The characters were well-developed, and I found myself invested in their lives. The plot was well thought out and had enough twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat. I appreciated the attention to detail, and the author did a great job of creating a vivid world that was easy to picture in my mind.
The themes explored in the book were thought-provoking and gave me a lot to consider. The story had a great message and was inspiring, leaving me feeling uplifted and motivated. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story with well-developed characters and a powerful message.
Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with this book and would definitely read it again. It was a great addition to my reading collection, and I can't wait to see what else this author has in store.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed reading it the plot was interesting and the characters made me want to know more about them. I highly recommend.

This was a fantastic historical fiction/fantasy/sci fi romp. Centering on an immortal Roman Legionary leader. Great pacing, flashbacks are used in a way that is welcomed and not out of place or feel like filler, battle scense are well written believable and engrossing.

a good surprise. did not expect the mash between roman history and science fiction. world building was written okay. looking forward to read the rest of the series.

This book is fantastic! I highly enjoyed reading something that has a mix of historical, fantasy, and modern fiction. I have certainly not read anything along these lines; I feel like the concept of this novel is unique. The story alternates between the past and the present. I loved the flashbacks to the past when Marcus was a commanding officer and fighter. The alternating timelines may sound confusing but the writing flows and this novel is easy to read.
The end of the book was a bit chilling and creepy! This gets 5/5 stars! I already have the next book on my TBR! Looking forward to reading it!

I wil begin by thanking NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to read "Exile".

In this book we follow Marcus Sempronius Gracchus - one of the 9th Roman Legion leaders as he tries to find answer to his unique condition - imortality'and fight for his cause.

I will say it upfront...I didn't finish this novel due to various reasons and a lack of interest after hitting the 60% mark; BUT I strongly believe that this one is a 3 star for me.

Justification:
+solid writing style, easy to read and fast paced;
+beautiful flashback scenes with nicely done descriptions for each battle or situation Marcus faces;
+the battle scenes are well done and believable;
+the tense atmosphere is overflowing from the page;
+interesting idea for a plot with clever execution: Thomas feels like an antagonist well worth the read.(though in need of more time to connect to)

-the narrative is separated in present day high-paced action (a blend of James Bond and secret society/the Templars action movie- if this sound good for you give it a try!) and past tense created through flashbacks. It is very visible that the author had an easier time writing Marcus memories than his current situation. It's a confusing meshup of cursive, smooth storytelling when it comes to roman legions, battles, historical events and rushed and unfocused chase scenes that where clearly unconfortable to write. :(
- another minus consists of the character and plot development, but that is ok for a debut novel. We have clear understanding of who Marcus is, even if on the page, he is not as solid as I would have liked him to be. I think his memories are the key contributor to me liking him. I'm quite concerned that, by the 60% mark, we end up in decisive point with the story / revelations and thus, his character will suffer for it due to the lower quality of present time action that will inevitably take over.
- although I like Thomas, he 's also suffering from lack of character development...we have an important revelation around 50% of the book, but I didn't believe in his reasoning and pain -> so I don't think he is the antagonist we hear in the begining...
- I don't know what role Isabella is suposed to fulfill...I was a little bit dissatisfied with Marcus response to her given the fact we have an enstablished main character who started this jurney from a deeply personal reason...a desperate one I might add...so, yes, i don't know what to do with Isabella...Hope she is not that important because,in my opinion, that will ruin Marcus' s focus on Thomas.

With all these mentioned, I still think Mr. Greenwood has a lot of talent and an eye for a specific kind of storytelling. This is a strong debut that many will enjoy, but be aware that the synopsis is a little bit misleading.
This book is founded on Biblical and historical events, but the point it wants to make has nothing to do with it.
If I had to guess, it wants to give it's own asnwer to questions like: "Why continue living and fighting against fate?","What makes good people/ blind fools?", "What purpose does faith has for us?" using Marcus and Thomas as examples.

I will not be continuing with the series..For that I need Thomas to be perfectly balanced in regards to Marcus's needs as the main villain, but I will recomend it to people wanting a supernatural action-filled read with history on the side!It would make a good movie!

Hope this review was helpful to somebody! ^_^

I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and I honestly didn't like it. I didn't finish it. I really didn't like where this book was heading for two reasons:
1. The heavy religious theme
2. The non-linear storyline

I am not a religious person so I just can't relate to stories with heavy religious overtones, and they are rarely able to hold my interest---this one certainly didn't. Also, I don't like it when stories switch between two different timelines/time periods unless the author can use those scenes to further the character development or the plot, but he didn't. The main character wasn't sympathetic enough or interesting enough for me to want to continue reading it. So, I didn't finish it.

The flow of the story is really nicely paced, the dialogue is wonderful and it’s action packed from start to finish. I loved the relationship between Marcus and Sam as it felt truly genuine, but for me it was Thomas that stole the show. The author really did their research when it comes to plotting out the historical storyline of this book, and the world building was very nicely done.

I’d describe this book as a historical fantasy with a shot of religion thrown in for good measure. It was a great book and I have high expectations for the rest of the series. What an amazing series debut from Greenwood.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I managed to get through this book by sheer force of will. The first half I read in two hours, but it unfortunately never managed to capture my interest and sat languishing in my device unfinished for weeks. The story is interesting, and while the concept is not new, it is a slightly different take on it than Casca: The Eternal Mercenary crossed with Centurian's Empire and a bit of Illuminati thrown in for good measure. All books I have read and enjoyed. This book for me just wasn't to my taste. I have read a few books about the Roman Centurion that pierced Christ's side and was cursed with eternal life (or vampirism, or to be resurrected) so that part wasn't new. What I enjoyed was the idea that he wakes up Just as he was the first time he died down to the location and must re-teach himself every time sort of like a computer booting up...Thank heavens for video recordings. I also like that the eternal are anyone Christ healed, though he is the only one cursed particularly.
What I did not like is the flashbacks. I do not like flashbacks on a good day because I feel they take the reader out of the story. The problem is our Last Roman has lived for near 2000 years, and died so often that flashbacks can end up almost anywhere and just do not serve to help the mystery and cat and mouse game he is playing with his arch nemesis. The romance wasn't to my taste mostly because this is a better urban fantasy than a romance so the romance bits feel off and a bit jarring and by this point in time I would hope he is over the poor pitiful me, my wife is dead. (Yes it is tragic, but lord have mercy it got old quick). I get it, it was tragic, and he spent a lot of time, effort, and blood trying to get to his family. (There is child abuse by slave traders and rape so that might be triggering to folks)
Overall this is a Great fantasy that was well written. I just could not get past the jumping around through his past lives and a story told through flashbacks that Do relate to the present but are long enough that the threads can get lost.

Very good book with interesting artefacts depicted throughout. Very informative, I would recommend this author and his style of writing.

Rating: 4/5
I was given e-book from NetGalley and Bat City Press for my honest review.

Some debts you cannot repay, even if you live forever...
Seasoned imperial officer Marcus Sempronius Gracchus leads the 9th Roman Legion into a bloody battle against a fierce barbarian rival. It's a battle he won't survive.
When he awakens three days later, clawing his way from a shallow grave, Marcus must face the reality of his new existence. He cannot be killed--but that won't stop him from dying time and again over the next 2,000 years.
Meanwhile, others like Marcus plan to bring the world crashing to its knees. Can he prevent the inevitable and find redemption?

Let me start off saying that I do not like this kind of Historical/Adventure Fiction, but after reading a few pages I was able to see the greatest of the book. The plot was very intriguing, it had me wondering what was going to happen next. The Action scenes with the details, made it possible that you could close your eyes and see it playing out after you read it. This is definitely a plot driven, I did enjoy the historical aspects, not only do you get the chance to go back in history at different times and places, but then you get to see what is unfolding in modern times as well.
I thought it was really well written and made it an easy pace to read. If you’re into historical fictions, with action and adventure you should check this book out because this is just the first book out of the series.

I want to thank NetGalley & Bat City Press for allowing me to read this e-book for my honest review. I also want to thank B.K. Greenwood for writing this wonderful book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a xhance to read a arc of the book. The book promises a unique perspective on the imortality story arc, but I did find the narrative to my liking. Others will enjoy the premise, just not for me.

The Last Roman, Book 1 is a fast paced, entertaining and easy to read book. Looking forward to the next part of the story.

I am so glad that I requested to review this book a few weeks ago! This action packed historical fiction was a real treat!

While this story fell out of my normal genre, I throughly enjoyed following the story of Marcus, who is a Roman who cannot die and has lived for over 2000 years. He first realized that he could not die after he died in battle and awoke in a shallow grave 3 days later. The story follows his journey over the 2000 years, switching back and forth between present day and his past. The primary focus of the story lies in whether or not Marcus stop Thomas, the only other man like him, from fulfilling his plans that will alter the world forever. Boy was this story a wild ride.

I originally planned to give this book 3 stars, because the action, fighting scenes were a little more descriptive than I personally enjoy in a book, though I definitely feel like it would make a badass film. Additionally, I felt like I had no idea where the story was headed until about halfway through the book, which was quite frustrating.

