Warrior of Rome - Part Two - King of Kings [Paperback]

Harry Sidebottom (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Michael Joseph / Penguin (2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0718155025
• ISBN-13: 978-0718155025
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,343,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enemy without, enemy within, July 20, 2010

By 

Anibal Madeira (Lisboa Portugal) - See all my reviews

In the first installment of this series I gave a 4 Stars because although I found Prof. Sidebottom work an excellent historical fiction, I also considered the plot very predictable.

At the beginning of this second volume I consolidated my former opinion - great details, a consummate Historian who is a good writer, but the story in itself was very straightforward: the bad guys were filled with hubris, arrogance and somewhat stupid; the good guys (although not good in a "modern" humanist, jewish-christian way of thinking - which shows that the author can really immerse himself in classical paradigms) are wiser, kinder, more humane.

And then the plot unfolds and suddenly everything makes sense. Congratulations Professor Sidebottom, this was a great story. It's almost impossible to stop reading this epic.

Great characters, including some secondary ones like Ballista's Wife and her powerful political acumen, the loyal Irish (Hybernian) bodyguard or the leader of the frumentarii and his hidden ambitions.

The Sassanid Persians are the terrible menace, led by a great king - Shapur. I hope that in the third volume, more Persian characters get the same development that the author gave the Romans.

Usually in Historical fiction (and most fiction), few look at the cover image for long after buying the book (although its an efficient marketing tool); but I must commend Larry Rostant and its exceptional cover, not only his technical quality, historical accuracy (almost perfect), and the rising sun that's all for Mazdaists - the illustrator really captured the essence of the book.

Good maps, index of characters (NEEDED), historical notes and very complete glossary helps the reader to understand the period, the places and the events.

Highly recommended, waiting for the third in the series - Lion of the Sun.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well done, nice continuation., March 19, 2010

By 

Blue (USA) - See all my reviews

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I like Sidebottom's work. The characters are interesting and well written, definitely individuals. I enjoyed the first installment and this was a worthy follow-up. For me, these rank with the best of Cornwell's writing, with the first installment being slightly better than this second book. I await and will purchase the third.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of satisfying gore, May 5, 2011

By 

Mr. David Sibley (Canberra, ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: King of Kings (Warrior of Rome 2) (Paperback)

Professor Sidebottom continues his series of detailed military historical novels set in the Roman Empire of the third century.

His hero, Ballista, is starting to grow on me as an acceptable Richard Sharpe of antiquity.

The gore, the language and the battle scenes will not be those of gentle disposition or easily disturbed stomaches.