This is all stuff that came up during the research and writing of In Victrix, and found it’s way in some off-hand way into the book. I’ve mentioned before how small trivia and throwaway lines make for rich world-building. For me, I love exploring all those articles for the enjoyment in learning more about a […]
Ancient Rome
Book Review: Goblins at the Gate, by Ellis Skip Knox
Guess what? I found an historically-based, military style epic-fantasy on the backdrop of ancient Rome. Can you guess how quickly I jumped to read it? Goblins at the Gate is a masterpiece blending historical and epic fantasy elements. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys military epic fantasy and ancient Rome. What to expect An epic […]
Crypto Saturnalia, or: How to Celebrate Saturnalia, When No-one Else Does
It’s the time of the year when every Romanophile secretly wonders how they could celebrate Saturnalia, without looking like a weirdo to everyone who celebrates the more acceptable holidays of midwinter in these modern times. Well, fear no more! Here is a tongue-in-cheek list to help you crypto-Romanophiles celebrate the grandest of holidays, without looking […]
TV Series Review: Roman Empire: “Reign of Blood”, and “Master of Rome”
Unlike the previous series I reviewed (Chelmsford 123 and Plebs), this is a docudrama. Or rather, dramatised scenes in between documentary commentary by notable historians and classicists. The series is produced by Netflix, and it’s nice to see them tackle real history: this isn’t Starz’ Spartacus, which was very entertaining with all the blood and […]
Ancient Texts
Today’s post collects interesting articles on the subjects on ancient texts. From high-tech reading of ancient Roman scrolls to medieval books made now available (and down to some really pissed-off bronze age customers), we have an amazing selection for lovers of words. Protect yourself! First, let’s start with a bit of fun. Every author these […]
Book Series Review: Marcus Corvinus, by David Wishart
I’ve read and reviews Ovid, the first in the series, about a year ago. It was awesome, so naturally I went down the rabbit hole of reading through the 20-volume series… I’ve even chased down Corvinus himself for a character interview. I’ve posted my reviews of each individual volume on Amazon and Goodreads, but below […]
Book Review: Cabaret of Monsters, by Tansy Rayner Roberts
Caberet of Monsters presents a marvelous twist of Urban Fantasy. Though I was originally drawn by the Roman elements, the vibe of Parisian theatre and roaring 1920’s as a backdrop to urban fantasy was refreshingly original What to expect A novella set in the same world as the Creature Court trilogy, published a few years […]
All in a Name: Romans, Russians, and Fantasy
A character’s name will be the trait most often referred to in a book, so today I’d like to talk about historical and fantastical names, as well as literary usage. We’d start with a quick review of some interesting naming conventions from history (Romans, duh, but also others), then touch on fantasy and science fiction […]
Hot off the… err… Scribe: Ancient News Roundup
A few things on the agenda today, from ancient Roman wine-making to expensive coins, from functional shields to decorative helmets, and even some ancient military humour! Wines today and in Roman times This article about ancient wine popped up in my feed: We Drink Basically The Same Wine As Ancient Romans — And That’s Not […]
Ancient Trivia
Did you know that the word “trivia” originates in Latin? Trivia is based on trivial, which in turn comes from trivialis. That pertains to trivium — three roads, or a crossroad, as something very commonplace that can be found anywhere. Of course, Trivia was also an epithet of Diana, goddess of the hunt, wild animals, […]
