I will admit that Simon Turney’s Praetorian series didn’t exactly pull me in to begin with. The first volume was a good opener, but the second left me cold. The third regained my interest, and this is the fourth in the series.
Without giving too much of the earlier books away, Rufinus finds himself back in Rome in the extended entourage of Septimus Severus. But he has to use an alias, as his continued existence is known only to a few people. This gives him enormous advantages, but clearly makes life difficult, as he is unable to reveal himself to old friends.
Commodus is still Emperor, but his Chamberlain, Cleander, is the real power in the city, and thus the main focus of a number of plots. Rufinus has his own reasons for wishing for the man’s downfall. Severus has power and influence, and this enables him to place Rufinus in positions that will prove useful – and dangerous.
The plot is well handled, and again, quite complex. Severus is happy to play the long game, and is something of a master at it. Quietly assuming control of local naval forces, and manipulating grain imports, he sets about rousing the people against Cleander. The roles that Rufinus finds himself in can seem a little far-fetched, but it is worth seeing where it all leads. After all, young aristocratic men did become Tribunes, and learnt on the job, rather than training and then being promoted. So why shouldn’t Rufinus do the same?
I was pleased that Senova played a more prominent part in this episode. She had seemed a bit of a spare part in the earlier books, but comes into her own here, displaying an intelligence and dynamism that sometimes exceeds those of Rufinus. I did miss his dog, Acheron, though the explanation for his absence was entirely reasonable.
I did enjoy this episode in the series. I do, however, have reservations about the growth of the major characters. The author’s other series have all been marked by his astute development of the people involved. We see them slowly maturing and acquiring the skills to achieve what they eventually do. Here, you do have to suspend disbelief a little more than usual when Rufinus and Senova suddenly seem to have acquired a new skill or knowledge out of the blue. But apart from that, it is a cracking story.
This is a review of the Mulcahy Books 2018 Kindle edition.
Click here to view this book on Amazon.
