The Conqueror ~ Review

The Conqueror

Constantine's Empire #1

By Bryan Litfin

First off, I really love the cover of this book. One sees a hero fighting for what they believe in and it fits with the description of the book. The idea behind this book is more than a little intriguing - an empire on the brink. A newish religion struggling to survive in the face of opposition. But the idea, in my opinion, was better than the book. I really tried to like this book and the beginning was more than promising but the further I got into the book the harder it was to keep reading. 

The excessive immorality and lingering on sexuality and physical attributes just turned me off. Seriously, I had to double-check just who the publisher was as this is not what I associate with Revell. I get it that the Roman Empire was morally bereft but I would have preferred fewer details about this aspect of their decadence. 

I'm sure that there are those who will not have their sensibilities taxed by these scenes. But I can't recommend this if you are looking for a clean read. I have read other books, that were in a similar time and place setting that were better if you are looking for historical fiction without the blatant, in-your-face debauchery. Unfortunately, for the book, this along with the pacing kept me from connecting in any way with the characters. 

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion.  All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

It is AD 312. Rome teeters on the brink of war. Constantine's army is on the move. On the Rhine frontier, Brandulf Rex, a pagan Germanic barbarian, joins the Roman army as a spy and special forces operative. Down in Rome, Junia Flavia, the lovely and pious daughter of a nominally Christian senator, finds herself embroiled in anti-Christian politics as she works on behalf of the church.

As armies converge and forces beyond Rex's and Flavia's controls threaten to destroy everything they have worked for, these two people from different worlds will have to work together to bring down the evil Emperor Maxentius. But his villainous plans and devious henchmen are not easily overcome. Will the barbarian warrior and the senator's daughter live to see the Empire bow the knee to Christ? Or will their part in the story of Constantine's rise meet an untimely and brutal end?

Travel back to one of the most pivotal eras in history--a time when devotion to the pagan gods was fading and the Roman Empire was being conquered by the sign of the cross.