It's two weeks since the great battle beside the Trebia that had shattered the armies of Rome took place. Hannibal is eager to assess the extent of his victory, while giving a chance to his army to rest. The winter has exacted a heavy toll on his men and beasts.
Corinna is dreaming of rescuing her only son Cleon from the clutches of Rome. To do that, she needs help from Sphax and his team. Sphax is realistic in restraining her aspirations, he knows that they need to come with strategical and tactical necessities which will convince Hannibal that Cleon's recovery would be essential to the prosecution of his war with Rome.
"Key to this, Corinna, is alliances," Sphax explained. "I know my uncle. What will persuade him are sound strategic reasons for sanctioning your scheme... We need to acquire allies capable of prosecuting the war by sea and river. Illyria and Macedon are the only powers capable of this..."
Corinna is determined to enter Brundisium in secret and rescue her son by stealth, not by force of arms. She will need a small reliable unit to accompany her. Hannibal agrees with the plan and gives her licence to treat with Queen Teuta and Philip of Macedon at her discretion.
And thus their epic journey begins.
Will they be able to convince the pirate queen and her former lover Demetrius to put aside the bitterness and close the door on the past? Will Philip form an alliance with Hannibal and make himself an enemy of Rome? Will Corinna be reunited with her son?
The Hostage of Rome is an original, meticulous and absolutely gripping historical novel.
If you enjoy reading books set in the ancient Rome, this series is a must. The research which has gone into recreating the geographical, political and social background to the story, is matchless. The historical detail is thorough, from clothes to weapons, from social mores to food. You learn about the minute details of the life in the army, military tactics and strategy, the eternally dirty politics.
Kidd is a master storyteller. When he describes the storm, you feel right in the middle of it. His vivid descriptions add an emotional atmosphere to the narrative and move the plot forward.
"All at once they were enveloped in an all-encompassing darkness, relieved only by a pale crescent moon and the stars in their courses. Now they were little more than a speck of dust on a vast empty sea. Never before had he felt so abandoned and helpless in the face of nature".
"It all happened with such shattering suddenness. Now all around their fragile wooden walls, the sea foamed and seethed as white-capped waves began to boil and shower them with spray. Lashing hail turned to driving rain and soon they were shivering and soaked to the skin. What until now had been a steady breeze had become a tempest, its squalls and gusts assailing them from all points west, making steering impossible at times, and control of the sheets a challenge".
As I travelled with Sphax from the first book (see The Walls of Rome and book 2, The Winter of Winters), I grew to appreciate his development from an immature impulsive boy to a man of valour. He is a flawed but likeable character, of great courage and fortitude.
I don't often read books of the military history genre, but this series is eye-opening, so informative and truly gripping. Highly recommended.
This post is part of the blog tour for The Hostage of Rome.
Many thanks to Robert M. Kidd and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!
Purchase Links
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hostage-Rome-Histories-Sphax-Book-ebook/dp/B09X3L8WLB/
US - https://www.amazon.com/Hostage-Rome-Histories-Sphax-Book-ebook/dp/B09X3L8WLB/
Author Bio – Robert M. Kidd
When Cato the Censor demanded that ‘Carthage must be destroyed,’ Rome did just that. In 146 BC, after a three year siege, Carthage was raised to the ground, its surviving citizens sold into slavery and the fields where this once magnificent city had stood, ploughed by oxen. Carthage was erased from history.
That’s why I’m a novelist on a mission! I want to set the historical record straight. Our entire history of Hannibal’s wars with Rome is nothing short of propaganda, written by Greeks and Romans for their Roman clients. It intrigues me that Hannibal took two Greek scholars and historians with him on campaign, yet their histories of Rome’s deadliest war have never seen the light of day.
My hero, Sphax the Numidian, tells a different story!
When I’m not waging war with my pen, I like to indulge my passion for travel and hill walking, and like my hero, I too love horses. I live in Pembrokeshire, West Wales.
https://twitter.com/RobertMKidd1
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064169594911
Giveaway to Win Book 6 in The Histories of Sphax series to be dedicated to the winner, & a signed dedicated copy too (Open INT)
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