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Loading... Gods and Legions: A Novel of the Roman Empire (original 2003; edition 2002)by Michael Curtis Ford"Gods and Legions" is a well written book. Michael Curtis Ford is a capable writer who knows how to piece together a decent story. He had a good amount to work with in Emperor Julian, the last Roman Emperor to hold onto a polytheistic view on religion; and while the story moves along nicely, and the core characters have a reasonable amount of flesh, the aggregate just didn't pull me in. I really enjoyed Ford's "The Fall of Rome". What his stories lack in emotional depth, he makes up for in the plot pace, and a good variation of action and politics. I'd consider "Gods and Legions" a solidly average piece of Roman military fiction. Isn't it fun when a book takes you by surprise? I didn't really go into Gods and Legions expecting much, I had read a couple of Ford's other books and was just hoping for some nice, gruesome "historical" brain candy, but the book had quite a bit more depth than I expected. The book is about the famous Julian the Apostate, so I probably don't need to go into what/who the storyline concerns. Let's just say he was a Roman emperor who maintained pagan beliefs in a time when Christianity was flourishing in Rome. This is what led to such an intriguing read, as the story is told by one of Julian's physicians - a Christian, who stands in awe of Julian's military and political prowess and revulsion at his barbaric pagan practices. I won't say the book is perfect. I had difficulty connecting with the characters for awhile, I didn't like the pacing of the book, and there were a few raised eyebrows at some of the actions of the characters. I also can't argue for or against the historical accuracy of the book, as I've read so little nonfiction to know enough about the time period. If you're looking for an action-oriented historical novel with a bit more depth than usual though, Gods and Legions isn't a bad choice at all. This one is odd because I own it but its still packed, so I read it from the library. I like this guy's stuff. It isn't high art, which is good since I'm not a high artist. But it was pretty amazing to me the level of society and technology the Romans have in the 4th century vs what Europe would come up with in the Dark Ages. I don't really like 1st person stories, and Ford likes to tell the story about the main character from the perspective of someone close to him. The Emperor Julian is pretty dislikeable, but how many Roman Emperors were warm and cuddly. And I LOVE his method of fighting against war elephants. I do find the notion of a Roman Emperor who spoke Latin badly and never saw Rome amusing. Rather like Victoria being Empress of India. I've already got the next one of his to read. "Gods and Legions" by Michael Curtis Ford gives the reader a fictionalized but extraordinarily historically accurate account of approximately a decade in the life of the Roman Emperor Julian, the apostate. Mr. Ford's novel breathtakingly encapsulates Julian with venom, slaughter, pagan worship, sacrifice and all the insidious machinations credited to Roman society, deservedly. I enjoyed this novel far more than "The Last King," which I found wanting on a number of levels. Whereas here the writing was more succinct, the script tighter and the characters not only interesting but provocative. I must admit that Mr. Ford had me stymied as to who was friend or foe through much of the novel, although I understand that cozening the reader was not the intent of the author. I had some doubts before but now I will definitely seek out Mr. Ford's other novels at the local bookstore. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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