Customer Reviews

Emperor: The Gods of War: A Novel of Julius Caesar

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Conn Iggulden admittedly set an ambitious goal for himself in his four volume "Emperor" series, a work of "a-historical historical fiction." Iggulden has acknowledged his numerous departures from the historical record in his books, and he repeatedly recommends Christian Meier's magnificent biography, "Caesar," for those who want a more accurate account.

I do not fault Iggulden one iota for deviating from the historical record -- he's writing fiction. The question becomes, how good is the story he tells? Why should we seek out "Emperor" in the face of so many novels about Julius Caesar?

Fortunately, Iggulden had the confidence to break from tradition and give us his own take on Caesar and his times. For those looking for a more "historical historical fiction," you should check out Colleen McCullough's awesome "Masters of Rome" series that starts with "The First Man in Rome." Hers is much more of a "you are there" walk-through of actual history.

Iggulden takes a hand grenade to the historical record to tell a more focused story of friendship, betrayal, love, war, and conquest. Caesar and his childhood friend, Brutus, rise to prominence together in books 1-3, but in Book 4 the relationship is strained. Brutus, perhaps incorrectly, interprets Caesar's use of Mark Antony and Octavian (one day to be Augustus) as insults -- how can Caesar honor anyone before Brutus, who has been there from the beginning and done more to help Caesar than anyone?

This betrayal leads Brutus to join Pompey's forces in the infamous civil war that ends up at the titanic Battle of Pharsalus. Can Brutus' friendship with Caesar survive this betrayal? Can it be revived? Can Brutus look past Caesar's colossal pride and see his childhood friend?

For anyone who hasn't lived under a rock, you know the answers. (Iggulden may deviate from history a bit here or there, but he doesn't completely rewrite it.)

Iggulden writes with the same economy and clarity that he brought to the first three books. But the sheer scope of Book 4 -- the civil war, the death of Pompey, Caesar's time in Egypt, the betrayal by Brutus, Caesar's triumphant return to Rome and his imperial ammbitions, the jockeying for position by Brutus, Octavian and Mark Antony, the birth of Caesar's son by Cleopatra, and the assassination -- make the 380-odd pages of "Gods of War" seem a bit thin. I felt like I was reading Iggulden's "Highlights from Caesar," and that's not good.

Iggulden has written an entertaining series. But he chose to write about one of the defining periods of Western Civilization -- the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Empire. You cannot give the people who shaped these events short shrift, and Iggulden for the most part does. Brutus and Caesar, naturally, receive some development, but Octavian gets only a few choice bits, and Mark Antony and the others might as well not even be in the book.

All in all, I enjoyed books 2 and 3 of this series much more than books 1 and 4. Book 1 was marred by a "hidden identity" gimmick that really didn't quite work, and the magical-mystical elements brought by the healer Cabrera really didn't fit into Iggulden's story. These flaws vanished in Books 2 and 3, and Iggulden rewrote history in a rollicking fashion - his description of the battles to defeat Mithridates and to beat Spartacus were much better than his handling of Pharsalus, which felt cursory. While Iggulden's battle scenes in Alexandria are fun in "Gods of War" are fun, they do not carry the rest of the book.

All in all, a slightly disappointing conclusion to a good series that didn't really strive for greatness-- unlike McCullough's titanic series. I suspect I will be much more upset when I finish Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe series than I was when "Gods of War" reached its conclusion. Perhaps if Iggulden chooses a smaller project next time, I'll enjoy the books more -- it's clear he is a writer of talent and vision.

