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Praetorian #1
The Great Game
Promoted to the elite Praetorian Guard in the thick of battle, a young legionary is thrust into a seedy world of imperial politics and corruption. Tasked with uncovering a plot against the newly-crowned emperor Commodus, his mission takes him from the cold Danubian border all the way to the heart of Rome, the villa of the emperor’s scheming sister, and the great Colosseum.
What seems a straightforward, if terrifying, assignment soon descends into Machiavellian treachery and peril as everything in which young Rufinus trusts and believes is called into question and he faces warring commanders, Sarmatian cannibals, vicious dogs, mercenary killers and even a clandestine Imperial agent. In a race against time to save the Emperor, Rufinus will be introduced, willing or not, to the great game.
"Entertaining, exciting and beautifully researched" - Douglas Jackson
"From the Legion to the Guard, from battles to the deep intrigue of court, Praetorian: The Great Game is packed with great characters, wonderfully researched locations and a powerful plot." - Robin Carter
What seems a straightforward, if terrifying, assignment soon descends into Machiavellian treachery and peril as everything in which young Rufinus trusts and believes is called into question and he faces warring commanders, Sarmatian cannibals, vicious dogs, mercenary killers and even a clandestine Imperial agent. In a race against time to save the Emperor, Rufinus will be introduced, willing or not, to the great game.
"Entertaining, exciting and beautifully researched" - Douglas Jackson
"From the Legion to the Guard, from battles to the deep intrigue of court, Praetorian: The Great Game is packed with great characters, wonderfully researched locations and a powerful plot." - Robin Carter
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 12, 2015
458 people are currently reading
648 people want to read
About the author
S.J.A. Turney
93 books498 followersSimon lives with his wife and children and a menagerie of animals in rural North Yorkshire, where he sits in an office, wired on coffee and digestive biscuits, and attempts to spin engrossing tales out of strands of imagination while his children drive toys across his desk and two dogs howl as they try to share a brain cell.
A born and bred Yorkshireman with a love of country, history and architecture, Simon spends most of his rare free time travelling around ancient sites, writing, researching the ancient world and reading voraciously.
Following an arcane and eclectic career path that wound through everything from sheep to Microsoft networks and from paint to car sales, Simon wrote Marius’ Mules and, with help and support, made a success of it. Now, with in excess of 20 novels under his belt, Simon writes full time and is represented by MMB Creative literary agents.
Simon writes Roman military novels in the form of the bestselling Marius’ Mules series based on Julius Caesar’s campaigns, Roman thrillers in the Praetorian series, set during the troubled reign of Commodus, medieval adventures in the Ottoman Cycle, following a young Greek thief around the 15th century world, and a series of Historical Fantasy novels with a Roman flavour, called the Tales of the Empire.
Simon can be found on Twitter as @SJATurney and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SJATurney/ as well as on his website http://www.sjaturney.co.uk
A born and bred Yorkshireman with a love of country, history and architecture, Simon spends most of his rare free time travelling around ancient sites, writing, researching the ancient world and reading voraciously.
Following an arcane and eclectic career path that wound through everything from sheep to Microsoft networks and from paint to car sales, Simon wrote Marius’ Mules and, with help and support, made a success of it. Now, with in excess of 20 novels under his belt, Simon writes full time and is represented by MMB Creative literary agents.
Simon writes Roman military novels in the form of the bestselling Marius’ Mules series based on Julius Caesar’s campaigns, Roman thrillers in the Praetorian series, set during the troubled reign of Commodus, medieval adventures in the Ottoman Cycle, following a young Greek thief around the 15th century world, and a series of Historical Fantasy novels with a Roman flavour, called the Tales of the Empire.
Simon can be found on Twitter as @SJATurney and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SJATurney/ as well as on his website http://www.sjaturney.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
March 10, 2017
Exciting, heart-stopping action-adventure! A young legionary, Rutilius, saves the life of a prefect of the Praetorians and as a reward, is made a Praetorian himself. He is tasked to infiltrate the court surrounding Emperor Commodus's sister Lucilla now living at the exotic and expansive villa of Emperor Hadrian. He goes undercover as a mercenary, to infiltrate and to discover a plot to assassinate Commodus. His first attempt ends in failure but he is sent back to finish his assignment and to warn the emperor in time. I was breathless at the last few chapters where he overhears the plot, what he does to eavesdrop on the cabal and at what follows. The torture scene was gruesome enough I had to pause then resume later, although the book as a whole was a page-turner. In my opinion, Rutilius is superior to the author's previous Roman military hero, the too-perfect [and silly] Fronto. Rutilius is more human; he can be a klutz [which serves him well in one attack] and when faced with the choice of killing his nemesis, the bully Scopius, cannot do so, as well as he chooses not to kill a roommate at the villa when he has the opportunity. This shows his innate decency. There were some things that stretched credulity, for example, a couple of deus ex machina episodes and although wounds were serious, they seemed to heal quickly enough that he could participate in the final scenes, racing against time to warn and save the emperor. Galloping from the villa on horseback so badly injured!? Some other inconsistencies. I am eager to read more Rutilius.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
September 5, 2015
Praetorian: The Great Game, by SJA Turney
SJA Turney, writer of the well-loved and extensive Marius’ Mules series, has brought us the first in a new series, with a brand new hero and a new time period. Turney tells us in his author notes that he wanted to write a re-appraisal of an emperor that history has treated unkindly, and he settled on Commodus, the nemesis of Russell Crowe’s Gladiator. In Turney’s hands, Commodus is a much more sympathetic character, trying hard to follow the class act that was his father, Marcus Aurelius, one of Rome’s greatest ever emperors.
The hero of the tale however is Rufinus, a tough, brave and most importantly loyal young legionary who is promoted to the Praetorian Guard as a reward for an act of bravery. He is quickly earmarked for more clandestine work than simply being the Emperor’s bodyguard, and has to infiltrate a plot against the unsuspecting Commodus. Various dangerous encounters complicate his task, and soon he is in a race against time to save the Emperor’s life.
Praetorian has all the hallmarks of a great Simon Turney novel, excellent research, great story-telling bringing the period to life, a fast pace and an interesting new hero to root for. Great read.
SJA Turney, writer of the well-loved and extensive Marius’ Mules series, has brought us the first in a new series, with a brand new hero and a new time period. Turney tells us in his author notes that he wanted to write a re-appraisal of an emperor that history has treated unkindly, and he settled on Commodus, the nemesis of Russell Crowe’s Gladiator. In Turney’s hands, Commodus is a much more sympathetic character, trying hard to follow the class act that was his father, Marcus Aurelius, one of Rome’s greatest ever emperors.
The hero of the tale however is Rufinus, a tough, brave and most importantly loyal young legionary who is promoted to the Praetorian Guard as a reward for an act of bravery. He is quickly earmarked for more clandestine work than simply being the Emperor’s bodyguard, and has to infiltrate a plot against the unsuspecting Commodus. Various dangerous encounters complicate his task, and soon he is in a race against time to save the Emperor’s life.
Praetorian has all the hallmarks of a great Simon Turney novel, excellent research, great story-telling bringing the period to life, a fast pace and an interesting new hero to root for. Great read.
