Severus: The Black Caesar cover art

Severus: The Black Caesar

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £15.10

Buy Now for £15.10

About this listen

Severus follows the amazing true story of a rebellious boy who grew up in an African province and became the first Black Caesar of the Roman Empire, the head of a dynasty that would lead Rome through bloody civil wars and rapidly changing times. As a young man, Severus hates the Romans and conspires to humiliate them. What begins as a childish prank unfurls into a bloodbath that sends Severus careening into his future. Through a tragic love affair, dangerously close battles and threats both internal and external, Severus accrues power - and enemies - in his unlikely rise to become the most powerful man in the ancient world.

©2019 Steve Exeter (P)2020 Steve Exeter Fiction Historical Fiction World Literature
All stars
Most relevant
I have read a lot of Roman books, and this is the 1st on this topic. I think it was a good and interesting story, although I think there was an opportunity to go into more detail, as it seemed to jump around a bit, and there were some important parts to the book that more time could have been allowed for, but overall I enjoyed the story. The narrator for me did not seem to fit with the book, so that would be my only real negative.

I was given a free review copy at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Good Story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
How apt for black history month.
thank you for this book. I enjoyed listening to it

excellent writing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
How do they miss these important milestones when talking about Rome? It never ceases to amaze me the amount of African history that is hidden in plane sight.

Choose this book, you will not be disappointed.

Must read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Listener received this title free

This reader has a great fondness for all things Roman, so was delighted to find a novel about Serverus, the black Caesar of the later second centuary, an era more frequently overlooked by novelists. Unfortunately, the narration by Ifeyinwa Unachukwa was dreadful: although her voice was pleasant, it was hard to listen to it, being too slow and jerky, rather than a smooth delivery. Speeding the play back to 1.25 helped, but did not solve, the problem. Some pronunciations were unusual, as in 'Gau-us' rather than the more frequently used 'Gye-us', and, although her intonation was good, she seemed to have no involvement with the text, and there was no attempt at individual character voicing.

The failure of the narration to hold this reader's attention could certainly have been mitigated had the written test itself been of high standard. Sadly, it was not, reading, as another reviewer has already suggested, more like the script for a film than a novel, with directions such as, "General Protinax sits alone" and, " The Praetorian guard escorts him out". Overall, the story of the life and rise of Lucius Septimus Severus Pertinax from younger son of an aristocratic Punic family in one of the richest parts of the Roman Empire to Emperor of that Empire from 193 to 211, is simplified and made bland despite the inherent drama of the realities.

My thanks to the rights holder of Severus, the Black Caesar, who, at my request freely gifted me with a complimentary copy via Audiobook Boom. The underlying story is a fascinating one and would certainly make an excellent and exciting film. As a n audiobook, however, it is not so good: better to read a print version

"Emperors are now chosen by blood."

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Listener received this title free

As a person that doesn’t know or remember much about Roman History I found this book to be quite interesting. When you learn about Roman history in school they do not touch bases (or at least they didn’t in my time) about African Culture being included the way this book depicted. Learning that there was a “Black Caesar” was mind blowing to me. I personally believe that everyone should learn the history of Severus. Although i appreciate the history taught in this book, i feel like the narration should have been more intense and dramatic. I felt like the tone was too calm for the time these events took place. I definitely did enjoy it and would recommend it to others.

Interesting,

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews