The Severan Prophecies: A Novel of the Roman Empire [Paperback]

David Chacko (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

When the Roman emperor Caracalla was assassinated, his family gave the task of safeguarding their dynasty to the questor Marcellus Decimus, the narrator of this story. How he led a young boy named Varius in a race against death that culminated in the restoration of the dynasty is one of the more remarkable episodes in the chaotic and violent history of Rome.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Amazing work of fiction...Chacko's ability to paint a vivid picture of the Severan dynasty is unparalleled....Highly recommended! -- Sylvia Cochran, RoundTableReviews.com

This is a very enchanting and wonderfully written novel. -- Brad Eden, HistoricalNovelSociety.org

From the Publisher

David Chacko's fourteenth novel, The Severan Prophecies, is an exciting and convincing narrative of one of strangest and most misunderstood figures in ancient history. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was fourteen years old when he ascended to the throne and eighteen when he died, but during his brief period of public life he set the Roman world afire.

All the settings in the Middle East and Europe are well rendered by Chacko, who lives in the places where the story passes. The characters are even more sharply drawn, a real feat when passing from rulers in their puberty to beautiful mothers who will do anything to keep their place at court to grandmothers who are the real power behind the throne.

The havoc that a boy in the prime of his adolescence visits on the empire is furious. It's enough to say that the end is bloody and the few bodies that will finally stand are the shocked remnants of his royal family and his friend nearly to the end, Marcellus.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 444 pages
• Publisher: Foremost Press (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978970462
• ISBN-13: 978-0978970468
• Product Dimensions: 3 x 2.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,187,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Chacko has written nineteen novels. Many are in the espionage and mystery genres with occasional outbreaks into common sense. He can usually be found in Istanbul or New York. The consistent factor here is that both places have good food, beautiful women, and memorable views of the sea.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars, October 2, 2007

By 

The Sage of Morton St. "Model" (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Severan Prophecies: A Novel of the Roman Empire (Paperback)

If you ever wondered how Roman emperors were made and unmade, read the Severan Prophecies. David Chacko's latest novel is a headlong bloody primer to the emergence of a dynasty that lasted for several generations, each wilder than the preceding one. Told by Marcellus, a tribune who rises to army commander and finally as advisor to emperors, the book is a fascinating look at the turbulence of third century Rome. Written with real style and an authentic Roman voice. Five stars.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Voice, August 3, 2008

By 

E. Ulusan "Time Piece" (Earth) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Severan Prophecies: A Novel of the Roman Empire (Paperback)

Anyone who likes historical novels, especially ones based in Roman times, will have his plate full with The Severan Prophecies. This book has perfect voice and pitch. The main character, Marcellus, is as believable a Roman as he is an action hero and mentor. The incredible gyrations of the characters and plot are to my knowledge all based in fact. The rule of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was probably the wildest in Roman history. The main figures in the Severan Dynasty are all present, including a full cast of powerful women who manipulate feverishly behind the scene. Sex, intrigue, full-scale battles, and some inventive methods of dying, can be found in every chapter. You can put the book down, but only because you know there will be more good things to come.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Action and Intrigue in ancient Rome, October 2, 2007

By 

Lucky Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Severan Prophecies: A Novel of the Roman Empire (Paperback)

If you'd like to read a historical novel about the Rome Empire that is the strangest of all things--very well written while crammed with action large and small, sex of every kind, mysterious murders, and many turns of high level intrigue--try The Severan Prophecies. It never quits and the ways it never quits are almost endless. A great read and a very fine novel.