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The Four Emperors (Colossus) Paperback – September 29, 2018

by David Blixt (Author)

4.3 113 ratings

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"Be prepared to burn the midnight oil. It's well worth it." - Historical Novel Society

Under Emperor Nero's rule, Rome is a dangerous place. His cruel, artistic whims border on madness, and anyone who dares rise too high has their wings clipped with fatal results.

For one family, this means either promotion or destruction. While his uncle Vespasian goes off to put down a rebellion in Judea, Titus Flavius Sabinus struggles to walk the perilous line between success and notoriety as he climbs Rome's ladder.

When Nero is impaled on his own artistry, the whole world is thrown into chaos, and Sabinus must navigate shifting allegiances and murderous alliances as his family tries to survive the year of the Four Emperors.

Praise for The Four Emperors:

★★★★★"David Blixt makes the tragic tale of the conflict between ancient Rome and ancient Judea come vividly to life." - Robin Levin, author of The Death Of Carthage

★★★★★"Sharp period detail and beautifully realized characters." - Publishers Weekly

★★★★★"Intricate plotting, well-staged scenes and colorful descriptions." - Kirkus Reviews

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (September 29, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 487 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1724148109
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1724148100
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.57 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.22 x 8.5 inches

Customer Reviews:
4.3 113 ratings

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David Blixt

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"New readers, beware! Once you start reading one of David's books, real life comes to a screeching halt until you finish it." - Sharon Kay Penman

Repeated Editor's Choice from the Historical Novel Society (VOICE OF THE FALCONER, FORTUNE'S FOOL, THE FOUR EMPERORS) and 2015 Finalist for the M.M. Bennetts Award for Historical Fiction (THE PRINCE'S DOOM).

Author David Blixt's work is consistently described as "intricate," "taut," and "breathtaking." A writer of Historical Fiction, his novels span the Roman Empire (the COLOSSUS series, his play EVE OF IDES) to early Renaissance Italy (the STAR-CROSS'D series) through the Elizabethan era (his delightful espionage comedy HER MAJESTY'S WILL, starring Will Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe as hapless spies) to the Victorian age with his series following daredevil journalist Nellie Bly. His novels combine a love of the theatre with a deep respect for the quirks and passions of history. As the Historical Novel Society said, "Be prepared to burn the midnight oil. It's well worth it."

David continues to write, act, and travel. He has ridden camels around the pyramids at Giza, been thrown out of the Vatican Museum and been blessed by John-Paul II, scaled the Roman ramp at Masada, crashed a hot-air balloon, leapt from cliffs on small Greek islands, dined with Counts and criminals, climbed to the top of Mount Sinai, and sat in the Prince's chair in Verona's palace. But David is happiest at his desk, weaving tales of brilliant people in dire and dramatic straits. Living in Chicago with his wife and two children, David describes himself as "actor, author, father, husband. In reverse order."

For more about David and his novels, visit www.davidblixt.com.

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4.3 out of 5

113 global ratings

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Robert Paterson

A Triumph

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2013

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Colossus: The Four Emperors in not a simple sequel to Stone and Steel - but is another layer. This is the first time I have come across this method and Blixt brings it off as a triumph. We do move through time to the final accession by Vespasian but we see events mainly through the eyes of a "cousin" in Rome. Blixt offers us a host of characters that all interplay so well together. There are those you love to hate, Domitian and Nero and those that you become very attached to, Sabinus and Tutus. He puts them into a pressure cooker that is the years 66 - 69.

All my intentions of going to bed at a reasonable time were thrown out the window in the last 100 pages and now I have to wait for him to write more. Please do.

3 people found this helpful

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s.sagaties

Very enjoyable if you have a little history background,.

Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2014

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sometimes hard to keep the charaters straight,but a very fun read.Loved the discription of Nero,makes one wonder who was civilized and who wasn't.

One person found this helpful

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Roberta

Wonderfully Engrossing Novel

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2013

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I have been waiting for this novel for what seemed like forever, I couldn't wait to start reading it, I read 40% of the book before I stopped, it is a fascinating story of the year of the 4 Roman Emperors, I did not know a lot about the history of Rome or of Italy until I started reading David's books, his writing is so wonderful, his story lines so engrossing you don't want it to end, and you want to know more about the history of that country and it's people,.
He has become one of my favorite historical fiction authors, There are others, but very few that capture my interest and imagination like he does.
If I could I'd give it 10 stars.

2 people found this helpful

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alam

Review from Closed the Cover

Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2013

I greatly enjoyed Blixt's first novel, Colossus: Stone and Steel which sets up this period of unrest in ancient Rome. Historically, Nero is known for his erratic behavior and fits of eccentricity. His whims famously bordered on madness and men who dared to chase ambition or challenge Nero would be put to death. It was a very dark, and unpredictable, time in ancient Rome.

In Colossus: The Four Emperors, one family finds that Nero precariously holds their future in his hands - promotion or destruction. Titus Flavius Sabinus is trying to climb into the Roman ranks of notoriety while his uncle is away at war but when Nero suddenly dies Sabinus' situation is more delicate than ever. He must now play a great political game as he tries to survive the roman year of the Four Emperors.

The same errors that affected book one (Colossus: Stone and Steel) were present here in book two (Colossus: The Four Emperors). There were typos and grammatical errors throughout the text but I will note that there are far fewer errors in Colossus: The Four Emperors and the story itself is so wrought with historical detail and rich descriptions that it hardly matters. Blixt's writing is so entrancing and compelling that I frequently found myself easily able to overlook them.

Roman history is richly intoxicating, especially in the year following the death of Nero. Blixt's research into the struggle and trials of Rome are evident and I appreciate his care in telling a proper story. The unrest and fear of the Roman citizens is clear and the political alliances and deceit are written carefully but accurately. It is truly a well-written novel. I enjoyed Colossus: Stone and Steel (book one) but enjoyed Colossus: The Four Emperors to a much greater degree. While they can easily be read independently of each other, a reader who is not familiar with the Roman / Judean war as well as the political and cultural strife that followed Rome in the years after the war may enjoy reading both books.

Review by Ashley LaMar
Closed the Cover

One person found this helpful

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Emily

Not my type of book

Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2014

The book was written fairly well, but the story was not one that engaged me. I do not like books that require a listing of characters with descriptions at the beginning or maps so that I can follow the story; this book had both.

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Karl Wong

Exciting book about the year of four emperors

Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2017

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The author has a firm grasp of the period in Roman history. From Nero to the four emperors vying to sit on the throne, the war in Judea as well as the war on the streets of Rome . It's a page turner and highly recommended by me.

2 people found this helpful

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Kathleen Ingram

COLOSSUS The Four Emperors ~ A trip to ancient Rome

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2013

David Blixt did a masterful job with word pictures of Rome and the Romans in a troubled period. I agreed to review this fine book for a blog tour although it is not my usual epoch to read. What a surprise and a delight to find characters who leapt off the page and engaged my imagination
See my blog [...]

3 people found this helpful

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John Galt

Very Enjoyable!

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2018

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As a fan of historical novels, especially those set in ancient Greece and Rome, this one is excellent. Well written with nicely developed characters and a glimpse into the time period. Highly recommended!

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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer

Historical fiction based on fact.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2023

Verified Purchase

The second part of a story I picked up on the off chance. The first part was exciting, this is better. I particularly liked the incidental details showing good research which makes the story more believable.

Kindle Customer

History alive

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2014

Verified Purchase

The story of four emperors told from the perspective of the individuals involved. The day to day life and their reliance on prophecy brings history to life