This was a really good read, fast paced, well written, it had me gripped from very early on and kept me up reading late into the night as I was so eager to find out how it would all pan out. Harry Sidebottom writes tension and suspense very well. He uses powerful descriptive language too which allowed me feel like I was right in the centre with Marcus Clodius Ballista as he raced against time to save the world's leader. It was non stop, a thoroughly enjoyable ride. I'll be seeking out more from Harry Sidebottom in the future.

A truly diabolical premise with tension crackling off every page. A must-read for all who enjoy intelligently-written stories with great characterizations, and who enjoy surprise twists at every turn. A great addition to this genre, and highly recommended. I'll be reading more from this author!

*My sincerest thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reviewing an ARC at no charge.*

Set in Rome at the time of Emperor Gallienus, this is a fast moving, action packed book. Ballista having heard of a plot to assassinate the Emperor, must reach Gallienus to warn him despite being hunted by several groups of Roman security. The book does revolve around one fight after another, but I did get hooked. It is not the first book in the series but that did not spoil the enjoyment.

A thriller set in ancient Rome, following Ballista and his quest to save the emperor. It was an exciting and quick paced. I have not read any of the other books in the series and I am not familiar with the historical events that inspired this story, but I can say that it was entertaining and fun.

24 hours of Rome’s Jack Bauer to save the Emperor

Marcus Clodius Ballista was the German soldier, returning from his posting in Africa. He spoke in fluent Latin while living in Rome for many years in his youth. On the last day of March, Ballista got the word of the plot to assassinate his friend, the Emperor of Rome, from the dying man with a wound on his stomach. He told Ballista that the Emperor would be killed at sunset the next day (1st April) when he leaves the Colosseum. Ballista had twenty-four hours to save him against the City Watch.

The City Watch was similar to the fire department, paramedics and police. They were the guards who carried the weapons and buckets (for extinguishing the fire). The Prefect ordered the City Watch, Scarpio, to arrest Ballista before the words got to the Emperor. A few senators were fed up with the Emperor’s bad lifestyles affecting the population of Rome: orgies, parties and mistresses. If the Emperor were murdered, then Ballista’s family and a friend would be harmed or sold as the slaves.

Ballista was very bruised after his sword clashes with the guards as he ran and limped across the seven hills and River Tiber from the Mausoleum of Hadrian to the Colosseum against the water clock, the position of the sun and the hourglass.

This book kept me on the edge of my bed preventing me from sleeping! Ballista reminded me of Jack Bauer of 24. I love this book written by Harry Sidebottom who joins the rank of the other well-known author, Bernard Cornwell.

Caesar 13

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.

Thankyou to NetGalley, the publisher and Harry Sidebottom for the ARC of The Last Hour.
I did enjoy the story. I liked that it was rich in detail and it did keep my interest. A good novel for a lazy Sunday afternoon reading.

Full of action and moves along at a fast pace. Ballista has 24hrs to travel across Rome to prevent an assassination. Very detailed descriptions of Rome.

I'm sorry to say that, having read the book from cover to cover it just did not get under my skin as I expected it to. In fact, truth be told, I found it rather pedestrian.

I don’t know why this happens to me, but it seems to occur with much more frequency than in the past. I read a synopsis, fall for a book, then when I go to read it, the book is not what I expected. For whatever convoluted reason, I was expected The Last Hour to be a sort of homage to Colleen McCullough’s The First Man in Rome, a suspenseful, intricate mystery set in the streets of ancient Rome. What Harry Sidebottom delivered was something completely different.

If Marcus Clodius Ballista has a time-traveling doppelganger, it’s Jack Bauer. Sidebottom brought me back to those evenings of watching season one of 24 on the television. I felt the same anticipation, tension and fear that I did then. Our hero has to save the emperor at any cost and only has twenty-four hours to accomplish his goal. It demonstrates the author’s skill when they can keep this level of tension for an entire book.

This was my first adventure with Ballista. I understand that there are some older voyages and battles that I can still enjoy with him. The Last Hour still works well on its own. Ballista was a strong, captivating character. His charisma immediately pulled me to his side.

The Last Hour is a fun, fast-paced book. It was an excellent introduction to the writing of Harry Sidebottom. I love having these books in by back pocket from the Greco-Roman period, they offer up a complete change of pace.

