Para Bellum
Most Roman ‘militaries’ are set in the 1st century, when the Empire was expanding, and the Romans usually won. Para Bellum is set in AD 381, with the Empire on the defensive, and the Romans often lose. The Empire is at peace, but five years previously a Roman governor, in a drunken rage, had ordered the death of a Gothic king at a feast which was supposed to bring the two sides together in uneasy amity. This act of criminal stupidity had led to war and the death of Emperor Valens. Despite the peace, the brother of the murdered king still seeks revenge on the eight legionaries who killed the king and his attendants.
After surviving an attempt on his life, the leading legionary, Flavius Focalis, tries to warn his former comrades, who have all retired to live quiet lives after years of fighting. The choice is simple: run – throughout the Empire – or stand and fight. Eight Romans against a thousand Goths – and hope the Empire will protect them. Or will they be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency? No one wants another war.
Simon Turney gives a strong plot with believable characters and a strong storyline which is fast-paced and difficult to put down. The action is non-stop and realistic. Para Bellum is everything you expect from Simon Turney: readable, exciting, thrilling. Recommended.
