Subject: Review: The Centurion's Empire, Sean McMullen

From: "Aaron M. Renn" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 15:14:12 -0500

The Centurion's Empire by Sean McMullen
	Review Copyright (c) 1999 Aaron M. Renn

Conclusion:  Worth Reading

This is one of those "the way the past really happened" books that follows
the life of Vitellan Bavalius from the days of the Roman Empire to the
21st century.  Before the birth of Christ, a man discovered a potion that
would allow a perons to be safely frozen and revived.  He founded a secret
society that controlled the Roman Empire from behind the scenes.  These
"Temporians" slept frozen for years at a time to be revived only when
needed in times of crisis.  Vitellan never became a member of this group,
but obtains some of the potion, enabling him to be frozen.

In fact, our friend Vitellan gets frozen and revived several times: in
early Dark Ages England, during the Hundred Year's War, and finally in the
mid-21st century.  I personally found the historical episodes more
interesting than the generic near future setting at the end of the book.
Neither particularly overwhelmed me though.  The book was fast paced and
kept my interest, but I'm fairly sure I'll never be tempted to pick it up
and read it again.

%A McMullen, Sean
%T The Centurion's Empire
%I Tor
%D 1998-07 (original publication date)
%G ISBN 0-812-56475-8
%P 363 pp.
%O mass market paperback, US$6.99 C$8.99

-- 
Aaron M. Renn ([email-masked]) http://www.urbanophile.com/arenn/