Showing posts with label Toga Trash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toga Trash. Show all posts

Monday, October 16, 2023

Repost By Request: Toga Trash Lists

Over the past week I’ve received emails from two different people asking if I could re-post my old toga trash Amazon lists, which I posted a link to here on the blog back in 2010…back in those naïve days when I didn’t realize that certain words would set off search filters.  And for that reason I will not link to that old post here...I mean things have gotten pretty Big Brother lately, so no need to set off any prudish AI bots.

Well anyway, it appears that friggin’ Amazon has deleted my Listmania lists (it looks like they’ve gotten rid of all Listmania lists, in fact), so the links on that old post no longer work. You can’t even find the old Amazon URLs on the Wayback Machine. Luckily in 2008, after creating the lists, I saved them as a Word doc, so here are the books I listed way back then as my top-recommended “toga trash” paperbacks: 

Swords, Sandals, Sex, and Sin: Good ‘N Trashy Historical Fiction 
A Listmania! list by Joe Kenney "buttergun" (Dallas, TX USA) 

The list author says: "Trashy in a good way -- no "detectives in togas," no poorly-written military fiction, no thinly-veiled Christian glurge. Just fiction that revels in the decadence, opulence, and violence of the ancient world. Click through for more info on each; I plan to eventually review them all. Drop me a line if you know of any similar titles!" 

1. The Way of the Gladiator by Daniel P. Mannix 
 
The list author says: "1958. Originally published as "Those About To Die." A novel in all but name, presented as a history book. Graphic depictions of the games; no doubt served as inspiration for many of the gladiator scenes which appear in the below books." 

2. Messalina by Jack Oleck 

The list author says: "1959. The story of Messalina, sadistic and adulterous wife of Claudius, the fourth emperor of Rome. Filled to the brim with sex and intrigue; don't let the early publication date fool you, as there's nothing "old fashioned" about this novel." 

3. Clodia by Robert Demaria 

The list author says: "1965. "The most popular lay of ancient Rome." -- So proclaims the cover blurb on the 1969 Sphere mass market paperback. The sexploitative saga of the lacscivious Clodia and how she seduces and crushes the once-innocent poet Catullus. Takes place during the final years of the Republic." 

4. Rogue Roman by Lance Horner 

The list author says: "1965. Graphically-descriptive tale of a mime-turned-gladiator-turned-Nero-impersonator in the mid-1st Century CE. Good and lurid historical trash fiction fun." 

5. The Last Nights of Pompeii by Martin Saul 

The list author says: "1966. Short novel about a doomed love which plays out around the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE. Features a strange subplot which just exudes misogyny." 

6. Child of the Sun by Kyle Onstott Lance Horner 

The list author says: "1966. The life and loves of 3rd Century CE emperor Elagabalus, who introduced a new religion to Rome, dressed like a woman, loved boys, and once accidentally smothered dinner guests with a shower of flower petals." 

7. The Gladiators by Martin Saul 

The list author says: "1966. Story of a gladiator during the reign of Nero, by the author of "Last Nights of Pompeii" (#5 above)." 

8. Theodora by Jack Oleck 

The list author says: "1971. Oleck's follow-up to "Messalina" (#2 above), this time recounting the equally-lascivious and sex-craved exploits of 6th Century CE empress Theodora, wife of Justinian." 

9. I, Cleopatra 

The list author says: "1977. Lurid, massive novel posing as Cleopatra's memoirs. Strangely, was written by a man!" 

10. The Empress by Robert Demaria 

The list author says: "1978. DeMaria's follow-up to "Clodia" (#3 above). The story of Agripinna, sister of Caligula and mother of Nero." 

11. Golden Voyager by Simon Finch 

The list author says: "1978. Book 1 of the Voyager trilogy, concerning the sexploits of Vesuvio in the early 2nd Century CE, during the reign of Trajan." 

12. The Lady Serena by Jeanne Duval 

The list author says: "1978. Story of a Vestal who breaks her sacred vow of virginity to be with her one true love. Features a hilarious cameo by a prancing Nero." 

13. Pagan Voyager by Simon Finch 

The list author says: "1979. Book 2 of the Voyager trilogy, published in the US as "The Pagan." The further sexploits of Vesuvio; mostly just a retread of Book 1, "Golden Voyager" (#11 above)." 

