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Tales of Ancient Rome eBook SJA Turney

Download As PDF : Tales of Ancient Rome eBook SJA Turney

Tales of Ancient Rome eBook SJA Turney

Are you a lover of historical fiction?  Do you enjoy being transported back in time?  Travelling all the way into an entirely different era with all of its unique customs, lifestyle and norms.  Being able to steal a glance at what it must have been like to actually live at such a time.  Undoubtedly, one of the more popular eras to explore is that of the Ancient Roman Empire.  Images of gladiators and the Roman war machine may instantly come to mind.  If this sounds like your "niche", then Tales of Ancient Rome by author S.J.A. Turney may be the great reading selection you have been looking for!

The book is actually a collection of 12 short stories with one bonus selection included.  The various stories occur at different times throughout the ancient Roman Empire.  They also provide a fairly diverse perspective of life during this era which is recorded in an entertaining and fictional account.  From a group of besieged Legionnaires fending off invading barbarians, to a humorous account of firefighting in the Roman age.  The tales are interesting and based upon actual historic events (with a creative licence of course).  My personal favorites were "Trackside Seats" and "Hold the Wall."  Both did a very good job at showing the societal class system and overt disregard for human life which was prevalent in the upper echelons.

In regards to the plot development in the various tales, they each are unique and provide a good cross section of life in Ancient Rome.  The stories were entertaining, but some were clearly better than others.  The author knows his subject matter quite well as the fictional writing is backed up with actual facts from the era.  Many of the points are spot on correct, but a few do go off course.  Also, while the individual tales were certainly amusing, I personally found them far too short to really get engrossed in the events.  That being said, the actual writing was very smooth flowing, easy to follow and quite diverse.

There are also a variety of interesting characters throughout the anthology.  As readers, we are introduced to them and start to get familiar with them through the actual story events.  However, the "snippet" nature of the tales makes it quite difficult to really see much in-depth development.  I would have enjoyed more background about certain players, and seeing the series of events which led them to be at their particular point in time.  Unfortunately, the relationship which develops between the reader and the wide host of characters is superficial at best.

As mentioned, the author does a good job at presenting the actual time and place in his stories.  The setting is authentic and believable.  I do think that some prior knowledge about Ancient Rome is probably necessary to get a full appreciation for this point and for the stories in general.  Such comprehension will certainly increase the understanding and enjoyment of the anthology.

Overall, I enjoyed this collection of short stories.  They were well written and able to hold my interest quite well.  Nevertheless, they left me wanting a little something more.

3 out of 5 Roman Stars for this one!   ***


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Tales of Ancient Rome eBook SJA Turney Reviews

This is a collection of well-written fictional short stories set in Ancient Rome. Each story has a most unexpected twist. My favorite story was "The Discovery." A Roman trader in China observes a massive explosion in a Chinese house caused by the accidental ignition of a strange black power... recognizing its potential value, the Roman buys several bags of the stuff pre-mixed to bring back to Rome. What happens next? Well, read the story, and all of the other great yarns in the book.

Since I am writing my own piece of fiction set in many of the same areas, I can attest to the accuracy of his depiction of life in Rome and elsewhere in that time frame.
All these stories are well written and interesting. The scenarios and characters all vary widely much unlike a full length novel. The reader can be with legionaries defending a fort against barbarians, standing on the sands next to a gladiator as he faces his opponents, sit in the stands to watch a chariot race, the outcome of which will either result in destitution or fabulous wealth, or flee from the Temple of the Vestial Virgins (where you never should have been in the first place) through the sewers of Rome. That and many more adventures of ancient Rome await the reader.

Although the stories are short, Mr. Turney immediately draws the reader in. - "The corridor was quiet and dark as Melicos pounded along it, his sandals flapping on the decorative marble floor, his way lit only by small pottery oil lamps." The stories are written with that type of prose style that makes for easy and engaging reading. And, many stories end with an unexpected twist. Whether you are a fan of Mr. Turney's novels or not, you should find these short stories enjoyable.
This is my first time reading this author's work, but far from my first time in the Roman milieu. Given his prodigious output, I really expected better.

This is a collection of short stories that span the Roman setting both chronologically and geographically. The author seems to feel that every story, no matter how short, demands a surprise ending.

I have no problem with surprise endings. I like it when a writer can toss in a clever twist at the end and show me something I didn't expect. But when I start to expect it every time, the surprises should be good.

Most of these weren't good. Some were quite predictable, which makes a poor surprise. Without giving away any spoilers, many times it seems the author chose a weak "surprise" over a satisfying ending. Others kept going after they should, dying an agonizing death on the crucifix of anticlimax.

It's not all bad, and I don't want to make it sound that way. The writer clearly knows his setting and his history. His details are generally correct.

I used to know a writer with an invaluable gift She could create, in just one paragraph, a sympathetic character - one with depth, who'd make you want to learn the backstory.

That skill isn't evident here. The characters are flat, one-dimensional.

Still, if you like the Roman world, this little anthology is worth the 99 cents and the hour it takes to read it. I feel bad for the author, though. A 99 cent sampler should be planned to impress a first reader, and this isn't very impressive.
Are you a lover of historical fiction?  Do you enjoy being transported back in time?  Travelling all the way into an entirely different era with all of its unique customs, lifestyle and norms.  Being able to steal a glance at what it must have been like to actually live at such a time.  Undoubtedly, one of the more popular eras to explore is that of the Ancient Roman Empire.  Images of gladiators and the Roman war machine may instantly come to mind.  If this sounds like your "niche", then Tales of Ancient Rome by author S.J.A. Turney may be the great reading selection you have been looking for!

The book is actually a collection of 12 short stories with one bonus selection included.  The various stories occur at different times throughout the ancient Roman Empire.  They also provide a fairly diverse perspective of life during this era which is recorded in an entertaining and fictional account.  From a group of besieged Legionnaires fending off invading barbarians, to a humorous account of firefighting in the Roman age.  The tales are interesting and based upon actual historic events (with a creative licence of course).  My personal favorites were "Trackside Seats" and "Hold the Wall."  Both did a very good job at showing the societal class system and overt disregard for human life which was prevalent in the upper echelons.

In regards to the plot development in the various tales, they each are unique and provide a good cross section of life in Ancient Rome.  The stories were entertaining, but some were clearly better than others.  The author knows his subject matter quite well as the fictional writing is backed up with actual facts from the era.  Many of the points are spot on correct, but a few do go off course.  Also, while the individual tales were certainly amusing, I personally found them far too short to really get engrossed in the events.  That being said, the actual writing was very smooth flowing, easy to follow and quite diverse.

There are also a variety of interesting characters throughout the anthology.  As readers, we are introduced to them and start to get familiar with them through the actual story events.  However, the "snippet" nature of the tales makes it quite difficult to really see much in-depth development.  I would have enjoyed more background about certain players, and seeing the series of events which led them to be at their particular point in time.  Unfortunately, the relationship which develops between the reader and the wide host of characters is superficial at best.

As mentioned, the author does a good job at presenting the actual time and place in his stories.  The setting is authentic and believable.  I do think that some prior knowledge about Ancient Rome is probably necessary to get a full appreciation for this point and for the stories in general.  Such comprehension will certainly increase the understanding and enjoyment of the anthology.

Overall, I enjoyed this collection of short stories.  They were well written and able to hold my interest quite well.  Nevertheless, they left me wanting a little something more.

3 out of 5 Roman Stars for this one!   ***