Rating: 
Summary: Another Epic Novel masterfully done by Ford
Review: "Gods and Legions" is an excellent follow-up to Ford's other historical novel "The Ten Thousand" (2001). This powerful novel brings us into Julian's world and presents us with the colorful events and personal beliefs that shaped him into the Emperor that men called "Julian the Apostate". Julian's uncle, Constantine the Great, the first Roman Emperor to be an openly devout Christian, had the men in Julian's family killed in a bloody political purge. Julian was an avid student of philosophy in Athens as a young man. While raised by devout Christian guardians, Julian himself was a pagan who believed in restoring Hellenistic religions. At the behest of the Emperor Constantine, Julian joins the battle to reclaim Roman territory in Gaul. In an unexpected victory that astounds everyone, he crushes the barbaric tribes of Gaul and proves himself to be a brilliant commander. He goes on to defy the Emperor and seizes the Empire for himself, becoming the most powerful man in the world.The story is narrated by Caesarius, Julian's personal physician and supposed friend. After Julian's sudden death, we are left wondering where and how far he may have taken the Roman Empire had he continued his rule. It takes skill to breathe new life, as Ford has done, into this fascinating yet enigmatic historical figure, a man of conviction and many contradictions, a man who is at once admired and vilified. The dangerous co-existence of burgeoning Christianity and deeply rooted paganism in 4th Century A.D. is also well-crafted. Ford makes reading ancient Roman history a true pleasure. He is meticulous about historical facts and period detail, and his artful descriptions of butchery with javelins, arrows, swords and elephant tusks are nothing if not convincing. His superior research into the physical places and the religious, cultural and political environment of the time has the feel and sense of painstaking accuracy. Another of Ford's strengths as a historical novelist is his insistence on keeping it real, employing Julian's own words in the dialogues whenever possible. Historical fiction fans will eat this up. But even if you are not a fan of historical fiction, for the sheer pleasure of encountering excellence in writing and losing yourself in another place and time, "Gods and Legions" is a must read. Michael Curtis Ford is fast proving himself to being one of the great historical fiction writers of our time.
Rating:
Summary: A truly great book
Review: A well crafted and written story about a forgotten time in ancient history. Michael Curtis Ford, as always, has done a superior job in his research and undoubtedly is one of the great historical novelists of our time -- akin to Mary Renault. The battlescenes are spot on; gritty, gory and violent and properly interspersed throughout the book. There are other subplots that are terrific and at times rather shocking. All in all this is an excellent second novel on a subject matter that has not been covered in decades. The struggle between two lifelong friends eventually pitting them against one another is poignant and tragic. A wonderful addition to not only its genre but literature as a whole. Given today's slapdash efforts and shoddy research or that too many novels recycle covered ground, this is a breath of freash air.
Rating:
Summary: the greatest Caesar revisited
Review: All the grand words of praise that are in my lexicon are applicable to this author's second book-the detail is remarkable, the depth of character with which he writes, is amazing. Michael Curtis Ford not only writes about historical times & places, he actually has the knack of making you experience them. Michael Curtis Ford makes you realize that heroes are human & not always godlike. They too have dark sides & their heroism can also make them anti-heroic. I found GODS AND LEGIONS like watching a train wreck in the making-you can see where it's going & cannot tear your eyes away. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: A Fabulously Written Tale intriguing to Modern Readers
Review: Although I am far from being a Scholar of the Classics and I do not have a large appetite for historical fiction set in ancient Rome, Gods and Legions, the second novel by Michael Curtis Ford, has an uncanny ability to draw in modern readers with its vivid imagery, fascinating characters, and well written dialogue that would appeal to even those who lack any prior background to the era. Although the story of Emperor Julian is well chronicled in history, it is not necessarily well known. The tale of the unlikely heir, banished to await his execution, and rising unexpectedly to the throne would be fascinating enough. Yet the story that Ford tells progresses towards even more surprising and compelling twists beyond the ascension of the young Emperor. Ford exhibits a fantastic ability to paint a picture of ancient warfare, and adeptly contrasts different armies' strategies, techniques, and dispositions, creating a graphic description of ancient times. Just as easily, Ford shifts gears to provide wonderful dialogue between the protagonists, influenced by classical authors and philosophers. The complex character that is Julian will confuse and dumbfound readers as his bizarre behavior leads to his demise. What motivates his actions? That is left for the reader to interpret. Although it would be easy to summarize the plot, the true art is found in Ford's writing. Overall, Ford's second book is a must read for those who enjoy a well-told story lush with action, imagery, and intellect. One need not be a classical scholar to enjoy this fine tale.
Rating:
Summary: vivid and accurate brilliance
Review: Although not always a fan of the historic novel (always being too worried about excessive, unwarranted invention) this book is dramatic and absorbing. The research appears to be excellent and well founded and the excitement never stops. The canvas starts with the young Julian, about to become the next but one Roman Emperor after Constantine converted to Christianity, and he is about to abandon Christianity to return to the old gods. He is also going to leave Gaul, where he made his name, for the madder, wilder, outer regions of the Roman Empire, fighting the Persians.