March 15, 2015
Wow, this is sure exciting stuff. Who would have thought that me, a humble yet insightful reader and reviewer of books, would make it to the most prestigious blog tour of SJA Turney? I have known Simon for a couple years now, a relationship brought forth through the great bringer together of old friends and maker of new ones, social media. In fact, it is his fault I have a Twitter account. I had finished reading Marius Mules IV and noticed in the About the Author section that Simon listed his Twitter handle. Well, I enjoyed the first four books in the series so much I just had to tell him and @hooverbkreview was born and began what has become a pretty cool network of authors, reviewers and other fellow travelers. Soon I had inveigled my way into his confidence and got on his list of beta readers which is really nice because I get a signed copy of the books and I know that they will be worth a small fortune at some point in the future. So if my writing career doesn't take off then I have those signed editions to fall back on in my retirement and now I'll have one more as I have just finished his latest, Praetorian: The Great Game.
Where to begin? The protagonist, Rufinus, the depth of scenic detail, the mesmerizing plot twists? That sounds like a logical order to proceed with. Rufinus is your average legionary doing the foot slogging, shield walling duties of a Roman soldier all for the glory of Rome and the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Then in one of those 'no good deed goes unpunished' moments his life takes a radical detour. Without going into too much detail as to not spoil it, Rufinus is promoted to The Praetorian Guard and is subsequently posted undercover at Commodus' sister Lucilla's villa. From then on he finds out just what kind of man and loyal soldier he is. He is tested time and time again managing to emerge stronger as a character after each ordeal, physically, emotionally and rationally. A fascinating character developed beautifully by the author. That holds true for the rest of the cast of characters as well. The two Praetorian Prefects, Paternus and Perennis, the dark and visceral Dis and the savage beast called Tad are just a few of the more interesting players.
I have found over the past few years that Simon has a great ability to transport the reader to the places he is describing, whether that is the Emperor's Palace in Rome, the various monuments and temples but most especially the Imperial Villa at Tibur. I felt as if I was walking the grounds taking in the opulence of the imperial sections, the contrasting slave quarters and even the hypocaust system. This descriptive flair is also evident in his turns of phrase. For example an exclamation uttered by one the characters: 'by the seven sacred shits of Jove.' Or when after setting the scene with a gate guard suffering from intestinal distress meeting Acheron, Rufinus' hound from Hades. The result: 'The guard's bowels surrendered.' Maybe it's just me but I burst out laughing when I read those tasty tidbits. :-)
The pace of the story moves along readily and builds to an exciting climax and has within it moments when I would pause and say 'okay, I didn't see that coming.' Rest assured that you will be entertained and maybe even educated a little about the world of Gnaeus Marcius Rustius Rufinus.
I vow by the seven sacred you know whats that this is a 5 star winner.
Let’s all give a big Hoover Book Review welcome to today’s guest, Simon Turney. Welcome, Simon and thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions from this humble yet insightful reader and reviewer of books.
How does it feel to have Praetorian published after such along interval between conception and publication?
Oooh…. Exciting! Yes, definitely exciting. I’ve long believed it’s my strongest novel and that it would be well received, and I’ve been dying to let readers see it for a long time (Oo-err!) It’s like having an amazing hat but only being allowed to wear it in private (weird analogy? You bet!) It’s been a long road for Praetorian and it’s not quite the book in started as, largely due to the talented editing of my agent Sallyanne, who turned it from a lump of quartz to a diamond. But the very best thing about it being out there? I have had the plots for books 2 and 3 sitting in a folder on my PC for a year now. I’ve even done the research trip, taken the photos and investigated the locations for book 2. I’ve been ready to write it for more than half a year, but it’s not been worth launching into until book 1 was in publication. Now… I can start on book 2 (working title: The Emperor’s Man)
I have been impressed in all of your work with the amount of descriptive detail you include in the surroundings, the architecture and just the way you put the reader inside the luxuriousness of a place like the Villa Hadrianus. When you visit a site for a book how long does it typically take until you have enough inspiration for your imagination? In other words how do you bring to life a site that has stood idle for centuries?
Funnily enough, this is to some extent the subject of a guest post I did a couple of days ago for https://forwinternights.wordpress.com/ … I’m a great believer that a scene in a book feels a great deal more real if the author has put their heart and soul into the location, and the best way to do that is to experience the place yourself. I try and visit every location I use (it’s not always possible, but I do my best.) When I visit a location, first of all I have my camera to hand at all times. I take a lot of photos. That means that when I come to write about it, probably months later, I can refer back to see, for instance, whether one building is visible from another, and such like. I also pay attention to smells, sounds, terrain and wildlife. Are there terrapins in the pond? Do you break into a sweat on the angle of approach? Is there the scent of jasmine in the air? These are the things that bring a location to life. Of course, the amount of detail you throw into the scene is a fine line too, since loading it down with too much can impede the pace, but a good description turns a scene from ‘mmmm’ to ‘wow!’ Because of the different senses I need to record, as well as my camera, I carry a dictaphone, on which I keep seemingly endless notes. I am careful enough in selecting locations that it never takes long for inspiration to strike. If I cannot see the scene in my mind’s eye within minutes, it’s the wrong location! As for the bringing to life a long-dead site, I would suggest readers pop over to forwinternights and read the blog I posted, which goes into some detail on that.
In any story involving the Roman Legions there is going to be violence and to bring the reader into what it is like to stand in a legion shield wall or even in a street fight there has to be some blood and gore. Do you ever question any of the gory passages you write as to whether it might be too much?
Oh yes. In fact, while it’s nothing to do with battle, there is a torture scene in Praetorian that is a vastly toned-down version of the original. My editor suggested I cut it down and she was, in retrospect, correct. Even now, going back over the original makes me wince and makes my eyes water! Similarly, in The Pasha’s Tale, which has just undergone its final edit, I have completely removed a scene in which a household of civilians is cut down. It was, in the end, seemingly too much for the tale, and so joined so many other scenes in ‘File 13’. Oddly, I don’t think I’ve ever toned down a battle scene. Battle is in its very nature brutal, and those people who are reading a novel about the legions at war are almost certainly expecting such vicious description. In fact, some of my readers have expressed disappointment at lack of violent bloodshed from time to time. What I am turning away from more often is non-battle brutality, since scenes like that are far more shocking and unpleasant.
Another facet of your writing that I enjoy is your usage of colorful phrases. For example, the seven sacred shits of Jove. How do you come up with these nuggets?
Simply: I have no idea! I have a peculiar imagination as anyone who knows me will verify. I tend to be very inventive with my phrases even at home. I have been known to shout things like ‘Turdhoney!’ when I drop an egg on the pantry floor. Words just fit together so well into odd phrases even if they shouldn’t. More so, if they shouldn’t. I trained with the best, mind. My German housemate at University initiated the phrase ‘suppurating, buggering heck!’ which remains one of my faves. Cursing and swearing can be horribly offensive and it irritates me to hear people using gratuitous bad language out in the streets. But somehow the offensiveness of an imprecation is inversely proportional to the humour within. If what you shout when you drop a rock on your toe is odd or funny enough, people will laugh rather than taking offense.
Do you have plans to see what’s in store for Rufinus?
Hmm. I nodded to this with your first question, didn’t I? There are years of fun ahead for Rufinus. For a start, books 2 and 3 will see him variously at the family estate in Hispania, in southern Gaul, in Rome and Ostia, and even out in the wilds of Dacia (modern Romania.) There are still an array of dangerous men in the Roman court, including a couple of well-placed men whose actions will change the course of Commodus’ reign. Be sure that Rufinus has a part to play with them. And over in Dacia sometime soon, two future usurping emperors are busy. Book 2 is already planned down to a chapter level ready to write and book 3 is a nebulous plot at the moment. Beyond that? Well, the sky’s the limit. As with Marius’ Mules, as long as people want to read about Rufinus, I’m happy to write about him.
Finally, what’s next for Simon Turney? What are you working on now?
