The Noble Brute

by Martin Tessmer

Two hundred and fifty years before Julius Caesar, Quintus Fabius ruled the Republic.

The man nicknamed "Rullianus" was known for his brutish behavior, unkempt appearance—and love for Rome’s commoners. Born into the venerable Fabii family, this patrician ruffian grew from a reluctant soldier into an all-conquering dictator, vying with the legendary Lucius Papirius Cursor and Appius Claudius.

The Noble Brute is a tale of destiny, freedom, magic, and self-sacrifice, set in a time when Rome grew from a city-state into Italia's dominant power. Join Quintus Fabius as he battles against the Volsci and Samnites, developing the weaponry and formations that will make Rome the ruler of the world.

The first book of the Quintus Fabius Rullianus trilogy.

447 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2020

About the author

Martin Tessmer spent thirty-five years as a design and training expert for universities and the military. In the late 1990s, he went on hiatus from the academic world to work as an outdoor writer, publishing several wilderness books and writing for numerous outdoor magazines.

Martin returned to academia in 2000, heading up an online training development center for the University of Colorado system. He retired in 2010, and went on to work with the U.S. Navy on designing fighter pilot training programs. He is now semi-retired, devoting himself to historical novels. His recent research on the Punic Wars has taken him to London, Rome, Ostia, and Barcelona.

In addition to his six-book Scipio Africanus series, Martin has just released The Noble Brute, the first historical novel about Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus.

Reviews

[Andrea Oliverio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ci sono troppi salti di punto di vista durante la narrazione che rendono la lettura poco fluida e scorrevole. Si vede che il libro non è stato sottoposto a una beta lettura e tanto meno alla sapiente cura di un bravo editor. Un esempio tra tutti gli occhi di una dei personaggi secondari: una volta sono scuri, un'altra volta verdi per poi tornare ancora scuri.
Bella la trama che s’intreccia alla storia con la S maiuscola che gli vale le 3 stelle.

[Betsy A. Schreck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Tessmer is extremely knowledgeable in ancient Roman military history and very descriptive in his narrative of the book’s title character around the 330 BC time. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this specific time period of ancient Roman military history. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is historic fiction with footnotes to help the reader understand that it is serious, not just a story. The main character is a noble from the 4th century BCE who helped implement changes in the way the Roman's fought their wars. Battles have graphics to help understand how things lined up, and are explained well. The politics and religion of the time are nicely incorporated into the story, as are details of everyday life.
Anyone interested in Roman or military history would enjoy this book.
I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

[Cherpete · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a fan of early Roman peoples, customs, wartime armies and techniques and early magic, you might find this well researched book on Quintus Fabius as entertaining as I did. Can’t wait for Book Two of the trilogy.