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Legionnaire #3
The Jeweled Hills
Tribune Marcus Venandus and his two trusted officers have gone through hell in their journey north from the Fire Islands and across the Sea of Grass. Arriving at Amatista in the Jeweled Hills, Marcus is looking forward to a much deserved rest in the home of his half-brother, but fate has other plans for the legionnaire. Soon he will be wishing he’d never heard of his brother’s city. Surrounded by enemies and crippled by internal divisions, Amatista is already on its knees and ready to fall. Marcus must act decisively to save everything his brother has built, but without his beloved legions behind him, can Marcus and his friends survive their visit to the Jeweled Hills? (This edition now contains a color map of the Jeweled Cities.)
- GenresFantasy
230 pages, Paperback
Published March 28, 2018
About the author
Gilbert M. Stack
104 books80 followersGilbert M. Stack has been creating stories almost since he began speaking, and publishing fiction and non-fiction since 2006. A professional historian, Gilbert delights in bringing the past to life in his fiction, depicting characters who are both true to their time and empathetic with modern sensibilities. His work has appeared in several issues of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and is available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, Michelle, and their son, Michael.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 17, 2019
Military fiction and adventure
Review of Kindle edition, The Jeweled Hills
Publication date: April 5, 2018
Language: English
ASIN: B0791KVX18
231 pages
After successfully leading an ad hoc force of legionnaires, Amatistaian cavalry, caravan guards and merchants in a successful defense of Fort Quartus—or Fort Defiance as its defenders had begun to call it, Marcus is summoned to Amatista by the thegn. He finds that the death of his half-brother has left him in a seemingly untenable position for a Patrician of the Republic of Aquila. But there was more to his brother's position than merchant captain. There is a vital military and political problem involved. One which Marcus is just the man to solve.
Gilbert Stack has produced another fascinating volume in the adventures of Tribune Marcus Venandus. As in previous volumes, the writing, plotting and character development are superb in this tale of intrigue, politics, commerce, diplomacy, assassins, combat and adventure.
Review of Kindle edition, The Jeweled Hills
Publication date: April 5, 2018
Language: English
ASIN: B0791KVX18
231 pages
After successfully leading an ad hoc force of legionnaires, Amatistaian cavalry, caravan guards and merchants in a successful defense of Fort Quartus—or Fort Defiance as its defenders had begun to call it, Marcus is summoned to Amatista by the thegn. He finds that the death of his half-brother has left him in a seemingly untenable position for a Patrician of the Republic of Aquila. But there was more to his brother's position than merchant captain. There is a vital military and political problem involved. One which Marcus is just the man to solve.
Gilbert Stack has produced another fascinating volume in the adventures of Tribune Marcus Venandus. As in previous volumes, the writing, plotting and character development are superb in this tale of intrigue, politics, commerce, diplomacy, assassins, combat and adventure.
April 11, 2018
This is one of those rare series where you get high expectations, then they go even higher, and still the author meets them. I thought I knew what I was in for after enjoying the first two books of this saga (and that's what it is, make no mistake, Gil Stack has an epic tale in mind and simply finds excellent places to divide it up). But I was unprepared for the next gear he threw it into with this third installment.
The parade of interesting cultures and customs continues, but this time Marcus, the hero of war, must conquer- gulp- the ignoble life of the merchant, which goes clean contrary to his desires. Not only that but he has three new wives to negotiate! Plunged into a world he could never have anticipated, surrounded by pressures at every turn, encountering assassins' assaults, debtor's demands and political pressures alike, yet still our resourceful protagonist finds time to... yes, of course... hit the shops for gifts! This time around, the battle comes as a relief.
This is an absolutely splendid new series, fabulous characters, terrific action, deft writing. What more do you need? What in all the hills of Aquila are you waiting for!
