Praise for Sunday Times bestsellers Wounds of Honour, Arrows of Fury and Fortress of Spears:
Fortress of Spears is a sound addition to a highly entertaining series, and opens up the potential for the future adventures of Aquila and his friends well with its closing chapter drawing them away from Hadrian's Wall. Though it may not hold the conspiratorial edge that its predecessors did, it is still a superbly written piece of historical fiction. Even with the closing paragraphs, intrigue at Aquila's future will still sink into the reader as deeply as a well thrust gladius.
I've said it before and I'll say it again until I'm blue in the face, Anthony Riches' military expertise makes every page both gripping and informative. As the series progresses, you're placed deeper and deeper within the dangerous, vibrant and remote world of the Roman border during the 2nd century AD. You also get a sense of the many different peoples, brought together from across the empire, who manned this border - apart from Rome and yet within its grasp. Marcus and his group of centurion friends are well known to us now and while, in some ways, this third book ends with some closure, their stories thankfully are set to continue in next year's fourth novel The Leopard Sword.
Fortress of Spears is another thrilling chapter in the life of Marcus Aquila...a feast of savage warfare, cynical betrayals, barrack room bravado and poisonous politics, all leavened with a sprinkling of Roman-style romance. The perfect blend of history and adventure.
The most impressive aspect of Riches' latest work
[Arrows of Fury] is that the concern for the main protaganists, engendered earlier in the series, is not only sustained but expanded on and leaves the reader on a knife-edge for much of the novel. Especially given the conspiracy that protects Marcus from Imperial justice is such that any discovery of his true identity would leave half a dozen of the main characters nailed to crosses should it be uncovered.
Riches starts this book
[Arrows of Fury] with an extremely helpful insight into the Roman Military rank structure and Roman formations. You can tell from the battle scenes, of which there are many, that Riches has a degree in Military studies, and the book is excellently researched. It is easy to read but this does not detract from the fact that it is well written. Riches has captured how soldiers speak and act to a tee and he is very descriptive when it comes to the fighting. It is a novel full of power, lust, envy, violence and vanity. The very things that made Rome great and the very things that would lead to it's downfall. If you like historical novels, read this book. But make sure you read the first in the series before you do, as I feel it will make this book even better. I look forward to reading the third book.
A military expert, Riches brings top-notch drama, vivid storytelling and historical realism to his tales set in a turbulent time of transition for the Roman Empire.
From battle scenes of terrifying ferocity and the lethal politics of the imperial masters to the dirty dealings of tribe leaders and the camaraderie of the troops, this is a stirring and brutal account of men at war. Arrows of Fury paints a panoramic picture of one of the most violent periods of British and Roman history. Ancient adventure at its pulsating best!
What Anthony does extremely well is writing combat sequences and when backed up with characters that you've come to care for makes it even more heart-stopping as each steps into the battle line. Add to the mix great villains, cracking dialogue and above all a soldier's humour that just oozes from within the pages and it's a title that I really can't recommend enough.
From the initial page, the novelist establishes a furious stride, shifts between his fully realised characters and their locales with assurance, and keeps the story moving forward until the climactic conclusion. It's a measure of Riches' talent that he can write so grippingly, with a real sense of his chosen period, yet still leave room for his protagonist - and an excellent supporting cast - to flex muscles in a first-rate story that leaves the reader panting for breath and wanting more. Ultimately, Wounds of Honour is an attention-grabbing, suspenseful, debut novel filled with action, intrigue and violent conflict that will appeal to anyone interested in historical fiction.
With a gripping storyline, and a top notch protagonist backed up by a decent supporting cast that felt fully realized, you can understand why this novel took the author a number of years to write. Back that up with historical accuracy and a passion for the Roman war machine that just explodes from the pages, and it's a novel that will hopefully do for this period in the Roman army what Christian Cameron has done for the Greeks. Finally add a stylish cover by the master of Historical Fiction covers (Larry Rostant) and you just know that Historical Fiction is coming back fighting fit and ready to rumble against all comers. I'll eagerly await the second in Anthony's series (currently entitled Empire: Arrows of Fury) which is currently scheduled for April 2010.
So how does one summarize this new entrant into the world of historical fiction? Capable, believable, exciting. Enthralling. Intriguing. Although it is a rarity to pour such praise onto a volume, in the case of
Wounds of Honour this reviewer was more than a little impressed. The most significant cause for annoyance is that the second volume in the series is not released until April 2010, leaving me with an awfully long time to wait before I discover where Marcus' tale will travel next.