14. Calgaich the Swordsman by Gordon D. Shirreffs 

The list author says: "1980. British slave becomes famous gladiator in 5th Century CE, during the twilight years of the Roman Empire. Published by Playboy; accordingly sex-filled." 

15. The Ravishers by Duval 

The list author says: "1980. Follow-up to "The Lady Serena" (#12 above), a woman looks for true love shortly before Vesuvius's eruption. Features another cameo by a campy Nero." 

16. Voyager in Bondage by Simon Finch 

The list author says: "1981. Atrocious final volume of the Voyager trilogy. Never published in the US. See my review for a thorough skewering." 

17. Empress of Desire by Jack Mertes 

The list author says: "1982. Could almost be a sequel to Oleck's "Messalina" (#2 above) in that this is the story of Poppaea Sabina, the last wife of Nero, and how she extracts vengeance -- vengeance which was sired when Messalina had Poppaea's mother killed. A whole bunch of sex in this one." 

18. Raptor by Gary Jennings 

The list author says: "1992. Mammoth tale of a young hermaphrodite in the 6th Century CE, long after Christianity has destroyed the classical world. Filled with graphic sex and disturbing violence, as hero Thorn makes his/her way across the Eastern Roman Empire." 

19. Caligula: Divine Carnage: Atrocities of the Roman Emperors by Stephen Barber 

The list author says: "2001. Like #1 above, this is a novel in everything but name, though it's presented with less of a narrative drive. No, it's just an XXX-rated, incredibly violent fantasy about the reigns of Caligula, Commodus, and Elagabalus, with a chapter on gladiators that would probably even make Daniel Mannix blush." 

20. Den of Wolves (Empress of Rome) by Luke Devenish 

The list author says: "2008. A modern return to the genre; in fact, Devenish supplied the name for this list. This is Book 1 of the Empress Of Rome trilogy; this installment starts off in the final days of the Republic. So far only published in Australia, but a UK and (hopefully) US release is on the way." 

And here are ones I added to the list at some later point in time – according to my Word doc, in 2009.  In fact I think it was a separate Listmania list, titled More Swords, Sandals, Sex, and Sin.

Aphrodite by Pierre Louys 

The list author says: "1962. Louis Golomb's uncensored 1962 translation of this 1896 French novel is of a piece with the other books on this list -- it reads just like a piece of classy toga porn. The tale of a courtesan in Ptolemaic Alexandria." 

The Gladiators: Atilus the Slave by Edward Thomson 

The list author says: "1975. UK-published first book of the "Gladiators" series; pulp historical fiction. Edward Thomson a psuedonym of EC Tubb." 

Atilus the Gladiator (The gladiators) by Edward Thomson 

The list author says: "1975. Second and final installment of the UK-published "Gladiators" series. Atilus, a gladiator during the reign of Nero, manages a team of gladiatrixes." 

CLEOPATRA'S BLONDE SEX RIVAL by Walt Vickery 

The list author says: "1962. Vintage softcore porn trash fiction, about a Nordic beauty and her love for Caesar. The title alone is a stroke of genius -- I mean, she's not just ANY sex rival, she's Cleopatra's BLONDE sex rival!" 

The Pagan Empress by Kevin Mathews 

The list author says: "1964. Another Messalina tale, more trashy and decadent than Oleck's version. See Messalina seduce a man while she's dressed as a gladiatrix!" 

Satyricon: Memoirs of a Lusty Roman by Petronius Arbiter 

The list author says: "1965. Gillette's novel bears no relation to the Petronius classic other than the title. A "men's magazine" softcore romp through the Roman Empire...but not as good as that sounds." 

Aphrodite by Pierre Louys 

The list author says: "1972. Another translation of Louys's "Aphrodite." This one is by Robert Baldick and published by the UK imprint Panther. It's even better than Golomb's (#3 above), but it's hard to find." 

I, Sappho Of Lesbos : The Autobiography Of A Strange Woman by Michel (Editor) Darius 

The list author says: "1960. Fictional autobiography of Sappho, by "Beat Generation druggie" Alexander Trocchi. Subtitled "An Amorous Odyssey," which should give you some idea of the content." 

Salammbo (Penguin Classics) by Gustave Flaubert 

The list author says: "1977. Tredennick & Tarrant's translation for Penguin Classics is the best version in English of this sex and violence-soaked 1862 classic. Despite its age, it's still light-years beyond historical fiction of today." 