The parade of interesting cultures and customs continues, but this time Marcus, the hero of war, must conquer- gulp- the ignoble life of the merchant, which goes clean contrary to his desires. Not only that but he has three new wives to negotiate! Plunged into a world he could never have anticipated, surrounded by pressures at every turn, encountering assassins' assaults, debtor's demands and political pressures alike, yet still our resourceful protagonist finds time to... yes, of course... hit the shops for gifts! This time around, the battle comes as a relief.
This is an absolutely splendid new series, fabulous characters, terrific action, deft writing. What more do you need? What in all the hills of Aquila are you waiting for!
May 16, 2025
I’m taking advantage of Goodreads interesting policy that permits authors to review their own novels to talk about the inspirations that led me to write this book.
When I started writing the Legionnaire series, The Jeweled Hills was the book I was initially writing toward. It highlights two of the major themes of the series so far—the importance of discipline and training to a military unit, and the problems that result when cultures clash (there are three major cultures interacting in the Jeweled Hills, plus Marcus and his Aquilan officers). It also reveals the problem that led Marcus’ half brother to plead with him to come help him. In doing all of this, I get to show in greater depth than the previous two stories had permitted, just what it means to Marcus to be a patrician of his beloved homeland, Aquila.
It also let me write a situation I had been thinking about for approximately thirty years. That was the idea that a man could be made responsible for his brother’s household if the brother died. In Marcus’ case, that meant inheriting a huge estate with a lot of problems—the biggest of which were his brother’s three wives each of whom represents one of the dominant cultures of the Jeweled Hills. I think it was a creative way of introducing these cultures up close and personal while giving Marcus a serious problem that wasn’t military in nature—in other words, a problem outside of the skillset he had been developing all his life. To make this work, each of the wives needed a very distinctive personality with unique strengths and weaknesses and the all important prejudices that epitomize their particular ethnic group in the Jeweled Hills. They were, and are, a lot of fun to write. And they are the people most capable of throwing Marcus off his stride and discombobulating him. I’ve always thought that they were the most important key to bringing the vibrant cultures of the Jeweled Hills to life. We see their whole cultures in their speech, their attitudes, their looks, the food they prefer, and their constant arguing with each other. We also see them in those rarer calm moments when the women let down their guard and let Marcus see the person behind the trappings that their society forces them to don.
Of course, the heart of the novel is the military problem Marcus’ half-brother invited him to the Jeweled Hills to resolve. That problem is crystal clear to Marcus but much less so to those embroiled in it. The question, of course, is can Marcus once again pull off another victory when all the odds are heavily stacked against him?
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
When I started writing the Legionnaire series, The Jeweled Hills was the book I was initially writing toward. It highlights two of the major themes of the series so far—the importance of discipline and training to a military unit, and the problems that result when cultures clash (there are three major cultures interacting in the Jeweled Hills, plus Marcus and his Aquilan officers). It also reveals the problem that led Marcus’ half brother to plead with him to come help him. In doing all of this, I get to show in greater depth than the previous two stories had permitted, just what it means to Marcus to be a patrician of his beloved homeland, Aquila.
It also let me write a situation I had been thinking about for approximately thirty years. That was the idea that a man could be made responsible for his brother’s household if the brother died. In Marcus’ case, that meant inheriting a huge estate with a lot of problems—the biggest of which were his brother’s three wives each of whom represents one of the dominant cultures of the Jeweled Hills. I think it was a creative way of introducing these cultures up close and personal while giving Marcus a serious problem that wasn’t military in nature—in other words, a problem outside of the skillset he had been developing all his life. To make this work, each of the wives needed a very distinctive personality with unique strengths and weaknesses and the all important prejudices that epitomize their particular ethnic group in the Jeweled Hills. They were, and are, a lot of fun to write. And they are the people most capable of throwing Marcus off his stride and discombobulating him. I’ve always thought that they were the most important key to bringing the vibrant cultures of the Jeweled Hills to life. We see their whole cultures in their speech, their attitudes, their looks, the food they prefer, and their constant arguing with each other. We also see them in those rarer calm moments when the women let down their guard and let Marcus see the person behind the trappings that their society forces them to don.
