[Tomasz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nie mija moda na starożytny Rzym. Jedno z najpotężniejszych mocarstw świata antycznego wciąż zadziwia i porusza. Począwszy od zachwytów nad osiągnięciami kultury po niezdrową fascynację militarnymi osiągnięciami mieszkańców Italii. Co by nie mówić, Rzym postawił sztukę militarną na piedestale, nie patrząc na jakiekolwiek ograniczenia – zwłaszcza moralne. Wszak jedne z pierwszych ludobójstw zafundowali ludzkości wyrafinowani mieszkańcy krainy położonej nad Tybrem. Mogliby coś o tym powiedzieć Gallowie czy Dakowie.

Harry Sidebottom przekuł powyższe zjawiska w świetną zarówno pod względem merytorycznym jak i fabularnym serię „Wojownik Rzymu”. Inspiracji szukał podobnie, co inni twórcy. Tak jak scenarzyści serialu HBO „Rzym”, którzy pomysł oparli na jednej wzmiance z pamiętników Cezara, tak i Sidebottom bohaterem cyklu uczynił barbarzyńskiego najemnika w służbie Rzymu, o którym źródła z III w. n.e. wspominają ledwie kilkukrotnie. Ot, współczesna powieść walterscottowska.

Cd. recenzji:
https://foxboox.wordpress.com/2015/07...

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wolves of the North is now my favourite in the series. Sidebottom keeps things moving on the steppe with his subtle yet extremely effective storytelling. The passages during the wagon showdown were spot-on and brought me right into battle. The desperation and hopelessness were almost tangible. Just fantastic. the loss of an importanat character is felt and is dealt with appropriately with the remaining family which I found honest and true. Certain characters react the way we expect while others not so much. They become deeper in a way I guess. I liked the way the author accomplished this.
The addition of Tarchon to the family is nice. An established killer with a unique "linguistic inventiveness". Almost lovable.
Recommend this series to any and everyone.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of this series - the previous two were marvellous. This fifth one, though, was a disappointment to me. The plot felt tagged on and the book contributed little to the series or to the development of the characters. It was also, for me, too relentlessly violent and it relished it. I will, though, continue the series as I know how good these books can be. This would be 2.5 stars if permitted but erred on generous side because of the quality of Sidebottom's research and for his portrait of the Heruli.

[Tess Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could not put this one down! This novel was slightly different in the series great sub plot of a killer in the midst of the group, very who’s done it all the way through! The pace was fast with a new terrain to explore with different customs. This book had a slightly darker feel to it with more blood thirst and death. I thought it was a brilliant curve in a new direction away from the imperium it felt more barbaric. Loved it, can’t wait for the next one great cliff hanger ending. Kept saying just one more chapter ...

[Marcus Pailing · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed Sidebottom's previous Ballista novels, but I'm afraid I found the first half of this book a little boring. It did perk up in the second half, but not enough for me to give it a third star. I like the fact that Sidebottom is putting his books into the context of a meta-narrative, but this does mean that Book 3, and this one, took rather a slow turn. It won't stop me from reading the next, though, which I believe has already been published in hardcover.

[Rameses · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and I love the action and battle scenes.

[Alex Marriott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weak 4 - gains a point for being a great addition to the series but not too much to offer for non-fans. Naughty ending. Looking forward to the next one!

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a page-turner! So much more action-packed and cultural showcase than the previous four books. Harry Sidebottom’s writing certainly has improved and this is the kind of story that drew me to read Sidebottom’s works (I previously read the Throne of the Caesars trilogy before the Warrior of Rome series). Sidebottom’s ability shone as he turned an obscure historical period into a plausible story involving a fictitious main character (interestingly enough the main character is based on a real historical figure although in name only). I love all the descriptions of strange nomadic customs from both the Heruli and the Alani tribes. This is the kind of historical fiction that stokes your curiosity and makes you do your own research.