Alexander and the camp follower by Robert Payne 

The list author says: "1954. Cool but forgotten novel about Alexander the Great, narrated by his courtesan wife Thaissa. Moreso historical fantasy, with walk-ons from the gods Hecate and Ammnon. AKA Alexander the God." 

Nero by Frank Castle 

The list author says: "1961. Trashy take on Nero, by Frank Castle (the Punisher himself!). First-person account of a Praetor who begins to loathe the increasingly-insane Emperor." 

Assyrian by Nicholas Guild 

The list author says: "1987. Gary Jennings-esque tale of a spurned prince’s adventures in Biblical-era Assyria (ie 7th Century BCE). It’s rife with Assyrian religion, graphic violence, and sex." 

The Blood Star by Nicholas Guild 

The list author says: "1989. Sequel to The Assyrian (above). The hero/narrator of the previous novel finds himself chased by bounty hunters in a fight to the death. Incredibly rare and expensive." 

The Shattered Horse by S. P. Somtow 

The list author says: "1986. Historical fantasy reworking of the Aeneid, with Hector's son Astyanax replacing Aeneas, walk-ons from most of the Olympian gods, rites and rituals straight out of Frazer's Golden Bough, and the mummy of Pharoah Akenhaton." 

The Barbarian Princess by Florence King 

The list author says: "1978. Whacked-out, crazy, sexploitative, and hilarious picaresque about one woman's quest around the Roman Empire of the 6th Century CE. Published under the name Laura Buchanan, a psuedonym of popular romance author Florence King -- who claims she was drunk when she wrote this!" 

Cleopatra's Daughter by Andrea Ashton 

The list author says: "1979. Epic-length historical romance about Cleopatra's daughter, with all sorts of toga, chiton, and bodice-ripping." 

Turia by Priscilla Buckley 

The list author says: "1977. Sex and revenge during the end of the Republic, as Turia avenges the murder of her parents and engages in forbidden love with Alexis, a slave physician." 

Fire Within by Ann Combs

The list author says: "1978. By Ann Combs, psuedonym of Nina Combs Pylcare. A British girl in 61 CE goes from one lover to another, ends up with Nero, and is finally sent to a brothel when he tires of her. Will true love prevail?" 

The Emperor's Virgin by Sylvia Fraser 

The list author says: "1980. Sex-filled romp ("kinky sex of all types," in fact!) about Emperor Vespasian, his wife, and a Vestal Virgin."

And that is all I have in my old Word documents.  Not sure how comprehensive the above is, as I think there are some titles I failed to save later on.  For example, none of the Slaves Of The Empire books are listed here, but I am pretty sure they were at one point.  Also I recall having stated that The Barbarian Princess was the best book on the entire list (I mean to re-read it someday), but that is not shown in the writeup above...so again, looks like I failed to capture later updates to the lists for posterity.  Dammit!

UPDATE

A big thanks to Fred Blosser, whose comment (below) on Anthony Burgess’s Kindom Of The Wicked reminded me that this book was also once on the list, as were some others that suddenly popped in my head.  My only conclusion is that I was too lazy to save later versions of those Listmania lists, meaning that much of what I added to them has been lost.  Well, here are the ones I just remembered, and if I remember any others I will just keep updating this post!

Kingdom of the Wicked by Anthony Burgess

Neropolis by Hubert Monteilhet

Trax by R.L. S. Hawke 

The Lovers Of Pompeii by Theodore Pratt

Dark Priestess by Juanita Coulson

The Quest Of Ben Hur by Karl Tunberg (yes, a 1981 papberback original sequel to the movie version of Ben Hur…written by the screenwriter!)

Empress of Shame by Martin Saul

The Unconquered Sun by Ralph Dulin

Dawn Falcon by Ann Moray

The Maze Maker by Michael Ayrton

The Fall Of The Roman Empire by Harry Whittington (novelization of the film)
 
The Phoenician by Bruce Cassiday
 
Morituri by Barry Sadler

The Cleopatras by Philip Mackie (novelization of the forgotten 1983 BBC series)

YET ANOTHER UPDATE -- LINK TO THE COMPLETE LISTS!

Super big thanks to Johny Malone, who left a comment below that he had saved my old Listmania lists and posted them to Flickr.  The material above is what I wrote in the original versions of the lists in 2008 and 2009.  But here at this link you can read the final versions of each list, with all the updates I made to them.  Thanks again, Johny!

