Bloody Dominions
(The Conquest Trilogy, Book 1)
By Nick Macklin
Journey with those at the heart of the conflict as Caesar embarks on the tumultuous conquest of Gaul 58-51 BC. Book One 58-56 BC.
As Caesar’s campaign begins, tests of courage and belief will confront the three protagonists, shaping them as individuals and challenging their views of the world and each other:
Atticus – an impetuous but naturally gifted soldier, whose grandfather served with distinction in the legions;
Allerix – a Chieftain of the Aduatuci, who finds himself fighting both for and against Caesar; and
Epona – a fierce warrior and Allerixs’ adopted sister.
Experiencing the brutalities of conflict and the repercussions of both victory and defeat, Atticus, Allerix and Epona will cross paths repeatedly, their destinies bound together across time, the vast and hostile territories of Gaul and the barriers of fate that have defined them as enemies. In a twist of fate, Atticus and Allerix discover that they share a bond, a secret that nobody could ever foresee…
I cannot possibly give justice to how great this book is in a few sentences. This is a wonderful portrayal of the Roman conquest of Gaul.
This book has three main characters. First and foremost is Atticus, a Roman Legionnaire who always finds himself in the thick of it. Then, Allerix, Prince of the Aduatuci, fighting alongside the Romans while opposing their every decision. Finally, Allerix’s sister, Epona, a woman smart and strong enough to win almost every fight, no matter how big or strong her opponent may be. This book made me fall in love with all three characters, and I often found myself worrying for their safety. I would put the book down for a moment, to do something, and find myself running back to it, desperate to know what happens next, and hoping that all the characters remain unscathed.
There is action aplenty, although that is to be expected with a book such as this. The immense amount of detail, the concern about the characters, the story in itself – all of it is enough to pull you into the book and keep you there, forcing you to stay up later than you intended because you cannot bear to put the book down and leave it there. This book makes you want to read just one more chapter, and then one more! When I reached the end of the book, I found myself staring at the last page, astonished that the story was left where it was and that I would have to wait to find out how the story continues, as book 2 is NOT OUT YET!
If you want to read a good book, and you are a fan of any kind of action, this book is the one you must get, no questions asked.
Bloody Dominions (The Conquest Trilogy, Book 1) is
avaliable to purchase at the following stores:
Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon CA, Amazon AU
Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, Kobo, iBooks, Google Play, WHSmith
Nick Macklin
A history graduate, Nick enjoyed developing the skills that would stand him in good stead during the extensive research he conducted prior to writing his novel. Whilst the ancient world unfortunately didn’t feature to any extent in his history degree, (the result of failing miserably to secure the A level grades that would have permitted greater choice) he maintained a lifelong and profound interest in ancient history and especially the Roman Empire, continuing to read avidly as he embarked on a career in HR. Over the next 30 years or so Nick occupied a variety of Senior/Director roles, most recently in the NHS. Unsurprisingly, writing in these roles was largely confined to the prosaic demands of Board papers but Nick never lost the long-harboured belief, motivated by the works of writers such as Robert Fabbri, Robyn Young, Anthony Riches, Simon Scarrow, Matthew Harffy and Giles Kristian, that he too had a story to tell. When he was presented with a window of opportunity c3 years ago he took the decision to place his career on hold and see if he could convert that belief into reality.
Nick always knew that he wanted to set the novel against the backdrop of a significant event/period in Roman history. Looking to narrow that down to something offering the potential for meaningful character and plot development, but that hadn’t already received exhaustive coverage, he settled on Caesars tumultuous occupation of Gaul. Spanning 8 years, the prolonged clash of cultures offered ample opportunity for the kind of dual perspective from which he was hoping to tell the story, whilst the violent conflict provided a wealth of exciting material to explore the changing fortunes of war and its impact at a personal level. The switching of allegiances, nations fighting for and against Rome also provided the potential for some intriguing plot lines. As his research unfolded, he was also struck by just how heavily the Roman psyche during this period was influenced by the scare they had received 50 years earlier when Germanic tribes invaded their territories and defeated their legions. Seeing references to the veterans of that war watching their sons and grandsons enlist for a similar campaign, he started to think about developing that link on both sides of the conflict. And so, the idea for the Conquest Trilogy was born.
In Bloody Dominions Nick has sought to produce a novel in which unfolding events are experienced and described from the perspective of protagonists on both sides of Caesar’s incursion into Gaul. Conscious that the role of women in Roman fiction, Boudica aside, is largely confined to spouse, prostitute or slave, Nick wanted to ensure that one of his lead characters was female and a prominent member of the warrior clan of her tribe. The novel is driven by these characters but the framework against which their stories unfold is historically accurate, featuring actual participants in Caesar’s campaign and drawing on real events as they occurred. As such Nick is genuinely excited about his characters and the story they have to tell.
Nick lives in Exeter with his two daughters and is currently juggling work as an Independent HR Consultant with writing the second novel in the Conquest Trilogy, Battle Scars.
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Thank you to The Coffee Pot Book Club for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Thank you for hosting today's blog tour stop!
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