Of course, the heart of the novel is the military problem Marcus’ half-brother invited him to the Jeweled Hills to resolve. That problem is crystal clear to Marcus but much less so to those embroiled in it. The question, of course, is can Marcus once again pull off another victory when all the odds are heavily stacked against him?
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
June 8, 2020
In book 3 of the Legionnaire Series, Tribune Marcus Venandus continues his extraordinary trajectory across a strange and culturally diverse land. Arriving at Amatista in the Jeweled Hills, he rises in the hierarchy of the culture's nobility after the death of his half-brother, Juan Pablo. A surprise comes when he discovers that his inheritance includes three wives and a mother-in-law. However, the city suffers from internal and external enemies and is ready to fall. Marcus and his friends must fight to save the city and his heritage as Patrician of the Republic of Aquila. On the march with his caravan, Marcus is faced with a tough decision and says, "Every act of war is about risk." And so he leads and fights like a man who knows the risks and accepts them.
While Marcus inherited a noble lineage that is in decline, he manages to advance his career through cunning and guile. And he profits enormously from his conquests of barbarians and tribes that surround the countryside. He possessed great courage, ambition, honor, as well as failings. He is complex, both hero and brigand.
The line between historical fiction and fantasy is often blurred, and a great fantasy world will usually have a taste of our own history to add texture and spice to the mix. For example, 'A Game of Thrones,' was at its core patterned after The War of the Roses.
In Legionnaire, Gilbert Stack provides us with a map, not just an illustration of the physical landscape of an ancient world, but a blueprint of a hero and the extraordinary people that inhabit his worldbuilding environment. We can see that Marcus is a man who is shaping his world's history for generations to come in the manner that Julius Caesar helped shape the Roman Empire. Ultimately, the full complexity of his character shows why his political and military leadership resonates with the reader and draws us ever deeper into this series.
I look forward to the next book.
While Marcus inherited a noble lineage that is in decline, he manages to advance his career through cunning and guile. And he profits enormously from his conquests of barbarians and tribes that surround the countryside. He possessed great courage, ambition, honor, as well as failings. He is complex, both hero and brigand.
The line between historical fiction and fantasy is often blurred, and a great fantasy world will usually have a taste of our own history to add texture and spice to the mix. For example, 'A Game of Thrones,' was at its core patterned after The War of the Roses.
In Legionnaire, Gilbert Stack provides us with a map, not just an illustration of the physical landscape of an ancient world, but a blueprint of a hero and the extraordinary people that inhabit his worldbuilding environment. We can see that Marcus is a man who is shaping his world's history for generations to come in the manner that Julius Caesar helped shape the Roman Empire. Ultimately, the full complexity of his character shows why his political and military leadership resonates with the reader and draws us ever deeper into this series.
I look forward to the next book.
October 6, 2021
Gilbert M. Stack comes out swinging with Book 3 of his Legionnaire series – The Jeweled Hills. This was, for me, just a very rousing tale and possibly the strongest I’ve read to-date. Marcus is a fighting man; those who have read the first two books know that. But he is rapidly becoming as astute in his statecraft as he is in tactics, and this shows in this tale where he must thread quite as many household and political affairs as he does pitched battles.
After arriving in his half-brother’s city of Amatista in The Jeweled Hills, Marcus begins seeing that the city is rife for civil war and has been for a while. Amatista’s enemies are gearing up to attack the city and the various factions can’t focus on their defense for all of the internal squabbling. For the Gota rule the Gente will iron fists, but the Gente make up a considerable percentage of the population.
It doesn’t help matters that the women and servants of his half-brother’s household make life difficult for him. They, just like the people and politics of Amatista, are multi-faceted and complex with plenty of intertwining relationships. In short, the novel develops an interesting side of Marcus, and we see him faced with new challenges, but still get to see how he fares in battle against his enemies, both physical and political.
You better watch out, Marcus!
