“A SUSPENSEFUL, INSIGHTFUL, AND BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN STORY” Margaret George, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Memoirs of CleopatraWINNER of the Coffee Pot Book Club BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD, 2019”…A THOROUGHLY ENGAGING STORY…HARD TO PUT DOWN.” Griff Hosker, Author of LORD EDWARD’S ARCHERAfter young Marcus Antonius’s father dies in disgrace, he yearns to restore his family’s honor during … his family’s honor during the final days of Rome’s dying Republic. Marcus is rugged, handsome, and owns abundant military talent, but upon entering manhood, he falls prey to the excesses of a violent society. His whoring, gambling, and drinking eventually reap dire consequences. Through a series of personal tragedies, Marcus must come into his own through blood, blades, and death. Once he finally earns a military commission, he faces an uphill battle to earn the respect and admiration of soldiers, proconsuls, and kings. Desperate to redeem his name and carve a legacy for himself, he refuses to let warring rebels, scheming politicians, or even an alluring young Egyptian princess stand in his way.
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I do not typically read books on Rome, but I was curious to see how Brook Allen depicted Mark Anthony, or more properly, Marcus Antonius. “Antonius: Son of Rome” did not disappoint! Allen takes what little we know about this historical figure and weaves that into a heartfelt and exciting story about his spotted youth, his loves, his losses, and his rise to fame. Highly recommended for those who love Roman history and historical fiction. NOTE: 4.5 stars is more accurate but there was no option for that.
Son of a disgraced father, stepson of an executed conspirator, Marcus Antonius has an uphill battle to attain prestige in Rome. This coming-of-age story shows how the fervent youth becomes a spoiled teenager, squandering his patrimony on wine and women and becoming indebted to loan sharks to the tune of 200 talents (FWIW, that’s a lot…). His distant cousin on his mother’s side, Julius Caesar, gives him a second chance, sending him to Greece to achieve an education, but there is no margin for error or folly this time. Using his native intelligence and aptitude for strategy, Marcus manages to secure a military post, helping quell an uprising in Judea before crossing the deserts of Arabia to help a pampered and vindictive pharaoh regain his throne. While there, Marcus encounters Ptolemy’s darling daughter, the Lotus Flower Cleopatra, and establishes himself as a force to be reckoned with in the twilight days of the Roman Republic.
This book was a fascinating look at the life of Mark Antony. I’ve always enjoyed his role in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (“But Brutus is an honorable man…”), but I didn’t know much about him. The opening scenes of the book, occurring during Spartacus’ revolt, do a brilliant job setting the stage for what Roman society looks like, including the immense divide between free and slave. Marcus’ descent into debauchery in his teenage years is deftly portrayed as is his family’s unfortunate connection to the Catiline conspiracy. Julius Caesar comes alive as a sympathetic but inflexible character, determined to reward Marcus according to his merit.
When Caesar ships Marcus off to Greece, our hero finally gains the willpower to conquer his own hedonism. The military makes a man out of him, and he gains the skills necessary to be a leader. During his campaigns, Marcus proves capable of navigating the complicated politics of Judea and Egypt, giving us hints of the sophisticated politician he will one day become (“O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, that I am meek and gentle with these butchers…”)
This book is a brilliant start to the Antonius trilogy. Brook Allen captures the milieu and personages of the late Roman Republic without shying away from the brutality of the age and without serving up modern, anachronistic characters in token togas. I’m looking forward to the next title in the series.
Interesting take on Marc Antony. I enjoyed this read, and if you like ancient Rome, I recommend you give it a shot.
The best historical fiction brings history to life with a mesmerizing story. Author Brook Allen has done that with Antonius: Son of Rome.
As someone who has read little fiction about Roman history, I was fascinated by the tale of young Marcus Antonius and his tumultuous early days. Allen did a masterful job of character development and world building. With descriptive and fast-paced writing, she transported me to the bustling streets of Rome, into the fascinating domestic sphere of Marcus Antonius’s wealthy family, and to the ancient battlefields of Greece and Egypt.
I was swept along by Marcus Antonius’s triumphs and tragedies—and riveted by pulse-pounding moments of war, adventure, passion, and betrayal.
This book is a wonderful combination of great storytelling and historical detail. Highly recommended.
This book strays quite far away from my usual historical sub-genres, but WOW. What a captivating story told by a masterful writer. I did not regret this choice. I learned not only a lot about ancient Rome, but a great deal about the man so many think they know…but do they really? It seems history has labeled him a villain of sorts, but he’s not villain in this book, but a skilled, powerful, motivated warrior with a heart. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
Mark Antony, or Marcus Antonius as he was more correctly named, was known for many things: friend of Julius Caesar, lover of Cleopatra, heroic general, enemy of Octavian. When Brook Allen’s new novel came out, I jumped on it, realizing I knew nothing about his younger years. In book one of this biographical fiction trilogy, the author gives us a troubled, unhappy youth who picks up plenty of bad habits early on. I didn’t realize he was the son of a traitor and stepson of another traitor; no wonder he was so rudderless. Gambling, drinking, and borrowing money from a loan shark was enough to get him into serious, near fatal difficulties, and those around him suffered for his irresponsibility. Overwhelmed by his misadventures, he was rescued by his cousin Julius Caesar who funded his education and a trip out of town, as long as he stayed out of trouble and proved himself worthy. Luckily, he had just enough sense to do the right thing and he was soon noticed by Proconsul Gabinius, who needed a commander for cavalry on his upcoming campaign to Syria. Untried, outranked by others, Marcus nonetheless managed to prevail on Gabinius to give him a commission. Our hero had taken his first step toward greatness.
Brook Allen has written this story so well that it’s difficult to determine what came out of the history books and what came out of her head. It was all believable; and many nights, right before bed, I had trouble putting it down. The action scenes were full of imagery, clamor, and turbulence:
“That’s when it happened. Two Hasmoneans came out of nowhere and attacked on his shield side, spooking his horse and nearly throwing him to the ground. One of the bastards managed to hang on to his saddle girth, about to stab his horse and bring it down. Marcus dropped the wineskin, cursing. His helmet clanked to the ground, and he snatched his reins. The second attacker grabbed at his shield, immobilizing it. Unable to use it to either offensively strike out or defend himself, it was useless.
His life was over. One moment of weakness, wanting a drink, and that was it.
With one arm still sheathed in the shield that his enemy was clutching, his other hand was busy with the reins. Terrified, his horse squealed in panic, rearing. There was no way Marcus could fight them off—except with his left leg. He kicked out as hard as he could, and the man trying to knife his horse missed. Marcus’s leg took the blow instead.
Strange. It didn’t really hurt at first. It just felt like a swift kick in the calf.”
Courageous, burly, intrepid, our Marcus soon proved himself to friends and enemies alike. By the time he reached Alexandria and helped put Ptolemy—Cleopatra’s father—back on the throne, he had accomplished what he set out to do. Now it was time to find Caesar. Bring it on, Volume two!
Wow! Jump aboard for a spellbinding roller coaster of a ride back to the final days of the Roman Republic. Allen’s superb portrayal of Mark Antony’s early years and rise to prominence is mesmerizing, factually accurate (a must for many lovers of historical fiction) and exquisitely written. If Ms Allen were to appear on one of those modern day reality shows asking about the finer details of Mark Antony’s life, you just know she’d be able to tell you his favourite single malt whisky or after shave. As she explains in her author’s notes, she made extensive visits to Rome and Egypt to breathe life into a long ago civilization. When she talks about Alexandria, there’s a poignant moment when she mentions that: “Due to several earthquakes and a tsunami in antiquity, most of the places that Marcus would have been associated with are now underwater.” As you read these words, you’re left thinking that if Allen could have put on her diving gear, she would have taken us down there.
Fortunately for us, her writing is so crystal clear and packed with realism there is no need for that. She presents a Mark Antony that is flawed but oh, so very human: a mass of contradictions. It’s impossible not to like a man who shows so much honour, yet behaves in a ‘dishonourable’ way, according to the exacting society into which he was born. We follow him from his youthful visits to the baths with his brothers to his not so innocent later visits to various brothels and gambling dens. He is the product of a fractured childhood: the son of the disgraced Marcus Antonius Creticus, and Julia Antonia, a distant cousin of Julius Caesar, who is in turn overbearing and tender. We watch him find love; then gradually lose his self-respect as he is forced to leave Rome for Athens after a personal tragedy: a result of his enormous debts. We are cheering him on from the sidelines as he slowly begins to regain his self-worth thanks to men such as Caesar and Aulus Gabinius who see promise in him. So much of Allen’s description is so real that you can almost reach out and feel the sand in the desert getting into your nose and eyes; know what it is like to climb onto a camel (smelly and uncomfortable); or feel the fear as an arrow whistles past your head. This first book of a trilogy ends with an electrifying meeting with Cleopatra, the adored youngest daughter of Ptolemy, the loathsome king of Egypt. Trust me, it’s a great feeling, knowing you have two more books ahead of you.
When I purchased “Antonius: Son of Rome” by Brook Allen, I was excited to read the novel about the early life of Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony), an enigma in Roman History. Though the book is fictional, it captures the true essence of the controversial Roman figure, whose reputation was smeared by his enemies and Augustus Caesar. The story begins when the eleven-year-old Marcus Antonius grieves for his father who has died in disgrace. His mother soon marries Publius Cornelius Lentulus, a consul in Rome. As a teenager, Marcus possesses the promise of military talent, but he succumbs to the excesses of whoring, gambling, and drinking that leads to calamitous consequences. Even so, Marcus shows unyielding loyalty to his step-father, Publius Cornelius Lentulus, who is executed for leading the conspiracy to murder Cicero and set fire to Rome. He also demonstrates undying love for Fadia, a slave he frees and marries. After he is forced to leave Rome to escape creditors, he is educated in Greece where he adopts many of their beliefs and lifestyle. To redeem himself, Marcus joins the military staff of Aulus Gabinius, the Proconsul of Syria, as chief of the cavalry. His reputation as a military leader rises when he successfully fulfills his mission to defeat rebels in the middle east. His accolades pave the way for him to serve with Julius Caesar in Gaul (to be continued in the next book).
Author Brook Allen has written an engaging story of a young Roman nobleman born into a family that has fallen from grace. Although Marcus Antonius has major character flaws, his attributes as a military leader and his courage and loyalty to people he loves are qualities that help him on his journey to greatness. The author has masterfully weaved the historical accounts of Antonius into a tale that rings true. The story is suspenseful and provides insight into Marcus Antonius and Roman politics.
“Antonius: Son of Rome” is one of the best historical fiction books that I’ve read. I highly recommend this novel to those who relish reading historical fiction set in ancient Rome. I’ve purchased the second book, “Antonius: Second in Command,” and look forward to reading it.