About the Book
AD 381. Five years have gone by since a Roman governor ordered the deaths of a Gothic king and his attendants at a feast in their honour. This disastrous act led to warfare in the Roman Empire and the death of the Emperor Valens.
Now, the Empire is calm once more, but for the eight legionaries who committed the killings, the bloodshed is only just beginning. Fritigern, brother of the murdered king, has sworn revenge on his brother’s killers. Now king of a powerful Gothic tribe, he will not rest until the men are hunted down.
Flavius Focalis is one of those legionaries. Surviving an attack at his villa, he realises the danger he and his family are in, and seeks to warn his former comrades, for he knows Fritigern will give them no quarter. So begins a deadly game of cat-and-mouse across the Empire, as, by land and sea, the former soldiers face the wrath of their implacable enemy, and return to the scene of the greatest battle of their Adrianople.
For war is coming again – and the only question is, do they die now, or die later?
Format: eARC (369 pages) Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: 6th July 2023 Genre: Historical Fiction
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My Review
The author describes Para Bellum as a story of revenge and a very compelling one it is too. Taking advantage of the fact that little is known about the fate of Fritigern following the murder of his brother, the author imagines him embarking on a single-minded mission to track down and kill the legionaries involved. It’s a scenario Flavius Focalis, along with his fellow legionaries, has been preparing for for years, fortifying his home, keeping weapons close at hand and ensuring his son Martius is trained to defend himself. And it’s just as well because when Fritigern’s men come they do so with deadly intent.
Flavius Focalis, although battle hardened, was never a cold-blooded ruthless killer, just a loyal soldier carrying out orders that he now realises were at best foolish and at worst the product of ruthess ambition. He is haunted by memories of the event and, being a Christian, wonders if he deserves to be punished for his sins. What trumps that though is his determination to honour the memory of his dead wife by keeping his son safe whatever the cost, even if that means him sacrificing his own life in the process. As it turns out, Martius has inherited a lot of his father’s fighting spirit.
Much like The Magnificent Seven, each member of the group brings different skills, whether that’s a prowess with artillery, the ability to come up with a cunning plan or expertise in creating ingenious defensive mechanisms. And, of course, there’s something to be said for sheer muscle even if it does result in some rather grisly encounters. (Those who are squeamish might want to skip some of the deadlier skirmishes.) And like The Magnificent Seven, not all of them will survive the cat-and-mouse game and be there as the final credits roll. Having said that, don’t underestimate the author’s ability to spring a surprise or two.
Para Bellum has all the full-on bone-crunching action and meticulous historical detail you’d expect from a Simon Turney novel but with the feel and pace of a thriller. As Para Bellum is a standalone novel, you don’t need to have read any of Simon’s previous books to enjoy it, although you’ll probably want to after this. And he leaves us with the prospect of another standalone to come, saying ‘there is another tale that I am twitching to tell’. If it’s as good as Para Bellum, I can’t wait.
In three words: Action-packed, gripping, dramatic
Try something similar: Legionary by Gordon Doherty
About the Author
Simon Turney is from Yorkshire and, having spent much of his childhood visiting historic sites, fell in love with the Roman heritage of the region. His fascination with the ancient world snowballed from there with great interest in Rome, Egypt, Greece and Byzantium. His works include the Marius’ Mules and Praetorian series, the Tales of the Empire and The Damned Emperor series, and the Rise of Emperors books with Gordon Doherty. He lives in North Yorkshire with his family.
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