I am just putting the finishing touches to The Pasha’s Tale (the fourth and final installment of the Ottoman Cycle) which I will publish once the cover is complete, with a tear in my eye as I say goodbye to writing about 15th century Istanbul. Next week I begin work in earnest on Marius’ Mules VIII: Sons of Taranis, which I am already champing at the bit over. That should be out in the late summer this year, all being well. After that, sometime towards the end of the year, it is the turn of Praetorian book 2. In the meantime, there are three side projects already written and waiting for publishing, including the joint work with Gordon Doherty, which is one of my favourite things I’ve ever written. Shortly, we are going to embark on book 2 of that series too. All go at Chez Turney as you can see! Never a dull moment.
Where to begin? The protagonist, Rufinus, the depth of scenic detail, the mesmerizing plot twists? That sounds like a logical order to proceed with. Rufinus is your average legionary doing the foot slogging, shield walling duties of a Roman soldier all for the glory of Rome and the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Then in one of those 'no good deed goes unpunished' moments his life takes a radical detour. Without going into too much detail as to not spoil it, Rufinus is promoted to The Praetorian Guard and is subsequently posted undercover at Commodus' sister Lucilla's villa. From then on he finds out just what kind of man and loyal soldier he is. He is tested time and time again managing to emerge stronger as a character after each ordeal, physically, emotionally and rationally. A fascinating character developed beautifully by the author. That holds true for the rest of the cast of characters as well. The two Praetorian Prefects, Paternus and Perennis, the dark and visceral Dis and the savage beast called Tad are just a few of the more interesting players.
I have found over the past few years that Simon has a great ability to transport the reader to the places he is describing, whether that is the Emperor's Palace in Rome, the various monuments and temples but most especially the Imperial Villa at Tibur. I felt as if I was walking the grounds taking in the opulence of the imperial sections, the contrasting slave quarters and even the hypocaust system. This descriptive flair is also evident in his turns of phrase. For example an exclamation uttered by one the characters: 'by the seven sacred shits of Jove.' Or when after setting the scene with a gate guard suffering from intestinal distress meeting Acheron, Rufinus' hound from Hades. The result: 'The guard's bowels surrendered.' Maybe it's just me but I burst out laughing when I read those tasty tidbits. :-)
The pace of the story moves along readily and builds to an exciting climax and has within it moments when I would pause and say 'okay, I didn't see that coming.' Rest assured that you will be entertained and maybe even educated a little about the world of Gnaeus Marcius Rustius Rufinus.
I vow by the seven sacred you know whats that this is a 5 star winner.
Let’s all give a big Hoover Book Review welcome to today’s guest, Simon Turney. Welcome, Simon and thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions from this humble yet insightful reader and reviewer of books.
How does it feel to have Praetorian published after such along interval between conception and publication?
Oooh…. Exciting! Yes, definitely exciting. I’ve long believed it’s my strongest novel and that it would be well received, and I’ve been dying to let readers see it for a long time (Oo-err!) It’s like having an amazing hat but only being allowed to wear it in private (weird analogy? You bet!) It’s been a long road for Praetorian and it’s not quite the book in started as, largely due to the talented editing of my agent Sallyanne, who turned it from a lump of quartz to a diamond. But the very best thing about it being out there? I have had the plots for books 2 and 3 sitting in a folder on my PC for a year now. I’ve even done the research trip, taken the photos and investigated the locations for book 2. I’ve been ready to write it for more than half a year, but it’s not been worth launching into until book 1 was in publication. Now… I can start on book 2 (working title: The Emperor’s Man)
I have been impressed in all of your work with the amount of descriptive detail you include in the surroundings, the architecture and just the way you put the reader inside the luxuriousness of a place like the Villa Hadrianus. When you visit a site for a book how long does it typically take until you have enough inspiration for your imagination? In other words how do you bring to life a site that has stood idle for centuries?
Funnily enough, this is to some extent the subject of a guest post I did a couple of days ago for https://forwinternights.wordpress.com/ … I’m a great believer that a scene in a book feels a great deal more real if the author has put their heart and soul into the location, and the best way to do that is to experience the place yourself. I try and visit every location I use (it’s not always possible, but I do my best.) When I visit a location, first of all I have my camera to hand at all times. I take a lot of photos. That means that when I come to write about it, probably months later, I can refer back to see, for instance, whether one building is visible from another, and such like. I also pay attention to smells, sounds, terrain and wildlife. Are there terrapins in the pond? Do you break into a sweat on the angle of approach? Is there the scent of jasmine in the air? These are the things that bring a location to life. Of course, the amount of detail you throw into the scene is a fine line too, since loading it down with too much can impede the pace, but a good description turns a scene from ‘mmmm’ to ‘wow!’ Because of the different senses I need to record, as well as my camera, I carry a dictaphone, on which I keep seemingly endless notes. I am careful enough in selecting locations that it never takes long for inspiration to strike. If I cannot see the scene in my mind’s eye within minutes, it’s the wrong location! As for the bringing to life a long-dead site, I would suggest readers pop over to forwinternights and read the blog I posted, which goes into some detail on that.
In any story involving the Roman Legions there is going to be violence and to bring the reader into what it is like to stand in a legion shield wall or even in a street fight there has to be some blood and gore. Do you ever question any of the gory passages you write as to whether it might be too much?
Oh yes. In fact, while it’s nothing to do with battle, there is a torture scene in Praetorian that is a vastly toned-down version of the original. My editor suggested I cut it down and she was, in retrospect, correct. Even now, going back over the original makes me wince and makes my eyes water! Similarly, in The Pasha’s Tale, which has just undergone its final edit, I have completely removed a scene in which a household of civilians is cut down. It was, in the end, seemingly too much for the tale, and so joined so many other scenes in ‘File 13’. Oddly, I don’t think I’ve ever toned down a battle scene. Battle is in its very nature brutal, and those people who are reading a novel about the legions at war are almost certainly expecting such vicious description. In fact, some of my readers have expressed disappointment at lack of violent bloodshed from time to time. What I am turning away from more often is non-battle brutality, since scenes like that are far more shocking and unpleasant.
Another facet of your writing that I enjoy is your usage of colorful phrases. For example, the seven sacred shits of Jove. How do you come up with these nuggets?
Simply: I have no idea! I have a peculiar imagination as anyone who knows me will verify. I tend to be very inventive with my phrases even at home. I have been known to shout things like ‘Turdhoney!’ when I drop an egg on the pantry floor. Words just fit together so well into odd phrases even if they shouldn’t. More so, if they shouldn’t. I trained with the best, mind. My German housemate at University initiated the phrase ‘suppurating, buggering heck!’ which remains one of my faves. Cursing and swearing can be horribly offensive and it irritates me to hear people using gratuitous bad language out in the streets. But somehow the offensiveness of an imprecation is inversely proportional to the humour within. If what you shout when you drop a rock on your toe is odd or funny enough, people will laugh rather than taking offense.
Do you have plans to see what’s in store for Rufinus?
Hmm. I nodded to this with your first question, didn’t I? There are years of fun ahead for Rufinus. For a start, books 2 and 3 will see him variously at the family estate in Hispania, in southern Gaul, in Rome and Ostia, and even out in the wilds of Dacia (modern Romania.) There are still an array of dangerous men in the Roman court, including a couple of well-placed men whose actions will change the course of Commodus’ reign. Be sure that Rufinus has a part to play with them. And over in Dacia sometime soon, two future usurping emperors are busy. Book 2 is already planned down to a chapter level ready to write and book 3 is a nebulous plot at the moment. Beyond that? Well, the sky’s the limit. As with Marius’ Mules, as long as people want to read about Rufinus, I’m happy to write about him.
