Review: The Conqueror by Bryan Litfin

   

About:

It is AD 312. Rome teeters on the brink of war. Constantine's army is on the move. On the Rhine frontier, Brandulf Rex, a pagan Germanic barbarian, joins the Roman army as a spy and special forces operative. Down in Rome, Junia Flavia, the lovely and pious daughter of a nominally Christian senator, finds herself embroiled in anti-Christian politics as she works on behalf of the church.

As armies converge and forces beyond Rex's and Flavia's controls threaten to destroy everything they have worked for, these two people from different worlds will have to work together to bring down the evil Emperor Maxentius. But his villainous plans and devious henchmen are not easily overcome. Will the barbarian warrior and the senator's daughter live to see the Empire bow the knee to Christ? Or will their part in the story of Constantine's rise meet an untimely and brutal end?

Travel back to one of the most pivotal eras in history--a time when devotion to the pagan gods was fading and the Roman Empire was being conquered by the sign of the cross.

My Thoughts:

Brandulf Rex, whom Rome considers a German barbarian, joins Constantine's army as an elite spy after Constantine spares his life. This book delves into the history of how the Catholic Church got a foothold in Rome which previously was persecuting the Christians. Things are beginning to change even to the point that Emperor Constantine has an army to back him up. 

Junia Flavia is a Christian woman who is the daughter of a senator that finds herself in a fight for the plight of Christians in the pagan Roman senate. Eventually through the turmoil of Rome's civil war, Rex and Junia's paths converge. The characters are great and they all change drastically throughout the book. This story is filled with adventure, conquest, and twists that made this historical time come to life. If you are interested in the history of Rome and the early Catholic Church this is the book for you. 

I have been on a reading splurge of author Litfin's and I especially enjoyed his other series (futuristic medieval) and this one with the ancient Roman/German atmosphere was a good one to get lost into too.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Reviewed by Bubba