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The Phoenix Circle Book Review
Final Years of the Roman Empire

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Boris Raymond's book, The Phoenix Circle, is historical fiction taking place during the final years of the Roman Empire. Although it's fiction, the book is based on fact and I learned a lot by reading it. One can easily envision the events in the book being true.

In The Phoenix Circle, Dr. Raymond chronicles the years 448 through 476, illustrating how the greed for power led to the Roman Empire's decline. This period of Rome's history is often overlooked in literature so this was a very interesting and unusual story.

Characters weave in and out of the story, disappearing and re-appearing adding to the interest. The book has politics, battle, and romance. There's a sense of foreboding as the reader feels the tension mount and the end draw near. My only criticism would be the lack of a map as it was sometimes difficult to envision where the story was taking place. However there is a useful table in the back explaining place names and listing emperors.

Just after reading The Phoenix Circle, I visited Ravenna, the city that was the eastern seat of the Roman Empire. I was amazed at how much reading the book prepared me for my visit. I appreciated the mosaics and monuments of Ravenna more having read the book.

Although the book is long, it's engaging and fast-moving enough to hold the reader's interest. If you enjoy historical fiction or ancient Rome, this is a good book for you.