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Aquila – Can Silvanus Escape That God?
Plunge into an unfamiliar era of fearful stone gods served by lewd priestesses, an era of piracy, treachery and love, of wars and rumours of wars, and of the constant struggle to survive.
Silvanus is a young lad intent on becoming a man. When his God Aquila smiles on him, Silvanus finds a cave of precious gems. His dreams of buying a boat and fleeing his island home are that much closer! Instead, a series of events lead Silvanus to the bizarre old hermit, Cerbonius. His uncanny wisdom causes Silvanus to question everything he knows about the world, and he discovers his ambitions are far too small.
This book will appeal to fans of Dark Ages tales with a spiritual motif. By focusing on unobtrusive people – often ignored by historical novelists – it is free to explore timeless personal and moral issues.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 1, 2018
I’ll be honest, “Aquila…” is far from the action adventure I was expecting, and I would strongly advise that to fully enjoy this book, the reader needs to understand what it is about. In this respect, I would say that the blurb is a touch misleading - there is no action element, and in some ways a huge aspect of historical non-fiction. I won’t say I was disappointed, because as soon as it become clear what Rockston’s tale is (about midway), I developed a whole new respect for it.
What “Aquila...” is, in actual fact, is a spiritual fable, or even a psalm. Based in pre-dark ages, while the Romans still ruled, it follows one teenage boy’s conversion from fear of his astral gods, to Christianity. His transition is slow and somewhat reluctant, as he learns several harsh life lessons, over several years; his experiences come to teach him to forgo the trappings and desires of a material life, in favour of the virtues which come from a life of faith, finally embracing the Christian concepts of forgiveness, servitude, compassion and humility. By the final quarter, this is pure gospel.
I’m not really a fan of religious writing, but I have to say that once I acknowledged and accepted the direction in which it was taking me in, and allowed it to do so, this book entertained me immensely. Although drawn out, and not particularly eventful, it is a wonderful fable, which skilfully allows the reader into the head and heart of Silvanus. It is thoughtful and insightful, and portrays a vivid depiction of life in the early centuries after Jesus – Rockston’s grasp of history is astute and very well researched, and you are able to imagine fully the setting and culture of the time. At the end of the book, a helpful glossary emphasizes the author’s knowledge of history, and of the scriptures. There are a few issues with some of the punctuation in this book, and occasionally the tense slips from present, but generally it is nicely written and runs at a very palatable pace, which allows the reader to simply roll with it.
I did have a couple of niggling, if small, criticisms: some of Silvanus’s naivety, and his continual questioning of the fairness and inhumanity of everything, grates a touch at times; but, of course, that all serves to set up the virtues of his conversion (and he is a teenager, after all, so I suppose it isn’t inaccurate!). Another point which made me raise my eyebrows a little is traces of sexuality in the characters, some of which felt a little out of my comfort zone. And, not to overlook it, why was a Roman scoundrel talking in a Dickensian cockney accent?
Still, these are trivial points, in a largely captivating fable, which clearly a large amount of work has gone into, and Rockston deserves credit where it is due. This review may appear to spoil a touch, but I don’t think so – in this case I believe knowledge of the subject can only optimize the reader’s experience. I recommend this book highly, but, to avoid disappointment, make sure you know what you are reading before you do so.
What “Aquila...” is, in actual fact, is a spiritual fable, or even a psalm. Based in pre-dark ages, while the Romans still ruled, it follows one teenage boy’s conversion from fear of his astral gods, to Christianity. His transition is slow and somewhat reluctant, as he learns several harsh life lessons, over several years; his experiences come to teach him to forgo the trappings and desires of a material life, in favour of the virtues which come from a life of faith, finally embracing the Christian concepts of forgiveness, servitude, compassion and humility. By the final quarter, this is pure gospel.
