Free resource site for authors of historical fiction

The Spartan Slave - a new novel set in ancient Greece

2007-04-06T12:42:00.000-04:00

I recently read "The Spartan Slave", which is set in ancient Greece and in ancient Phrygia, in a hidden valley where a very old culture flourishes in secret.

The hero of this novel, Leonidas, is the namesake of the famous Spartan hero who fought with his band of 300 warriors against hordes of Persians at the "Hot Gates", as the narrow pass near Thermopylae was known. This was the only known land route available to King Xerxes, who assembled a huge armada of ships for the invasion of Greece.

King Leonidas of Sparta delayed the Persian advance for three days at the narrow pass, giving up their lives to the last man, so that the rest of the Greeks could muster their defences and prevent the colonization of Greece by the Persians. On his way to the pass, the king stops by near a shepherd's hut and at the request of the old shepherd, spends the night with his young wife, who bears his son. This son eventually goes on to found his own tribe or clan in the mountains of Macedonia and our story begins here, two hundred years after the great battle, with the young Leonidas searching for a way out, as he is displeased with his family, particularly with his mother, who exhibits herself in a way that is not only brazen but deeply disturbing to the young hero.

As the novel progresses, Leonidas finds himself to be in a deeper predicament and turmoil than he originally bargained for and is unsure of his own identity as a Spartan. Forced by his father to make a journey to the mysterious kingdom of Mithir, he finds true love for the first time in his life, in the form of the young, beautiful princess Zarira. However, with this love comes an ultimate price, a choice that Leonidas makes voluntarily, to become her body slave, as she is already promised to a rival prince.

The customs, culture and the sexual openness of the people of Mithir is shocking to him at first but he slowly grows accustomed to their ways, especially after spending many long hours with the erudite Queen Mother of the mysterious kingdom, who is its absolute ruler. She not only teaches him about their culture and beliefs but even persuades him that the only option available for him to realize his true love is to become a slave.

Full of action and with very graphic and explicit scenes, this novel will shock those who are expecting a "run of the mill" erotic romance, as it takes this up several notches to an intense, white hot or even scorching description of what goes on within the Queen Mother's palace.

The finale is quite surprising with an unusual twist and is action packed, as Leonidas demonstrates his skill and prowess as a Spartan warrior when all alone, he faces down an entire contingent of royal guards.

I must recommend this novel highly to all readers of historical erotic romance or those who are looking for an unusual story in an exotic setting, which is penned with extraordinary imagination by the author.

For more information, please check out http://whiskeycreekpresstorrid.com

New review - Sand of the Arena by James Duffy

2006-07-09T11:37:00.000-04:00

This review was done by our regular contributing reviewer, Skarr One, for unrv.com, where it was first published. This is reproduced here with the kind permission of the reviewer and unrv.com

Here is the review of "Sand of the Arena", an exciting novel set in ancient Rome and the author is James Duffy. This is the first book in a series titled "The Gladiators of the Empire".

Begin Review:

From the very first line in the action packed first book that author James Duffy crafted in this series on the gladiators of the empire, you are transported to a gory, violent world that was ancient Rome, particularly in the arenas that recreated much of the action that the common plebeians hungered for. Packed to the gills, these sand filled arenas provided most of the entertainment that the weary citizens of Rome looked for, a vicarious substitute that provided all the excitement, danger and blood in a relatively safe environment, except for the occasional riot or accident of fate, when wild animals were set loose into the spectator stands, claiming several innocent lives.

The protagonist of the novel, Quintus Honorius Romanus, is the son of a respectable knight. From a young age, his father encourages him to attend these games, despite the inevitable backlash the boy was sure to receive from his mother, for neglecting his studies to pursue such barbarous vices. Politically, the games were a way of gaining public popularity and acclaim, as every noble in Rome would at some point in his career become a sponsor or editor of games, a sure way of garnering the requisite number of votes required for the next elections, whether for aedile, praetor or a number of other administrative positions. This was a well recognized fact and even emperors took pains to curb the enthusiasm of these officials, by enforcing limits on the type, the size, the number and the overall amount that could be expended on these games, with the most expensive affairs being reserved solely for the Emperor himself.

As the first novel in a series, Sand of the Arena proceeds at a furious pace from the very first scenes, which are recreations of sea battles in the flooded arena, with spectators sitting on the edge of their seats, witnessing a very real re-enactment of the violent sea battles between pirates and the Roman fleet. The gory battles are then followed by a banquet hosted by the Emperor himself, Nero, the famous lover of the arts, who creates a specially designed tableau for his appearance, surrounded by the most beautiful nymphets and dancers, with one of them creating a memorable first impression for our young hero. Quintus, although of a tender age, has absorbed enough from his intent watching to not only memorize the various fighting moves of the gladiators but also criticize their very techniques, a fact that surprises his father’s friend. Little does one realize how this initial passion for the deadly games would prove to be a life saving crutch for Quintus later on, as the inevitable turns of fate carve out a different life for him, with treachery lurking in his very household.

Quintus has a competitor in his household, a slave who is of almost the same age and who watches his success with murderous rage within his heart. This, ultimately, proves to be his downfall, as he spirals downward from his status of young knight into a seemingly bottomless pit of despair. While it may seem certainly predictable that a youth of a similar age but in a less advantageous social position may seem overly jealous, vindictive and even a little extreme in his passions, the story takes many unusual twists and turns from this simple premise, a true credit to the ingenuity of the author. Everything that occurs flows naturally, starting from an ill fated voyage to what is now the United Kingdom today but Britannia to the ancient Romans, a mere province of the Empire. In an unexpected storm on their way across the channel, Quintus loses many who are near and dear to him, including a trusty guardian, an ex-gladiator who teaches him a lot of skills, lessons that prove invaluable to him, particularly in the arena, which is his ultimate destination. Unfortunately, the one who survives along with him is his life long nemesis, the slave who switches identities with him and craftily convinces Quintus’s uncle and aunt that it is he, the slave, who is the young master and not Quintus.

From there on, Quintus is exposed to daily degradation, filthy, menial tasks that his upbringing had not prepared him for. However, in him lives a warrior like spirit and although he could have taken a simple revenge on his former slave, he lets him go and voluntarily finds a provincial arena in Britannia, where he can pursue his true passion, to become a renowned gladiator in his own right. Quintus thrives in his element at last, as he is accepted by the lanista into the run down arena and even puts on a show at his very first games, which is presided over by the impostor himself, who has now regained power, even magisterial authority, by being aided and abetted by his own aunt. The corruption that women bring to the table is exploited well by the author in the character of the scheming aunt, the real brains behind the rise to power of the lowly slave, who revels in the authority he now commands. He is still a pusillanimous weakling, something that Quintus is well aware of, from his previous encounters with the slave who usurped his status and his real identity.

The rest of the story is fairly straightforward as it pursues Quintus in his new life, as an apprentice gladiator in the rural corners of the Empire, far from Rome and its grand arenas, which is the real place where our hero wishes to excel in, as he is consumed by the desire that possesses each gladiator – become the crowd’s favorite, their joy. It is this ambition alone that drives him, although I suspect, revenge is never too far his thoughts.
The inner courage and spirit he possesses drives him to excel in everything he takes up and Quintus is soon not only an excellent fighter, but a man to be feared, as he dreams up a new incarnation for himself in the arena, a figure of towering strength, with tattoos to match, called Taurus, symbolizing the power of the famed minotaur and the terror it drove into men’s hearts. Along the way, he meets up with a host of colorful characters including one very skilled hunter from Africa, a man with exceptional hunting skills and a beautiful, bare breasted warrior with a charm all her own, Amazonia, a fitting epithet for one with her talents and her beauty.

Soon, Quintus finds himself in Rome, confronting his old nemesis and it is not how the events play out which is interesting but in the manner in which this occurs, with many interesting sidelights, facets and details that bring to life all the various elements that make this such a thrilling novel to read. A word of caution to those attempting to read this novel for the first time or to those who are yet to really read a work of adventure – make sure you have plenty of time on your hands, as you will be sure to miss work or appointments. I could not put this one down from the moment I started and the action and story proceeds at a break neck pace, with nary a dull moment, as they say. At the end of the book, I felt a little dissatisfied but then, I realized that this is only the first installment and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Captivating and with colorful, accurate descriptions of the actual gladiatorial combat that must have occurred in those times, this novel is a must read for anyone who loves to read a good adventure story or a thriller in a historical setting. The fact that it is set in ancient Rome is actually irrelevant as there are all the classic elements to be found in this novel that ultimately, make up a great story – love, betrayal, passion, romance, action – this novel has it all. The fact that it is set in ancient Rome is a delightful plus and for people such as myself, who are extremely passionate about this period, I could not ask for anything more from this author. The period is described well and the author has obviously spent a lot of time researching the various gladiatorial techniques used, as well their fighting armor and equipment. There were quite a few things which I was not aware of and this proved very instructive and even educational, as I’m always looking to learn something new about ancient Rome.

The overall action in this novel is very cinematic and I’m sure someone in Hollywood will take note. I did enjoy “Gladiator” immensely, especially the fight scenes in the arena. However, they did not seem real and if you want realism and a sense of what it was truly like in those arenas, you must read this book. The author does not pull any punches and nor does he gloss over the barbarity and the brutality with which the gladiators were treated. Most of the gladiators lived under pretty harsh conditions and did undergo a daily dose of humiliation, as many, especially those who were recalcitrant, had little privacy and were under constant guard. However, there were those few, those exceptional fighters who were honored and revered by the public, with some of them leading fairly comfortable lives in later years, even marrying, buying a nice villa and so on. So, while it was not a level playing field by any means, there were opportunities to advance even in such a dangerously short lived profession, something that the author clearly highlights, in the character of his hero. In the end, the message is clear – everyone needs to have a goal, an ambition and if you have the passion and drive to succeed, you will do so, even the costs will be heavy. That message is borne out well by Quintus, as he overcomes the most adverse condition to finally triumph in his own manner, in the arena, on the Sand of the Arena.

One final comment is on the graphic scenes in the novel, some of which may be a little hot to handle for readers who are extremely sensitive. I did not find any of these to be more graphic than is necessary to convey the action and bring the scenes to life. The same may be said about the few sexual situations that are depicted. All of these scenes are necessary and flow seamlessly with the plot, without causing any undue distractions, a fault that is often the case in various other novels that I’ve read where these scenes detract from the main storyline. It is quite the opposite in this novel, where these scenes, I feel, actually enhance the book and make it seem more real, more contemporary, as we can then relate to the characters, even though they lived a couple of thousand years earlier. After all, human passions, ambitions, thoughts and other desires have remained relatively unchanged, despite thousands of years of progress, which is an incontrovertible fact that I have realized after researching the ancient period for some decades now.

Review of "The Roman Games" by Alison Futrell - reviewed by Skarr One

2006-05-13T14:52:00.000-04:00

This review was done for unrv.com by Skarr and he has kindly given me permission to publish this here, on my site, since he is a regular contributing reviewer. Please go to http://unrv.com for everything connected with ancient Roman history. Please also visit the reviewer's site, http://www.skarrone.com to read about the reviewer's own book ( a thrilling adventure novel set in ancient Rome, around 120 BC).

In 65 BC, Julius Caesar spent enormous sums of money to mount a lavish spectacle for the plebeians, one which had “rich and exciting production values”, to borrow a quote from the author of the book, “The Roman Games”. At this time, he was a mere aedile and according to Plutarch, he “threw into the shade all attempts at winning distinction in this way that had been made by previous holders of the office.” While Caesar may have certainly exceeded all expectations, he was by no means the first person to attempt gaining political mileage through the games, which were seen as a vehicle for attracting the attentions of the populace, particularly in the area of vote gathering and enhancing the status of the “editors” or presenters of the games.

Throughout Alison Futrell’s excellent book of sources on the Roman games, the author provides invaluable commentary to the various snippets of information, represented by blocked out gray text quoting ancient authors from Cicero to Juvenal to Ovid. Each source is categorized into appropriate sections in this book, which should be of primary interest not only to the student seeking to enhance their knowledge on the ancient games but also scholars who want to quickly reference a particular subject with a narrow focus on a certain aspect relating the games, from political implications, to the daily life of the gladiator as well as extracts relating to the conditions in the arena and participation of the ‘elites’ of Rome in the amphitheater.

While this book may not be read like a novel, as it does demand a certain level of concentration and ranges widely from the dry, political wit of Cicero to the more boisterous passages from Juvenal and even Petronius, it is absorbing in its own way, particularly for those readers who are passionate about Rome. I did find a number of things which I was not aware of and must commend the author for the painstaking way in which this body of sources has been compiled.

For instance, in Pompey’s second consulship in 55 BC, he put on a display where elephants were slaughtered en masse. However, these worthy creatures, having “given up hope of escape, they played on the sympathy of the crowd, entreating them with indescribable gestures. They moaned, as if wailing, and caused the spectators such distress that, forgetting Pompey and his lavish display specially devised to honor them, they rose in a body, in tears and heaped dire curses on Pompey, the effects of which he soon suffered.” This quote is from Pliny and I was moved by this passage and wondered how terrible it must have been for those poor elephants and I cursed Pompey myself for causing them so much anguish. He deserved what he got and if he was beheaded by the Egyptians, well, he certainly deserved his fate for the cruelty he showed.

In time, the spectacles given by prominent Republicans such as Caesar and Pompey faded in comparison to those of the emperors, with Augustus mounting one of the most extravagant shows, according to the memoirs of the emperor. Per his memorable quote, “three times I gave gladiatorial games in my own name and five times in the names of my sons and grandsons; at these displays about ten thousand men fought … I gave the people twenty-six venationes of African animals in either the circus, the forum or the amphitheater; about thirty five hundred animals were killed in these spectacles.”

Just reading this made my blood literally boil with anger as I consider the enormity of the sums involved that could have benefited the people in other ways as well as the sheer waste of the spectacles that the emperors mounted for “the people”. What a quantity of blood must have been spilt in a few days and the imagination staggers at the sheer indifference that must have been displayed by the vast multitude to the slaughter happening before their very eyes. It is always difficult to stomach such accounts, especially with our modern perceptions and sensibilities. One truly realizes after reading such accounts how monstrous it must have been to live in those times and the thought of going to see such mass killings for the sake of “spectacle” turns my stomach.

The matter doesn’t end just with Augustus as each successive emperor tries to outdo his predecessor in the matter of presentation, with Nero and Commodus probably the worst of a very bad lot. Nero delighted in presenting Christians, his favorite target group for persecution, while Commodus presented himself in the arena. Per a quote from Dio Cassius, he (Commodus) “managed to kill a man now and then, and in making close passes with others, as if trying to clip off a bit of their hair, he sliced off the noses of some, the ears of others, and sundry features of still others, but in public he refrained from using steel and shedding human blood.” Truly monstrous and a hypocrite to boot!

The author asks an interesting question as to why emperors stooped to this level. However, the answer is less than satisfying, as can be expected, since it is difficult to fathom the true depth of power that a single man commanded over all others. In more modern times, this same, rapacious blood thirstiness has been demonstrated time and again where one individual holds more power than is commensurate either with his understanding or responsibility. There is a lesson to be learned here and we have to give thanks that today, such power is limited to a specific number of years, as untold havoc could result. If there is one thing that is certain, it is that history repeats itself, given enough time as basic human nature has not really changed over the centuries. We are no doubt a little more informed, perhaps even a little more “enlightened” but the same dangers exist today, as it did before, thousands of years ago.

Throughout this book, there are passages that will definitely provoke your interest, if not your curiosity, as the author has collected these from a variety of sources and time periods. For example, there is even a quote from Ovid, where he outlines some really specific ways in which you can seduce someone at the games. This is pretty hilarious and Ovid, true to form, goes right to the techniques that need to be employed, from opening lines such as “Whose colors are those?”, obviously referring to the chariot race teams, which were named after the primary colors – red, green, blue and so on to other tactics such as sitting close to her or brushing off imaginary dust from her blouse.

Speaking about love, there is also an interesting tidbit about the dictator Sulla, who meets his last wife at the games, according to Plutarch. Valeria, a beautiful young woman, passes behind the dictator and pulls off a little piece of wool from his toga before going to her seat in the row behind him. As the surprised Sulla turns to look at her, she says, “There’s no reason to be surprised, Dictator. I only want to have a little bit of your good luck for myself.” This little incident sparks a romance between the two as they begin exchanging looks, then smiles and per Plutarch, negotiations began for marriage at the end. This was a charming story and one which I was not aware of.

It is perhaps difficult to pick out one section over the other, as the quotes are grouped by theme, but the section, “The Life of the Gladiator” offers some interesting perspective on the daily lives of the men (and women, for there were women fighters, including one female fighter who kills a lion, according to one of the quotes). Romans loved to gossip and one of the more frequent ones involve affairs between “high-born ladies and the low-born objects of their desires, rendered even more desirable because of the thrill of violating status expectations by associating with one so vile.” One woman singled out is the mother of emperor Commodus and it is widely believed by many at the time that the empress Faustina conceived him out of wedlock as he “was actually begotten in adultery, since it is reasonably well known that Faustina chose both sailors and gladiators as paramours for herself at Caieta.” It’s a pity that the movie “Gladiator” did not touch upon this particular quote from the Historia Augusta, Marcus Antoninius 19.

Gladiators must have endured countless humiliations on a daily basis; a fact that is clearly brought out in extracts from Seneca’s Letters and led many of them to commit suicide. Seneca moralizes the issue for his friend and I was moved by his account as he talks about a German who was preparing for a bestiarii, as part of a morning exhibition and “withdrew in order to relieve himself – the only thing he was allowed to do in secret and without the presence of a guard. While so engaged, he seized the stick of wood, tipped with a sponge, which was used for the vilest purposes and stuffed it, just as it was, down his throat; thus he blocked up his windpipe and choked the breath from his body …. What a brave fellow!” While many modern readers may be moved to pity on reading this, Seneca’s observations seem to center on his bravery and he tells his friend that he “surely deserved to be allowed to choose his fate! How bravely he would have wielded a sword…” This shows a very cynical view, in my opinion and a callousness that must have been pervasive at the time.

While certain gladiators were treated as no more than beasts, such as the German above, there were many who had loving wives, a family and even children of their own, whom they honored and cherished. The author quotes a two sided tombstone for the family of one gladiator who, with his wife, “commemorated the passing of their toddler-age son, and then honored his deceased wife with an inscription on the other side.” Gladiators also lived in familia, as they typically belonged to the same ludus. Since only one ludus furnished gladiators for a given set of games, they would have had to fight each other and possibly wound or kill close friends they had formed during their time together. This fact is brought out very vividly in an old movie, “Spartacus”, where the black gladiator refuses to give out his name to Spartacus, saying that if they became friends, it would be difficult as they might have to kill each other in the arena.

Apart from the numerous quotes and extracts and commentary which are fascinating, there are also various photographs that enhance the overall quality of the book. The famous Caracalla baths had quite a few portraits of gladiators and I guess these were the sports heroes of the time, with not only graffiti on the walls of the city but life like images that the general public could admire.

All in all, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Roman games and also for the casual as well as the serious student of ancient history. I think it is an excellent reference book to have in your library or collection and I would urge anyone with more than a passing interest in ancient Rome to acquire a copy.

This book is available at http://www.amazon.com

Book Review - The Roman Games by Alison Futrell

2006-05-03T18:27:00.000-04:00

Our historical reviewer, Skarr One, has just completed his review of "The Roman Games" by Alison Futrell for http://unrv.com

Please go to the above site for details. Once it gets published on that site, Skarr will send his review for publication on this site, courtesy of the reviewer and unrv.com

The Roman Games by Alison Futrell

2006-03-27T12:33:00.000-05:00

Skarr, one of our regular contributors to this site by way of reviews, has recently received a copy of "The Roman Games" by Alison Futrell for review from :

http://unrv.com

I have just been alerted that he will review this work, which is a compilation of various historical sources on the Roman Games, will be reviewed shortly and will be published at the history site above as well as on this site.

Thanks, Skarr and looking forward to receiving your review.

"The Roman Games" is published by Blackwell Publishing (www.blackwellpublishing.com) and the author is Associate Professor of Roman History at the University of Arizona in Tucson. According to the book, this work "presents a wealth of material that casts light on the rich tradition of Roman spectacle, with special focus on gladiatorial combat and chariot racing."

To me, Roman Games have always held a profound fascination and I'm really looking forward to the review and will also read the book shortly. Popular movies like "Gladiator" and "Ben-Hur" have already captured the public's imagination in different decades and I do think that the chariot race in "Ben-Hur" is one of the best depictions of this sport that will ever be filmed. I don't think they'll ever be able to film a race like that, using live horses and actors who spent months training how to control a team of four horses to run around the oval track. Millions were spent (translate that into hundreds of millions it would cost today) to stage that event for film.

Review : A.D. 62 Pompeii by Rebecca East

2006-03-16T14:27:00.000-05:00

This novel is a fanciful work of imagination by the author, Rebecca East, as it traces the hypothetical journey of a woman who is stranded in Pompeii during the first century AD.

The story begins in the modern world with a time travel experiment that goes wrong. Finding herself in the first century without the proper means to assert herself, our heroine, Miranda, is forced into slavery and has to rely on her modern wits to survive in that harsh reality.

As a historical writer, I found some of the sequences too tame and consequently, a little unbelievable, particularly in the manner in which she is treated. There is an unreal quality throughout the book and the pacing is also a little slow. For example, the author hints but does not touch upon the numerous sexual liaisons among the slaves, which are carried out in secret. However, by some incredible piece of luck, she remains utterly chaste and outside of this inner circle.

Writing with an almost Victorian sense of prudery, the novel lacks any real vigor, either in its depiction of the social lives of the slaves or masters or the violent times during which it is set in. It is almost as if the author took a watercolor brush and painted a nice, pristine picture of the ancient world instead of depicting the harsh realities and the grim existence of the people she talks about.

There are some nice touches here and there but they are too few and far in between. All in all, I found this lacking in excitement and although the historical detail is rich in parts and shows the obvious scholarship of the author, I don't think this works well as a novel.

The characters don't engage in interesting conversations and it is as if the protagonist is stuck behind a glass, acting solely as observer with a detached mindset. This is a major shortcoming in any novel and that would explain the unreal quality I was referring to in an earlier paragraph.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I would award a maximum of three stars to this work, mostly for its historical detail. There is considerable potential in the novel and a skilled editor would have enhanced its content a great deal.

The book is available at www.amazon.com for those who are interested. I would recommend that they purchase this if they are interested in Roman history and would like to learn a little about Pompeii.

The Spartan Beach Boy - by Alexandros

2006-02-22T15:33:00.000-05:00

This is one steamy tale set in ancient Greece, around 175 BC.

Named after two heroic Greek characters, Jason and Ajax are buddies and for some peculiar reason, Ajax calls the hero of the story, Jason, a "Beach Boy". This may sound strange to fans of the popular group but is actually referring to Jason's tragic role in advertently causing the ruin of a family based in his home island.

The dynamics are all set in this short novel for a surprising finish at the end, as Jason struggles to overcome his feelings of guilt and redeem his love for the lovely Minerva, whose family he helped ruin.

Should Jason seek the help of his treacherous master, who will stoop at nothing to exploit him as well as his bride to be or should he allow them to go to their respective fates? Given the times, there is little choice for Minerva's family except to be sold into slavery or worse.

Filled with highly erotic situations as well as tense moments, this is a wonderfully penned story and should engage the reader from start to finish. The strong characters, the situations they find themselves and the rich descriptions of a historical nature should enthrall most readers.

Ultimately, this is a powerful romance / love story with a clever ending and some really exciting, if explicit encounters. I really enjoyed reading this one and am eagerly awating other works from this exciting author.

With a release date of March, 2006, be sure to check out http://whiskeycreekpresstorrid.com for more details.

The Fall of Rome and the end of civilization by Bryan Ward Perkins

2005-11-07T21:07:00.000-05:00

Reviewed by Skarr One (visit http://www.skarrone.com for more about the reviewer)

The author addresses a simple question throughout this gem of a book, “Why did Rome fall?” Although only two hundred pages long, at the end of the book, I felt as if I had read the entire series of books on the fall of the Roman Empire by Gibbon. The author is a scholar and has done an extraordinary amount of research and as he says in his preface, the book took an “unconscionably” long time to research, write and get published. I can certainly imagine that, as each sentence in this book is a mine of information and is backed by historical references, which are often scant, fragmentary or even non-existent for many years in those crucial centuries that led to the fall of the Empire from the 4th century AD to the end of the 5th.

While this book is certainly not a page turner, it should be fascinating for anyone interested in this simple question and as the author quickly points out, there is no one single reason that can be pinpointed and which can be said to have caused the collapse of the Roman empire in the west. The thesis in this book exclusively covers the western part of the empire, although there are paragraphs which compare both east and west.

The arguments that the author offers are simple on the surface but reveal a much more complex picture of the period and much of it is speculative as the existing historical evidence is so scant and even where it exists, so laconic, as to be practically meaningless, when compared to contemporary accounts of an historical event. The main argument that is proposed in the book is that the transition and peaceful settlement of barbarians within the western empire, as some historians have argued, based on treaties and other documents, was in fact, neither a transition of sorts and far from peaceful. The Visigoths, the Vandals and numerous other tribes that crossed the Rhine in the 5th century simply ‘took’ what they wanted and used force or the threat of force, to get what they wanted.

There are numerous examples of the atrocities committed on both sides. First, in the 4th century, when the most common coin was a copper coin showing a Roman soldier (at that time fighting as a Christian soldier, for a new religion that was organized and successfully spread throughout the empire, using a combination of force, persuasion and money) spearing a barbarian on a horse, there were a number of high-handed acts by the Romans against barbarian tribes that were probably seeking to share in some of the material success that the Romans had. Killing, rape and mass slaughter were pretty common, as well as forcible conversion, abolition of all pagan religions etc. etc. Phrases like “the only good barbarian is a dead barbarian” were popular and it was common to paint them as vulgar, promiscuous and unclean, especially as regards their clothes and the stench that emanated from their unwashed bodies. There seems to have been a deliberate attempt to ‘demonize’ the barbarians, associating all things ‘pagan’ as unholy and unseemly even to behold. Second, there was a huge resentment among various tribes about this high-handed treatment and the spreading of the church via huge land settlements to a new idle class of priests, who consumed resources and did little but pray all day, weakening the already denuded tax base with the loss of Africa to the Vandals, forcing money away from military and defense. The severe tax relief measures proposed are cited as an example of how fiscally weak the Empire had become.

In one instance, the author recounts of how soldiers on the frontier had to get their pay from Rome instead of local towns, as they were centrally paid from Rome, and would send emissaries to collect this and the barbarian tribes, knowing this, simply killed the emissaries. No money, no pay meant the soldiers had to switch sides quickly, if they were to live. There were also the endless migrations of the tribes, especially the Visigoths, who were driven away from their lands by hordes of Huns (Attila the Hun), plus the weakening of the tax base and internal civil wars, all contributing to the collapse of the empire. Religion was not the main reason but a combination of various factors that led to the collapse. However, religion certainly played a major role, as it weakened the military strength that Rome once had by diverting resources from the military to pay for all the churches and the new priest class – bishops, monks etc. The emperor himself was seen in statues and coins dressed as a soldier in the name of Christ but it was unlikely he ever sat on a horse or even went anywhere near the field. This was quite different from the old days, when leaders emerged from the field. No one respected the Emperor Honorius after the sack of Rome in 410 AD and there were many usurpers like Constantine III from Britain who claimed the throne. Instead of dealing with the barbarians, the Emperor was more concerned with the civil wars as it would have meant his head as opposed to the barbarians, who were looking to sack, loot and pillage but were not interested in deposing the emperor.

Personally, I found the book extremely fascinating and it is definitely worth reading, especially if you are interested in Roman history and want to know why the empire collapsed without going through Gibbon’s series of books. Gibbon was a little different in his view and his books, although they are well written and scholarly in their own way, miss out some of the key points that this author makes in his much shorter, but very scholarly work. I’m sure historians will question his overall thesis but I would tend to agree with the author and Rome’s decline was certainly not a peaceful one but extremely violent and filled with numerous horrors – rapes, murders, genocide, cannibalism, etc. etc. It was a horribly violent century and must have been terrible for its citizens. Surprisingly, the aristocracy was not that much affected and although they did lose a lot of land and money, many of them found good positions under their new masters. It just goes to show that the privileged always manage to protect themselves and it’s the poor that always pay the price. The author is harsh on the Christian apologists of the time, who sought to excuse Christians and exposes them as pathetic attempts to watercolor the role the Church itself played in the decline and fall. They sacrificed whole towns to protect the richer towns, a kind of game where you protect the towns that pay you taxes and let the poorer towns be pillaged by the barbarians. When nuns were raped in Africa, the bishop’s primary concern is their status – should they be above virgins or below widows who have taken the vows? It is amazing to see how shallow those men were and how stupid and blind the Church was to everything, especially in the 4th century AD.

The best part which I liked was the Christian apologist citing the sack of Rome in 390 BC by the Gauls as an example of how pagan times were far worse than Christian times. Pathetic, is all I can say. All in all, a good book to read if you can devote some time and have the concentration to absorb everything that the author proposes in this book.

This book is available on www.amazon.com and other book stores. A copy of this review has also been published on www.unrv.com

The Final Solution by Walter Harmidarow--A Review

2005-10-17T22:50:00.000-04:00

Queen Victoria, cobblestones, hansom cabs, fog, gaslit lamps, the cry of newsboys--all of these are familiar elements to aficionados of the Victorian Era.

The author of The Final Solution , Walter Harmidarow uses these elements and the more obscure items that are nonetheless well-known to the Victorianist--Bow Street, New Scotland Yard, Fenians, the Bradshaw.

Harmidarow also invokes that (probably) most famous of Victorian creations, Sherlock Holmes. Fans will recognize Baker Street, Holmes, Watson, Lestrade ("ratlike features"), Moriarty, Mycroft ("corpulent gentleman"), the Baker Street Irregulars, and Mrs. Hudson. What comes across most in Harmidarow's handling of the Conan Doyle creation is Harmidarow's evident joy and expertise in writing about these characters.
Harmidarow takes this mix and Conan Doyle's most famous character to write a pastiche worthy of the master.

Harmidarow deftly avoids the trap of merely stenciling a new "crime" over an existing account of Holmes; meaning, Harmidarow does not merely take a case that sounds like a Holmes case and predictably follow it through to the end. Rather, the author puts Holmes in the most dire of circumstances, attacking Holmes personally and professionally, as well as threatening Holmes's future reputation forever. Aside from the (unfortunate) title, there are few allusions to past canonical cases. This is a welcome omission, as too many authors who pick up the Holmes mantle merely to parade their extensive knowledge of the character. Harmidarow goes further. However, there is a reason for the title, as devout fans will recognize.

One of the ways that Harmidarow dares to veer from the comfort of parroting rather than pastiche occurs in his treatment of Dr. Watson. Indeed, Watson's character does not fare well in most of Conan Doyle's stories; but this is more a reflection of the movies that are ingrained on our consciousness rather than strictly from the stories. Still, Watson fails to strike one as a dynamic character. Rather, he comes across as the quintessential foppish British man, dull and incredulous at any hint of aberrant behavior. Harmidarow allows Watson to remain as Conan Doyle has painted him, but does give the character some much-needed fleshing out. Watson (through Harmidarow) writes that

Contrary to the belief of my readers, I actually have
an excellent memory. Any 'discrepancies' that appear in my
narratives were solely used to mask facts and identities.

Yet later, Watson seems to revert to the stodgy and almost dim-witted foil when he accompanies Irishmen to Scotland Yard, remembers the Fenian bombing of the old Scotland Yard and then is surprised when they set off an explosion to allow Sherlock's escape. Even though they are subsequently exposed by Holmes as Italian rather than Irish, the jarring denseness of Watson remains.

Still, Harmidarow does give Watson not only a sense of humor but a sense of righteousness borne out of a tragic event, not just a simple-minded adherence to British idealism and sense of right and wrong. In its dealing with Watson, this story mostly resembles Conan Doyle's masterpiece The Hound of the Baskervilles. Watson is the primary investigator in The Final Solution while Holmes is "indisposed," as in Hound.

Holmes himself fares very well in Harmidarow's handling of the character. At times, Holmes even takes notice of Watson's honor, courage and friendship in ways that are lacking in the original canon. However, Harmidarow does this without diminishing Holmes's almost cold and calculating personality. Readers should not be concerned that Sherlock Holmes has mellowed. There are plenty of opportunities in the story for Holmes to make the difficult and almost unfeeling decision, which is part of the appeal of the detective. Also, Holmes has cause to revert to "criminal" behavior, giving Harmidarow the chance to repeat Conan Doyle's line that Holmes "would have made a first-rate criminal." This "other" side of Holmes is another facet of Holmes's character that has kept readers enjoying him and critics wringing their hands about what this means about Holmes, justice, the Victorian Era, etc. Harmidarow's story does nothing to diminish this fascinating aspect of Holmes's character.

Holmes, uncharacteristically, proves to be fallible in Harmidarow's novel. Holmes should have twigged to the fact that Lestrade may have been watching him when Holmes engaged in a bit of "breaking and entering," causing one of the book's many twists. There are other instances of Holmes's acuity failing him. Strangely, this does nothing to Holmes but to make him more human, as in his dealings with Watson.

Walter Harmidarow, an acknowledged expert on Sherlock Holmes, has created a story that, while true to the base elements of the Holmes canon, extends the characters and their adventures rather than merely taking them "out for a leisurely spin." Every character is fair game for re-analysis and Harmidarow wastes no time in diving in and gleefully taking the characters to both new heights and depths.

You can purchase the ebook or paperback, if you're interested, at the publisher's site at :
http://www.ltdbooks.com

Surviving Katrina - will we ever learn?

2005-09-01T17:42:00.000-04:00

People who escaped with their lives and the clothes on their back and little else have nothing to look forward to, except more pain, misery and suffering for weeks to come, possibly months or years.

While life is no doubt important, quality of life for a person who has been used to a certain quality until that moment of disaster is even more important. How will those individuals find the courage, the fortitude and the will to live through the bleak months ahead, cooped up in shelters and surviving like animals?

New Orleans, since the fall of 2001, has been under the scrutiny of various agencies, including FEMA, which alerted the Government on the catastrophe that awaited that great city. Why wasn't anything done? After the disaster, it will now be a time for casting blame and finding answers. No one knows ultimately what long range effects this will have but one thing is for sure, the writing was on the wall and no one bothered to read it. Who is to blame for that? I'm sure that, at this point, there's enough blame to go around and there will be, to use an old cliche, 'hell to pay'. It is said that human beings often learn from their mistakes.

2,000 years of history have proved that this is far from the truth. Human beings commit the same mistakes, over and over again. After a disaster, for a while everyone is stunned and asks the same questions. Then, as if we all have ADS as a mass of people, we forget and move on, waiting for another disaster to strike before we raise the same questions again.

Will we ever learn? I support those are really helping and from what I see, many bloggers are also responding to the appeals for help. Hopefully, this time, I hope someone will learn to read the warning signs and instead of throwing money after the disaster, they will do something in advance to minimize the impact.

Rome - First episode on HBO

2005-08-30T13:07:00.000-04:00

I wonder if any of you guys saw the first episode of Rome, on HBO (Sunday, August 28).

I really liked the first episode and I think it has the right look, very accurate in terms of how I imagined the city would look like. HBO seems to have put in a lot of time and effort into this series and I thought the sets / costumes alone are worth the price of admission (in this case, a premium subscription to HBO). I am sure all those who are fascinated by Rome will be delighted with this production, which is much better than the series "Empire", that was recently shown on ABC. Well, I guess the overall quality is so much better than ABC because the BBC is also involved in the production.

I thought the acting was superb and the British actors really flesh out the roles well, especially the women. Atia (mother of the future Augustus - in this series, he's still a young boy - Octavian) is played by Polly Walker and she's an excellent actress. I really liked her performance as well as some of the others in the cast.

Looking forward to the rest of the series as this is one of the most exciting shows to be broadcast yet on cable. HBO pulls no punches and you can expect this to be raw, brutal, sexy, exciting and extremely dramatic.

Another great site for historical authors (Rome) !

2005-08-23T19:29:00.000-04:00

This link was suggested by Skarr, one of our volunteer reviewers.

This site has some of the best research links and material on ancient Rome and should be bookmarked by any author or writer doing books set in Rome. There is also a great, interesting and lively forum where you can post and share views with others.

This link is at : http://unrv.com

Great site that encourages all writers !

2005-08-21T15:17:00.000-04:00

Check out this site, which has tons of resources for all writers! I have also added a link on the sidebar - "Historical Fiction Resources".

Link to site

http://www.redinkworks.com

New review will be published soon

2005-08-18T00:07:00.000-04:00

Check out the Books awaiting review section for details - The Final Solution : A Sherlock Holmes Mystery set in 1892 - London, England. Will be reviewed by LT.

Review of novel set in ancient Rome / Greece 148 - 146 BC

2005-08-03T17:19:00.000-04:00

Woman of Stone - a novel by Debra Tash [ Publisher Zumaya Publications]

In 148 BC, the praetor or Roman governor assigned to Macedonia, Quintus Caecilius Metellus, crushes the revolt in that province, putting to bed any dreams of Macedonian independence inspired by Andriscus, a pretender to the throne, who claimed to be the son of the famous Perseus. While Metellus was busy with his new army, later honored by the senate on his return to Italy in 146 BC with the cognomen Macedonicus, the Greeks sought to lead a semi-revolt against Rome, appointing Critolaus, one of their pro-independence leaders as a dictator in Corinth. Envoys sent by Rome were mistreated and to teach the city a lesson, the Roman senate sends Lucius Mummius (later awarded a cognomen Archaicus for his victories in Greece) to teach the Corinthians a lesson, prompted by mercantile interests in the region, as Mummius is a known, rapacious plunderer and not only razes Corinth to the ground after massacring its citizens but steals its most precious works of art and has them shipped back to Rome.

This novel by Debra Tash cleverly blends her story of a young priestess of Apollo at Delphi and the unexpected love that blossoms between her and Macedonicus against this backdrop of war and tumultuous conflict in Greece. Not only does she manage to keep a consistent, dramatic and at times, poignant thread between the lives of the ordinary characters in her book and these tremendous events that were to shape the history of Greece, but she also paints a vivid, colorful and historically accurate portrayal of those times, by transporting the reader to that time through the sheer power of her prose.

There is quite a seamless transition between the way the characters relate to one another in their personal capacity to the actual historical events that shape and direct their lives. Debra also presents the inner workings of a general’s soul as she delves deep into his thoughts to flesh out the man for who he really was, rather than relying solely on historical accounts of the life of Macedonicus. The priestess, Timarete, for whom the great general develops a powerful attachment is a little mysterious and I think portrayed as a little too virtuous, the ideal of the perfect, chaste woman who is utterly blameless and without a single fault. This to me was the sole defect, if any, that you can find in this novel, as regards the way this character was presented. In my mind, a few flaws in her character would have made her a little more believable. However, this is a very minor nit and the novel is not only full of excitement, but moves at a dramatic pace and builds up to a thrilling climax, when the reader can find the opportunity to be a part of history as Corinth is razed to the ground by the avaricious Mummius.

There were a couple of other things, again minor, which I didn’t care for. One was the frequent reference to ‘One God’ and other concepts which I felt detracted a little from the overall theme of the novel, as the characters try to justify their thoughts and actions. In the case of the general, it is remorse for the inevitable deaths that he is personally responsible for and in the case of the priestess; it is a sense of shame tinged with a slightly misogynistic view of the world, a recurring theme whenever a female character expresses her thoughts and feelings. Again, these are relatively minor nits and a matter of personal preference and in no way detracts from the overall excellence of the book. Debra writes very easily and her prose is often lyrical and very evocative of the times, giving you a real sense of what it must have felt like, living in ancient Greece. There are scenes of everyday life and life in the camp and numerous other touches which I found wonderful.

Although there is an undercurrent of romance in the novel, I would hardly classify this as a Historical Romance novel and would instead categorize this more as Historical Fiction, as the author has done some pretty painstaking research and it shows throughout the novel. This is overall, a great read and for any young adults out there who want to really learn about history and forget about Harry Potter for a minute, try reading this work and you will find that history can be truly fascinating and can not only educate you but really push the envelope insofar as your imagination is concerned. Due to adult and mature themes in certain parts, I would recommend this for young adults or mature teens.

Link to author's site - Debra Tash

Link to publisher's site - Zumaya Publications

The ebook is available at ebookad.com and you can locate this easily by doing a search by Title or by Author. You can also pick up a paperback edition at amazon.com or on the publisher's web site. For all fans of historical fiction, this is a must read!

Our First Review should be published soon

2005-08-02T10:07:00.000-04:00

Skarr has found a book that he would like to review / feature on this site, as he was intrigued by the description. The central character is a famous Roman, Quintus Caecilius Metellus and by a curious coincidence, this same character, a famous Roman general, featured in a short story submitted by Skarr some months ago, well before he came across this book.

Update : The author of this book is Debra Tash and her book is titled "Woman of Stone", published by zumayapublications.com

The Books awaiting Review section has accordingly been updated.

The book set in the Victorian Era turned out to be a romance type of novel, not really a work of historical fiction. I think it is all right if the work contained romantic elements and did involve a romantic story at its core, but the work should primarily have a lot of historical detail for this to qualify as a work of historical fiction. Sometimes, authors categorize novels under Historical Fiction but it turns out that there are few details when you actually read the book, except for the names of places and maybe character names and little else. In my mind, that doesn't really count unless there is a sense of history and there are little details that put you in a different time and place from a reader's viewpoint.

Revised submission guidelines

2005-07-22T09:55:00.000-04:00

Based on some comments / suggestions from Skarr, whose help in developing this site has been invaluable, I am deciding to expand the scope of submissions, as he feels that it is too narrow, particularly for those new authors whose works either exceed the ebook maximum word count or whose works are available only in the printed form.

I am therefore revising the submission guidelines and will update that section of the site shortly. At this moment, works which are available in the printed form or whose length exceeds the maximum word count should be set in either ancient Rome / Greece or in the Victorian Era, as we have only two reviewers who have volunteered their services. In such cases, the preference is for the authors to directly contact the reviewers and arrange to have their material shipped, if they are accepted.

Skarr's vision is for this to become a growing online community of authors in the historical genre, so that authors and reviewers can help each other and also encourage new or unpublished writers to take the next step and get their works out to the public. This is based on his own private experience where he took ten long years from the moment he had an idea to the actual publishing, with no one to help or even offer any guidance along the way. He doesn't want other writers to go through the same experience and feels that a site such as this one would help those new writers who have a work or novel inside them but never get to the next stage, actually writing / completing their work and then getting this published.

All authors of historical fiction are therefore encouraged to participate and become team members of this community so that they can also post directly from their own blogs as I will grant access once they are accepted as a reviewer in a particular field.

Skarr does not wish to be the only reviewer for works in ancient Rome / Greece. His speciality is those periods before 100 BC and we therefore invite other writers to volunteer their services for later periods as Roman history covers a huge time span and is very well documented.

300 - The graphic novel by Frank Miller

2005-07-20T17:14:00.000-04:00

Although this site will primarily feature ebooks of a historical nature, I will review here in brief one of my favorite graphic novels of all time, called '300', by Frank Miller.

For those unfamiliar with this title, the '300' in the title refers to those brave Spartan warriors who held tens of thousands of Persian warriors at a narrow pass near Thermopylae, known as the "Hot Gates" in 480 BC, preventing the early demise of Greek civilization as we know it. According to many scholars, this was the single most important battle and the modern world would be much different today, if it were not for this all important sacrifice, as each of the 300 died to the very last man, while the rest of the Greek city states still debated and discussed on how to combat this threat.

What drew me the most was the element of sacrifice, as each man knew that this battle would be his last and there would be no question of survival - none.

The most awe inspiring thing about this battle was not only the sacrifice element of this small band of Spartans, led by their great King Leonidas but also the implications if they hadn't volunteered their lives to hold off Xerxes and his Persian horde. Outnumbered a 100 to 1, they fought on bravely to the last man and there is almost unanimous consent from various scholars that if the Spartans had not held them off until the rest of the Greeks regrouped, buying them precious time, much of today's western civilization as we know it would not exist.

I could go on and on about this, but true to my promise, I will keep this brief and just say that if you haven't read this one yet, please do so. A word of caution is in order as the images are extremely graphic as regards the violence depicted and this is definitely not a book for young children or those who are queasy about seeing such images. I read somewhere that a movie is going to be produced soon, based on this graphic novel and it will be interesting to see how they make a film out of this. In any case, I can't wait to see the film if they make this, with a possible release date in 2006.

Administrative guidelines

2005-07-20T10:48:00.000-04:00

Please link from the sidebar to view ebooks which have been accepted by our first reviewer, Skarr One. Other authors wishing to review / contribute to this site are welcome and should email me at herakles@budweiser.com

Please also link from the sidebar to view Submission Guidelines.

In a few days, I will be removing these posts here as I want this site to only feature reviews and links to the author's site.

Thanks, Skarr, for your insightful comments and I would encourage everyone to read his comments to my previous post.

Submit your ebook here via email for review!

2005-07-19T20:46:00.000-04:00

I have started this site to share my love of ebooks, particularly those set in historical times, which I define as anything earlier than the 20th century (at a minimum). The current author who has volunteered to review the books is more familiar with books set in ancient Rome or Greece but will review other books, until another, more qualified reviewer volunteers his or her services.

If you have an ebook which you would like to be reviewed and featured on this site, please send this via email after you hear back from me. I would like you to first send me a brief description of the ebook and a brief synopsis with some sample pages of your actual work via email.

The first author who has volunteered his services as a reviewer is Skarr One, whose three novel series, "Barbarians in the Republic" has been accepted by a publisher. His first novel is already available as an ebook and will be out in print soon. At his request, I have deleted my review of his other ebook, which started this collaboration. It would be not fair to have his work featured as the very first review and he obviously does not want to review his own work.

Other authors who would like to volunteer their services may email me at any time, once the site picks up and authors begin to discover this resource. On a separate site, I will have a list available of authors and their works which are awaiting review. Skarr One is mainly interested in reviewing works set in ancient Rome or in ancient Greece. He has not done much research with respect to other time periods and therefore, we will need reviewers who are familiar with other periods / cultures / civilizations.

A resource for aspiring authors of historical ebooks

2005-07-19T18:59:00.000-04:00

This site is intended as a resource for aspiring authors, particularly in the historical genre, who may submit their works for review here for free and for one week, their work will be showcased on this site, with a link to their own site and also where their works may be purchased, if there is no link available.