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Kenneth Kunkel
Author
Fire on the Frontier
Rome and the Northern Frontier. 9 CE. One seeks revenge. One desires freedom. One craves victory. One demands justice. When his parents were killed by a barbarian attack, Marcus was rescued as an infant by his adopted uncle. Will his plan for revenge bring him the peace of mind he desperately desires? Her oppressive home life has forced Helena to seek freedom. Will her fights in the arena bring her closer to her goal or will her unexpected encounter with Marcus disrupt her search? A barbarian from the far Germanic north, Arminius, now a Roman citizen, leads a Roman auxiliary unit. Can he plot a victory over those who ripped him away from his parents when he was a child? Rakan, a centurion at the Port Ostia fortress near Rome, was one of Arminius’s former instructors. Is justice in the stars as he tries to solve a string of grisly murders which may be tied to any one of them? The threads of these lives lead to the Teutoburg Forest where three Roman legions will clash with the Germanic tribes. The world will be forever changed.
Plot/Idea: 7 out of 10
Originality: 7 out of 10
Prose: 7 out of 10
Character/Execution: 7 out of 10
Overall: 7.00 out of 10

Assessment:

Plot/Idea: Fire on the Frontier is an immersive and layered work of historical fiction set in ancient Rome. With interwoven stories and multiple perspectives that draw from actual events, it can be challenging to keep track of all the narratives, but invested readers will be richly rewarded.

Prose: Kunkel's prose style is clear, anchoring readers in the time and circumstances with detailed descriptions and an effective balance of action and dialogue.

Originality: Fire on the Frontier captures the ancient era convincingly while maintaining forward momentum and careful plotting. 

Character/Execution: While the multiple storylines can become unwieldy, Kunkel is a capable writer invested in the many characters, both male and female. Historical places and events are vibrantly portrayed and provided understandable context. 

Date Submitted: April 02, 2024

Reviews
Book Review Directory

…an ambitious novel with a strong sense of place and time while still managing to feel fresh. Driven by an authentic cast and underpinned by thorough research, it provides an excellent reconstruction of a historical period…an exciting novel that offers much more than the usual sword and sandals epic. Driven by four complex, obsessive protagonists and their intriguing stories, Fire on the Frontier is an engrossing and rewarding read, full of heart, emotion, and historical insight.

Independent Book Review

A grand story that illustrates how the blood spilled from revenge can never wash away…The Roman empire feels alive and bustling…an excellent job candidly portraying the lives of women at the time…The focus on multifaceted women adds some captivating layers of emotional depth…well-researched historical fiction. It’s invoked with mystery, love, and all of the epic heroics that we have come to associate with this time period.

Kirkus Reviews

A nuanced story of conflicts in the Roman Empire…Looks at familiar aspects of ancient Rome from some unexpected angles…Takes a close look  at Rome’s relationship with barbarian peoples…Readers will come to understand the often gruesome world that the characters inhabit.

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