Monday, August 3, 2020

Slaves Of The Empire #5: Corissa The Vestal Virgin


Slaves Of The Empire #5: Corissa The Vestal Virgin, by Dael Forest
August, 1978  Ballantine Books

The Slaves Of The Empire lurches to a close with a fifth volume that’s just as befuddling as the previous four, Stephen “Dael Forest” Frances doing little to get his readers up to speed on the plot, the characters, or anything else. As I’ve said in I think every other review of this series, I get the impression that Slaves Of The Empire was written as one big book – one that, judging from this final volume, never even got a proper ending. Worse yet, Corissa The Vestal Virgin for the most part almost seems to be an installment of another toga trash series entirely, with the recurring characters of the previous four volumes reduced to supporting roles.

As we’ll recall, the main plot has it that a Roman noble named Hadrian (not to be confused with the future emperor) is building a city called Trebula outside of Rome while meanwhile he’s fallen in love with his slave, a Briton named Haesel. Haesel’s brothers and sisters have their own subplots, from dim-witted bombshell Mertice, who is caught in a lame love triangle, to Thane, who is a master craftsman. There’s also Redeard, who became a free man volumes ago and is now a successful businessman. The very least we get in the way of “resolution” in Corissa The Vestal Virgin is that some of these siblings are finally reunited: Haesel and Thane meet in Trebula, the first they’ve seen each other since they all were taken into slavery in the first volume. Surprisingly, Frances doesn’t much exploit the dramatic potential here, just leaving their emotional reunion to a scant few lines of off-hand text, but then again the series overall has been an emotionless, spiritless dirge that takes place in a vacantly-described historical setting.

As mentioned, it’s the new characters who really run the show this time, but even here the title is misleading: “Corissa,” the lovely young head Vestal Virgin (meaning she’s been in service to goddess Vesta the longest), only appears on a handful of pages. Instead the plot is about a scheming duo of senators who plan to pin the blame of a ruined crop in Romania (or somewhere, I forgot) on Vesta – particularly, that Rome has grown so dismissive of the once-important goddess of hearth and home that she has invoked her wrath by destroying these highly-necessary crops. Their proof point is the fact that the so-called “virgins” of Vestal are anything but, sleeping around with lovers and not taking their once-sacred duties in vain; whereas serving Vesta was at one time a spiritual calling, it is now seen by young noble women as a ladder to high stature.

Diocles and Litirum are these two senators (I might’ve jotted the latter’s name down incorrectly, but I’m too lazy to get the book out of the box to verify), and they take up a goodly portion of the narrative with their boring scheming. It’s a lot of back and forth with Maximus, the High Priest of Vesta (himself a wealthy nobleman who prefers the solitude of his library and looks on his “sacred duties” with boredom) and some dude who is the “Chief Augur.” You know those parts in old historical epics like Ben Hur or The Fall Of The Roman Empire where it’s a lot of British guys in period costume debating with one another in faux-“Shakespearian” accents? Well the entire Slaves Of the Empire series is pretty much just like that, this subplot in particular.

And still we focus on other Vestas instead of titular Corissa; one of them gets involved with a dude heavily into s&m, and he gradually talks her into some whipping. This last bit is probably the sleaziest the series has gotten, but even here it’s told with that disaffected, clinical tone so familiar of British pulp. I mean there’s no outright sex in the book, just a lot of talk about “love-play,” and the majority of the lurid stuff is told in summary. There seems to be a focus on whipping in this one, though; the novel opens with Maximus presiding over the sacred duty of sending off an “old” Vesta and replacing her with a new one. Here Frances skillfully sets up his theme of dwindling faith in the old ways: we’re told that once upon a time Vestas who shirked in their duty were seriously whipped before being cast out of the temple, but now it’s a formulaic procedure in which the whipping is faked for the audience, and the girl must pretend to scream and cry.

This though again brings me to the question of when all this takes place. At one point Frances reels off a list of the gods the Romans believe in, but they’re all the old ones, like Jupiter and such. In reality, by the time of the Empire, most Romans were into esoteric Eastern cults, like Isis or Mithra. This is actually how Christianity was able to spread; it was the new hip religion among rich Roman matrons, particularly around the era of Constatine, when a few of these same matrons “discovered” sites in Jerusalem which are still considered sacred today. But there’s no mention of any of that here, which again places the setting of the series in question. We do for once get a glimmer of period detail when Tiberius and Nero are briefly mentioned; there’s also mention of an upcoming aristocrat named Trajan, with the implication that he indeed is the future emperor of the same name.

