David McK (3816 KP) rated Tribune of Rome in Books
Jan 30, 2019
... you get the picture.
To that list, we can now also add Robert Fabbri with his planned 'Vespasian' series of books, of which this is the first. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm also going to state that (from the above list of authors) I've read at least one book in their respective series. Of those all - and, including, now, this book - I have to say, I've found Scarrow's novels to be the most entertaining.
As a novel, I found this one could be split into three distinct sections: the beginning was set during Vespasians early years in the Roman country-side and mainly concerning the relationship between him and his brother, before the setting moves to Rome proper when the two brothers get embroiled in Roman politics, and then (in the latter half of the book), following Vespasians early military career. It was probably this latter aspect of the book that is the most enjoyable, even if it does still suffer from seemingly stilted conversations that are used to move the plot along - that, and some 'Oh, come on! As if ...' moments (one in particular!).
While I read some more of this series? Possibly, but also I'm not going to be going out of my way to look for them.
Total Conquest - Online combat and strategy
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Sound the call to battle and join legions of players online in a battle to control the Roman Empire!...
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Though the ancient Greek philosophical concept of schole is usually translated as 'leisure', there...
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9.0
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From Roman burial rites to the horrors of the plague, from the founding of the great Victorian...
Britannia - Season 1
6.6
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David Morrissey (The Walking Dead) and Kelly Reilly (True Detective) star in an epic and cinematic...
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Magic Pony Coloring Book for Adults My Little Art!
Entertainment and Book
9.0
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◊ Relax and be creative with new magical coloring books for adults! Experience the best GRADIENTS...
David McK (3816 KP) rated Gladiator 2 (2024) in Movies
Dec 6, 2024 (Updated Dec 6, 2024)
In this, which plays a heavy debt to that earlier film, Paul Mescal stars as Hanno who, it turns out, also played a pivotal role in that earlier film (I don't want to give too much away, other than to say he's playing the same character circa 20 years later) and who, like Maximus before him, ends up fighting for his life in the Roman Arena for the amusement of the Roman mob.
Denzel Washington, this time, plays a role somewhat similar to Oliver Reed did in the first film, with - here - 2 Emperors instead of 1 (Commodus) in the persons of the twins Geta and Caracella - and with able support provided by the likes of Pedro Pascal (whom the trailers will make you think has a bigger role than he does) and Connie Nielsen.
Good, yes, but not up to the standards of the first.