Finally, what’s next for Simon Turney? What are you working on now?
I am just putting the finishing touches to The Pasha’s Tale (the fourth and final installment of the Ottoman Cycle) which I will publish once the cover is complete, with a tear in my eye as I say goodbye to writing about 15th century Istanbul. Next week I begin work in earnest on Marius’ Mules VIII: Sons of Taranis, which I am already champing at the bit over. That should be out in the late summer this year, all being well. After that, sometime towards the end of the year, it is the turn of Praetorian book 2. In the meantime, there are three side projects already written and waiting for publishing, including the joint work with Gordon Doherty, which is one of my favourite things I’ve ever written. Shortly, we are going to embark on book 2 of that series too. All go at Chez Turney as you can see! Never a dull moment.
December 30, 2017
This was a long one and lacked humor, otherwise it would be a five-star read for me as I do enjoy Roman historical fiction. I have not read this author's other series. There is heavy emphasis on action and the featured hero comes through some deadly encounters with the empire's enemies as well as his fellow Praetorians.
"Marcus Aurelius, emperor of the known world, philosopher, general, genius and father of his people was not at all how Rufinus had expected."
Rufinus gains the emperor's attention and recognition for saving the prefect's life in battle, but with that elevation comes danger as he becomes the target.
His early encounters with the next emperor, Commodus, allowed for a favorable impression. "He was capricious and mischievous, flighty and changeable, but he was also intelligent, witty, thoughtful and, apparently, kind. what an emperor he could make."
Rufinus is given assignment to spy on the sister, Lucilla, who was sent away from Rome where she conspired with others to remove her brother. The drama ensues.
This is the start of a good series, and I will probably pick up with the next. Apparently the Netflix series on Rome features Commodus as well, so I will have to check that out.
"Marcus Aurelius, emperor of the known world, philosopher, general, genius and father of his people was not at all how Rufinus had expected."
Rufinus gains the emperor's attention and recognition for saving the prefect's life in battle, but with that elevation comes danger as he becomes the target.
His early encounters with the next emperor, Commodus, allowed for a favorable impression. "He was capricious and mischievous, flighty and changeable, but he was also intelligent, witty, thoughtful and, apparently, kind. what an emperor he could make."
Rufinus is given assignment to spy on the sister, Lucilla, who was sent away from Rome where she conspired with others to remove her brother. The drama ensues.
This is the start of a good series, and I will probably pick up with the next. Apparently the Netflix series on Rome features Commodus as well, so I will have to check that out.
September 28, 2022
Jag är glad att hitta två serier nästan direkt efter varandra som båda var bra. Denna är läsvärd om man gillar intriger, framförrallt sådana där flera delar av staten är inblandade och påverkar varandra.
May 13, 2015
I was kindly gifted a copy of this book by the author and i can honestly say I was not disappointed. I’ve read a few books now in the same genre and many start slowly building up as they go along… not this one. Thrust straight into the action with our hero saving the life of a Praetorian prefect.
This starts the whole journey for Rufinus as he is promoted to the Praetorian guard after meeting the emperor. This sudden promotion gains him some new friends but also enemies!
We see Rufinus deal with these enemies the only way he knows how.. his fists! We then see a feud escalate. Not to give away anything I particularly liked the way Rufinus dealt with this situation.
Now Rufinus is chosen to save the emperor from a suspected plot against him. During this we see him struggle with being deceitful whilst also trying to gain favour in order to get closer to those who are suspected to be plotting against the emperor.
There are so many twists and turns along the way that the book kept me gripped and I honestly had no idea if Rufinus would succeed in his task or not.
The ending to the book did not disappoint either; I have no trouble recommending this book to anyone. It was a fantastic read.
The chapters flowed well, the characters relationships grew before your eyes. You could see alliances and friendships forming. The author clearly put a lot of time and effort into this book and it shows
One thing I really loved about this book is that I took an instant dislike to one of the Praetorian prefects, the other I really liked. I found as I went along and Rufinus made discoveries along the way my opinion of the prefects changed. It was amazing to see how easily Simon managed to change my viewpoint as a reader so quickly.
Simon clearly knows his stuff, the book was brilliantly written from my stand point. I couldn't pick anything I didn't like or even anything I would have elaborated further on. It was simply a brilliant book and one of the best I've had the pleasure of reading.
If you do one thing today make sure you buy the book. It’s well worth the money
Last comment is directly for Simon.. My next pet will definitely be named Acheron!
This starts the whole journey for Rufinus as he is promoted to the Praetorian guard after meeting the emperor. This sudden promotion gains him some new friends but also enemies!
We see Rufinus deal with these enemies the only way he knows how.. his fists! We then see a feud escalate. Not to give away anything I particularly liked the way Rufinus dealt with this situation.
Now Rufinus is chosen to save the emperor from a suspected plot against him. During this we see him struggle with being deceitful whilst also trying to gain favour in order to get closer to those who are suspected to be plotting against the emperor.
There are so many twists and turns along the way that the book kept me gripped and I honestly had no idea if Rufinus would succeed in his task or not.
The ending to the book did not disappoint either; I have no trouble recommending this book to anyone. It was a fantastic read.
The chapters flowed well, the characters relationships grew before your eyes. You could see alliances and friendships forming. The author clearly put a lot of time and effort into this book and it shows
One thing I really loved about this book is that I took an instant dislike to one of the Praetorian prefects, the other I really liked. I found as I went along and Rufinus made discoveries along the way my opinion of the prefects changed. It was amazing to see how easily Simon managed to change my viewpoint as a reader so quickly.
Simon clearly knows his stuff, the book was brilliantly written from my stand point. I couldn't pick anything I didn't like or even anything I would have elaborated further on. It was simply a brilliant book and one of the best I've had the pleasure of reading.
If you do one thing today make sure you buy the book. It’s well worth the money
Last comment is directly for Simon.. My next pet will definitely be named Acheron!
September 19, 2016
Such fun to read!
This is the first book by this author that I've read but you can be sure it won't be the last! Well researched, well written with good solid characters this was a pleasure to read.
This is the first book by this author that I've read but you can be sure it won't be the last! Well researched, well written with good solid characters this was a pleasure to read.
March 14, 2015
Having become a big fan of Simon's Marius' Mules series, I have been privileged enough to read Praetorian: The Great Game, his latest book, before its launch yesterday.
Coming at it from halfway through the Fronto saga I expected, with reasonable variation, more of the same. And it is more of the same in some very broad aspects: historical fiction, based on historical facts and set in the Roman Empire, with the same insane level of documentation and detail, so very accurate that it is impossible to catch the author off-guard, save maybe for a few debatable turns of phrases.
But in many other regards it is a completely different type of book. And the most striking difference is that, while the adventures of Caesar's army in Gaul is a story of truly epic proportions, comprising a vast number of characters, huge armies and battles that became turning points in history, Praetorian is mostly an individual story. It is, if you want, Ulysses' Odyssey to the all-encompassing Illiad. Schindler's List vs Saving Private Ryan, if we're talking WWII movies. Or, to put it otherwise: if I'd entrust Ridley Scott to direct the MM series, then Praetorian would be best served by Martin Scorsese.
The story is set two centuries later than Fronto's, and the events in-between have greatly transformed the Roman world. If there would be such a thing as Outstanding Achievement in Historical Description Award, then Simon would be well deserving of one because, while I can't put my finger on what exactly it is that does it, there is a completely different picture of Praetorian's Rome as opposed to MM Rome. I am not versed enough in Roman history, nor traveled enough to know how different high imperial Rome would have been from late republican Rome, but this book teaches a great deal, and I have come to learn Simon's words are mostly to be believed.
