I met Simon Turney on a writing site a number of years ago, and have since been impressed not only with his writing style, but his knowledge of everything Roman. As a fan of historical fiction, I have since read and enjoyed a number of his books. When I discovered he'd released a book of short stories, I knew I had to buy it.
Short stories have been a favourite read of mine for a number of years now, you only have to check out my other reviews to know that this is true. Most of Simon's novels are quite lengthy, so I was unsure as to whether or not he could transfer his story telling skill to writing shorts. I'm pleased to acknowledge that his latest offering is equally as good as anything he has previously written.
Simon's book contains twelve very different stories, some humorous, some tragic, some with a twist, others with a moral. In some tales he has interspersed real historical characters and events with fictional ones, in others he has used his knowledge to create pure fiction, all to great effect.
All the stories are good, some are great. I especially liked the story about the chariot race, and the one about the greedy landowner... hell who am I kidding? I loved them all.
If you are a fan of historical fiction, or short stories in general, then I would recommend this as must read. It is certainly a book that I know I will read and enjoy again.
Tony