*4 Stars

The Last Hour by Harry Sidebottom

Ballista runs for his life through the spiraling tunnels of Hadrian’s Mausoleum in the centre of Rome. As he climbs on to its roof top and stares down at the Tiber flowing many feet below him, his options are limited. The stakes, though, couldn’t be higher. At the last hour of daylight tomorrow, after a day of games and spectacle, the Emperor Gallienus will be murdered as he leaves the Colosseum. Ballista knew Gallienus when they were boys growing up together. He may be the only man allowed to get close enough to the emperor to save him. But before Ballista can save the emperor, he must first save himself.

It is the second half of the 3rd century AD. Gallienus is Emperor. The Empire is on the verge of being torn apart from within. And only one man stands in his way…. The Last Hour is a long awaited Ballista Warrior of Rome novel from the master Harry Sidebottom but it’s a Ballista book with a great deal of difference. This isn’t an adventure that sees Ballista fight for his life and those of his men in the empire’s most remote arenas of war – instead, he is placed in the heart of Rome and his high military rank is irrelevant. Ballista has just one task – to save the emperor, on his own, and to escape the conspirators who are intent on ensnaring Ballista in their trap.

The action takes place over just one day and it never lets up. This is a Roman thriller. There aren’t many of these and if an author can be trusted to do it right it’s Harry Sidebottom. The author brings an awful lot to it more than action and swordfights. As a lecturer in ancient history at the University of Oxford, Harry Sidebottom knows his stuff and he always makes sure that his novels are enriched by that knowledge and understanding, but at no expense to their pace and merit as works of fiction. I always learn things from a Harry Sidebottom novel and The Last Hour is no different.

Throughout we’re given little pieces about Roman history and society – whether it be about the place of slaves and women in that world, or its religion and philosophy, its gladiatorial games or arena punishments, or its streets, tenements, temples, villas and inns. This book provides a fantastic tour of Rome. We move right across the city and, despite the pace, we’re given time to take it all in. And we’re taken to places that are evoked so strongly we can almost smell their stench. There are also references to the previous Ballista novels – we meet people we’ve met before and that adds something rather special. But, on the whole, this is a novel in which Ballista must survive, endure and win on his own and its edge of seat stuff, it really is.

The best historical fiction entertains while also informing. The Last Hour succeeds in this perfectly, injecting so much accessible information and detail into a novel that is intensely exciting, all packed into a 24-hour period. Harry Sidebottom’s recent and superb Throne of the Caesars trilogy looked at a year that shook the Roman empire to its core. The Last Hour evokes ancient Rome in an entirely different way, focusing on just a few hours in such a narrow space, as it affects such a small group of people. And yet it informs every bit as much. Life in ancient Rome comes alive in The Last Hour and I loved every page of it.

Other reviews
Warrior of Rome I: Fire in the East
Iron and Rust: Throne of the Caesars I
Blood and Steel: Throne of the Caesars II
Fire and Sword: Throne of the Caesars III

If you like the film Gladiator and want a good action pack tale this is the one for you! The brand new novel from best selling author Harry Sidebottom introduces us to Marcus Clodius Ballista described as a "huge, pale barbarian from the north with long hair who speaks good Latin".
So here we have our hero, depending of course on your point of view about the character of certain Roman Emperors over the years. The story opens as Ballista is planning to meet an informer at the Mausoleum of Hadrian and then finds himself attacked after discovering a man stabbed. But the man has whispered something as he dies, that this is "..the last hour of daylight. They are going to kill the emperor when he leaves the Colessuem"
"Trying to get back and warn the Emperor as a loyal soldier Ballista comes across all sorts of trials. Rome may be a small city but the chapters see him negotiating bandits, whores and their pimps and those aligned with enemy Scarpio to try and assassinate the Emperor. Will he get there in time?
A detailed read but one which captures the flavour of Rome at the time. It's buildings and its people of all races and religions are described and you can feel yourself alongside Ballista making his way through the tunnels, along the Tiber river and through the state buildings to try and save the day.
Not an author I'm familiar with or a subject matter I'd naturally choose, but it was a fast paced, well written and interesting read.

