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Loading... The Gates of Rome (Emperor Series, Book 1) (original 2005; edition 2011)by Conn Iggulden (Author)
Work InformationThe Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden (2005)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Great start to the Emperor series, telling the story of young Julius Caesar, and his adopted brother Marcus. Great story-telling and filling in the gaps between historical events that occurred in the city of Rome during the days of the Roman Empire. Very detailed in the scenes of conflict both small and large. Can't wait for the next book in the series! I read this when I first came out and remembered it fondly so when the whole series were on offer in a Kindle deal I snapped then up. Reading it again, it's not as good as I recalled, but it is any entertaining enough yarn with all the right ingredients. Iggulden mixes a bit of history (I can't vouch for the accuracy) with a coming of age tale, plenty of action and a bit of humour and romance. It's satisfying but never amazing, although it does wrap up nicely ready for book 2. no reviews | add a review
Fiction.
Literature.
Thriller.
Historical Fiction.
HTML:Rarely, if ever, does a new writer dazzle us with such a vivid imagination and storytelling, flawlessly capturing the essence of a land, a people, a legend. Conn Iggulden is just such a writer, bringing to vivid life one of the most fascinating eras in human history. In a true masterpiece of historical fiction, Iggulden takes us on a breathtaking journey through ancient Rome, sweeping us into a realm of tyrants and slaves, of dark intrigues and seething passions. What emerges is both a grand romantic tale of coming-of-age in the Roman Empire and a vibrant portrait of the early years of a man who would become the most powerful ruler on earth: Julius Caesar. On the lush Italian peninsula, a new empire is taking shape. At its heart is the city of Rome, a place of glory and decadence, beauty and bloodshed. Against this vivid backdrop, two boys are growing to manhood, dreaming of battles, fame, and glory in service of the mightiest empire the world has ever known. One is the son of a senator, a boy of privilege and ambition to whom much has been given and from whom much is expected. The other is a bastard child, a boy of strength and cunning, whose love for his adoptive familyâ??and his adoptive brotherâ??will be the most powerful force in his life. As young Gaius and Marcus are trained in the art of combatâ??under the tutelage of one of Romeâ??s most fearsome gladiatorsâ??Rome itself is being rocked by the art of treachery and ambition, caught in a tug-of-war as two rival generals, Marius and Sulla, push the empire toward civil war. For Marcus, a bloody campaign in Greece will become a young soldierâ??s proving ground. For Gaius, the equally deadly infighting of the Roman Senate will be the battlefield where he hones his courage and skill. And for both, the love of an extraordinary slave girl will be an honor each will covet but only one will win. The two friends are forced to walk different paths, and by the time they meet again everything will have changed. Both will have known love, loss, and violence. And the land where they were once innocent will be thrust into the grip of bitter conflictâ??a conflict that will set Roman against Roman . . . and put their friendship to the ultimate test. Brilliantly interweaving history and adventure, Conn Iggulden conjures a stunning array of contrastsâ??from the bloody stench of a battlefield to the opulence of the greatest city in history, from the tenderness of a lover to the treachery of an assassin. Superbly rendered, grippingly told, Emperor, The Gates of Rome is a work of vaulting imagination from a powerful new voic No library descriptions found. |
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I do see some repetition of the same formulas and concepts used in the authors other novels. This could very easily become a weakness in literary structure but it seems Iggulden can use it to his advantage in story telling. I do not know how I did not see it coming. But the end of this book slapped me in the head and elicited a loud "No Way" out of me, as I finished. Great ending. Very excited about book two. ( )