It is probably unfair to speak about Praetorian exclusively in comparison terms, but it will be unavoidable, seeing that the writer has been bold enough to approach an era so brilliantly depicted in the multiple Oscar winner The Gladiator, and from an entirely different angle. The main historical characters are the same in the two (Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Lucilla), but in the book they all are everything they are not in the movie. Now, it is a tendency of artistic enterprises to steer the public's opinion towards a simplistic classification of characters or facts in categories. We need a good guy and a bad guy for any sort of drama. So in describing Nero the emperor, for instance, one can either walk the beaten path and consider him a mindless tyrant or go against the current and find some episode or story that would put him in a good light, earning him if not redemption, at least an excuse.
Usually, however, reality is more complicated than what human mind can achieve and classifying historical figures as good or bad is actually detrimental to the science of history. All deeds are contextual, everyone is a man of their time and there is never any telling about any historical figure thought process. We can read Caesar's books, judge his facts and speculate as to his reasons, but it will always be impossible to tell how much he wanted the good of the republic or how heroic the Battle of Alesia was, for instance.
The beauty of fiction, however, is that can fill the gaps in research however the author sees fit. Ridley Scott's Marcus Aurelius is assassinated by his son, while Simon's Commodus is nothing but a loving son and rightful heir. And both can be equally right. Neither Marcus Aurelius, nor Commodus were good or bad, but they were both part of a great game, bigger even than the one Praetorian talks about.
And I was glad to see there is no talk of a decline of the Empire in Praetorian, the obsession of find the high point of Roman history, the one where decline started, being in my opinion an unhealthy one, and one that has driven historians over two millennia to place this high point anywhere between the Punic Wars and the Odoacer kingship.
Before he gets to the main stage of history, however, we find our hero, Gnaeus Marcius Rustius Rufinus, in the Pannonic forests chasing defeated Marcomanni in a scene that made me think Praetorian might well beat the body count of all the MM series. It doesn't, in the end, as the focus goes quickly away from Legio X Gemina and goes to our young hero and his adventures that - incredulous as they might seem - could just be true. Rufinus will end up a Praetorian Prefect under Caracalla, but until then we'll have to wait a few more years and a few more books. The Great Game only sees the young Rufinus through the last days of Marcus Aurelius - who he gets to meet briefly - and up to the plot against Commodus in 182 AD. It's a way of saying, sees him through, given that he is, more often than not, in the very core of the events, though always in the background and mostly in the stealth. Because our hero is very much an avant la lettre James Bond, down to a t, and this book is mostly a book of espionage.
On His Majesty's secret service, young Argentulum gets involved in plots for which the world is not enough. He gets more than a view to a kill, a licence to kill himself and gets to only live twice thanks to Pompeianus' medicus (probably a Dr. No, though not specified) who enables him to die another day and play a further part in the great game of dice royale. The metaphor of the hasta pura as a gold finger is brilliant, The hasta pura is forever, and Rufinus is the man with the silver gun in the key scene, where he lives and lets die. Oh , I could go on forever, There are even Bond girls - his only quantum of solace, perhaps? - and Senova the Briton can testify as to the Praetorian who loved her. From Rome with love, by Simon Turney, who I'd like to see denying the Bond influence on this book.
There are only a couple of other things I can say without giving too much of the plot away: if you liked Connie Nielsen's depiction of Lucilla (I loved it), be prepared for nothing of the same. Commodus' sister is, despite her brief appearances, a central character portrayed mostly in a negative space style. Her presence is always felt, but she is rarely there. Villa Hadriana, the same beautiful arrangement of rocks and gardens it has always been, provides the stage for the story and its rich description put it up second on the list of places I want to see in Rome (first place, Tajan's column, is hard to beat).
In a very Elisabethan turn of events, there's even a dog. Well, two dogs, but... you'll see. And rarely - if ever - have I seen more depth in a non-human character than here. Jungle Books and other personifications don't count.
I'm tempted to say Praetorian is a more accomplished book than Marius' Mules, but when it comes down to the small details, I find that hard to judge. Style always evolves, and the comparison might be unfair to MM, seeing that The Invasion of Gaul was Simon's first ever novel. The feeling his, with Praetorian, Simon is running against history much less. There is no detailed first hand account of the facts here like the rigid scaffolding of De Bello Gallico is for MM. And he seems to be enjoying this liberty, using each piece of hard information more like a trampoline for new subplots rather than a limitation. There are, of course, big spoilers all over the place (Marcus Aurelius will die, Commodus will become emperor), but they do not seem to be taking away any of the joy of the lecture. If anything, it is the author who gives away too much, like a director too delighted with the footage trying to fit it all in final cut.
A seemingly random scene in the book sees Praetorian Prefect Paternus meeting three senators, Publius Helvius Pertinax amongst them. I knew then we will hear more about this guy, although he does not make another appearance in The Great Game. Which only means there will be more to come. I am looking forward to Praetorian II and mostly, I am looking forward to see Rufinus through the very difficult and delicate year of the five emperors.
People familiar with Simon's works will probably need no convincing to read The Praetorian. For the rest, the book will take you down a deep rabbit hole which you'll only wish deeper. And I'm afraid Simon only writes 2-3 books a year, far too little to quench the readers' thirst, although an insanely prolific rate given the quality of the writing.
"If you hope to do any good, the first rule is that you have to survive long enough to do it." Pompeianus' tells Rufinus. Well, young man, you have at least another 35 years.
Coming at it from halfway through the Fronto saga I expected, with reasonable variation, more of the same. And it is more of the same in some very broad aspects: historical fiction, based on historical facts and set in the Roman Empire, with the same insane level of documentation and detail, so very accurate that it is impossible to catch the author off-guard, save maybe for a few debatable turns of phrases.
But in many other regards it is a completely different type of book. And the most striking difference is that, while the adventures of Caesar's army in Gaul is a story of truly epic proportions, comprising a vast number of characters, huge armies and battles that became turning points in history, Praetorian is mostly an individual story. It is, if you want, Ulysses' Odyssey to the all-encompassing Illiad. Schindler's List vs Saving Private Ryan, if we're talking WWII movies. Or, to put it otherwise: if I'd entrust Ridley Scott to direct the MM series, then Praetorian would be best served by Martin Scorsese.
The story is set two centuries later than Fronto's, and the events in-between have greatly transformed the Roman world. If there would be such a thing as Outstanding Achievement in Historical Description Award, then Simon would be well deserving of one because, while I can't put my finger on what exactly it is that does it, there is a completely different picture of Praetorian's Rome as opposed to MM Rome. I am not versed enough in Roman history, nor traveled enough to know how different high imperial Rome would have been from late republican Rome, but this book teaches a great deal, and I have come to learn Simon's words are mostly to be believed.
It is probably unfair to speak about Praetorian exclusively in comparison terms, but it will be unavoidable, seeing that the writer has been bold enough to approach an era so brilliantly depicted in the multiple Oscar winner The Gladiator, and from an entirely different angle. The main historical characters are the same in the two (Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Lucilla), but in the book they all are everything they are not in the movie. Now, it is a tendency of artistic enterprises to steer the public's opinion towards a simplistic classification of characters or facts in categories. We need a good guy and a bad guy for any sort of drama. So in describing Nero the emperor, for instance, one can either walk the beaten path and consider him a mindless tyrant or go against the current and find some episode or story that would put him in a good light, earning him if not redemption, at least an excuse.
