Iggulden explains his desire to leave the character when he still had much left to accomplish, rather than tracing him through to his eventual downfall, as he did withJulius CaesarandGenghis Khan.

Both Gaius and Marcus get trained in combat by the most fearsome gladiator in Rome. Rome is being pulled toward civil war because of a tug of war that Marius and Sulla (who are two rival generals) have gotten into with each other; it is full of ambition and treachery. Marcus sees it as a chance to prove himself as a soldier in Greece. Gaius sees the infighthing in the Roman Senate is the place where he will hone both his skill and courage. Both will have an extraordinary slave girl’s love, and it will be the honor both covet. Only one will win it, however. Preston, John (22 May 2009). "Conn Iggulden: addicted to heroism". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 19 April 2018. Hodges, Harry (4 October 2013). "War of the Roses: Stormbird by Conn Iggulden – review". Daily Express . Retrieved 22 January 2015. book - 5th in the Emperor series - is based on the aftermath events of the assassination of Julius Caesar from 44 BC to 42 BC and follows the future Augustus - Octavian's rise to power. The series received a lot of acclaim upon publication, but at times, he changed historical facts to suit the narrative or because of ignorance. The biggest change is that Caesar and Brutus grew up as friends during their childhood. This could not have happened because Brutus was actually fifteen years younger and some thought he was Caesar’s (this is unlikely, though).

Publication Order of Emperor Books

Another issue that annoys me is accounts which eagerly don the convenient cloak of “good versus evil” when recounting the events and characters of the time. Again, I enjoyed the way Iggulden avoided that simplistic option. He deftly interweaves the thoughts and motivations of each of the main characters, often showing the degree to which each is pursuing some personal standard of goodness, moral code, justice, friendship, loyalty, and yes – entitlement, greed, and the lust for power.

Fleming, Mike Jr. (26 May 2010). "Burr Steers to Direct Julius Caesar Film Based on Conn Iggulden Novels". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 26 June 2013. Dit boek toont ook elke man grijs. Niemand is goed of slecht. Zelfs Brutus niet. Daarvoor alleen al hou ik van deze serie. Plus dat het leest als een trein en geen saaie geschiedenisles wordt. Je zit middenin de actie, zalig!Hulegu displays his barbarity with the savage destruction of Baghdad and his clash with the Khan’s age-old enemies, the cult of assassins. But it is Kublai—refined and scholarly, always considered too thoughtful to take power—who will devise new ways of warfare and conquest as he builds the dream city of Xanadu and pursues the ultimate prize: the ancient empire of Sung China. His gifts will serve him well when an epic civil war breaks out among brothers, the outcome of which will literally change the world. This was the final book in the emperor series (about Julius Caesar, not Octavian). The novel, was throughout, a finely crafted finale. The only thing that slightly spoiled it was I already knew the ending well in advance due to history lessons at school many years ago, as well as having watched the TV show Rome with Ciaran Hinds as Caesar. I'm a big fan of Ancient Rome, and I am especially wary of historical fiction books based off it, because it's so easy to screw it up and it's so hard to make it engaging. We mostly have records that don't give a lot of details that could really tell a comprehensive story, but Conn Iggulden amazed me. He has mad writing skills, spectacularly creating a vibrant, genuine Roman atmosphere and brought characters, who I've only read about in history books, to life, making them not just a name, but a person. I swear to the highest heavens, it felt like my history books came to life. It was that immersive, engaging, and atmospheric. I totally felt I was in Rome, seeing the scandal of Julius Caesar's death and assassination and the justice that was served when the Liberatores were executed with my very eyes... etc. etc. Hazelton, John (27 May 2010). "Steers signs to direct Young Ceasar [sic]". Screen Daily . Retrieved 26 June 2013. Bettinger, Brendan (26 June 2013). "17 Again Director Burr Steers Will Depict a Teenage Julius Caesar in Emperor: Young Caesar". Collider . Retrieved 26 May 2010.