Every Knee Shall Bow

I received this book free from Library Thing to review.
It's A sprawling, swashbuckling adventure tale with a side order of romance and a few interesting conversations about Christianity (celibacy, Gnosticism, the canon, etc.) woven in. No preaching.

In 316 A.D., Rex is a disgraced Roman “speculator,” a highly trained elite warrior. In the previous book, he served Emperor Constantine as a trusted member of the royal bodyguard unit. But during an important battle, he deserted the action to rescue his lady in distress. Constantine was furious and sentenced him to a lifetime as a lowly rower in the Imperial Navy.

As this book opens, Rex is leading the ship's rowers in a mutiny. Throughout the story, he is hunted, captured, and imprisoned show more over and over; but he escapes over and over. Flavia, his beloved, is a wealthy aristocratic Christian nun. They are sent on a dangerous mission for the church. As his sidekick, she suffers a similar series of tragedies but Rex always manages to rescue her.

With a huge cast of characters and lots of action spread over Italy, Germany and Egypt, this is a challenging read. But the writing is good and the pacing is excellent. If political intrigue, treachery, murder and adventure on the high seas is your cup of tea, you will love this book. I* did not. show less

Rome AD 316-318. Book two in the Constantine's Empire series picks up 3 years after the ending of The Conqueror. Rex is in exile for treason – sentenced for life to row for a warship in Constantine's navy. Flavia and her mother Sophronia are in Sicilia, living as nuns, when they are commissioned for a sensitive mission for the Bishop of Rome. Constantine is in Gaul, when he co-Augustus and brother-in-law, Licinius (stationed in Sirmium), decides to make a power play that incites a war.

An Aegyptian faction of the Christian church, a group of Gnostics, seek to stop the mission Flavia has been sent on,cripple the Roman church, and make Alexandria the capital of the Christian faith, making their doctrine the preeminent belief system.

The show more canon of scripture is being hotly debated. Why will some letters be included while others are not? Does sin have consequences? Should priests be able to marry? What is a spiritual marriage? Where is St. Peter buried? Will Rex and Flavia ever find one another again? Will Rex's father survive being literally stabbed in the back? Can Rex restore his good name with Constantine?

From a mutiny on a warship to a palace intrigue at the church in Rome. From the brothels of Corinthus to the jail cells in Thessalonica. Church history comes to vivid life as author Bryan Litfin takes us on a journey through the Roman Empire.

Adventure, intrigue, alliances and subterfuge fill the pages of this novel. The action never stops. The characters are multi-dimensional, flawed beings who struggle to balance life and faith, duty and desire. I couldn't put this book down and can't wait for the conclusion in Book 3. show less

This review is part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

Rex used to be a highly trained bodyguard for Constantine but in one harrowing moment, he protected a woman instead of the emperor. In penance, Rex was given over to serve aboard a brutal navy ship, there to reconsider letting his heart interfere with his duty. As he rows for days without end, Rex ponders his love for the lady Flavia and the impasse they find themselves in; her passion for spreading the love of Jesus and his own inability to accept this new religion. In a moment of opportunity, Rex sails after his woman, only to find that she's on her own mission. The Bishop of Rome has sent her to find Constantine and to convince him to finance a great building project in show more the city. To make him see that Rome, filled with beautiful churches and art, will show Christianity to be a better way than pagan temples full of altar blood and prostitutes. But the Bishop of Alexandria doesn't want Rome to garner all the glory and he sends a man of his own to thwart Flavia. Can Rex reach her in time? Can they convince the emperor to agree to such a big commitment? Can Rex and Flavia come to terms with their differing faiths?

