I loved learning more about Caesar's life, and was especially grateful for the notes at the end of each book clarifying where the author deviated from history. This entire series was a great read. ( )

Well, here we are. The fourth and final volume of Conn Iggulden's action-movie version of the life of Julius Caesar. From crossing the Rubicon to Et tu, Brute? in five hundred pages or less. This novel gets by on sheer breathless momentum. And what a ride it is.

As usual with this series, Mr. Iggulden is excellent at describing battle, both large and small scale. I've noticed after reading each of these books that the parts that are most memorable are the 'set pieces'. This novel is chock full of them. You'll be exhilarated reading about the battle of Pharsalus or Caesar's standoff in Alexandria.

The characterization is better here than it has been in the past books. By the end both Caesar and Brutus had done things I found despicable, but I will say they were fairly well drawn. Unfortunately most of the secondary characters that I have grown to love through the series are either dead at this point or given short shrift. I sorely missed Renius, Cabera, Tabbic and Alexandria. Calpurnia is barely introduced before she is swept offstage. However I can't really fault Mr. Iggulden. There was so much to cover in this final book that these side stories probably would have made the book feel cluttered.

I was surprised to reach page three hundred or so and still not have heard anything about Cleopatra. I was worried that the author was somehow going to gloss over her. Luckily Mr. Iggulden proved me wrong. Cleopatra make an impression from her first appearance and really holds your attention whenever she is mentioned through the rest of the story.

Of course unless you've been living in a cave your whole life, you know how the book will end. Nonetheless, the author wrote it in such a way that I was both breathless from the tension and somewhat saddened by the inevitability of what was to come next.

I do think the story ended right where it should, but I wish that in the obligatory Author's Note at the end Mr. Iggulden would have given some sort of American Graffiti-esque biographical notes on what became of Brutus, Octavian, Cleopatra and most especially Caesarion.

Overall, this was a very impressive set of books. I would recommend them without reservation. They have all the action of a Hollywood blockbuster, but are close enough to the facts to give a layman a basic understanding of a very important man in history.

I will most definitely be picking up Genghis: Birth of an Empire and whatever else Conn Iggulden writes in the future. ( )

A great ending to a fantastic series. Well worth the read! ( )

I didn't want this series to end, and reading the author's afterword neither did he.
All things end, including the life of caesar. This last book in the series covers the perfidy of Brutus, the defeat of Pompey and the submission of Egypt. ( )