The Conqueror by Bryan Litfin

 

Back Cover: It is AD 312. Rome teeters on the brink of war. Constantine's army is on the move. On the Rhine frontier, Brandulf Rex, a pagan Germanic barbarian, joins the Roman army as a spy and special forces operative. Down in Rome, Junia Flavia, the lovely and pious daughter of a nominally Christian senator, finds herself embroiled in anti-Christian politics as she works on behalf of the church.

As armies converge and forces beyond Rex's and Flavia's controls threaten to destroy everything they have worked for, these two people from different worlds will have to work together to bring down the evil Emperor Maxentius. But his villainous plans and devious henchmen are not easily overcome. Will the barbarian warrior and the senator's daughter live to see the Empire bow the knee to Christ? Or will their part in the story of Constantine's rise meet an untimely and brutal end?

Travel back to one of the most pivotal eras in history--a time when devotion to the pagan gods was fading and the Roman Empire was being conquered by the sign of the cross.

Review: If I could give this book a 100 stars I would. I loved every second I spent reading this incredible story. My only complaint is that I have to wait for book two to come out. "The Conqueror" is the first book I've read by Bryan Litfin. According to his website, this is his first journey into Biblical fiction.  Bryan Litfin is a Biblical Scholar and a Theologian with a PhD in Theology. His expertise in history shines powerfully in this novel. I have read thousands of books, many of which were historical novels, and I have never felt so utterly consumed and drawn into a time period as I did in this book. Bryan's expertise made me feel as if I were truly there - the story was positively vivid. 

Take the story of Rex, a ferocious Germanic warrior sworn into the elite army group serving Constatine... and Junia, a beautiful and brave young noble woman who has risked her life to be part of the early Christian church ... and you have a nail-biting adventure that will have you turning pages as fast as you can. Honestly, these two characters could carry a novel with the barest of settings (they are that intricate and utterly amazing), but set them in a literal volcanic eruption of political chaos? There is little wonder I couldn't put this book down. 

I highly recommend this book and am personally waiting impatiently for books two and three to come out.

Thank-you to Net Galley for a copy of this book to read and provide my honest opinion of.