My review of The Sign of the Blood (A Dangerous Emperor, Book #1) By Laurence O'Bryan @LPOBryan @maryanneyarde

The Sign of the Blood

(A Dangerous Emperor, Book #1)

By Laurence O'Bryan

The first Christian emperor faces ruthless enemies on his journey to power.

 

Cool mist settles over the legion advancing toward the Persian army. Constantine, the son of an emperor, the Roman officer leading the attack, tells his men to halt - something is wrong.

Before long, the battle rages. He frees a slave named Juliana. She is half Persian and half Roman. As they are pursued to Britannia over land and sea, he learns that she can see the future - his future.

 

It is 306A.D., long before Constantine the Great converted to Christianity and became the first Christian emperor.

 

To ensure he survives, he must eliminate his enemies. But who must die first? The priestess, Sybellina, who joined them in Rome and practices dark and seductive magic? Or the brutal legion commanders who surround his father? Or, as Juliana suspects, are those who want him dead even closer?

 

A gripping historical novel about Constantine’s bloody rise to power, the woman who helped him, and the real reason he supported a persecuted Christian minority, a decision which changed the world into the one we know. 

 

Praise for The Sign of the Blood

 

"Exciting and original." - SJA Turney, author of Praetorian.

 

“It is an enthralling story from start to finish…” The Coffee Pot Book Club

 

Publication date: 22^nd November 2018

Publisher: Ardua 

Print Length: 469 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

MY THOUGHTS

Mr O’Bryan has really outdone himself in this mesmerising story of a young Constantine the Great.

 

The historical detailing in this book is amazing. I really felt like I had taken a portal through time and found myself in the early 4th Century. Somehow, Mr O’ Bryan has captured not only the historical detail of this period but also its very essence. He has brought a long-dead world back to glorious life. And what with the super-fast narrative this book is one that I found near on impossible to drag myself away from.

 

There are several protagonists in this tale – Constantine being one of them. There was nothing not to like about Constantine. He is a courageous young man, but he also has a sharp intellect which makes him very appealing. But it is Julianna’s depiction that really closed the deal for me on this book. Juliana goes on this incredible journey from slave to free woman. But it is no easy journey. It is filled with danger, disaster and appalling acts of abuse. But Julianna remains strong despite all of the hardship that she suffers.

 

There are several antagonists in this story, and there are also some distressing scenes which made for some harrowing reading at times, but I thought this reflected the era.

 

I was pleased to see that Book 2 and 3 of this series are already out, so I will definitely be picking those books up as I want to find out how this story ends!

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Laurence O'Bryan

 

I spent twenty years studying Roman history and reading every book about Constantine the Great I could find. I also visited numerous sites where my Roman series is set, including in London, where I lived for ten years, Jerusalem, Rome, Trier, York, Nicomedia and Istanbul.

The first novel in the series, The Sign of The Blood, is about the rise to power of Constantine the Great, the women who helped him, and the others who wanted him dead.

The Road to The Bridge, the second novel in the series, is about the lead up to the battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 A.D. and how Constantine the Great lured Maxentius, his rival emperor, out of Rome.

The third novel in the series, The Cursed City, is about the dedication of New Rone, later to be called Constantinople, and how Constantine fell out with his wife, Fausta, and his son Crispus, and what he had to do to survive.

To join the mailing list and receive news of these books use this link: http://bit.ly/TSOTBseries

There are five novels in the puzzle series, The Istanbul Puzzle, The Jerusalem Puzzle, The Manhattan Puzzle, The Nuremberg Puzzle and The Cairo Puzzle.

There is a story link from The Istanbul Puzzle to The Cursed City.

My books have:

* Achieved #1 ranking on Amazon,

* Been translated into 10 languages.

My roots go back to a small estate deep in the Mountains of Mourne near the Silent Valley, in County Down, Northern Ireland.

I went to school in Dublin, drank way too much, studied English and history, then business, then IT at Oxford University.

My research has taken me all over the world, from San Francisco to deep in the Muslim world. There are secrets everywhere. I enjoy writing about them. I hope you enjoy reading about them.

 

Connect with Laurence:

Twitter