Caesar’s Lord by Bryan Litfin

About the Book

After more than a decade of tumult, Roman warrior Rex and his aristocratic wife, Flavia, are thankful to the God they serve for the peaceful life they are living in the city of Alexandria. But with the Empire in flux, it cannot last. When Rex is called away to serve Constantine in his fight against Licinius, Flavia’s loneliness and longing for a baby lead her down the road of temptation. Perhaps one of Egypt’s gods will grant her conception?

As battles rage both within and without, Rex and Flavia will have to rely on God’s forgiveness and protection if they are to survive the trials to come. Their adventures sweep them into the great events of the ancient church, including the forging of the Nicene Creed, terrible murders within the imperial family, the quest for the true cross of Christ in Jerusalem, and the end of pagan Rome as a new Christian empire dawns.

About the Author

Bryan Litfin is the author of The Conqueror and Every Knee Shall Bow, as well as several works of nonfiction, including Wisdom from the Ancients, Early Christian Martyr Stories, After Acts, and Getting to Know the Church Fathers. A former professor of theology at the Moody Bible Institute, Litfin earned his PhD in religious studies from the University of Virginia and his ThM in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. Bryan is professor of theology in the Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University. He and his wife have two adult children and live in Lynchburg, Virginia. Learn more at http://www.bryanlitfin.com.

My Thoughts

Once again packed with detailed history that speaks volumes of the author’s ability to research well, this novel provides a rich setting for a complex and intriguing plot.  I read the first book in this series and was disappointed with the detailed descriptions of the pagan lifestyles, but I tentatively picked up this third novel (I skipped the second one) because the back description spoke of a conversion to Christianity for the characters.  I liked that this novel had a thread of hope with this Christian element coming through stronger than earlier in the series.  There are still a lot of descriptions of pagan cultures and persecution that make this book better suited for mature audiences.  The plot has enough interesting twists and turns to keep my attention and the story is well written.  I think this book is good for the right audiences, but its content may not be suitable for all readers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing.  Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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The Conqueror by Bryan Litfin

In AD 309, Rome is about to enter war, as Constantine’s army is getting ready to fight.  Germanic barbarian Brandulf Rex joins the Roman army as a spy.  Senator’s daughter Junia Flavia works on behalf of the church.  Through the formation of an unlikely friendship, Brandulf and Junia must fight together to destroy the evil Emperor Maxentius.

I’m having some difficulty writing a review for this book because it is obvious that the author did a lot of research for this novel and overall, it is very well written. However, I had a hard time reading about the inappropriate pagan behavior of the Romans and did not think that content needed to be that detailed for a book published by a Christian publisher.  I definitely do not recommend that this book be read by young adults due to the explicit descriptions of adult content.  I recognize that the author wished to portray the depravity of humanity during this time, but I do think some of the details could have been more subtle and just as effective.  The plot overall is interesting and I appreciate all the research that the author did for this book, which clearly comes through.  I liked certain portions of the story and thought the character development was well done.  The cover is stunning and there is some good material packed within the almost 500 pages. However, overall, I would caution others that some of the content is explicit and not suited for all readers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing.  Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.