Procurator [Paperback]

Kirk Mitchell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 2000

Two thousand years after Pilate pardoned Jesus, the Roman Empire-backed by nuclear might-holds the wild men of the North in check...

Product Details

• Paperback: 234 pages
• Publisher: Ace Science Fiction Books (October 3, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441680291
• ISBN-13: 978-0441680290
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,471,476 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A colorful medley of fantasy and alternate history, October 7, 2000

By 

Jeph Gord - See all my reviews

This review is from: Procurator (Paperback)

In this fast, easy-to-read tale, Kirk Mitchell tells the story of an exotic- and very different- present day.

In 9 BC, the Romans won a smashing victory at Teutoburg Forest, putting an end to the barbarian menace. Some 40 years later, Pilate pardoned Joshua Bar Joseph (Jesus Christ). Without a martyr figure, Christianity never leaves the ground. Without the external menace of Germanic invaders and the internal menace of religious controversy, the Roman Empire continues to grow and prosper.

Now, in the present day, Roma presides over an enormous realm, stretching from the rugged land of Anatolia to the Novo Provinces across the Atlantic ocean. Germanicus Agricola rules as Procurator in the Province of Anatolia (Turkey). The job, although glorious, is far from easy. Although Roman subjects in name, the fanatically religious natives remain fiercely independent in spirit. And they are determined to drive the infidels from their country by any means necessary. When physical violence fails, they turn to a deadly magical weapon: massing. Using this deadly psychic power, they are capable of assassinating enemies from a great distance.

Even in the face of this deadly menace, Germanicus is determined to stand firm. Backed by the firearms, automobiles, and wireless communications of the Roman military, and by his own diplomatic ability, he moves to prevent a savage holy war. But the stakes are far higher than he could ever imagine. For behind the savage belligerence of the Anatolians lies a far more sinister conspiracy, aimed straight at the heart of the Roman Empire. Before Germanicus knows it, he is over his head in a complex web of unspeakable violence, powerful sorcery, and ancient theological secrets.

Mitchell's prose is somewhat inelegant, but his plot is highly compelling. He makes liberal -and successful- use of both the fantastic and the alternate historical, creating a delightfully unique piece of speculative fiction.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High quality alternate history, March 28, 2001

By 

"m_peror07" (Knoxville, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Procurator (Paperback)

This is one of the few Roman alternate histories I've read where Rome survives without being assisted by magic or aliens - and the way Mitchell presents it seems like it could have happened. Germanicus is a sympathetic character, and the supporting characters are also fleshed out very well. The changing points -Pilate pardoning Jesus and a victory in the Teutonoberg forest are intriguing.

The story itself is great, so good I immediately rushed out and bought the other two books. There are only 3 flaws with it. All the modern technology in the book is never adequately detailed (I assume a sand-galley is a tank but I'm still not totally sure). ALL of the modern tech is invented by two guys - the emperor Fabius and a Greek named Ptolemaeus - which doesn't seem quite believable to me. I guess the new technology can only be endorsed by an emperor. And finally Mitchell says that the Julian line has lasted for 2000 years - meaning that without a German frontier or a messiah in the east that Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero don't kill off all prospective heirs.

But these are minor points. If you are interested in Roman history or are in the mood for a very good alternate history I would heartily recommend it to you.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reprint this, please!, June 9, 2000

By 

Susan Paxton - See all my reviews

This review is from: Procurator (Paperback)

What a shame that Mitchell's "Rome Trilogy" ("Procurator," "New Barbarians" and "Cry Republic") is out of print. He brilliantly brings the Roman Empire forward to modern times with likely technological "improvements" and introduces several marvelously memorable characters, most notably Gaius Julius Agricola, the Procurator of this title. If you can find this and the two sequels anywhere, read them. They're a real pleasure. And how sad that the Empire had to decline and fall....