Immortal

A Novel of Belisarius (The Last of the Romans, Book 2)

By: William Havelock

Narrated by: Zach Hoffman

Length: 16 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

The eastern provinces burn, and few dare to save them.

Suffering invasions, riots, and hunger, the decaying Roman Empire staggers against its most ancient enemy—Persia. Undefeated in over a century, the Shahanshah’s vast armies cross the Tigris, hungry to reclaim lands that once had been the jewel of their heritage. Driving Persia’s invasion are the vaunted Immortals, an elite band of Persian warriors unmatched in prowess.

Set against the invading forces are the undermanned and ill-equipped forces of Flavius Belisarius. Reeling from a pyrrhic triumph in Tauris, the Roman armies draw upon barbarian tribes and untested recruits to defend the Empire’s rich Mesopotamian provinces. Ordered to join them is Varus, a young Herulian freedman with little more than broken armor, an oathbound servant, and a mysterious connection to the Imperial Palace.

Though defeat is inevitable, the Emperor insists upon one course of action—cede not a grain of Roman territory, no matter the cost in lives or gold. Wary but loyal, Belisarius’ patchwork forces fight their way to Dara, a distant fortress-city along the Empire’s borders. Yet Persia’s commanders also have their designs upon Dara, and are eager to finally vanquish their hated Roman enemies. For Belisarius and Varus, resisting the Persian assault is not only a matter of personal survival, but shall determine the very fate of a dying Roman world.

©2021 William Havelock (P)2022 William Havelock

Fantastic series

"The first blessing is peace, as is agreed by all men who have even a small share of reason....The best general, therefore, is that one which is able to bring about peace from war."
Belisarius

The legend of Belisarius comes alive.

Book 1 was something of an origin story, but Book 2 (Immortal) is where Belisarius as a historical figure really comes alive. Immortal is full of life and tragedy.

Havelock’s biggest strength is his treatment of battle. Nothing is glossed over or given a Hollywood beautification. Instead, there’s a struggle to stay alive, maneuver in sweeping battlefields, and deal with the carnage that unfolds. Dara is a massive battle, and Havelock does it justice. The narrator is a perfect fit as well, and I’m happy to see that he continued from book 1.

Immortal sets up a sequel well. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Exquisite

Just hit play. You will be captured and submersed into another world with surprises at every turn. Must listen.

Excellent battle story

The reader was excellent and what a story of Roman character, through enormous obstacles. How can one describe a battle of this size.

A great book in a great series

This was a phenomenal series. The narrator is second to none. I look eagerly forward to the next books to come from this author.

Incredible sequel, cant wait for the next one.

The audio for the battle of dara was incredible, this is a must-listen. It felt like I was listening to a movie, and I’m really looking forward to the next books and audiobooks to discover Varus’s true identity. Overall, the sequencing and narration of this audio was incredible.

Excellent!

The writing and storyline of this book is fantastic and the narrator’s voice and reading style fits absolutely perfect. Look foreword to more!

Amazing Second Book

I really enjoyed the first book. The second book is even better! If you haven't tried this series yet and you like historical fiction, then you should get to it!