Usually, however, reality is more complicated than what human mind can achieve and classifying historical figures as good or bad is actually detrimental to the science of history. All deeds are contextual, everyone is a man of their time and there is never any telling about any historical figure thought process. We can read Caesar's books, judge his facts and speculate as to his reasons, but it will always be impossible to tell how much he wanted the good of the republic or how heroic the Battle of Alesia was, for instance.
The beauty of fiction, however, is that can fill the gaps in research however the author sees fit. Ridley Scott's Marcus Aurelius is assassinated by his son, while Simon's Commodus is nothing but a loving son and rightful heir. And both can be equally right. Neither Marcus Aurelius, nor Commodus were good or bad, but they were both part of a great game, bigger even than the one Praetorian talks about.
And I was glad to see there is no talk of a decline of the Empire in Praetorian, the obsession of find the high point of Roman history, the one where decline started, being in my opinion an unhealthy one, and one that has driven historians over two millennia to place this high point anywhere between the Punic Wars and the Odoacer kingship.
Before he gets to the main stage of history, however, we find our hero, Gnaeus Marcius Rustius Rufinus, in the Pannonic forests chasing defeated Marcomanni in a scene that made me think Praetorian might well beat the body count of all the MM series. It doesn't, in the end, as the focus goes quickly away from Legio X Gemina and goes to our young hero and his adventures that - incredulous as they might seem - could just be true. Rufinus will end up a Praetorian Prefect under Caracalla, but until then we'll have to wait a few more years and a few more books. The Great Game only sees the young Rufinus through the last days of Marcus Aurelius - who he gets to meet briefly - and up to the plot against Commodus in 182 AD. It's a way of saying, sees him through, given that he is, more often than not, in the very core of the events, though always in the background and mostly in the stealth. Because our hero is very much an avant la lettre James Bond, down to a t, and this book is mostly a book of espionage.
On His Majesty's secret service, young Argentulum gets involved in plots for which the world is not enough. He gets more than a view to a kill, a licence to kill himself and gets to only live twice thanks to Pompeianus' medicus (probably a Dr. No, though not specified) who enables him to die another day and play a further part in the great game of dice royale. The metaphor of the hasta pura as a gold finger is brilliant, The hasta pura is forever, and Rufinus is the man with the silver gun in the key scene, where he lives and lets die. Oh , I could go on forever, There are even Bond girls - his only quantum of solace, perhaps? - and Senova the Briton can testify as to the Praetorian who loved her. From Rome with love, by Simon Turney, who I'd like to see denying the Bond influence on this book.
There are only a couple of other things I can say without giving too much of the plot away: if you liked Connie Nielsen's depiction of Lucilla (I loved it), be prepared for nothing of the same. Commodus' sister is, despite her brief appearances, a central character portrayed mostly in a negative space style. Her presence is always felt, but she is rarely there. Villa Hadriana, the same beautiful arrangement of rocks and gardens it has always been, provides the stage for the story and its rich description put it up second on the list of places I want to see in Rome (first place, Tajan's column, is hard to beat).
In a very Elisabethan turn of events, there's even a dog. Well, two dogs, but... you'll see. And rarely - if ever - have I seen more depth in a non-human character than here. Jungle Books and other personifications don't count.
I'm tempted to say Praetorian is a more accomplished book than Marius' Mules, but when it comes down to the small details, I find that hard to judge. Style always evolves, and the comparison might be unfair to MM, seeing that The Invasion of Gaul was Simon's first ever novel. The feeling his, with Praetorian, Simon is running against history much less. There is no detailed first hand account of the facts here like the rigid scaffolding of De Bello Gallico is for MM. And he seems to be enjoying this liberty, using each piece of hard information more like a trampoline for new subplots rather than a limitation. There are, of course, big spoilers all over the place (Marcus Aurelius will die, Commodus will become emperor), but they do not seem to be taking away any of the joy of the lecture. If anything, it is the author who gives away too much, like a director too delighted with the footage trying to fit it all in final cut.
A seemingly random scene in the book sees Praetorian Prefect Paternus meeting three senators, Publius Helvius Pertinax amongst them. I knew then we will hear more about this guy, although he does not make another appearance in The Great Game. Which only means there will be more to come. I am looking forward to Praetorian II and mostly, I am looking forward to see Rufinus through the very difficult and delicate year of the five emperors.
People familiar with Simon's works will probably need no convincing to read The Praetorian. For the rest, the book will take you down a deep rabbit hole which you'll only wish deeper. And I'm afraid Simon only writes 2-3 books a year, far too little to quench the readers' thirst, although an insanely prolific rate given the quality of the writing.
"If you hope to do any good, the first rule is that you have to survive long enough to do it." Pompeianus' tells Rufinus. Well, young man, you have at least another 35 years.
October 7, 2022
This was a very complicated and hair-raising story about a man who unexpectedly found himself promoted to the Praetorian Guard, after he unknowingly saved the commander from ambush. Leaving his legion behind, in a sort of command performance he was presented to the young emperor Commodus, accoladed in front of the troops, and awarded a place in the Guard. Whether he liked it or not—and he didn’t particularly like it—Gnaeus Marcius Rustius Rufinus (Rufinus for short) was singled out for his past performance and given a secret posting. As you can imagine, this was no ordinary assignment. He was to ferret out potential traitors who were allegedly plotting to kill the emperor, led by Commodus’s nasty, suspicious, dangerous sister Lucilla:
Paternus took a deep breath. ‘Needless to say there’s a great deal of risk involved, and I’m not talking about risk to your life and limb, either. You’re a combat veteran so you’ll be prepared for that. The risk is of discovery with everything that would bring, from us losing any further chance at uncovering the plot down to the inevitable torture of those involved, yourself at the head of the list.’
Doesn’t sound like a job any sane man would want to take on! Unfortunately, Rufinus isn’t given a choice, and his unscrupulous commander sends him into an impossible situation, where he doesn’t know who to trust and hasn’t the vaguest idea how to insinuate himself into Lucilla’s inner sanctum. I have to say, this is not a book for the faint-hearted. There are lots of scenes where Rufinus gets beaten up, lots of blood, lots of killing, lots of torture. I found myself skipping some of the most unsavory passages because I was just too squeamish. But if that sort of thing doesn’t bother you, the action is brisk and the story did keep me on the edge of my proverbial seat. There were some very satisfying twists in the plot and our hero proves himself most resilient—way beyond your average Roman strongman.
Paternus took a deep breath. ‘Needless to say there’s a great deal of risk involved, and I’m not talking about risk to your life and limb, either. You’re a combat veteran so you’ll be prepared for that. The risk is of discovery with everything that would bring, from us losing any further chance at uncovering the plot down to the inevitable torture of those involved, yourself at the head of the list.’
Doesn’t sound like a job any sane man would want to take on! Unfortunately, Rufinus isn’t given a choice, and his unscrupulous commander sends him into an impossible situation, where he doesn’t know who to trust and hasn’t the vaguest idea how to insinuate himself into Lucilla’s inner sanctum. I have to say, this is not a book for the faint-hearted. There are lots of scenes where Rufinus gets beaten up, lots of blood, lots of killing, lots of torture. I found myself skipping some of the most unsavory passages because I was just too squeamish. But if that sort of thing doesn’t bother you, the action is brisk and the story did keep me on the edge of my proverbial seat. There were some very satisfying twists in the plot and our hero proves himself most resilient—way beyond your average Roman strongman.
