Scourge of Rome

(Gaius Valerius Verrens #6)

by Douglas Jackson

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70AD. Disgraced, dishonoured and banished into exile on pain of execution if he ever returns to Rome, the former military tribune Gaius Valerius Verrens makes his way East through the death and destruction of the savage Judaean rebellion. Valerius knows his only hope of long term survival and a restoration of his family’s fortunes lie with his friend Titus, commander of the Army of Judaea and son of the newly crowned Emperor Vespasian.
But when he reaches the ring of legionary camps around the seemingly impregnable city of Jerusalem he finds Titus a changed man. Gone is the cheerful young officer he knew, replaced by a tough, ruthless soldier under pressure from his father to end the insurrection at any cost. Soon, Valerius finds himself at the centre of a web of intrigue spun by Titus’s lover, Queen Berenice of Cilicia, and her sometime ally, the general’s turncoat adviser, Flavius Josephus, who have an ulterior motive for ending the siege quickly.
Yet the laurels that will regain his honour cannot be won in the negotiations in the murky tunnels beneath Jerusalem. Only amid the fire and blood of battle will he equal the glory that brought him the title Hero of Rome.

REVIEW

The sixth episode – well, if you’re this far along in the series, you already know how brilliant it is. It isn’t easy keeping a series of this many books fresh, creative, interesting….but the author is up to the challenge. His larger than life characters are a joy to get acquainted with, and the historical aspect is certainly enhanced by them. So, the good news is, I am 2/3 of the way through the series. The bad – I only have three more books to go. 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Enemy of Rome

(Gaius Valerius Verrens #5)

by Douglas Jackson

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Summer, AD 69. Rome and its empire are in turmoil, caught in the coils of a desperate and destructive civil war.

The emperor Otho is dead by his own hand and his rival, Aulus Vitellius, occupies the imperial throne. However, a new challenge has arisen in the East – the legions of Titus Flavius Vespasian have declared him their Emperor.

In the dry heat of an August morning, Gaius Valerius Verrens prepares for his last day on earth. Wrongly accused of deserting his legion on the field of Bedriacum, it seems he is destined to die a coward’s death.

Then the executioner’s hand is stayed. Vitellius’ enemies will spare the life of the man who was once Hero of Rome if he pledges allegiance to Vespasian and his cause. Valerius – tired of the endless slaughter and hoping that he might be reunited with his lost love – agrees. And so he must battle his way south to Rome in order to persuade his friend Vitellius to stand down for the greater good of the city, its people and the Empire.

But this is civil war and this is Rome, and Valerius – his loyalties divided and branded an enemy of the people – is trapped in a maze of distrust, corruption, betrayal and blood-letting .

REVIEW

You have to feel for a protagonist who finds himself fighting for, and against every side in a war. Yeah, the author certainly has it in for his creation…of course that’s what makes this such an entertaining series. Notch up another winner…next one is already loaded up on me Kindle.😁 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Avenger of Rome (Gaius Valerius Verrens #3) by Douglas Jackson

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Emperor Nero’s grip on power is weakening. In every shadow he sees an enemy and like a cornered animal he lashes out at every perceived threat. His paranoia settles on the figure of Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, Rome’s greatest General who leads the imperial legions in the East.

So popular is Corbulo with his men that he effective presides over an Empire within an Empire. Is Corbulo preparing to march against Rome and take the purple?

Gaius Valerius Verrens, Hero of Rome, is ordered to Antioch with the power of life and death over Corbulo, a soldier he worships. There he finds word of his mission has preceded him and every man’s hand is turned against him. But Corbulo’s eyes are not on Rome, but on a new threat to the Empire’s border. The Parthian King of Kings, Vologases, is marching to war and with such an army that if not stopped he might overwhelm the entire Roman east.

Valerius marches at Corbulo’s side. Outnumbered they make a stand in the barren wastes beyond the Tigris to meet Vologases in an epic contest of military might and ingenuity that will decide the fate of the Empire. And while he fights for the Empire, and for his own survival on the battlefield, Valerius must decide whether to complete his mission, or risk incurring his Emperor’s dangerous wrath.

REVIEW

Once again I find myself way behind in a captivating series, though I suppose that’s understandable. A little background – I first came across Douglas Jackson’s books while searching for Roman fiction and read his Claudius and his Caligula books and enjoyed them so much I searched for more. That search uncovered a multitude of extraordinary authors dabbling in Roman fiction (e.g. Ben Kane, SJA Turney, Gordon Doherty, Robert Fabbri, Simon Scarrow, LJ Trafford, Anthony Riches, Harry Sidebottom, et al) thus my reading spread out over many authors in the same genre. Thus I am lagging behind because these authors keep writing books I cannot ignore. Anyway, in this installment of the Verrens series, the author has penned a real page turner. The plot/subplots are full of surprises and keep the readers on their toes(or maybe on the edge of their seats) … the struggle to survive a shipwreck…the tense atmosphere surrounding Verrens arrival at Corbulo’s headquarters…the sheer scope of the battle… Yes, this is a heart pounding tale that is hard to put down. What with the fall of Nero and the Year of the Four Emperor’s waiting in the wings, I can’t wait to get into book 4.  5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Defender of Rome by Douglas Jackson

Gaius Valerius Verrens has returned to Rome and is made a Hero Of Rome by the Emperor, Nero for his actions and bravery in Britain.  Of course being in Nero’s spotlight isn’t always a good thing as Verrens finds out after having been solicited by Nero and then given an almost impossible task, apprehending Petrus, the leader of a new religious sect that threatens to undermine Roman society and politics.

The author has given us a story of much intrigue and has populated the main story line with many obstacles for Verrens to negotiate and overcome in this exciting sequel.   While the first book was of a military mindset, this one is more of a detective story set mostly in and around Rome itself.  That in and of itself shows the author’s ability to move his main character into a situation involving different skills while building on the lessons learned and confidence gained in his earlier experiences.

A page turning tale that brings  one face to face with power politics, religious fervor and the struggle to satisfy a capricious leader, I heartily recommend this book and series.

5-stars.

Hero of Rome by Douglas Jackson

When I mentioned on social networks that I was reading Hero of Rome by Douglas Jackson I was informed that I was going to love this book.  Well between the time I started it and finished it I had begun writing my own novel(my first)…the main reason it took me so long to finish Hero.  Normally I would have read a book this intriguing in a much shorter time frame but I needed to take time to get my efforts off the ground.  The biggest problem I have encountered while having both balls in the air is this; Douglas Jackson is masterful.  If I can be one-quarter as descriptive…if I can be one-tenth the character developer that he is, I will be a happy author.  He has written a book that draws you right into the hearts and minds of his characters, most especially the main character, Gaius Valerius Verrens.

The place is Britain prior to and then during Boudicca’s revolt.  Valerius is a Tribune assigned to Colonia, the town where the temple to Claudius was built.  He is due to return to Rome to begin his climb up the political ladder but finds himself instead in an impossible situation having to defend the town against a force of really ticked off British tribes that is at least ten times larger than what he has at his disposal.  The first part of the book deals with the politics and policies used by Rome to bring Britain into “civilization”.  Naturally some Roman officials are overly dismissive of these barbarians in their charge and that is the fuel that ignites the tinderbox that Boudicca fans into a full fledged bloody revolt.  The last part of the book, the revolt itself, is an edge of the seat, page turning brilliant example of great historical fiction writing.  When I finished I knew I would be reading the rest of the books in this series which I am told by my social network friends are even better than the first.  Oh my!