The Snake Catcher

Hraban Chronicles #4

by Alaric Longward

Hraban is riding for Rome. Having lost Drusus to the schemes of a highborn noble in Rome, Hraban and his friends follow Tiberius, and join the Germani Corporis Custodes, the illustrious Germani guard of Augustus. Their mission is not only to guard the lives of the family of the Princeps, but also to uncover who is trying to kill the sons and grandchildren of Livia, wife of Augustus. Drusus is already dead. Will Tiberius be next? Is Julia, the daughter of Augustus to blame, as everyone believes? Navigating the intrigues of Rome is not easy, and Hraban's newly found honor is sorely tested by the schemes of the nobles, paid murdering gladiators on the prowl, and the confusion Hraban must face as he plunges into the shadowy work of a Sword of Tiberius and tries to catch the snake that threatens the family. The truth can only be found in the war-torn Jerusalem, when Hraban has nothing to lose.

Genres: Historical Fiction

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2016

Reviews

[Heather Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think out of all the Hraban novels, I loved this one the most (I keep saying that, but they just get better and better!). Mr. Longward continues his tale right where The Winter Sword left off, bringing Hraban into the heart of Rome, where complex schemes run rampant and everyone has an ulterior motive. The intrigue, to me, feels like a Germania/Roman Game of Thrones. Well done! Can't wait for the next one!

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hraban's life when he first arrived in Rome, in a superbly well planned plot he needs to deal with the corruption of the city.
The depiction of the Ancient Roma is noteworthy, I could imagine myself walking by its streets.
I'll begin to use the following metrics for my reviews, I plan to revisit most of the books I read with it in the future

Metric system - Those are my personal opinions, you may discord, my final rating of the book is not necessarily linked to this system and may diverge from it.
Book Storyline
- Originality: 4/5 stars
- Development: 5/5 stars
- Enjoyment: 5/5 stars
- Writing stile: 5/5 stars
- Funnyness: 3/5 stars
- Epicness: 3/5 stars
- Scaryness: 2/5 stars
- Smartness: 5/5 stars
- Addictiveness: 4/5 stars
- Plot twists: 4/5 stars
- Storyline planning: 5/5 stars OR /5 negative stars
- Ending: 5/5 stars OR /5 negative stars
- Holes: 0/5 negative stars
- Impact on series storyline: 5/5 stars
- Self contained (Y/N): Y
- Adult (Y/N): Y
- Violence level: Very high, includes torture
- Tech level: Ancient Rome
- Religion level: High, some fanatism
- Main genre: Historical Fiction, Fictional Autobiography
- Subgenre: Quest, Adventure, Mystery, Politics
- Point of view: A letter writen by the old main character
- Aftertaste: Satisfaction
Series Storyline
- Originality: 5/5 stars
- Development: 5/5 stars
- Enjoyment: 5/5 stars
- Writing stile: 5/5 stars
- Funnyness: 3/5 stars
- Epicness: 3/5 stars
- Scaryness: 2/5 stars
- Smartness: 5/5 stars
- Addictiveness: 4/5 stars
- Plot twists: 4/5 stars
- Storyline planning: 5/5 stars OR /5 negative stars
- Ending: /5 stars OR /5 negative stars - not quite there yet
- Holes: 0/5 negative stars
World
- Originality: 3/5 stars
- Variety: 3/5 stars
- Consistency: 3/5 stars
- Impact on the story: 3/5 stars
- Maps: 2/5 stars
- Real world (Y/N): Y
- Fantasy based on real world (Y/N): N
- Journey (Y/N): N (There are some, but it's not the focus of this book)
- Main scenario: Rome, Jerusalem
Characters Quantity:
- Total amount: 30 ~ 50
- Points of view: 1
- Main characters: 1
- Secondary: 12 ~ 20
- Ordinary: some handful
Characters Quality:
- Overall: 5/5 stars
- Main: 5/5 stars
- Secondary: 5/5 stars
- Consistency: 5/5 stars
- Connection: 5/5 stars
- Notable best characters: Hraban, Cassia,
- Notable worst characters: None, all are well written
Rules:
- Devised system: 0/5 stars Do not Apply
- System complexity: 0/5 stars Do not Apply
- System explanation: 0/5 stars Do not Apply
- Impact on storyline: 0/5 stars Do not Apply
- Rulebreaker (Y/N): Do not Apply

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ignoring the typical errors and lack of proofreading I’ve come to expect at this point, this was actually my favorite so far in the series. I didn’t expect this given the departure from the Germanic setting. The intrigue and plot was definitely riveting, albeit a bit predictable. But there were still some surprises. Glad he didn’t get bogged down in details about Rome the way he did on describing the Roman army. Pleasant read.

[Leah Eckblad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

Great read. I'm enjoying all of Mr Longwards twists as well as the history lesson. Lots of fun. Strongly recommend

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awfully Bloody but good reading

A fair rendering of history by Longward. Much more intense violence for my tastes but still exciting reading. A tragedy in the making.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again a wonderful read from Mr. Longward. His chronicles are so captivating and I enjoy reading them so much! In this book Hraban's story continues and as before, I can't wait for the next part!

[Matt schmm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshingly original and exciting.

I love the in depth knowledge about all the characters and the time. Very descriptive battle scenes. This is a great story of betrayal , battles , friends family, mystery, action and excitement with a sense of humor as well. Perfect mix