I’m not really a fan of religious writing, but I have to say that once I acknowledged and accepted the direction in which it was taking me in, and allowed it to do so, this book entertained me immensely. Although drawn out, and not particularly eventful, it is a wonderful fable, which skilfully allows the reader into the head and heart of Silvanus. It is thoughtful and insightful, and portrays a vivid depiction of life in the early centuries after Jesus – Rockston’s grasp of history is astute and very well researched, and you are able to imagine fully the setting and culture of the time. At the end of the book, a helpful glossary emphasizes the author’s knowledge of history, and of the scriptures. There are a few issues with some of the punctuation in this book, and occasionally the tense slips from present, but generally it is nicely written and runs at a very palatable pace, which allows the reader to simply roll with it.
I did have a couple of niggling, if small, criticisms: some of Silvanus’s naivety, and his continual questioning of the fairness and inhumanity of everything, grates a touch at times; but, of course, that all serves to set up the virtues of his conversion (and he is a teenager, after all, so I suppose it isn’t inaccurate!). Another point which made me raise my eyebrows a little is traces of sexuality in the characters, some of which felt a little out of my comfort zone. And, not to overlook it, why was a Roman scoundrel talking in a Dickensian cockney accent?
Still, these are trivial points, in a largely captivating fable, which clearly a large amount of work has gone into, and Rockston deserves credit where it is due. This review may appear to spoil a touch, but I don’t think so – in this case I believe knowledge of the subject can only optimize the reader’s experience. I recommend this book highly, but, to avoid disappointment, make sure you know what you are reading before you do so.
March 11, 2025
This book was previously supplied as a free ARC from NetGalley.
What I expected: a tale with political intrigue in a Roman settlement with a focus on the influence the gods have on their lives
What I got: a slog through vaguely preachy missionary sentiment that had a sporadic but intense focus on young girls
Aquila - Can Silvanus Escape that God? Opens with our main character Silvanus on his way to market due to his father’s illness. The story stumbles through his conflicting stances on his own beliefs and experiences with the outer world at large with a deliberate mentioning of other accents on the island coming off as strange. The main villain in the book speaks in Cockney English so make of that as you will. There is a vague scattering of other religious symbols before the narrative turns to its true purpose of Christianity and continues on its preaching from there. Silvanus is mostly converted from his original faith following a discovery of gemstones (that he is robbed of), and the kindness of strangers. He also meets a runaway slave girl who later becomes his wife. It’s heavy-handed with the religious over and undertones which does not make for an enjoyable read when it isn’t made clear in the summary what the focus of the plot is.
The story culminates with Silvanus abandoning his family and marrying his wife, only to die so another character can be forgiven in what I believe was meant to be a touching scene. It falls short.
Rating: 1.5 stars
What I expected: a tale with political intrigue in a Roman settlement with a focus on the influence the gods have on their lives
What I got: a slog through vaguely preachy missionary sentiment that had a sporadic but intense focus on young girls
Aquila - Can Silvanus Escape that God? Opens with our main character Silvanus on his way to market due to his father’s illness. The story stumbles through his conflicting stances on his own beliefs and experiences with the outer world at large with a deliberate mentioning of other accents on the island coming off as strange. The main villain in the book speaks in Cockney English so make of that as you will. There is a vague scattering of other religious symbols before the narrative turns to its true purpose of Christianity and continues on its preaching from there. Silvanus is mostly converted from his original faith following a discovery of gemstones (that he is robbed of), and the kindness of strangers. He also meets a runaway slave girl who later becomes his wife. It’s heavy-handed with the religious over and undertones which does not make for an enjoyable read when it isn’t made clear in the summary what the focus of the plot is.
The story culminates with Silvanus abandoning his family and marrying his wife, only to die so another character can be forgiven in what I believe was meant to be a touching scene. It falls short.
Rating: 1.5 stars
August 1, 2018
Had the opportunity to read Vince's first novel and was impressed with his craft of plot, characters and history of the young man's journey, coming of age yet more. No spoilers other than that!
May 26, 2025
it's a deeply human exploration of belief, purpose, and redemption set in a time when gods, emperors, and common men clashed in both ideology and survival.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews