Summary
Strength & Honor II: Dark Wind by Michael Pandolfo is a historical fiction sequel to S&H: Caesar’s Gambit. Set during the early Roman Empire, Micah, Gisela, Appela, Amaros, and Augustus return in this story of betrayal, brutality, murder, and redemption. Amanirenas, the Nubian queen mother, is introduced as new major character. The story line established by Caesar’s Gambit continues two years later, during a hot mid-August in Alexandria. The assassination of Governor Claudius at the end of Caesar’s Gambit has not dampened the Nubian Prime Minister Amaros’s desire for war with Rome. He sees nothing but weakness and opportunity in Alexandria. The queen mother, Amanirenas, is the only one standing in his way. He decides to eliminate this threat in his quest for more power.
Gisela’s marriage hasn’t been everything the young woman wants. She has not changed much since marrying Micah and having a child, something that will prove to be an asset rather than a liability. A surprise visitor introduces himself as Lucius Antonius Equinus, Legionary Surgeon. Of course, this is Micah’s former slave Lucius, returned just in time to participate in the next adventure. Set free at the end of Caesar’s Gambit to study medicine in Athens, Lucius lands in the middle of an investigation of a mysterious theft from the base hospital which eventually leads to the exposure of a Nubian espionage ring in Egypt.
In spite of his age, Augustus, in concert with the loyal Epikrates, maintains a hands-on approach to dealing with issues in the empire much to the aggravation of the Empress Livia. This is how another story begins.
Review
More than anything, I am very impressed with all the additional information that supplements or backs up the story. The insight into the workings of the Roman Empire in this early period makes the story authentic and adds depth to the characters. On top of its entertainment value, this book is educational as it contains factual historical events and details which are fascinating. It also has a great cast of all too human characters and a smooth narrative flow that is impressively great in scope. Loved the characters, the setting, the writing style, and the dialogues that I can easily understand because they were adjusted to a more conventional and modern way of communication rather than that of what was really used during ancient times. The end of the story which said, “Far From the End,” put a smile on my face because it’s such a comical tease to entice readers to another book coming. Overall, I’m giving this book 5 out of 5 stars and two thumbs up! It was very informative, highly entertaining, humorous, and exciting! Highly recommended to readers who love historical fiction. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
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