hobbit_boiii's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
pemdas97's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kjkg's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
laura_j9's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
8797999's review against another edition
3.0
I must have read this off and on since October, it was an absolute chore to get through at first. Switched to audio book and whispersync and it flowed better.
What bogged it down for me is everything to do with Servilia, what should be about battles and politics, was marred for me by by a wrinkled old whore and a lovesick puppy. ..
The book really picked up in the second part though I would have liked more battles and action. I felt it redeemed itself and now the series should pick up in the next book.
Hopefully less Servilia in the next book.
3.5 but rounded down because I didn't enjoy it enough to be a 4.
What bogged it down for me is everything to do with Servilia, what should be about battles and politics, was marred for me by by a wrinkled old whore and a lovesick puppy. ..
The book really picked up in the second part though I would have liked more battles and action. I felt it redeemed itself and now the series should pick up in the next book.
Hopefully less Servilia in the next book.
3.5 but rounded down because I didn't enjoy it enough to be a 4.
sidetracked's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. Just Wow! The Field of Swords really takes it home. Covering Caesar's conquest of Gaul and Britain Iggulden creates 400 pages of non stop action in all possible settings. The author covers Caesar's rule in Spain, his return to Rome and his rise in the Senate. We are then thrown straight into one of the biggest conspiracies in Roman history - the Catiline conspiracy - which planned a coup d'etat in Rome.
Caesar's appointment as Consul gave him the freedom to pursue his goals - of becoming as great and unforgettable as Alexander the Great himself - which set him on the path of conquest with Gaul being the target. What follows is the subduing of Gaul (at least for the time being) through a series of vicious battles and shrewd negotiation with some of the tribes.
When all seemed to be in order Caesar further pursued his dreams over the English Channel and into Britain. Forced to return to Gaul by the rebellion led by Cingeto, High King of all the Gauls - better known as Vercingetorix - he fights his way to one of the most famous battlefields of ancient times - Alesia. There, he obliterates the united Gaulish forces and forces Vercingetorix to surrender.
With the legions back into friendly territory and after the much needed rest Caesar's struggle against Pompey is about to begin.
Main strong points:
Caesar's portrayal with good and bad, with achievements and errors, almost a god but somehow still only a man.
A masterful, believable description of what few historical facts are available.
Caesar's appointment as Consul gave him the freedom to pursue his goals - of becoming as great and unforgettable as Alexander the Great himself - which set him on the path of conquest with Gaul being the target. What follows is the subduing of Gaul (at least for the time being) through a series of vicious battles and shrewd negotiation with some of the tribes.
When all seemed to be in order Caesar further pursued his dreams over the English Channel and into Britain. Forced to return to Gaul by the rebellion led by Cingeto, High King of all the Gauls - better known as Vercingetorix - he fights his way to one of the most famous battlefields of ancient times - Alesia. There, he obliterates the united Gaulish forces and forces Vercingetorix to surrender.
With the legions back into friendly territory and after the much needed rest Caesar's struggle against Pompey is about to begin.
Main strong points:
Caesar's portrayal with good and bad, with achievements and errors, almost a god but somehow still only a man.
A masterful, believable description of what few historical facts are available.
cathiestrover's review against another edition
2.0
I like Conn Iggulden's writing, and I like the Genghis Khan series, but this didn't thrill me, and despite him bringing the characters to life, I felt absolutely no sympathy with them attempting to crush Gaul and anywhere else they fancied, so perhaps I shouldn't read about the Romans.
gizmoto16's review against another edition
3.0
This was still an enjoyable read, but not as good as the previous book in the series. In this book, Caesar has a long, drawn-out campaign against the Gauls and Britons, and he gets worn down by it. The reader gets worn down by it too. I was kinda ready to take a break from the series...but right at the end he's about to march his legions into Rome to take on Pompey and that sounds awfully exciting.