Unofficially exiled yet on paper officially a delegate of Roman Imperator Gallienus, Marcus Clodius Ballista was tasked to ransom Roman prisoners from the Germanic tribe of Urugundi and Heruli. To do that, Ballista had to make the long journey north through the Eurasian Steppe, along the river Tanaïs (modern-day Don River) while he must fend off the occasional attack from the Alani tribe. The Alani tribe who harassed Ballista and his familia (his loyal companions including his bodyguards, not his actual family) was more likely linked with Saurmag, a dethroned Suanian prince that Ballista defeated and drove from the Suanian kingdom (a story from Sidebottom’s previous work: The Caspian Gates).

Ballista is probably the most burdened hero so far in Sidebottom’s novel. He was thrice oath-breakers (as a result, he was pursued by the Germanic Borani tribe, haunted by Maximinus Thrax daemon, and certainly marked by the Persian royal family) and cursed by Pythonissa (a Suanian princess whom Ballista took to bed but refused to bring her along with him). The curse seems to work as Ballista’s party is killed and mutilated cruelly one by one by a mysterious killer that’s clearly among Ballista’s own familia while they’re marching on the Eurasian Steppe.

The purpose of Ballista’s journey wasn’t the most important in this book as he eventually didn’t reach any of his goals (ransoming the Roman prisoners and turning the Urugundi and Heruli towards each other) but understanding how the barbarian tribes on the periphery of Imperial Rome work (their customs, intentions, way of life). Ballista could be called a spy then as everything that he observed would be valuable information for Imperator Gallienus.

There is a lot of gore in this book, it may put some people off and certainly, it could have been way exaggerated to shock the reader purposefully, to draw the line between the civilized Roman and the savage barbarian tribes but certain customs are very interesting and I liked that Sidebottom didn’t shy away to introduce them in his book. One of the most interesting aspects was the cranial deformation of the Heruli tribe.

‘Why did Hisarna call the Heruli long-headed?’ Ballista asked. ‘Skull-binding,’ said Hippothous. ‘They are the Macrophali of whom Hippocrates wrote. They tie tight bandages around the soft skulls of infants, before they are properly formed. Their heads grow long, pointed, hugely deformed.’ ~Chapter III.

It got me to do my own research and found out that the skull-binding was quite a popular custom among the steppe peoples, particularly the Alani (one of the Scythian tribes) and among the East Germanic tribes that were ruled by the Huns (and that including the Heruli). My favourite long-headed Heruli in this book is Andonoballus which is a real historical figure (as always, in name only and the rest is fictitious). Andonoballus, the son of Heruli king Naulobates, was charismatic and loyal. Almost quite similar to Ballista so it’s not a surprise when Andonoballus asks Ballista to be his sworn-brother despite Ballista’s loyalty will always be with Rome.

Wolves of the North is very fascinating and I can’t wait to read more of Ballista’s journey along the periphery of the Roman Imperium.

[Robert Causley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The good:
The usual rip-roaring action and intense pacing that makes Sidebottom's writing a pleasure to read. Similarly, it was fascinating to be taken to the Empire's periphery (that's not Britain). I've always been a bit of a literary slavophile and this book does well to make the land a character like more venerable authors like Sholokhov did.
The so-so:
It's nice to pick up with characters we're already familiar with--Sidebottom continues to build on Ballista's back story commendably. On the other hand, the number of new characters gets confusing. Also, I appreciate Ballista's wandering Jew curse that seems to be in play here, but it's a little disheartening to know from the get-go that the story is a dead end.
The bad:
It's starting to feel a little bit formulaic. It's very much worth the read, but lacks the magic of the first few offerings in the series.

[Henry Parrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Some great action sequences, a genuinely twisting murder mystery b-plot and an ending with consequences, The Wolves of the North is significantly better than the previous entry in the Warriors of Rome series - but still a novel which primarily happens around the main character, rather than driven by his decisions.

[JOE WALKER · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure why my Grandad gives me mid-series books, I like to work chronologically but gave it a chance anyway.

I can't remember much from this book, it was ok to read but didn't quite grab me.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was rushing to finish one exciting volume after the next.

[Mark Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boring start just the group traveling for ages. Kicks off good in the middle and keeps it going to the end

[Michael Quigley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read - Enjoyed the plot and the mystery of what was following the group.