Scipio Rising (Scipio Africanus Saga Book 1) by Martin Tessmer

In Scipio Rising, the first book in the Scipio Africanus Saga, Martin Tessmer has done an expert job of weaving historical fact and narrative into a well-structured plot. The mirroring of Hannibal with Scipio works to weigh them both as military geniuses, bringing the forgotten Scipio to the historical stage that Hannibal has dominated for so long.

The novel is well-paced with carefully drawn characters, which gives the book the entertaining flow of fiction, rather than seeming like a dry retelling of historical events. The prose is clean and smart; Tessmer’s background as a former university professor shines through with authority.

The battle scenes can be confusing at times since the perspective switches from near to far – we see the battlefield as if from the sky and then lunge into the micro, which can be disorienting, though the battles are historically accurate. The vernacular of some dialogue is also confused in some places, as it swings back and forth from faux-Victorian, which can disconnect the reader from the time.

That said, the novel is still successful as a work of history, as well as fiction. Without realizing it, you learn of the battles and strategies, as well as the characters of the famous generals. Tessmer is particularly good at describing setting of these ancient cities and lands, giving this distant time a sense of immediacy.

Historical fiction can be especially difficult to pull off for such a distant time period. Tessmer has a keen balance of exposition and storytelling to make Scipio Rising a thoroughly entertaining read, and a solid first book in the series.