I really enjoyed this fast paced,roller coaster story,set in 3rd century Rome. I haven't read any of the previous books,but this is a perfect stand alone novel,my only complaint when I started to read,was the sheer number of people and locations to commit to memory!!
Ballista has discovered a plot to assassinate the emperor, Gallienus,who was a close childhood friend. Ballista is an ex- Roman soldier,and hopes to use old friendships,in an attempt to prevent the killing.
However, Ballista,has the unfortunate knack of annoying the Gods and getting into trouble.
This story is told from the viewpoint of the little man,those who prepare meals,tend the market stalls,risk lives fishing and the slaves of Rome. The hard,austere life of the night soil collectors and the refuse sorters ,the gladiators in the colosseum and the barbaric practices involved in the arena. I have certainally learnt so much about this historical era,it is an absolute joy to immerse yourself in this book. Who knew that there were markets devoted to selling deformed slaves and that the wealthy citizens kept them as pets? The City Watch and the night watchmen,who kept the peace, there is such marvellous detail in this amazing book,it deserves to be recommended reading for schools. It is just perfect,so enjoyable, I loved it! I have posted this review to Goodreads today. Thank you for my ARC in return for my honest opinion .

Rarely does a book all-but leap off the shelf, batter me round the head and say ‘read me’, but the Last Hour was one such rarity. At first glance all I knew was that it was a thriller set in the later Roman empire about a man struggling to make his way through the city against unassailable odds to halt a plot. Sounded soooo good. And I love Sidebottom’s writing – his Ballista books are some of my favourites.

It was not until I actually opened the book, courtesy of Netgalley, that I realised this is for me absolutely the best of both worlds. This is all what I said above, but it is ALSO a Ballista book. This is a new Warrior of Rome novel, taking the whole series and its wonderful characters in a bold new direction, which I love.

It was interesting reading this after the other Warrior of Rome books, for gradually over the series Ballista has built up a familia of fascinating characters who have become almost as central to the plots as the hero himself. They are often set in quite a sweeping scale with epic fights and Cecil B. DeMille scenes. The cast of the Last Hour is seriously stripped back, focusing almost entirely upon Ballista himself, with walk-ons and mentions for everyone else. And it is all tightly-set. One man, in one city, in one day. The focus in terms of time and character is a new and very welcome thing.

With this whole novel set in a single day in Rome, Sidebottom gets to unleash every ounce of his considerable knowledge of the Roman world in a steady flow and in an incredibly engaging way. There is not a hint of ‘info dump’ here. Everything Sidebottom writes that will educate the reader is slipped seamlessly into the tale, and believe me, there’s a lot. I like to think I know the ancient city of Rome well. I’ve explored it endlessly in books and research and on foot with my camera. But even though I know the place well, still I get surprised by some of the revelations in this book.

Quite simply, this is a historical/political thriller that would sit well on a shelf alongside modern thrillers by Tom Clancy, Dan Brown, or Frederick Forsyth, but with an added dimension, in that it is also a cracking historical novel. As I said earlier: the best of both worlds. The book is out on the 8th of March. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

While The Last Hour is listed as the first in a new series, it is all actually still connected to Ballista and the previous books he’s been in. While one can easily read this novel without having read the series (like I did) I do think a fan of the earlier series would probably enjoy it more, as I likely missed a lot of references and details. Not to mention I didn’t get to see Ballista’s character develop to the point he is at now, which is a shame, really.
I’m sure that by not reading the previous trilogy I’ve missed a lot of the finesse and backstory that goes with Ballista’s character. I regret that. Nowhere in the description of the novel did it indicate that this was branching off of another series; a fact I went back and double checked. Had I been aware of the other series, I likely would have taken the time to read them first. In theory I would have had a lot more context for the world around, as well as previous plots and character development.
Despite all of this, I actually really enjoyed Ballista’s character. He’s devoted and determined and stubborn as heck, and I loved that. It actually really makes me wish I had read the earlier novels first (I’m sort of picturing the latest James Bond movies for that – where he’s younger and is still gaining the skill set he’s so famous for).
From what I’ve learned about Ballista, he’s a barbarian (in the most romanticized fashion, of course) that’s been forced to take up sword and shield for Rome. There’s a lot more to it than that, I’m sure. For example, while it’s clear that he didn’t choose to be in Rome, he still made some friends and acquaintances during his stay. I should have liked to learn more about how that all came out, which means I’m going to have to add a certain trilogy to my reading list (the horror).
I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, but I really enjoyed the break from my more typical choices. Harry Sidebottom is an excellent writer – I greatly enjoyed his writing style and tone of voice. Along with being descriptive (but not overly so, thank goodness), Sidebottom does an excellent job of pacing. The whole story starts out with an action scene full of danger, immediately griping the reader, and it continues to wax and wane and overall keep the pace steady.