Iggulden completes his series and this time there's not too much complaint about historical inaccuracy (though perhaps about historical characterisation). To get it all going, Julius leaps over the Rubicon, captures Corfinium without bloodshed, and traipses into Rome with consummate ease. It was going to be interesting to see how he forced the character of Brutus back onto his true historical destiny and Iggulden manages it in a single episode of childish pique as our silvered-armoured sidekick goes from outstanding general and best friend to outstanding general and worst enemy in the space of a single night simply because he feels Julius favours Mark Anthony over him. Julius, himself, doesn't seem too bothered as he laps up the adoration of the Roman crowd and spends most of his time trying to father a child before getting cuckolded and storming off to Pharsalus to hunt down his previous friend who has chucked his lot in with the aging and increasingly befuddled Pompey (who spends much of the first half grumbling about intestinal issues and managing to let Caesar out manoeuvre him) and the self-exiled Senate, caustically represented by Cicero.
In the meantime Brutus has a new aristocratic friend, Seneca and we move past page 200 into the battle for Roman supremacy at Pharsalus which takes the next hundred pages or so and ends Part One. It is during this battle that Iggulden shows why the glaring inconsistencies in plot and characterisation that so define all these novels can be swept aside through sheer brilliance of action. The battle for Pharsalus and control of Rome is executed with pathos, crisp dialogue and gladiator-esque vibrancy. Brutus' fight to a standstill, Octavius' handling of the intended decimation of the Third, Pompey's agonised futile stand and Julius' military brilliance are all painted in an exhilarating manner until the final ignominious end on the shores of Alexandria. The only item that grates slightly is Brutus' volte-face and his near-cowardice when faced with faced with dishonourable death or naked legionary hatred as Julius exercises a clemency that leaves a festering wound on his soul.
Iggulden sweeps us on to the penultimate action of Julius' life as he has a dishevelled Cleopatra tumbling from her infamous carpet in a manner less reminiscent of Elizabeth Taylor and more of Asterix and Cleopatra before falling for her wiles, capturing Ptolemy, razing the Alexandria library to the ground in a rooftop escape and finally securing the throne for his new love and begetting a male heir.
We move swiftly to Julius' denouement back in Rome where Iggulden has Servilia as the architect of his downfall. Focusing on the two main events, his thrice refusal of a crown and his murder, Iggulden cannot resist the impulse to use the infamous Shakespeare quote which never happened historically. At least he didn't go so far as so say, `Et tu, Brute?' choosing to give a direct English translation of Julius' last words and leaving the conspirators with far more glory than any other author as they enter the Roman forum with the saving blood of the republic on their hands rather than the results of a heinous crime. Still, he does hint he might subject the story of Mark Anthony, Octavian and Cleopatra to the historical mangle in future years.
The character of Brutus is the only minor historical complaint. Brutus is historically is recognised as the epitome of republicanism, second only to Cato. History tells us that his participation in the murder of Caesar is an unwilling act of a man for whom Rome and republic is everything whereas Iggulden has him behaving like the historical Mark Anthony - wild, impetuous, a charismatic leader of men - which results in the problem that his actions in the novels come across as whimsical and petulant most of the time. He is constantly bleating and bemoaning the fact that he isn't number one, something that is outlined starkly in his feverish diatribe to Julius mid-novel.
In stark contrast, having got past the farcical upbringing of Octavian in the previous novels, we see a character that perfectly explains his future destiny as Augustus and matches his historical personage perfectly.
The quartet of novels are extremely well written stories, Iggulden demonstrating a remarkable capacity to capture his reader's attention and imagination, his ability ensuring he has produced a story that, as the quote on the front jacket claims "the great events and breathtaking brutality of the times are brought lavishly to life." It is this great capacity to tell a story that rescues a historically awful series punctuated with inane characterisation at times. So, buy it, because it is compelling, but there are other series out there that tell the story of the fall of the Roman Republic in a more historically satisfying way (Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series being the best).
It'll be interesting to see what Iggulden comes up with next.

I can't tell you how I've waited for each and every 'Emperor' book by Conn. This one was no different! 'The Gods of War' is one of the best books I've read this year! Tying up the loose end of Brutus, Ceaser, the wars, and the chilling ending was just pure enjoyment.

I keep seeing people who don't like this series because it's not accurate... geez!! GET A HISTORY BOOK MORON! If you want a wonderful story about Rome, her citizens, her Generals, her joy and pain, then pick up this book/series!

In 53 B.C. Commander of Gaul Julius Caesar leads four veteran legions, hardened by the victorious campaign, across the Rubicon. Caesar's threat to Rome leads a stunned Pompey to declare him "the enemy of Rome" in the Senate chambers. However, Pompey also knows that there is nothing in the city to stop Caesar's advance. Caesar expects the war with Pompey will prove his toughest but greatest achievement.

Victory belongs to Caesar but he will one day find the fruits bitter. However, for now he controls Rome and no rival has surfaced since Pompey's defeat. He has the exotic Queen Cleopatra of Egypt as a mistress and ponders what next. His long time friend Marcus Brutus brooding over Caesar's ambition fears for the future of the Republic. He wonders when Caesar will claim he is the king and begins to plan how to stop the ascent that Brutus feels will ultimately lead to the destruction of Rome.

The fourth "Emperor" tale (see THE FIELD OF SWORDS, THE DEATH OF KINGS, and THE GATES OF ROME) is a terrific ancient historical tale that feels in some ways as more of a biographical fictional account of Julius Caesar. The story line brings alive the civil war with Pompey who never expected a Roman legion to attack Rome, Caesar's tryst with Cleopatra, his friendship with Brutus throughout his rise to power and his apparent thirst for more. Though Brutus' concerns come across seemingly trivial and lacking conviction and compassion (unlike Shakespeare's version), readers will appreciate this fine entry that entertains and grips the audience from start to the Ides of March.

Harriet Klausner

I have already read and reviewed the previous 3-books in The Conn's "Emperor" series, which deals with the Roman Republic and uses Caesar and his side-kick Brutus as the main characters. In that single sentence I just identified two of the many things terribly wrong with these books.

Like the previous 3-books in the series, they are all quite readable and are fast page turners. Being a student of this period of history, I found these books absolute historical abominations. There is virtually nothing accurate and the events are entirely misleading, the characters all kinds of wrong, and you just have to wonder why someone would write something like this, or better yet, why anyone would publish it??? Like his Mongol series, I have concluded he knows virtually nothing of these subjects and merely cranked this stuff out to sell books. Ok. I guess I am bitter because I have financially contributed to this fraud.