April 1, 2019
Well; not so good, not so bad. I think the historical references and documentation are pretty good ( despite the license about the hasta pura), however the history itself it's a bit forced in my opinion. The tale did not grasp me immediately and I have some stops and diagonal readings.
Maybe I wanted to finish it quickly and I am not fair; I could give it a second read next year.....
Maybe I wanted to finish it quickly and I am not fair; I could give it a second read next year.....
April 12, 2019
Can history be trusted?
This question is especially relevant when talking about Rome. When legitimate, reputable sources are available like livy and cassius dio are readily available you would be inclined to say yes, but as we know, Rome was nothing if not dangerously political and to write an honest history could see your end. Was commodus the spoilt corrupt man we hear about? Turney investigates if maybe this was the"truth" told to vindicate those plotting against him to legitimise their power grab.
This first book takes us into the murky underworld of Roman politics, who can you trust? Those who profess loyalty? Those sworn to protect you? At the lofty heights of ruler of the civilized world can you even trust your own family?
I loved the picture Simon paints of Rome, not the picturesque scenes from a postcard but the grubby side streets flowing with piss and shit. And blood. I love the images of Tiber and the villa of Hadrian having revisited I can imagine the whole scene he plays out in graphic details.
Simon is a gifted writer and really does this story justice, you will come away with questions about the Roman history we have all known, or thought we knew well.
This question is especially relevant when talking about Rome. When legitimate, reputable sources are available like livy and cassius dio are readily available you would be inclined to say yes, but as we know, Rome was nothing if not dangerously political and to write an honest history could see your end. Was commodus the spoilt corrupt man we hear about? Turney investigates if maybe this was the"truth" told to vindicate those plotting against him to legitimise their power grab.
This first book takes us into the murky underworld of Roman politics, who can you trust? Those who profess loyalty? Those sworn to protect you? At the lofty heights of ruler of the civilized world can you even trust your own family?
I loved the picture Simon paints of Rome, not the picturesque scenes from a postcard but the grubby side streets flowing with piss and shit. And blood. I love the images of Tiber and the villa of Hadrian having revisited I can imagine the whole scene he plays out in graphic details.
Simon is a gifted writer and really does this story justice, you will come away with questions about the Roman history we have all known, or thought we knew well.
October 18, 2019
My undergraduate degree (many years ago) was in Greek and Roman, and I’ve also done a good bit of study in the succeeding decades in military history, so a historical novel about Rome’s Praetorian Guard during the early reign of Commodus in the 2nd Century is something I have to approach with a certain amount of trepidation. An insufficient amount of research by the author can really make a mess of something like this. But I’m pleased to say that Turney obviously knows his subject.
The narrator is Gnaeus Marcius Rustius Rufinus, offspring of a minor aristocratic family that found it politically necessary to leave Rome for Hispania in his grandfather’s time. So Rufinus had a good education and all, but he nevertheless entered the army as an ordinary centurion. He was a very good boxer, though, and defending his unit in competitions got him double pay -- as well as teaching him to be much better than average in hand-to-hand combat against the Germanic tribes on the Danube.
He’s in a position, quite by chance, to save the life of Paternus, the Prefect of the Praetorians (the Emperor’s personal Guard), and that gets him noticed by Marcus Aurelius, and also by his heir, Commodus. And then the emperor dies in front of his troops -- of natural causes, not assassinated by his son, as various historians (plus Hollywood) have claimed. As a reward for his act of bravery, he’s unexpectedly taken into the Guard himself -- and instantly makes a couple of very bad enemies among the veterans. But he makes a couple of good friends, too. And then he gets drafted, more or less, to act as a spy among those who want the new emperor dead, most notably his sister.
There’s a certain amount of field combat in the story but most of it is more concerned with the labyrinthine politics of the court. Rufinus is bright enough, and considers himself a good and honest man, but he’s still a Roman soldier. Which means he’s riddled with shared prejudices and can be casually violent. He also makes mistakes, including a couple of lulus. The pace of the story accelerates right up to the last page, and Rufinus’s attitudes about loyalty and power undergo a significant shift. It’s a very good story, well written, and gives quite an accurate picture of the times and the people who lived them. And I like Turney’s reinterpretation of questionable historical assumptions, too. Consider this a much-needed antidote to that wretched film, Gladiator. I got this with Kindle Unlimited, by the way. Better yet, there’s a bunch of sequels.
The narrator is Gnaeus Marcius Rustius Rufinus, offspring of a minor aristocratic family that found it politically necessary to leave Rome for Hispania in his grandfather’s time. So Rufinus had a good education and all, but he nevertheless entered the army as an ordinary centurion. He was a very good boxer, though, and defending his unit in competitions got him double pay -- as well as teaching him to be much better than average in hand-to-hand combat against the Germanic tribes on the Danube.
He’s in a position, quite by chance, to save the life of Paternus, the Prefect of the Praetorians (the Emperor’s personal Guard), and that gets him noticed by Marcus Aurelius, and also by his heir, Commodus. And then the emperor dies in front of his troops -- of natural causes, not assassinated by his son, as various historians (plus Hollywood) have claimed. As a reward for his act of bravery, he’s unexpectedly taken into the Guard himself -- and instantly makes a couple of very bad enemies among the veterans. But he makes a couple of good friends, too. And then he gets drafted, more or less, to act as a spy among those who want the new emperor dead, most notably his sister.
There’s a certain amount of field combat in the story but most of it is more concerned with the labyrinthine politics of the court. Rufinus is bright enough, and considers himself a good and honest man, but he’s still a Roman soldier. Which means he’s riddled with shared prejudices and can be casually violent. He also makes mistakes, including a couple of lulus. The pace of the story accelerates right up to the last page, and Rufinus’s attitudes about loyalty and power undergo a significant shift. It’s a very good story, well written, and gives quite an accurate picture of the times and the people who lived them. And I like Turney’s reinterpretation of questionable historical assumptions, too. Consider this a much-needed antidote to that wretched film, Gladiator. I got this with Kindle Unlimited, by the way. Better yet, there’s a bunch of sequels.
December 23, 2021
Interesting start of a series. Different from other books I've read set in ancient Rome in that this involves the Praetorian Guards (not soldiers) and a lot more palace intrigue and politics. I thought it was interesting the author's more neutral take on Commodus. Then again, I often wonder if some of the emperors were as bad as the sources say? Keep in mind for many of them, there are only a few good sources that speak of them and for many, it's by authors 10-20 years after the fact. That's not to say they were great guys, just that things might not be all we assume them to be. Especially if the source author is not, for whatever reason, favorable to said emperor. It will be interesting to see how things progress on that front as the series continues; if Commodus starts to get more textbook or not. I did think this book gave a plausible interpretation of things that makes sense. (I might at another time, read this author's Damned Emperor book about Commodus as well just to see how things are tackled there).
Time is a bit strange in this book, in that the whole novel encompasses 2 years, but it doesn't exactly seem like that when reading it. Yes, passages of seasons and time are mentioned, with it just didn't feel like 2 years passed. Though if this is the usual for the series, I can see how we'd get though the 12 years of Commodus' reign pretty quickly.
All in all, not bad and I'd definitely give #2 a read.
Time is a bit strange in this book, in that the whole novel encompasses 2 years, but it doesn't exactly seem like that when reading it. Yes, passages of seasons and time are mentioned, with it just didn't feel like 2 years passed. Though if this is the usual for the series, I can see how we'd get though the 12 years of Commodus' reign pretty quickly.
All in all, not bad and I'd definitely give #2 a read.
March 30, 2021
This a very good Roman book. The start and how the emperor is displayed and the legions is beautiful. The empress is done perfectly and politics in the imperial court are done correctly although, we are only with a assassin. Not a ton about the wider political parts of the senate and even imperial house.
