Blood in the Forum

A Novella of Ancient Rome

By: Vincent B. Davis II

Narrated by: Joshua Saxon

Politics. Betrayal. Assassination.

Rome, 133 BC.

Gaius Marius is back from war in the West. They fought for the peace and prosperity of Rome, but the legions return to find the Eternal City far less peaceful and prosperous than they had hoped.

People are starving, homelessness abounds, war after war has overtaxed the legions. And the revolutionary tribune, Tiberius Gracchus, thinks he has a solution for everything.

Political parties are developing, the people are up in arms, the senate is enraged. And Tiberius is at the center of it all.

Before Marius has a chance to re-acclimate to civilian life, he’s thrust into this political upheaval in Rome. His allegiances are put to the test as Rome is almost brought to the brink of civil war. For the first time in the history of the Republic, blood will be shed in the forum.

©2019 Vincent B. Davis II (P)2019 Vincent B. Davis II

EXCELLENT AS THE OTHERS

SAD AND MELANCHOLY BUT A GREAT TALE. CAN'T WAIT FOUR THE NEXT! IN THE NOVELLAS. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE AUDIBLE COPY OF BODIES IN THE TIBER. AS I HAVE READ THE MAN WITH TWO NAMES & THE NOISE OF WAR.

Long Live the Republic

It’s been a few years since I read Roman historical fiction and this novella made me yearn to read more of this amazing time period again. The Narrator did such a great job with both his inflections and gravity in his voice to meet with the subject matter. During this time period returning warriors are being pulled into the political climate of the Times.
I look forward to listening to more of the series as this was so well written and wonderfully performed. It stirred my imagination and helped me to recall my love of Roman Times.

***I received a free copy of this book in lieu of an honest review

Well done, makes history come alive

While we are often taught that Rome was a republic, in fact it was an oligarchy. Its Senate was made up of the richest Romans, who owned most of the land, and the plebeians, average people, while having citizenship and certain rights, had no political power. We have a somewhat similar system although we elect those who govern us. However, to get elected requires significant resources. In this historically accurate story, the members of the Senate and the Ponifex Maximus turn to violence to try to suppress any wealth being shared with the returning legionaries and other poorer citizens. This story shows the power of rhetoric to sway citizens, for good or ill, depending on the ultimate goals of the speaker.

I must read more from this author

Blood in the Forum. . I liked this novella. Narration is excellent and gives the feel of life in the Roman Empire - Gravitas and Intrigue. .
It is well written and has an interesting storyline.
I want to read more from this author.
A great novella.
I received a free copy of this audio book at my own request and voluntarily leave this review.

Good story!

This is the second book (novella) I’ve listened to by this author. Like I said in my first review, going back this far in time and reading/listening to stories of that period (whether fiction or non) is new to me. I love stories with a historical aspect. My go-to eras seem to circulate around the Victorian and Colonial times. So this was much more different.

While the names were a little confusing and getting jumbled in my mind for a bit, I found this story much better, more engaging than the first one. There seemed to be more going on. I can’t wait to start listening to the novel “The Noise of War.” I haven’t looked at the blurb for any of these, but I’d love to learn more about what Gaius Marius did during his life. I enjoyed this story and had a hard time putting it down. I can't wait to hear more.

The narrator was okay. Just joking! He did a great job! I love his voice and would definitely recommend him to others!

I received a free audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.