Expect Liam Neilson to be cast in the movie if it gets optioned. Perfectly solid chase thriller. Lots of interesting detail about Roman life lift it up.

The book is fast paced, at times resembling a historical Jason Bourne adventure. The character of Ballista, the Barbarian hero, is quite a complex one with slightly misplaced ethics, fierce loyalty to family and friends. Also a sometimes reluctant killer who will nevertheless kill innocents if his mission is compromised.

An intriguing insight into the inner hidden workings of ancient Rome. Rarely are there books written about the everyday mundane life of Roman slaves, barkeepers, weird sects and other strange and fascinating occupations. Sidebottom highlights that Rome must have been a horrendous place to live and survive if you were not in the upper echelons of society. Even the privileged members of the hedonistic ruling classes were portrayed as always living in fear of plots and violent death.

The author hints at previous episodes in the life of Ballista, which I assume are in earlier Sidebottom novels.. I have every intention of reading all of the books in chronological order to gain a deeper insight into this fascinating character.

Only when opening this page to add my review, I discovered this book is one of a series. I couldn't tell while reading the book, which is good. The author did not give too much information about the main character nor it was unreadable because I knew nothing about his past (the main character that is, not the author).
Well, I hope I made myself clear ;-)

I love reading about the history of Rome and I also love reading fiction that is set in Rome. Having just finished watching AD on Netflix (great series) I was just in the mood for The Last Hour. I was not disappointed. The story flows like the Tiber, full of twists and turns and interesting developments. Sometimes a bit confusing because of the many, many people our hero meets during his travels and the many, many people he already met in his life, so there are a lot of names of which I was not always sure whether to remember them or not.
But all in all it was nice to read a story where the author can rely on his own extensive knowledge. You can feel he puts his heart in writing this series.

Thanks NetGalley for sending me the ARC.

A plot is a foot to kill the Emperor but it's not Sherlock it's back in the Roman Era close to 2000 years ago, and Ballista is a Barbarian and the Emperor a former school friend. Having been in the Roman army and out of loyalty to his old friend and the love of his family Ballista has less than a day to save Gallienus the Emperor. The plot is set to be executed at the Colosseum after a days entertainment which is the usual mix of executions, fights till the death and the odd animal eating various people.
There is a race against time against various foes, unexpected obstacles normally armed plus tall buildings. This is a true Roman hero battling the odds and nail biting suspense that had me gripped through out a great page turner that can rob you of sleep, but i felt it well worth the effort and wasn't disappointed.
I have been given a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review

While it is not made clear on the blurb, I don’t think it will do the novel any harm if fans understand that this is a Ballista novel.

So what do we have? Ballista is back in Rome and discovers a plot against the emperor. Right from the start of this fast-moving, action-packed thriller, Ballista is attempting to get to the emperor and warn him of the plot, while the plotters, which include some of Rome’s most powerful men, do their very best to stop him. Does he succeed? Is Gallienus assassinated? The author has some fun here keeping the suspense going. Be warned: a visit to Wikipedia may help – or may not!

As I was reading, another thought kept occurring to me. How might a Classical scholar today reach a large audience to teach his readers about life, social status, urban dangers, as well as the buildings and topography of the city of Rome in the Third Century? Answer: write a Ballista novel which covers almost every part of ancient Rome, includes almost every famous and not so famous building and discusses life in almost every social class – and disguises it as a bloody and thrilling adventure story.

Now, there’s an idea!

I have read Harry Sidebottom novels before, but found this rather pale by comparison to previous experience. The problem is that you can be sure of the ending from the first chapter, so after that it becomes no more than a detailed description of a man on the run who repeatedly gets himself out of sticky situations with courage and violence. A little bit of Deus Ex Machina going on here too, I think, which is very classical but not very imaginative.

The lack of surprise is a bit disappointing.