Rivers Ran Red
The Last of the Romans trilogy
by J A Grierson
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Pub Date Nov 05 2019 | Archive Date May 13 2020
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Description
In a whirlwind of fire and carnage, Attila the Hun wheels half a million horsemen towards Roman territory. In his path, corruption and greed have undermined the ancient empire and the vacillating emperor, Valentinian III, has cut her legions to a sliver. But out of this smoke a wily, battle-scarred general, Avitus, rises in her defence. Making allies of his enemies, Avitus rallies barbarian warlords to fight for the Eagle and crosses the Alps to confront Rome’s nemesis. But when Attila offers to split the Empire’s corpse with the Goths Avitus’ march becomes a suicide mission.
One war will decide the fate of civilization.
The Battle of the Catalaunian Plains rages through the night. Individual acts of bravery and cowardice tip the final balance. Rivers run red and burst their banks with blood. Dawn draws a portrait of unimaginable carnage.
In a tale of epic deeds, heroes confront insurmountable odds with honour and courage. Avitus faces a myriad of enemies, both Roman and barbarian but can one man save civilisation?
Advance Praise
"5.0 out of 5 stars If You Liked ""Game of Thrones"" You Will LOVE This Book - Buy it Today!
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
The blurb makes this sound as if it is ""ancient history"". Well it is - but much, much more than that! This is an insightful mix of history and an historical novel that brings it to life. This is the teetering point for the Roman Empire as Attila the Hun puts ALL of European civilization against the wall for real fear of annihilation by the ""barbarians"". History doesn't give much credit to Attila the Hun, but he has been the ONLY force that has come out of the Far East to successfully invade European civilization. ""Rivers Run Red"" is a fictionalized but accurate historical record of how the Roman's mustered the will and power to prevent the total collapse of European history. If you are a fan of ""Game of Thrones"", you will REALLY want to read this book because this was the very REAL thing on the biggest scale literally in history. Ms. Grierson tells the story masterfully with prose that thrills the reader. No doubt Hollywood will find her soon for this is akin to ""Ben-Hur"" and ""King of Kings"" and deserves its place on the list of super-spectacular movies. I'm an historian so I checked many of the facts in the book and they are as accurate as anyone can get. Buy and enjoy this book - and you'll learn something important when you do.
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Available Editions
| ISBN | 9780473487485 |
| PRICE | $10.38 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Polly K, Reviewer
Well written historical fiction; characters are well rounded and well developed, just enough action and romance to keep your interest. The Roman troops and generals encountering Atilla the Hun are hard pressed to outfight the barbarian horde, but with the knowledge and skills of General Avitus, the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains may turn the tide.
Lisa N, Reviewer
My thanks to Books Go Social, J.A. Grierson and Netgalley.
I have a weakness for Roman books. I loved this.
Jane B, Reviewer
4 stars
You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.
This is a well written and well researched historical fiction about the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, one of Attila the Huns last battle against the Roman army.
The Empire is weakened due to an inept emperor, Valentinian III. Atilla has laid waste to huge swaths of the Roman Empire. The Empire must make one final stand to defend itself. Avitus, one of the Empire's greatest generals, convinces the Empire's enemies to align with them to defeat Atilla. The battle lasts an entire day and as the smoke clears the next day, Atilla's army is defeated and retreating.
The story is told from several different characters' perspectives and provides a small glimpse into life in the Roman Empire between 410-454 AD. I liked the book, but at times I found the story a bit disjointed. The transitions between story lines and chapters was occasionally clunky. Some characters were introduced for one single purpose and then never heard from again. Other characters had short story lines that faded out and weren't resolved. I also struggled to keep track of some of the characters because either their names were similar, or were difficult to decipher how to pronounce, but it was a minor distraction. Plus, there's nothing that can be done about the names of real characters.
I like historical fiction books, but haven't read any from this time period before. I found it very interesting and look forward to reading other books in this era.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Stephanie W, Reviewer
I really enjoyed this. I love stories about the time of the Romans so when I saw this I snagged it. My main issue with Roman times is that EVERYONE has names that are so close that I like to get characters confused. Which can make for an interesting read. I.E. Aetius and Avitus. Then I just tend to mix the two lines together until someone dies. Does this ever deter me from picking up another. NO...no it doesn't because I am fascinated by the era. This was a well written and from what I can tell a well researched read. I'd definitely recommend this book to a friend who likes historical fiction. For the most part it wasn't sexually graphic until it got to one scene about 3/4 through with Avitus' son, it wasn't long, but it was there, which didn't bother me but may bother others.
Dominique V, Reviewer
I love well written historical fiction and Rivers Ran Red is exactly that. It gives me accurate historical information, epic battles and intrigues but manages to do so with characters that are brought to life and whom you cheer for or mourn when you follow them in victory or death.
Anyone who loves epic battles and political intrigue would do well to pick up this book and as a bonus you'll pick up some accurate history as well.
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