Echoes of Rome
Echoes of Rome is the first novel written by Christopher Banks and self-published through Booklocker.com, Inc.
By Aaron T. Huss
“Immortality ain’t all it’s cracked up to be…”
Overview
Echoes of Rome isn’t just a book that takes an interesting look at what it would be like to become immortal; it is a book that explores the decisions required throughout a life that never ceases to exist. How do you live from day to day? What happens when you connect with a mortal? And what happens when you become hunted? The answers to those questions are endless, but instead of just answering them, you are presented with an overarching story that explores them.
When you consider a group of ancient Romans becoming granted immortality and a storyline that resides within modern day, you have almost 2,000 years of background and history to understand. So throughout the overarching storyline taking place in modern times, vignettes are placed to focus upon bits and pieces of individual character’s past. The action and forward momentum of the overarching storyline is not broken in a way that makes you scream at the book for breaking your concentration; quite the opposite really. You are given glimpses into the past which help setup a particular character’s nature considering an emotional, mental, or even physical state. Instead of a simple introduction and description, the vignettes describe who the characters are.
One thing the book doesn’t do is answer all the questions you may have running through your head. Why were they granted immortality? Well, hopefully we’ll find out in book #2. For now, you will have to read and learn about who the characters are and how they live their lives, which is quite different from one to another. Do not think of these characters as simple supermen (and woman) who swoop down from the heavens to save the day and never worry about bullets flying through their chest, it is just not that simple. If it was that simple, then you would be reading a comic book and not a wonderfully written book that takes you through 2,000 years of history following a team of now immortals as they fight to survive and deal with a former friend who haunts them across the centuries.
The more these characters learn about their immortality the more they have to deal with the emotions involved. Without throwing out any spoilers, the characters grow as they become enlightened with their own possibilities. Should they choose the righteous path or the seemingly much easier one?
Translation
One major aspect for Echoes of Rome that role-players may find advantageous is how it can easily be translated to your tabletop. The storyline incorporates elements of fantasy in addition to the inherent modern action. These characters lived within a Roman Empire where the gods and goddesses were very real and properly channeling those beliefs produces fantastical results. This doesn’t translate to deadly sorcerers throwing around fireballs by simply thinking about it. Instead, one must concentrate fully and channel the correct deity to receive a brief ability that translates into various, fantastical effects. You may be blessed with quickness for a number of minutes or the ability to disappear into the shadows as long as you don’t move. It is not epic fantasy, but it does provide many ideas for translating fantasy into real life. Essentially, you are defining how magic is real in a world where it is not readily available.
The Roman pantheon is obviously the focus of these deities and how they can translate into those powers. That is just the magical elements and not the immortal elements. Immortality within Echoes of Rome is brutal. Bullets do not bounce of your chest and you cannot breathe in outer space. In fact, this form of immortality results in death and recovery. If one is shot several times, it may be days before they fully recover. This can easily translate into a game system or setting where you desire heroic characters that are essentially unstoppable but are not superheroes and vulnerable to the rules of the real world. Much of it boils down to that: you must follow the rules of the real world.
Ratings
Style: 8 out of 10
Echoes of Rome is written very simply, relegating the use of excessively colorful descriptions and metaphors that can result in a novel becoming bloated. It sticks to the storyline and does an excellent job of painting the picture. Additional detail could easily be added, but is often not necessary.
Storyline: 10 out of 10
The simple twists on the ideals of immortality are very favorable to the storyline. It prevents the characters from becoming superheroes or divine beings by making them vulnerable and forcing them to conform to the rules of the real world. Instead of an over-the-top plot, these vulnerabilities allow for mental and emotional characteristics to be added. Superheroes don’t need to worry about emotions because they’re superheroes. Real people need to constantly worry about them because it affects their entire life. In addition, I find the characters develop well within the storyline but enough questions are left open for subsequent publications.