However, once the truth of his opponent’s plot is revealed, I could not put the book down. It was incredible and I very quickly consumed the last bit of the story. This whole story was extremely cinematic. One thing that surprised me was the inclusion of Biblical events and historical events for Christianity. While I’m not particularly religious, I really enjoyed this interpretation of events for the purpose of this book. It added a little bit of a thriller aspect to it. I cannot say more without spoiling the story, but I’m so glad that the ebook included a little preview of the second book because I’m totally hooked! This book ended up being absolutely amazing!

I received a copy of Exile from NetGalley. This was my fourth overall and third novel read through the service. And this was definitely my favorite one to this point! I've been praising this book to friends and coworkers the last week or so now. I've been comparing it to a movie mashup of Gladiator with the action of Heat! There is some time jumping throughout this book but I feel it's done well. And by that I mean it's identified well. Just be prepared to be following the characters just before the crucifixion of Christ to modern times.


****Spoiler Warning****


This book opens up with two amazing scenes. This being the actual crucifixion of Christ and also a huge Roman vs. Gaul battle. Both are huge parts of this story. I felt the battle reminded me of the opening battle in the movie Gladiator which might be why that stuck with me throughout the book. But the following Marcus and the others through time was just great! As someone how loves history, especially military history (currently also reading a book on the Punic Wars) this was very entertaining for myself. There are certainly some twists along the way as the story continues and fills us in on the history of our special characters.

For such a short read, just under 300 pages, this was a great ride!

In a book that reminds me of Barry Sadler's Casca series, B. K. Greenwood sends Marcus Sempronius Gracchus (an immortal Roman officer) out to catch an old friend and foe before he looses a terrible evil on the world. The tale is told in the present day and in historical vignettes that culminate in a final confrontation. It will be interesting to read the sequel and see if the story continues to captivate.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

DNF'd at 45%.

This book started with a really good premise, but it was just super boring, and the prose was amateurish. I felt that the jump from Roman times to present day felt forced; why has be been pursuing this guy for 2,000 years, but "present day" is the time he just so happens to make progress? He couldn't have caught up with this guy in 1907 in Norway? 1743 in Indonesia? Nope. It felt forced.

I also felt that the chapters dealing with Roman times would then have a chapter set in present time where they mentioned an absurd amount of technology. I don't know if this was intentional, but it really felt like the author was hamfistedly being like, "look! The Roman guy knows about technology!". I also found the dialogue and exposition to be pretty bad.

Maybe this book just didn't hit me at the right time, but I struggled way too much with it, which is a shame because I LOVE the idea. Ah well.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Historical Fiction meets Science Fiction? Oh heck yes. A perfect title for those who enjoy Roman history, religious history, historical fiction, and even science fiction.

Gaul, 37 AD Seasoned imperial officer Marcus Sempronius Gracchus leads the 9th Roman Legion into bloody battle against a fierce barbarian rival.

It’s a battle he won’t survive. When he awakens three days later, clawing his way from a hastily dug grave, Marcus realizes he cannot be killed—but that won’t stop him from dying time and again over the next 2,000 years.

The novel switches from glimpses in different time periods to present day a lot. In present day Marcus seems to be an assasin killing and hunting evil people who are the followers of another immortal.

The writer has a pleasant writing style and the historical glimpses are interesting. The whole concept of a person surviving all those centuries and see the world change was something I hoped to read in this novel.

There are however some things I do not like:
- According to the book the people who Jesus healed and the ones who touched his blood became somehow immortal. But the part about the centurion killing Jesus is not following the biblical story correctly. And while one of those turns to the Dark side there is no explanation why all those others did;
- There is a flaw in the story when it regards his kids;
- I hate novels who end with a cliffhanger urging you to buy a part 2.

I would recommend this author to stick to a historical novel as those parts I did like.

This was a fantastic read! The Last Roman, Book One: Exile, treat for fans of historical fiction, follows Marcus through 2000 years of immortality while he fights to prevent other immortals from their attempts at destruction. The storyline is inventive and bold. I would call it historical fiction with fantasy elements. The book is well-researched and very grounded in historical knowledge. The story is impeccably paced. The plot unfolds very naturally and in the meantime the action is propelling you forward, the character development is excellent. He’s a hero in every way but the chemistry Marcus has with others as well as the realistic dialogue make him a relatable character, too. The touches of humor feel genuine and add levity too a fairly serious plot and topic. I purchased this title for our library’s collection and will suggest it to our patrons. Looking forward to the sequel!