This series had more in love it is top 10 Roman books I’ve read and I have read a ton of Roman books. I actually have read this whole series. Funny, I read book 5 first, then got book 1 and didn’t make the connection it was same series until book 3 was almost over. I usually smoke weed while I read and my memory is really bad, although life is a lot more beautiful. Probably have the most interesting relationship with this series ever lol.
Ye there is a good love story in the book, great storyline the whole series is 5/5, only because it is written by one of the best authors I have ever read. His other series Marius Mules may be just as good and even better if that’s possible. I really can only compare 5-6 Roman series to this only because this author is amazing.
God bless, Kenny.
This series had more in love it is top 10 Roman books I’ve read and I have read a ton of Roman books. I actually have read this whole series. Funny, I read book 5 first, then got book 1 and didn’t make the connection it was same series until book 3 was almost over. I usually smoke weed while I read and my memory is really bad, although life is a lot more beautiful. Probably have the most interesting relationship with this series ever lol.
Ye there is a good love story in the book, great storyline the whole series is 5/5, only because it is written by one of the best authors I have ever read. His other series Marius Mules may be just as good and even better if that’s possible. I really can only compare 5-6 Roman series to this only because this author is amazing.
God bless, Kenny.
January 28, 2018
Bondus, Iacomus Bondus
Seeking a book about ancient Rome and the legions fighting barbarian tribes, this is NOT your book. Rather this is a James Bond version of ancient Rome in the time of the emperor Commodus. While there is some fighting between the legions and the barbarians at the beginning of the book, the book quickly shifts to Rome and the political infighting that takes place among the emperor and various parts of his Court and advisers. So if you enjoy the James Bond books and books of that type this will be a good read for you. If you would rather read about the Roman legions facing various enemies of Rome there are many other series to choose from.
Seeking a book about ancient Rome and the legions fighting barbarian tribes, this is NOT your book. Rather this is a James Bond version of ancient Rome in the time of the emperor Commodus. While there is some fighting between the legions and the barbarians at the beginning of the book, the book quickly shifts to Rome and the political infighting that takes place among the emperor and various parts of his Court and advisers. So if you enjoy the James Bond books and books of that type this will be a good read for you. If you would rather read about the Roman legions facing various enemies of Rome there are many other series to choose from.
April 30, 2019
Picked up cheap in a charity shop before I realised they were self published POD books. But, despite my immediate bias, they were surprisingly good (and surprisingly well edited). As far as I can tell his research and accuracy are impeccable, the plot excellent and the characters mostly well drawn (the main character is a little too perfectly honourable at times). My main complaint would be the rather purple prose with far more adjectives in use than are needed. But still a solid piece of writing. I have another three of his, bought at the same time, which I am now encouraged to read as well.
January 8, 2018
Overall a good read
I enjoyed the book a great deal, although at times it seemed to bog down a little with some of the graphic details of the fight scenes and the like. But overall I loved how the author took actual people of ancient history, a true story for that matter, and tweaked it just enough to tell his version of history. I will read the other books in this series.
I enjoyed the book a great deal, although at times it seemed to bog down a little with some of the graphic details of the fight scenes and the like. But overall I loved how the author took actual people of ancient history, a true story for that matter, and tweaked it just enough to tell his version of history. I will read the other books in this series.
January 16, 2018
A wonderful story
This was a first class tale of intrigue and murder at the heart of Roman society. An environment where it was impossible to tell who could be trusted and who couldn't. The story was both brutal and intriguing, a real page turner. This was probably one of the best ancient Rome stories I have read. Well recommended.
This was a first class tale of intrigue and murder at the heart of Roman society. An environment where it was impossible to tell who could be trusted and who couldn't. The story was both brutal and intriguing, a real page turner. This was probably one of the best ancient Rome stories I have read. Well recommended.
April 11, 2021
I read about a third of this book but it was a plodding read and I really didn't want to invest any more time in it, especially as it's the start of a series. The characters were unconvincing and the story pretty lifeless. The author seems to depend entirely on bursts of violence to keep your interest.
May 7, 2022
A good, but not great read.
I like Turney’s work and this book is no exception.
But the “however” here is this: 1) The Great Game is lacking in the character development department and 2) the plot doesn't stand on a solid enough foundation of urgency that is necessary to make you care whether Commodus gets assassinated or not.
I like Turney’s work and this book is no exception.
But the “however” here is this: 1) The Great Game is lacking in the character development department and 2) the plot doesn't stand on a solid enough foundation of urgency that is necessary to make you care whether Commodus gets assassinated or not.
October 5, 2025
Interesting and Exciting
A unique look behind the scenes of the famous Praetorian Guard, filled with intricate detail of life in the Guard and palace intrigue during the end of Marcus Aurealeus reign and his Commodus’ rise to become Emperor including a foiled plot by his brutal sister Lucilla.
A unique look behind the scenes of the famous Praetorian Guard, filled with intricate detail of life in the Guard and palace intrigue during the end of Marcus Aurealeus reign and his Commodus’ rise to become Emperor including a foiled plot by his brutal sister Lucilla.
November 28, 2017
New view
This Roman thriller gives you a look at the empire from a different perspective. One of the Praetorean guards, the elite of the Roman army.
Very captivating tale. Especially if you have an interest in ancient Rome.
Strongly recommend!
This Roman thriller gives you a look at the empire from a different perspective. One of the Praetorean guards, the elite of the Roman army.
Very captivating tale. Especially if you have an interest in ancient Rome.
Strongly recommend!
March 22, 2019
Gripping tale
Rome was the center of civilization for a thousand years. Imagine the stories buried in that past. This book reveals an authentic Roman atmosphere with great characters.. The plot woven in this story is believable and exciting. Don't miss it.
Rome was the center of civilization for a thousand years. Imagine the stories buried in that past. This book reveals an authentic Roman atmosphere with great characters.. The plot woven in this story is believable and exciting. Don't miss it.
July 28, 2021
i stumbled across this author while stalking another favourite...and i am so glad I did! absolutely brilliant story and the perfect narrator. twists and turns and flips in every chapter. can't wait to listen to the rest of the series :)
August 18, 2025
The Game
Turney writes a great book again I have read his Vikings books but this is the first Roman Empire book that I've read. It is needless to say that this story is exceptionly and excitingly well written.
Turney writes a great book again I have read his Vikings books but this is the first Roman Empire book that I've read. It is needless to say that this story is exceptionly and excitingly well written.
December 8, 2016
Plot gets a thorough boiling in this entertaining take on the early days of Commodus' reign. Plenty of thrills and blood spills with the occasional profundity.
June 29, 2018
Fact finding ly wonderful
A page turner in every chapter shows the reasons for the downfall of the greatest empire of the known world
A page turner in every chapter shows the reasons for the downfall of the greatest empire of the known world
April 24, 2019
Accomodusating
First Tourney book read but not the last.
Real intrigue, characterisation and plot.
Thoroughly enjoyed and I can see why he is s fan of Jackson.
Scarrow watch out.
First Tourney book read but not the last.
Real intrigue, characterisation and plot.
Thoroughly enjoyed and I can see why he is s fan of Jackson.
Scarrow watch out.
September 10, 2019
Great
Excellently written extremely easy to read@and full of history. I enjoyed the novel. I hope the is a sequel.
Thank you
Excellently written extremely easy to read@and full of history. I enjoyed the novel. I hope the is a sequel.
Thank you
September 17, 2019
have to say very enjoyable read, on to book 2 now :-)
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