In AD 410, Aquila is a Roman soldier, born and stationed in Britain – a Britain which has been irrevocably influenced by its tumultous relationship with its Roman conquerors, and which is being ravaged by invading Saxons. When the Romans retreat from Britain, Aquila is forced to choose between his loyalties: between his family, especially his beloved sister Flavia, and the influence of Rome, which he sees as the last bastion of light in a darkening world. In Ambrosius Aurelianus, who leads the fight against […]
Pro Gloria Dei
I read half of this book at various points last year, and read the other half whilst on a 14 hour bus ride this week… so I’ll count this review for this year, especially since I wrote it on said 14 hour bus ride. This is a book about history; a book about a cathedral. It is about England and the Church, about good and evil and the spectrum between. Most of all, it is the story about people who fill that spectrum: people who […]
Locke, move over; Sabetha’s in town
Warning: This review for the third book in the series contains possible spoilers for The Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas Under Red Skies. You know, just in case that wasn’t obvious from the fact that it’s a sequel. Locke Lamora is poisoned, and there’s no antidote. He and Jean Tannen must agree to deal with their erstwhile enemies, the bondsmagi, in order to save Locke’s life and give them a new game to play. But in this game, they face their most dangerous adversary yet… Sabetha, […]
The Labours of Hercules: Christie “lite”
In this collection of short stories, Poirot is retiring, but he decides to take on twelve final cases, a reference to his namesake’s twelve labours in Greek mythology, before he does. Christie’s short stories are a different labour altogether from her longer mysteries, and I can’t really compare them. It was interesting how the plots in these were quite different from her usual – there were art thefts, quelling rumours, hoaxes of various sorts, dognapping, and a surprising amount of cocaine, but a lack of […]