The Scourge of God
3.5/5
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About this ebook
For fans of the movie Gladiator comes this bloody account of the clashing of civilizations, as Attila the Hun, "The Scourge of God," struggles to overthrow the Roman Empire.
The Roman Empire is weakening. In 367 AD, approximately eight years after the great battle at Hadrian's Wall, Roman garrisons begin to hear rumors of barbarian tribes massing to the north. By 449 AD, Attila, the ruler of the Huns, has become the continent's most powerful monarch, his reputation in battle earning him the title "The Scourge of God."
Anticipating an imminent attack by the Huns, Roman leaders negotiate with one of Attila's lieutenants, convincing him to play the part of assassin. He is joined on his mission by a Roman citizen, Jonas, an ambassador dispatched to negotiate a peace treaty with the Huns. When the plot is discovered, Jonas becomes a hostage, forced to fight for his captors if he wishes to remain alive. But he soon learns that Attila intends to conquer Rome itself, and is caught between two mighty empires, both poised for one of the greatest conflicts the world has ever seen. Jonas, knowing his life could be forfeit, has the potential to tip the battle in either direction––and his decision will alter the face of Western civilization.
For readers of historically nuanced thrillers and adventure stories by authors like Bernard Cornwell and Colleen McCullough.
For readers interested in Roman and Barbarian culture and warfare.
William Dietrich
William Dietrich is the author of fourteen novels, including six previous Ethan Gage titles—Napoleon's Pyramids, The Rosetta Key, The Dakota Cipher, The Barbary Pirates, The Emerald Storm, and The Barbed Crown. Dietrich is also a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, historian, and naturalist. A winner of the PNBA Award for Nonfiction, he lives in Washington State.
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Reviews for The Scourge of God
3 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Having wanted to read some historical fiction based around Attila the Hun I decided to give “The Scourge of God” a go. The author does a good job of bringing life to a period of history that is much obscured through lack of written records. I like how Attila and his barbarian army are portrayed. The description of Attila pretty much reflects how I had imagined him.Ilana, the beautiful Roman maiden, is my favourite character. Don’t blame Jonas - the hero of the piece - for falling madly in love with her.The novel features a twin narrative. I preferred the third-person viewpoint to the first person and feel the story would’ve worked better had it been written in the third throughout.Although I’m glad the language is accessible, in that it isn’t bogged down with 100s of archaic words with a glossary at the back of the book, I do feel the language is *too* modern in feel. For instance, on at least four occasions the author uses American slang to refer to the anus, which comes across as totally out of place for a novel set in the mid-fifth century. For example:>I’ve got the enemy’s butt in my face!The Ostrogoths charged us Romans again and then again and then yet againOr I could return and hurl myself into battle and end things sooner: There was a certain finality in that. There would be no unity against the Huns; Rome was too old and too tired.