Review: It does read like a war epic.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 20, 2014
This book is not for the squeamish. The gore is described in full and, sometimes, in excess, which should please those who want their history unrestrained and uncensored, no matter how bloody. While the gore wasn’t my cup of tea, I will say that other parts of the book have admirable vivid descriptions. One that I really liked and that stuck with me while reading was “The wretched souls looked as if they had just crawled out from their own graves” when describing a group of beggars. It paints such a clear picture in your mind.However, the description in the book goes above and beyond, venturing close to the realm of beating you over the head. Many times, you’re told of motivations, actions, and thoughts in excruciating detail when it’s unnecessary. And more often than not, you’re reminded again and again. Even information from a previous chapter that has already been established will be hammered home repeatedly. For example, if after the first time, you don’t remember that “Hannibal knows Rome better than Rome knows itself,” it’ll be ingrained into your head by the midpoint of the story.The part that highlights this best, and that stood out most for me, was when one character is told his father looked like Apollo when charging onto a battlefield. A short time later, the character names his own horse Apollo. But not content to let the reader make the connection, the story outright tells you why the character named the horse Apollo and gives a summary of the story about his father.While the descriptions may have hurt it, the plot did hold my interest. Honestly, it’s unique in that I can’t recall any stories using Hannibal and the Second Punic War. The book says it’s a historical epic and I have to agree. It certainly reads like that, following a soldier’s lifetime of love, loss, and valor against the backdrop of a large-scale war. And Buckner has certainly does his research on the era. I’m not an expert on Roman culture, yet nothing about the people, cities, or the lifestyles struck me as being off.The problems this book has bring it down, but are nothing that an editor couldn’t fix. I can’t really say it was the book for me or that I’d personally recommend it. Although I can see those who like historical fiction or war epics enjoying it.