I admit the first twenty or so pages of this book, I struggled, but after that it seemed to roll non-stop for me. I enjoyed the travel about Italy and Europe, the pagan temples, the Christian brotherhoods, the naval vessels, the sense of adventure and daring. I enjoyed Rex and Flavia's push-pull and how they come to terms with each other. I know that Christian fiction is not everyone's cup of tea but reading about this time of early Christianity held my interest. show less

We first met Lady Flavia, a devout Christian believer and Rex, a battle-hardened Germanic warrior-for-hire in [The Conqueror]. Their journeys converge again in the second well-researched installment by Bryan Litfin. This time, Rex has gone rogue, commandeered a Roman oar boat, and set out in search of his lady love. For readers who rely on the publisher (Revell) as a source for clean, light romance, the author's style is a little grittier and heavier on the historical details, but a guaranteed swashbuckling read is ahead.

Further exciting adventures of Flavia and Rex. She accompanies Bishop Ossius of Hispana as part of an entourage on a mission to Constantine. Constantine's approval is sought for the building of churches and an official copy of the scriptures. [I would assume that it was not the final canonic version, which I thought came at the end of the 4th century as a decision of one of the church councils.]
Rex leads a mutiny aboard ship and somehow Flavia and Rex meet up. Through trials and tribulations they save each other and care for each other. Will Constantine give his approval? I liked how the author's explanations of N.T. passages were worked into the story and his thoughts on how the early church might have functioned. The romance aspect show more could have been abbreviated, especially so many of the couple's thoughts.

Highly recommended. show less

Overall, this story was very good. Historical fiction is my favorite genre. That said, I found this story to be fairly realistic in it's description of things. It reminded me a bit of Francine Rivers' Mark of the Lion series minus the gladiators. Of course it had that special voice that is unique to Bryan Litfin. If you read any of his Chiveis trilogy books you'll know what I mean. I can still picture one of the heroes gouging out someone's eyes while underwater. Just sayin'... it was that descriptive in a previous that I can still see the scene in my mind's eye. Most of the books that I've read are no longer in my mind. But Bryan's writing is still there.

This novel was set in the earliest days of the church (300s AD) as it established show more itself in Rome. I found the mysticism interesting, especially the baptism ritual. Good thing for us it changed over time or we would have much fewer baptisms these days. Also, unlike many novels in Christian fiction, this was more realistic in regards to human struggles and sin. I found that especially intriguing and it showed how there are ripple effects to every decision we make.

There were battle scenes in this book written to show the power struggle between the two Caesars. Of course, I was rooting for Constantine despite knowing the ins and outs of his policies. I finished this story and found myself talking about it with others. That's the sign of a good book, to me anyway. Plus, I enjoyed learning a bit more about how the early church kept things moving forward (and protected from destruction) and how they guarded the early writings of the apostles that later became the New Testament. If you love fiction from that era, you will enjoy this book. show less

A Grand Adventure!

The beautiful Flavia, a devout Christian who grew up with a life of privilege is thrown together with Rex, a tough soldier who believes there is no difference between Christianity, and the worship of the old gods.

The Roman church wants the two of them to journey to Emperor Constantine and get his permission, along with financing, to build churches and have an official book of scripture printed. While trying to do that, they will face many dangers and hardships including beatings, kidnapping, death attempts, jail time and take part in a war.

This epic, sweeping tale takes place in the early 300’s just as the old Roman empire is about to become Christian. Constantine’s rule is challenged by those who want to replace show more him. It is a dangerous time with much unrest in both the government and the church.

The Gnostics want their heretical teachings of Christianity, along with their books and worship practices to be the norm. They will stop at nothing to achieve it--including paying spies, influencing priests to take their side, and hiring a murderous mercenary who has a vicious snake tattoo on his forehead.

This exciting story has Flavia and Rex in one dire situation after another, but their biggest downfall may be each other. Although this is the second installment in a series, this story stands on its own. Be aware that although clean, there are some adult situations so recommend this for older teens and adults. Fans of action or historical tales will enjoy this five-star book.

The Library Thing has provided Tickmenot with a complimentary copy of, Every Knee Shall Bow, for the purpose of review. show less