We do get a resolution on the lame Alexander-Mertice-Melanos triangle that’s been going on since the first volume. As we’ll recall, Alexander is a foppish gadabout who prides himself on his “love-play;” he once owned Mertice, who fell in love with him, but he gave her away to Melanos, ie the noble tomboy babe Alexander lusts after. Last time it was set up that Alexander had some plan in mind for these two women. This time we see it, and it’s pretty despicable; through belabored means he kidnaps Mertice, placing her in a sort of silk prison for a few days. All as a “joke” on Melanos. He has one of his buddies visit Mertice every day, trying to get her in the sack; once she’s finally succumbed and is sufficiently worked up, Alexander comes in and drops the bomb that he’s behind her kidnapping. He tries to get her in the mood with his hands – Mertice being a virgin still – until Mertice not only reveals that someone’s already done this for her, but indeed that it was done better than Alexander’s doing it…and the person doing it was a slave! This we’re to understand hits Alexander right where it hurts: in his arrogant heart.

Otherwise we don’t even get to “main” characters Hadrian and Haesel until page 67. Their story seems to occur in the swingtown seventies, with Haesel again happily “lending” Hadrian to a rich older noblewoman whose money is important for the creation of Trebula. Meanwhile Hadrian gives Haesel her freedom, for once showing a spark of personality as he first treats her roughly, calling her “slave” and the like, before revealing that she is free, and also the new mistress of his house. But this sadly is where we leave them, so there’s no resolution to the overall storyline; we’re told that Haesel will still try to find Mertice and Redwing, implying that in future volumes this would finally come to pass.

Frances does spice the book up with lurid details likely gleaned from Daniel Mannix’s Those About To Die, in particular a long sequence, which suddenly detours into the style of a history book, which recounts the bloody entertainments of “the stadium,” aka the Flavian Amphitheater, aka the Colisseum. It’s all sick and wild, with lurid tidbits about Romans having sex in the stands while blood sprays in the stadium below, but it just seems to be lifted whole-hog from some other “nonfiction” book and placed in here. Even worse is it’s all relayed via summary, in a part in which Redbeard happens to do business near the stadium and briefly reflects on its horrible nature and background. 

This sudden focus on violence and sleaze plays out in the finale, an unexpectedly brutal sequence which has the two scheming senators succeed in their plot; Vesta’s “virgins” are blamed for the crop failure, and are summarily rounded up…some of them, like Corissa, while in bed with their lovers! So much for the “virgin” tags. Corissa pays the ultimate price, whipped for real and then friggin’ buried alive outside the Hearth of Vesta, all so as to appease the goddess. From here we jump to an arbitrary, WTF-finale in which Poppaea, a very minor recurring character who is not to be confused with the former empress, picks up some dude on the street and decides he’ll be her new plaything in bed.

And that, my friends, is the unsteady note on which Slaves Of The Empire comes to a close, leading me to believe that Frances likely had more installments in mind and the series was just cancelled – and he wasn’t asked to write a concluding installment when the books were brought over to the US a few years after they’d been published in the UK. I have to say though I’m glad to be done with the books – the best thing about them is the awesome cover art by Boris Valejo on these US editions. If only the actual novels were up to that caliber!

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Slaves Of The Empire #4: Gracus The Centurion


Slaves Of The Empire #4: Gracus The Centurion, by Dael Forest
August, 1978  Ballantine Books

I wouldn’t recommend taking a long break between volumes of Slaves Of The Empire, like I did; it’s been years now since I read the previous volume, so I was a bit out of sorts while reading this one. As ever, Stephen “Dael Forest” Frances cares little about catching readers up on what came before; there is zero in the way of synopses of previous books, nor are recurring characters even introduced or described. As I’ve mentioned before, it seems clear that Frances wrote the five volumes of this series as one long book.

It must be said, though, that Frances’s rather large cast of characters is pretty memorable – there’s architect Hadrian, designing the new city of Trebula, with his love-conquered slave Haesel; Saelig, brother of Haesel, a freed slave who provides a sort of shelter for other slaves; Brotan, slave-farm owner who found happiness in slavery (the theme of the series); Thane, artistically-gifted brother of Haesel who now works for Hadrian; Mertice, dull-witted sister of Haesel, once owned by foppish athlete Alexander and now owned by tomboy Melanos; and seldom-seen Redbeard, Haesel’s other brother, yet another freedman who has become a successful businessman. And that’s just the “main” characters.

