FIRE ON THE FRONTIER

Kunkel’s work of historical fiction centers on the Roman Empire’s relationship with Germania.

Marcus Numitor is a young man in the Roman legionnaires. He’s always been told that his parents were slaughtered by Germanic barbarians, which motivates him to fight for Rome on the empire’s frontier. Early on, he’s stationed in the port city of Ostia, performing such tasks as maintaining security at gladiatorial games. Few things seem to excite the citizenry more than watching gladiators fight wild animals, or one another. A woman who participates in the games goes by the moniker Maxima, although her real name is Helena; she’s been a gladiator for four years and uses the job as a way to vent her rage over her difficult past. Her fellow gladiator women often have similarly troubled life stories. Helena and Marcus meet and quickly hit it off. Naturally, though, their occupations complicate their relationship, as does Helena’s horrible family, and the chance that Marcus could be called up for combat duty at any time. However, they understand each other deeply. Meanwhile, a centurion named Rakan is investigating a series of murders in Ostia; he comes to believe that the victims were worthy of such punishment, but he’s committed to stopping the killing nonetheless. Rakan even meets with Emperor Augustus to discuss the situation; Augustus, though, has bigger problems, as he wants to see Germania become a “well-behaved province like all the others.” His resolve will result in a bloody battle in Teutoburg Forest in which Marcus sees action.

Kunkel looks at familiar aspects of ancient Rome from some unexpected angles. For instance, professional gladiators like Helena didn’t kill one another; they’d end the lives of animals and criminals, but not fellow professionals—at least, not intentionally. After all, gladiators were an investment requiring “Extensive training, excellent medical care, [and] the finest in supplies.” The book also takes a close look at Rome’s relationship with barbarian peoples. Some cultures could be friendly and seek to “trade and to get their hands on some nice Roman products”; others were less willing to make peace. In other areas, the narrative goes after more obvious fare. The subplot of Rakan’s search for a killer isn’t the most compelling mystery; many readers will guess the solution early on. Also, the dialogue tends to be rather bland and expositional for a world that’s swarming with violence, as when Helena explains a move to a fellow gladiator: “I use my sword to slice through the net along the lines. The regular thickness of the net would be a problem even with a sharpened blade. But with those areas weakened, I should easily be able to cut through them, jump up and go after you.” Despite this, readers will come to understand the often gruesome world that the characters inhabit; for example, when Marcus must participate in a crucifixion, his discomfort is palatable; as he drives a nail into the first rebel, blood squirts in his face “as the flesh [gives] way.”

A nuanced story of conflicts in the Roman Empire.