After arriving in his half-brother’s city of Amatista in The Jeweled Hills, Marcus begins seeing that the city is rife for civil war and has been for a while. Amatista’s enemies are gearing up to attack the city and the various factions can’t focus on their defense for all of the internal squabbling. For the Gota rule the Gente will iron fists, but the Gente make up a considerable percentage of the population.
It doesn’t help matters that the women and servants of his half-brother’s household make life difficult for him. They, just like the people and politics of Amatista, are multi-faceted and complex with plenty of intertwining relationships. In short, the novel develops an interesting side of Marcus, and we see him faced with new challenges, but still get to see how he fares in battle against his enemies, both physical and political.
You better watch out, Marcus!
January 20, 2020
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
It's a fine line between writing a military fantasy whilst creating a new fantasy setting to provide the context for said military action. It's a line the author walks well. Thrust into the middle of complicated plots among even more complicated politics with complex historical background whilst exiled from his beloved Aquilla, Tribune Marcus probably wishes he was back at Fire Islands. Our hero is resilient, but even he takes a pause whilst dealing with the inheritance of his older half-brother, which includes his 3 wives and a potential for war that seems to have started because of greed of merchant houses. Add to that the shadows of the mysterious Empire that might have been behind the Fire Islands uprising and you have a fascinating story.
I loved the character development of Marcus, bringing his prejudices towards commerce to the fore felt believable. Marcus may potentially be one of the most gifted military commanders of this world, but if only life was as a simple as a military campaign. I felt that the ending could have been more than just the newly achieved victory, but I suppose there are more books in the series to enjoy.
The narration was great and I believe Will Hahn did a great job in distinguishing the different peoples of the North. His narration of female characters was great, many male narrators feel that making their voices go higher is all that's required for a successful narration, fortunately Mr Hahn is not one of those. I really loved his voices of Estella and Su-Jinn. It's the battles that absolutely impressed me. Everytime the 'war' trumpets started I would relish each battle.
Highly recommend the series. Such a shame that the audiobooks exist only for the first 3 books in the series!
It's a fine line between writing a military fantasy whilst creating a new fantasy setting to provide the context for said military action. It's a line the author walks well. Thrust into the middle of complicated plots among even more complicated politics with complex historical background whilst exiled from his beloved Aquilla, Tribune Marcus probably wishes he was back at Fire Islands. Our hero is resilient, but even he takes a pause whilst dealing with the inheritance of his older half-brother, which includes his 3 wives and a potential for war that seems to have started because of greed of merchant houses. Add to that the shadows of the mysterious Empire that might have been behind the Fire Islands uprising and you have a fascinating story.
I loved the character development of Marcus, bringing his prejudices towards commerce to the fore felt believable. Marcus may potentially be one of the most gifted military commanders of this world, but if only life was as a simple as a military campaign. I felt that the ending could have been more than just the newly achieved victory, but I suppose there are more books in the series to enjoy.
The narration was great and I believe Will Hahn did a great job in distinguishing the different peoples of the North. His narration of female characters was great, many male narrators feel that making their voices go higher is all that's required for a successful narration, fortunately Mr Hahn is not one of those. I really loved his voices of Estella and Su-Jinn. It's the battles that absolutely impressed me. Everytime the 'war' trumpets started I would relish each battle.
Highly recommend the series. Such a shame that the audiobooks exist only for the first 3 books in the series!
July 20, 2021
I'm reviewing the whole series, so I'll do a quick one here. This was a fun read, a historical fantasy take on a Roman commander with mages and witch doctors who can call on the dead. I liked some of the historical touches, such as the rancour between different ranks of legionaries, and the political wrangling that went on behind the scenes. The narrator is great, and even adds in some sound effects, like in a studio play, although not all are successful.
October 27, 2019
Book 3 in the Legionnaire series picks up, again, very much where Book 2 left off. This time, Marcus has arrived in Amatista, where his murdered half-brother has named him heir to a complicated web of family, business, and political interests, which Marcus struggles to navigate in spite of his personal desires.