The scholarship seems secure and the pace is never-slacking. The characterisation is entirely vivid and sustained. I found it hard to put this book down (and blame it for my missing a plane, so engrossed was I when I should have been thinking of other things)
I now can't wait to read the Ten Thousand, Curtis Ford's novel of Ancient Greece, just ordered. It only has to be half as good for me to need to take a few days holiday to submerse myself in its pages.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Fiction, Questionable History
Review: Emperor Julian is one of the most controversial figures of the late Roman / early Christian period. He stands alone in that he tried to reverse the Empire's adoption of Christianity as a state religion. For this he is loathed by the Church (which named him the Apostate) and worshiped by the most romantic admirers of the Classical Period. Michael Curtis Ford has attempted to unravel Julian's complex personality and interpret his actions by delving deep into his early childhood and experiences as the military leader of the armies of Gaul. He then follows him through his ascention to the throne and his agressive slide into increasingly erratic and controversial behaviour towards the end of his life. The journey is very enjoyable. Ford writes the political intrigue, the fight to defend Gaul and the young commander's development very well indeed. The Empire's progressive stagnation can be felt, the conflicts between the old and new ideals are quickly outlined. So, the first two thirds of the book, or so, are really quite good. Unfortunatelly, towards the end, where the novel reaches the most controversial aspects of the story, Ford seems to run out of steam. Or perhaps, he is reluctant to offend mainstream sensibilities. The narrative becomes rather one-sided, using mostly the viewpoints of Christian clerics to describe Julian's actions and interpret his motives. He quite innexplicably turns from a tolerant, cultured "philosopher king" to a bloodthirsty pagan ruler, bent on continuous sacrifices, and fanatical worshiping of forgotten deities, under the influence of a malicious dwarf! In this the book fails to convince. For example, a bit of background on the religious upheaval and continuous state-sponsored prosecutions of the preceding 50 years or so would have shed some light on the situation and help the reader understand Julian's transformation - yet none is given. Instead, the Emperor's behaviour is simply attributed to a deseased mind, poisoned from having harboured feelings of vengeanace for years (his family was murdered) and the story quickly rushes to an end. If your interest lies in Julian and his story, this novel is going to dissapoint you. However, if you are simply a fan of the period and love reading about Rome and the Romans, you will certainly enjoy it.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Ford's second novel is on the ascension and fall of Julian the Apostate, Constantine the Great's nephew and emperor of Rome. Unlike with "The Ten Thousand", Ford stays focused on the principal characters of his story and competently illustrates to the reader how they evolve throughout the story. This is done by the prinicpal narrator (Caesarius: Julian's friend and personal physician) reflecting on dialogue and experiences with Julian. Caesarius being a devout Christian provides a good counterpoint to looking at Julian's paganism but turns the narrative into an overly biased religious sermon which is tedious at best. Ford uncreatively deviates from a standard rule in narrative which is to keep the narrator's voice neutral. Ford overcomes this somewhat by presenting the narrative through the voice of Julian's friend and in the form of uncensored correspondence. Unfortunately, the recipient of the correspondence is also a zealot who adds his biased voice to the narrative, leaving the appearance of one-sidedness throught the story like a bad stain. Throughout the story one is left wondering whether this is an unbiased account of Julian's life or a preachy sermon about Christianity. By focusing on Julian as the fallen hero to give legitimacy to the narrator, Ford brings the story to an inevitable anti-climax. The reader continues to wonder whether Julian is truly a main character in this story or just a punching bag to a biased narrator? Even worse is that the plot itself requires Ford's use of such character development. It is unfortunate that Ford chose to make Julian the antagonist in this story because his character is certainly more interesting than that of Caesarius' prudish and narrow-minded one. Because the story lacks depth as to the dynamics of religious beliefs and institutions of the time and how the were intertwined with political ones, Ford restricts the character of Julian to that of an anti-christ. At the same time, Ford attempts to breathe life into the inherently pedagogic character of Caesarius as the true hero at the expense of the other characters in the story. Unfortunately, despite all that effort in developing his character, Caesarius amounts to being nothing more than a zealous hippocrite at best in the end. Overall, Ford has a much more coherent plot structure in this book than "The Ten Thousand" and doesn't deviate into distractive sub-plots that take away from the main story. However, the narrative technique and plot seem more like a zealot's attempt to justify his moral crusade than one offering any illuminating insight about Julian himself. The de-legitimizing of Julian makes the narration seem more like a straw-man argument than anything else. I enjoyed reading it once but I don't know if I'd read it a second time around. I would recommend Gore Vidal's "Julian" instead of this novel.
Rating:
Summary: Dogmatic and Uncreative
Review: Ford's second novel is on the ascension and fall of Julian the Apostate, Constantine the Great's nephew and emperor of Rome: the last pagan emperor of the Roman Empire. Although an improvement to his previous novel "The Ten Thousand" in terms of theme, plot, and character development, the novel is but a pale comparison to "Julian" by Gore Vidal.
Unlike Vidal's novel where Julian is presented as a tragic hero, Ford presents him as an Anti-Christ who's out to destroy Christianity. The voice in the story is that of Caesarius, Julian's friend and personal physician reflecting on dialogue and experiences with Julian. Caesarius is a religious zealot who is distrought at Julian's conversion to paganism and his attempts at reducing the political influence of the Christian church.
Although Caesarius being a devout Christian provides a good counterpoint to looking at Julian's paganism, it turns the narrative into an overly biased religious sermon that is tedious at best. The whole novel has the appearance of one-sidedness with the narrator continuously sermonizing about how saintly he is and how evil the pagan world is. By focusing on Julian as Satan incarnate to give legitimacy to the narrator, Ford brings the story to an inevitable anti-climax. The reader continues to wonder whether Julian is truly a main character in this story or just a punching bag to a biased narrator? Even worse is that the plot itself requires Ford's use of such character development. It is unfortunate that Ford chose to make Julian the antagonist in this story because his character is far superior in every sense to that of Caesarius' prudish and narrow-minded one.
Because the story lacks depth as to the dynamics of religious beliefs and institutions of the time and how the were intertwined with political ones, Ford restricts the character of Julian to that of an Anti-Christ. At the same time, Ford attempts to breathe life into the inherently pedagogic character of Caesarius as the true hero at the expense of the other characters in the story. Unfortunately, despite all that effort in developing his character, Ford shows Caesarius to be nothing more than an overzealous coward and blind hippocrite at best: hardly the kind of personnage you would want as a hero in a story.
Overall, Ford has a much more coherent plot structure in this book than "The Ten Thousand" and doesn't deviate into distractive sub-plots that take away from the main story. However, the narrative technique and plot seem more like a zealot's attempt to justify his immoral actions in the name of God than one offering any illuminating insight about Julian himself. The de-legitimizing of Julian makes the narration seem more like a straw-man argument than anything else. I recommend Gore Vidal's "Julian" instead of this novel: it is a superior novel that presents far greater depth in plot, theme, setting, and character development than what you would find in Ford's rudimentary and extremely predictable novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Improving...
Review: Ford's second Roman historical novel is somewhat improved over the first. I must confess I know nothing of the history of Julian the Apostate so I cannot comment on the historical validity within the three hundred seventy odd hardback pages. Nevertheless, as a work of fiction this possesses that page turning quality that makes it hard to put down.
The book deals with the life of Julian, from his 'exile' in Athens, to his Caesar-esque re-subjugation of Gaul, his split with Constantius, march on Constantinople, fortunate elevation to emperor and subsequent life until his murder, whilst campaigning against the Persian Sapor, by the novel's narrator, Caesarius.
The first part is entirely devoted to his time in Gaul and the characterisation is excellent. We sympathise with a young man struggling to prove himself and Rome against a decadently portrayed Emperor Constantius in admirable fashion, overcoming both hardship and difficult administrative problems to restablish Rome's primacy in Gaul and along the Rhine. Forced by events into conflict with the Emperor he races across the Western Empire to eventually claim the purple and the second part deals with his time as imperator, his apostacy and eventual obsession with defeating Persia.
Gods & Legions is fast paced, flows well and Ford's ability to recreate, in particular, battle scenes is what raises the novel immensely. Where it falls down, in this case, is at the point where Julian ascends to the purple, declares his apostacy and then his personal allegiance to Mithras. Ford spent half the book building a solid character with whom you could understand why the motives and personality of the man made him act as he did. Then, suddenly, he reveals all to be a façade and becomes an entirely different character. Whilst this shift in characterisation may be necessary, what Ford doesn't do is gradually shift the characterisation so we understand that shift. Instead, we get almost a quick synopsis of events over a few months and the new Julian character is presented to us. It breaks the flow of characterisation leaving us somewhat puzzled as reconciliation of the new and old Julian, particularly given the fact that Ford goes to some lengths to stress his thinking intelligence, proves extremely difficult.
However, unfully-explored shift in character aside, Ford's second novel is an excellent read that can easily claim to be a one-sitting so much so does it move with a fast gripping pace. I look forward to more from the pen of this promising author.
Rating:
Summary: Gritty ancient combat.
Review: I am a fan of Michael Curtis Ford since reading his book "The Ten Thousand". "Gods and Legions" is even better in my opinion. I won't go into a plot overview since other reviewers have already done a good job. What I would like to add is the superb job Ford does at describing for you ancient combat. Those parts of the book are thrilling to read and he paints a vivid picture of what it might have been like. He also has a brutal account of a gladiator battle!
This isn't all about combat however. It is also about religion, ambition, power, and mysticysm. Julian ( a real historical character) is complex and charismatic. I wanted to keep reading to try and figure him out.
I am looking forward to Ford's next book!
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