After dragging myself through this author's other books, I had to check out on this one after 70-pages. I picked it back up a few months later. The civil war with Pompey is entertaining to read. I just don't get why a guy who makes his living off of history shows history absolutely zero respect.

The only reason I am bothering with this review is that too many others are singing the praise of these books, and it is really unjustified. Conn's brief apologies for his historical liberties, which he pitifully and understatedly does in every book, are not accepted and do not address the majority of the issues; many of which he seems completely unaware of. Invest your money elsewhere, this author is "historical" fiction at its worst.

After the almost tired feeling of book three, "The Field of Swords", I was somewhat apprehensive heading into the fourth and final book, "The Gods of War". If "Field" was tired, it was only reasonable to expect "The Gods of War" to follow suit. Surprisingly, and pleasantly, it didn't.

The final book takes in the last years of Caesar's life, including the civil war with Pompey. Iggulden makes some judgement calls on things that are somewhat unclear in reality, (Pompey's sickness), and again takes some liberties with the historical record. The narrative itself is fast paced as usual, but there is the added element of betrayal and intrigue that was lurking in the background in previous volumes. The whole betrayal thing of Brutus was a welcome addition to the story, and provided some of the most intense moments in the book, (or the series, for that matter).

Iggulden has written a high-octane adventure with this last novel, finishing a series on a strong note, which did much to compensate for the relative grind of the third book. I enjoyed this volume much more and it was a real page turner. For those fans of the series, this was a good ending to it all.

Well, here we are. The fourth and final volume of Conn Iggulden's action-movie version of the life of Julius Caesar. From crossing the Rubicon to Et tu, Brute? in five hundred pages or less. This novel gets by on sheer breathless momentum. And what a ride it is.

As usual with this series, Mr. Iggulden is excellent at describing battle, both large and small scale. I've noticed after reading each of these books that the parts that are most memorable are the 'set pieces'. This novel is chock full of them. You'll be exhilarated reading about the battle of Pharsalus or Caesar's standoff in Alexandria.

The characterization is better here than it has been in the past books. By the end both Caesar and Brutus had done things I found despicable, but I will say they were fairly well drawn. Unfortunately most of the secondary characters that I have grown to love through the series are either dead at this point or given short shrift. I sorely missed Renius, Cabera, Tabbic and Alexandria. Calpurnia is barely introduced before she is swept offstage. However I can't really fault Mr. Iggulden. There was so much to cover in this final book that these side stories probably would have made the book feel cluttered.

I was surprised to reach page three hundred or so and still not have heard anything about Cleopatra. I was worried that the author was somehow going to gloss over her. Luckily Mr. Iggulden proved me wrong. Cleopatra make an impression from her first appearance and really holds your attention whenever she is mentioned through the rest of the story.

Of course unless you've been living in a cave your whole life, you know how the book will end. Nonetheless, the author wrote it in such a way that I was both breathless from the tension and somewhat saddened by the inevitability of what was to come next.

I do think the story ended right where it should, but I wish that in the obligatory Author's Note at the end Mr. Iggulden would have given some sort of American Graffiti-esque biographical notes on what became of Brutus, Octavian, Cleopatra and most especially Caesarion.

Overall, this was a very impressive set of books. I would recommend them without reservation. They have all the action of a Hollywood blockbuster, but are close enough to the facts to give a layman a basic understanding of a very important man in history.

I will most definitely be picking up Genghis: Birth of an Empire and whatever else Conn Iggulden writes in the future.

I've just finished up all four in the series and am left wanting more. Julius Ceasar was one of the most remarkable men in history and Iggulden has done an amazing job of bringing him to life in these pages. With so much at our fingertips today, it is hard to imagine a human being with that kind of vision, let alone the will and determination it would have taken to accomplish what still seems impossible.

James Hart Isley
Author of The Bear Hunter

I ordered the first two in the Emperor series (one of historical fiction chronicalling the life of Julius Caeser) and swallowed a dose of 'shock & awe' as I devoured these page turners. I wouldn't recommend them if you like to get to bed early, as I found myself continually battling the sandman to remain awake to see how the latest adventures of the protaganists turned out. While reading the first two I knew that I HAD to go back on Amazon to purchase the remaining books. I discovered that GODS OF WAR was not yet in paperback. Like it mattered. I am the proud owner of 3 paperbacks and 1 hardcover. It was well worth it. I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who enjoys a good yarn, swashbuckling adventure, superior character development, fascinating historical fiction and plainly-just a damn good read. My only hope now is the author, Mr. Iggulden, decides to continue the saga with Octavian/Augustus, Mark Antony and that little Greek/Egyptian Minx. After that there's plenty of drama in the Empire. So to Conn, Sir, I beseech you to put 'pen to paper' and continue the journey. I will do my part and spread the word here in the colonies. I already owe you a pint!

Despite artistic license to completely be historically inaccurate it is an extremely entertaining book. But if you are going to be picky, remember half of what we think we know in common culture about ceasar is wrong due to another author... Shakespeare.

So read the book for fun, then buy a history book if you are concerned with what really happened. The truth is as fun as the fiction, but I love this author anyways.