The novel continues the elaborate and meticulous world-building that I have come to expect from the author. This time, there are three non-Aquilan cultures (having appeared in book 2) engaged in a complex socio-political dance in the region. Adding to the mixture is that Juan Pablo (Marcus's deceased half-brother) married a woman from each culture, and Marcus's understanding of their various cultural practises becomes critical for the stability of his home as well as new business interests.
The character development is, as always stellar. Married life, complicated though it is, seems to show Marcus in a different light, and softens an edge I had observed back in book 1 of the series. (While I wish I had more of an understanding as to how this change came about, it is one that I am happy to see). For me, the most vivid characters were within Marcus's household. In spite of the fact that the domestic arrangements are not the true core of this novel, the four primary women in Marcus's life (wives: Estrela, Su-Jean, and Avila, as well as his half-brother's domineering mother) stand out as being extremely well-developed and individual. (Given that much of Marcus's life is spent in the company of men, I was exceedingly thrilled to see the women rendered so believably. I hope we will continue to see more of them!) Moreover, new characters are introduced and some previously seen characters receive more scenes.
The story moves along at an excellent pace, with description being entwined in the prose but never obtrusive. As always, military strategies and tactics play an important role, as does the finer art of political maneuvering. These are handled with particular flourish and attention to detail, making it clear to me that the author has conducted meticulous research.
I did find that this novel had more than its fair share of small errors, usually in missing or added letters (e.g. to/too, grander/grandeur).
Even so, this remains one of my all-time favourite series, and I am eager to continue reading it.
I received a review copy through the author.
The novel continues the elaborate and meticulous world-building that I have come to expect from the author. This time, there are three non-Aquilan cultures (having appeared in book 2) engaged in a complex socio-political dance in the region. Adding to the mixture is that Juan Pablo (Marcus's deceased half-brother) married a woman from each culture, and Marcus's understanding of their various cultural practises becomes critical for the stability of his home as well as new business interests.
The character development is, as always stellar. Married life, complicated though it is, seems to show Marcus in a different light, and softens an edge I had observed back in book 1 of the series. (While I wish I had more of an understanding as to how this change came about, it is one that I am happy to see). For me, the most vivid characters were within Marcus's household. In spite of the fact that the domestic arrangements are not the true core of this novel, the four primary women in Marcus's life (wives: Estrela, Su-Jean, and Avila, as well as his half-brother's domineering mother) stand out as being extremely well-developed and individual. (Given that much of Marcus's life is spent in the company of men, I was exceedingly thrilled to see the women rendered so believably. I hope we will continue to see more of them!) Moreover, new characters are introduced and some previously seen characters receive more scenes.
The story moves along at an excellent pace, with description being entwined in the prose but never obtrusive. As always, military strategies and tactics play an important role, as does the finer art of political maneuvering. These are handled with particular flourish and attention to detail, making it clear to me that the author has conducted meticulous research.
I did find that this novel had more than its fair share of small errors, usually in missing or added letters (e.g. to/too, grander/grandeur).
Even so, this remains one of my all-time favourite series, and I am eager to continue reading it.
I received a review copy through the author.
December 5, 2019
Best of the series so far! I've really enjoyed this story with the deep insights to fighting and now business and trade.
March 14, 2021
Another fine read.
Another fine read that continues the story. Politics, history, revenge, love and military tactics all rolled into a fine yarn.
Another fine read that continues the story. Politics, history, revenge, love and military tactics all rolled into a fine yarn.
July 6, 2020
We find our stalwart Tribune at Amatista in the Jeweled Hills inheriting his brother’s estate after his untimely death. This may seem like a positive event, but it holds many problems for our Marcus. He not only assumes his brother’s potential wealth, but also his business, debts, mother-in-law, and three wives! For instance, his brother was a successful merchant which is not a desirable profession for an Aquilan Patrician. The turmoil of the countryside concerning bandits and pirates has had a disastrous effect on the merchant economy. The politics of the region and the divisions amongst the populous are a further issue to resolve. Fortunately, Tribune Marcus is just the man to solve the problems of bandits. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews