218 BC. Hannibal’s exhausted army staggers down from the last Alpine pass like a rabble of half-starved savages, the remnants of a once magnificent army that had set out from the Rhodanus with such hope. Now there is no way back. With the legions of Consul Publius Scipio closing fast, Carthage needs its Gaulish allies like never before. But where are the Insubres? Where are the Boii? Where are the thousands of warriors pledged by solemn oath? In the maelstrom of battle, Sphax, nephew of Hannibal, forges a reputation as the scourge of Rome. But will his ingrained recklessness and quest for honour set him at odds with the forbidding genius of his uncle? Only one thing is certain in this winter of winters, a great battle is coming that will decide the fates of Rome and Carthage.
Reviews
5 Of My Favorite Tropes and Where To Find Them
Review: The Winter of Winters (The Histories of Sphax #2) by Robert M. Kidd
Review: The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
The Book of Accidents isn’t the horror story you think it is. It’s bigger and better, and you’ll actually be able to sleep at night. Wendig hasn’t set out to scare you or give you nightmares. Instead he has crafted a sweeping epic that captures you and creeps you out. It’s impossible to put it down because you just want to know what happens next. It’s a masterclass in mixing genres with complex and intertwining stories that are all pulled together at the end. If you think you know where it is going, you’re probably wrong.
Review: The Lights of Prague by Nicole Jarvis
Review: A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
There’s something truly special about finding a novel that speaks to you, the words flowing from page to mind in a symbiotic creative fusion. That feeling of connecting so deeply with a book is priceless, something to be cherished, and it’s even better when that book becomes an author. For me, that author is P. Djèlí Clark. Ever since reading his short works A Dead Djinn in Cairo and The Haunting of Tram Car 015, I was enamored with his blending of the fantastical and historical. That connection deepened when I read some of his short stories, and then even more when I tore through last year’s Ring Shout. Count me lucky when his first full-length novel comes out a mere seven months later—in A Master of Djinn, Clark’s magically-infused Cairo is back and better than ever.
SPFBO7: Q & A with Small Places Author, Matthew Samuels
Review: In the Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu
I found In the Watchful City to be a whimsical, almost poetic account of the relationship between Anima et al, technology, and the humans that inhabit Ora. For a novella, I think this book does a great job of demonstrating how complicated and interconnected these interactions can be.
Cover Reveal Blitz: Jati’s Wager (Wind Tide #2) by Jonathan Nevair
Review: Empire of Blood and Sand by Alister Hodge
Review: Seven Deaths Of An Empire by G.R. Matthews
So if you truly enjoy a conspiracy, politically driven fiction Roman novel, Seven Deaths Of An Empire is an impressive addition to your list and fans of Roman times and grimdark will get a blast with this book.