Published in e-book 4th March 2021 and hardback 13th May 2021 by Aria/Head of Zeus.
From the cover of the book:
Their rivalry will change the world forever.
As competition for the imperial throne intensifies, Constantine and Maxentius realise their childhood friendship cannot last. Each man struggles to control their respective quadrant of empire, battered by currents of politics, religion and personal tragedy, threatened by barbarian forces and enemies within.
With their positions becoming at once stronger and more troubled, the strained threads of their friendship begin to unravel. Unfortunate words and misunderstandings finally sever their ties, leaving them as bitter opponents in the greatest game of all, with the throne of Rome the prize.
It is a matter that can only be settled by outright war...
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Masters of Rome is the second book in the Rise of Emperors series continuing the epic story of the tense rivalry between former boyhood friends Maxentius and Constantine.
The end of the first enthralling book, Sons of Rome (review here), left me in no doubt that there were some interesting events about to unfold in this new instalment, as the strained relationship between the two friends began to fracture in the face of the power struggle among the leaders of Diocletian's tetrarchy.
While Diocletian devotes himself to his cabbages in his rural retirement, the peaceful, productive empire he imagined would spring from the seeds of this new order is suffering from severe blight! The leaders of the four corners of the empire are waging an undercover war against each other in moves and counter moves designed to undermine each other at every turn, in order to take the imperial throne.
Maxentius finds himself tied up in troubles in Rome, complicated by the rapid growth in the Christian church. His domestic and family concerns lead him to take his eye off the ball and lose his grip on the African part of his empire, causing him severe financial problems. It's hard to be a popular leader when your subjects are discontented - especially when you have to increase their tax burden to plug the holes in your leaky coffers - and many of his decisions do not bear close scrutiny.
Constantine meanwhile, still maintaining his right to rule the Western Empire, has his hands full quelling the Franks, dealing with shortages of food, his own dissatisfied citizens, and more than a little double dealing from his political enemies - including his own father-in-law. It is going to take a mix of lateral thinking and taking the bull by the horns to get through this, but his strength of character starts to shine through - even if he is a little on the impulsive side at times.
Maxentius and Constantine are rather older and more experienced in this book, dealing primarily with their own domestic affairs rather than epic sweeping dramas, which does give it rather a different feel to the first book. But simmering rivalries will out, and their longstanding problems do have a habit of intruding, which keeps you aware of the wider issues at stake - especially towards the end of the book. War is inevitable, and the climax of the story comes at a crucial point in the proceedings that promises lots of excitement in the final book in the trilogy
Second books in a trilogy can be very tricky beasts, but Graham Doherty and Simon Turney have hit the mark once again in this book. It builds the picture of both Constantine and Maxentius as men and rulers, and I found it much easier to work out where my own loyalties lie now we are building up the concluding book. I must admit that I would prefer to have a few more female characters to root for, as they tend to be confined to one-dimensional maiden, mother and crone roles, but nonetheless there is plenty to entertain in these books and written history does have a habit of being more than a little biased towards the deeds of men.
If you like you history on the epic and immersive side then this a series I can highly recommend - especially if you are missing some Game of Thrones style family relationships and backstabbing!
Masters of Rome is available to buy in e-book format now, and will be available in hardback from 13th May, from your favourite book retailer or from Amazon UK here.
Thank you to Jade Gwilliam from Head of Zeus for sending me an e-copy of this book in return for an honest review and for inviting me to be part of this tour.
About the authors:
Simon Turney is the author of the Marius’ Mules and Praetorian series, as well as The Damned Emperor series for Orion and Tales of the Empire series for Canelo. He is based in Yorkshire.
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