This is my first comment on a book. I really enjoyed Blake’s intertwining of discrete historical events with this adventure novel. While reading, I learned a lot about the history of the Italian peninsula, particularly the relationships between Lateran Rome, the Exarchy in Ravenna, and the Eastern “Roman Empire” in the early 7th century. Different titles and facts sent me to Wikipedia on several occasions. The main character, Aelric, though far from fully virtuous, is not really the anti-hero plot summaries say he is. He is motivated by the same vanity, greed, and temper we all are, but ultimately does what he thinks is right in most cases. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

The only drawback is that I consider this an adventure novel as the reader knows Aelric makes it through his journey early on. As a result, the thriller aspect is more than a bit subdued.

Published on Goodreads, 9th August 2016

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