Lucius is a Roman Centurion who has always dreamed about bringing glory to the Roman Empire and some day traveling to Rome to meet the Emperor. One day he oversees the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and he begins to question his purpose in life. He meets Mary Magdalene and begins to meet with the other followers of Jesus following His death and resurrection. When new orders come in for Lucius to move to a different post, his loyalty remains with the Rome while Mary Magdalene's loyalty is in remaining and serving the risen Christ and her fellow believers. Even though their journeys take different directions their love for each other remains. Lucius is involved with many battles and conquests and he becomes a hardened soldier who leaves no survivors in any battle. As he returns to Rome, he is lauded by Emperor Nero, but what he thought would bring him joy and happiness in the end proves hollow.
I really appreciated learning more about the Roman Empire in the first century and getting a glimpse into the life of a Roman soldier. There was a lot of brutality not only in battle but in how Christians and Jews were treated in Rome itself. At the end of the book there is a section dedicated to listing all the sources used in writing the story. It was a very enlightening book and an enjoyable and fast paced read. I would highly recommend it.
I received this book from Moody Publishers for this review.
No comments:
Post a Comment