Gradually all of these characters are converging on Trebula, which seems to be Frances’s theme – that, and the aforementioned “happiness in slavery” angle. For again and again these characters thrust themselves into positions of slavery, whether willingly or not, and find happiness under the yoke. But they’re all headed for Trebula; Hadrian is already there, currently engaged in pleasing Valle, a wealthy matron whose husband could really help out Trebula or somesuch. Honestly this is one subplot I’d forgotten, but long story short Hadrian basically has to treat Valle, who lives with him, as a VIP and have lots of sex with her.

The only problem is, Valle is kind of old but refuses to accept it. We’ll be informed of salacious stuff like, “the halos and nipples of [Valle’s] breasts were painted ultramarine blue,” and then Frances will buzzkill it with the mention of the “lifeless sagging of her breasts.” Meanwhile Haesel, who we’ll recall was once a proud young gal who refused to bend her neck to the yoke of slavery, encourages Hadrian to screw Valle a bunch for the good of Trebula, and “happily” tells him stuff like, “I am my master’s slave and obey his orders.” Again – happiness in slavery.

Another recurring theme is how Frances adds more characters to an already-unwieldy pile of them. Last time it was Brotan, this time it’s Gracus, a 40 year-old centurion currently warfaring in Dacia (modern Romania, a helpful footnote informs us). Gracus, ugly as sin and a centurion thanks more to his stolid service record than any intelligence, is winding up his military career. He plans to retire to Rome and live with his brother Flacus, who is married to young Julia; along with their parents, they run a metal shop. Gracus picks up a female Dacian slave, a not attractive one with a long, very long neck, and gawky underfed limbs. He treats her miserably and guess what…she comes to love him, and vice versa.

Meanwhile as for Flacus and Julia – more new characters. Julia opens the novel; having recently lost her three-month old child, she now turns her still-swollen breasts to none other than Alexander, who suckles her in exchange for lots of money. It’s the new “in” thing among the wealthy althletes of Rome – suckling mother’s milk(!). Indeed Alexander later tells arch-enemy/lust-object Melanos, who had a child last volume, that she too should rent out her boobs (“I have always adored your breasts, Melanos.”), but this of course just elicits more verbal sparring between the two.

In fact the Alexander-Melanos stuff is probably the highlight of Gracus The Centurion. It sure isn’t the stuff with Gracus, whose sections are ponderous and too reminiscent of similar “happiness in slavery” routines from previous volumes. But Frances isn’t done; there’s an entire arbitrary part that goes on and on about various female slaves who have been put to use on Brotan’s breeding farm and are now being returned to their old masters in Rome. Ruined, haggard women all, their bodies beaten down by multiple births and miscarriages. Many of them just long for death, which leads to some poignant passages, where previously-wrathful owners, who sent these poor women to Brotan’s farm in the first place, start to feel pity and mercy for their returned slaves.

Speaking of Brotan, when we briefly hook up with the dude he’s had his pal Brotan, from the first volume, make him a slave collar, which Brotan happily straps across his neck for his mistress’s pleasure! All it needs is to have “Fido” on it. Meanwhile we have interminable scenes of Gracus and his Dacian slave making their way to Rome, even stopping off on Brotan’s farm, where another interminable, arbitrary scene has farm doctor Malen trying unsuccessfully to buy the Dacian girl, who is named Nitka.

Frances’s prose still has that clinical feel, indeed to the point that a sort of torpor settles over the book. Even parts that should be thrilling, like Hadrian and Thane hunting a loose lion in Trebula, or Alexander wrestling “a tall, coal-black Negro,” come off more so as ponderous. Frances as ever better excels at the bizarre stuff, like Brotan’s “owner” Vanus whipping him and making Brotan her “serving girl” for dinner, down to dressing Brotan like a fetching female slave. And the stuff with grown men suckling breastmilk is so prevalent in the novel that you have to wonder what the hell was going on in the author’s head.

Gracus The Centurion ends on a cliffhanger, unfortunately; finally tired of Melanos’s taunting barbs, Alexander plans to steal Mertice from her as a “joke.” Meanwhile everyone’s on their way to Trebula, so my assumption is the next installment, which was the last volume of the series, will see everything wrap up in that newly-built city. I’ll try to get to it a lot sooner than I did this one.