Blood and Shadows (Lucius Sestius Mystery, #3) by Fiona Forsyth

Blood and Shadows by Fiona Forsyth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

How often do you think about the Roman Empire? BLOOD AND SHADOWS will have you thinking about it a lot.

 

Lucius Sestius, after his deadly encounters with conspiracy and the Ides of March, has been driven from Rome by his allegiance to Caesar’s murderers. He has seen his commanders die on the battlefield, and now he and his friends must rebuild their lives, burdened by defeat and grief.

 

In exile on Sicily, Lucius investigates the mysterious murder of a soldier, just as peace negotiations between Antony, Octavian and the rebel Sextus Pompey are being planned.

 

When another murder threatens the negotiations, Lucius is ordered to make enquiries and provide a convenient explanation. Realising this is his only path to freedom, he returns to Rome knowing that a murderer has gone free.

Back home, the murder of the veteran centurion Crastinus leads Lucius to the terrible suspicion that one of his friends is responsible, and that he himself has allowed this to happen.

Blood and Shadows is the third novel in author Fiona Forsyth’s epic series featuring the Roman Lucius Sestius, and it definitively brings an emotional closure to this wonderfully satisfying historical mystery trilogy. Book three focuses on Lucius’s experiences after he survives the devastating battle between opposing Roman armies at Philippi, an event that changed him and Rome forever.

The author’s writing is strong in many areas, and one, in particular, is character development. She especially has her craft completely in hand as she depicts Lucius’s changes over three novels. Lucius grew to manhood as a privileged son in a senatorial family and was destined to serve the Republic and lead if chosen. His esteemed father taught him to always act with honor and do what’s right for the people of Rome. Still, Lucius is ultimately disappointed to discover that not all his peers or even Julius Caesar himself are willing to do the same. When Caesar is assassinated, Lucius sides with Brutus and Cassius and is present at their army’s defeat at Philippi. Although he survives, he is not undamaged; Lucius escapes to Sicily, a changed man. He and his friends, Horace and Marcus, understand they will probably live out their lives separated from family, friends, and homeland, and each must deal with the psychological aftermath of the horrors of their battlefield experiences in their own ways.

Lucius’s anxiety over the murder of the unidentified soldier haunts him throughout the book, and additional murders, committed in a similar fashion, follow him back to Rome after he is pardoned. Tragically, his suspicions shift to his two friends, but his hands are tied as to how to reveal which of them is the murderer.

As with the previous books in the trilogy, the story is studded with historical figures, true events, and the little details of everyday life in ancient Rome that bring these books to life. There is always a mention of some activity, item, or event that sends me to Google to read more about it.

With its endearing main character and wonderfully vivid settings, I recommend BLOOD AND SHADOWS to readers of historical mysteries, especially those interested in ancient Rome (and I understand, according to TikTok, that would be many of you?) and fans of the previous novels.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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The Emperor's Servant (Lucius Sestius Mysteries, #2) by Fiona Forsyth

The Emperor's Servant by Fiona Forsyth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is nothing like the secrets, subterfuge, and backroom machinations of Forsyth's ancient Rome.

It has been 20 years since the Battle of Philippi when Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the Republic to claim leadership of the Roman Empire. The defeated noblemen were exiled, and among them was young Lucius Sestius Quirinalis. Years later, Augustus granted him and others pardons, and Lucius returned to his country home in Cosa to farm, tend his vineyard, and rebuild his family's livelihood. The family had been stripped of much of their land and wealth as a consequence of choosing the wrong side in the Civil War. Dedicated to the Republican ideal, Lucius stayed away from Rome, out of politics, steadfast in tending to his family.

Time, though, was not kind to the winner. Octavian, now Emperor Augustus Caesar, was ill. Concerns for the continuation of the Empire in the event of his sudden death have been under much discussion. Trying to lessen his day-to-day burden, he sends his representative, Gaius Maecenas, to Lucius to have him return to Rome to take on the role of consul, just until the end of the year.

Although not enamored of the idea, the positive impacts that having served as consul would have on his children's futures tip the scale in favor of accepting, and he does so with trepidation. But, in truth, what choice does he have?

Of course, immediately after starting this book, I began to wish I was more familiar with the history of Rome. Well-known historical figures feature prominently, and I know I missed getting some of the implications of certain conversations that I wouldn't have had a more intimate understanding of that time and place. However, this didn't detract from my pure enjoyment and satisfaction with the story. There is nothing like the secrets, subterfuge, and backroom machinations of Forsyth's ancient Rome. The Emperor's Servant vividly conveys all the complexities and totality of the scope and reach of these definitive puppet masters.

The book's main character is Lucius Sestius Quirinalis, and he has been a favorite of mine since his introduction in Rome's End. He seems like a regular guy, trying to do the right thing. He is always polite and conscientious of his family, retainers, and the people of Rome. I was sad that he had come to depend on wine to cope with his life, though he's been through plenty to need a drink. He is relatable, too. The scene of him weeping in relief after his election as consul made him seem even more real. A number of years have passed since the conclusion of book one, and at first, I thought Lucius was no longer the innocent he was then. However, even after all he's been through, he still has a natural innocence, which causes him to be surprised by what others around him do.

The looming disaster, the insidious intrigue lurks, and you know that disaster is only a page away at any moment. I was so engrossed in the story that I felt myself holding my breath at times, the muscles in my shoulders tightening as the story's tension built. When the shoe finally dropped, I was stunned. I had become emotionally engaged with this man and his family and wondered how anyone could come back from that. But people do. All the time. The story concludes on a hopeful note, and I hope there are further adventures for Lucius in the future.

I want to note that the author's writing flowed so smoothly that I was immediately drawn in and immersed in Lucius's life. Small, everyday details enhanced that you-are-there feeling. Forsyth is incredibly skillful at weaving in little tidbits of information and history that had me itching to read about further. For example, Lucius remarks about the Greek physicians who never ceased attending Rome's citizens during a terrible pestilence that their devotion to their work all came down "to an oath that they have sworn" – the Hippocratic Oath.

I recommend THE EMPEROR'S SERVANT to readers who enjoy historical fiction, especially those that like political intrigue and suspense-laden stories.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.



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