Review of "The Last Roman"

• Title:  "The Last Roman (Praetorian Series - Book One)"
• Author:  Edward Crichton
• Finished:  March 7, 2013
• Synopsis:  An elite commando unit commissioned by the Pope during World War III is sent to take out a terrorist leader. In the process of capturing the leader, the unit comes into possession of a blue sphere which eventually transports them (with their modern weaponary) back to the Roman Empire during the reign of Caligula. Caligula, Claudius, and Aggripina all make it into this adventure/fantasy tale that attempts to use the odd blue sphere as the explanation for the madness of Roman Emperors.
• Impression of the book:  This book was entertaining and fairly fast-paced. This indie author could use a 2nd or 3rd edit through the middle portion of the book, but the editing issue really didn't prevent me from staying connected to the story. This was a "shot in the dark" free book on Smashwords that I surprisingly enjoyed. 
• Star Rating (Out of 5)
• 3.5 Stars

As I mentioned, this was a free download from Smashwords that is an attempt by the author to prove his writing skills. It is a full length novel that provides the reader with opportunity to figure out whether or not to pay for the next installment in this series or his other books. My recommendation on this book is to give it a shot if you like science fiction and/or historical fiction. The Last Roman is a clever mix of both.

*****

My recent experience with self-publishing a book has given me a new respect for the many authors out there trying to make it without the backing of a big publishing house. I believe that indie authors will lead the digital publishing era because of the control that route takes. Because of this, I have started sampling the free works available on Smashwords. As I complete them, I am making economic decisions about whether or not the author has earned my dollars with their effort. If they do, I intend to purchase their other books. You will be able to find my recommendations on "Russ's Smashwords Bookshelf" as I write reviews.

As of this post, I realize that I well behind on providing some of the reviews on my new bookshelf. I encourage you to surf on over to Smashwords and find the next best selling author. There are some really good story-tellers publishing there now.