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Reviewed by Gaius Konstantine for Readers' Favorite
"Quintili Vare, legiones redde!" Unfortunately for Augustus, his legions never returned, having been annihilated at Teutoburg Forest. Prince of Death by Leah Moyes is an account of the man responsible for handing the Roman empire a crushing defeat and stopping its expansion at the Rhine. Arminius, also known as Herman the German, was the ten-year-old son of the Cherusci chief. His happy life centered around his friend and crush, Thusnelda, a spirited young girl. One day, this life was gone forever, and Arminius found himself a hostage of Rome far away from his home. Being a chieftain meant that he was spared slavery and instead was taught Latin and enrolled in the School of Princes, where he would learn to serve the Empire as a cavalry commander. But Arminius had a void in his heart, and it wasn't for Rome; it was for Thusnelda and Germany. Now, the Romans are about to realize the cost of their empire, and only Roman blood can pay the price.
This book rocks! At first, I almost didn't read Prince of Death: An Arminius Novel because the title didn't seem very interesting. However, I quickly realized that the saying 'never judge a book by its cover' is true. Overall, it was a very pleasant surprise. Leah Moyes describes this book as a work of fiction, but I'm not sure I agree. It seems more of a romanticized retelling of a true story. The plot is rooted in truth. Arminius was taken from his tribe and raised in Rome. At some point in life, he decided he wasn't having any of it and refused to give up his heritage or love. Yes, he did marry Thusnelda for real, while her father was a traitorous rat who tried to betray him. This book is not only historically accurate, but it is also exceptionally well-written with absorbing characters and could easily be made into a movie. It's a reminder to anyone of German heritage that their people also had a significant battle akin to Marathon for the Greeks, which, if lost, would have had devastating consequences for Germanic culture. For everyone else, it's a thrilling and immersive story filled with adventure, love, and camaraderie.
