Hello everyone! Welcome to Nox Reads, I’m Nox, and today’s post is a spotlight for B.K. Greenwood’s The Last Roman series!
Breakeven Books and B.K. Greenwood were kind enough to provide me with an excerpt from the first book, Exile!
~~ E X C E R P T ~~
Marcus moved along the faltering line and soon encountered the largest man he had ever
seen, hacking his way through the thinning ranks. A legionnaire tried to bar his path, but the ogre
swung his massive blade, catching the soldier just below his jaw. A crimson arc of blood sprayed
from the fatal wound, much of it splattering across Marcus’ face and chest. Behind the giant,
more barbarians advanced to exploit the breach.
Marcus grabbed the shield of a fallen soldier and rushed the behemoth, who welcomed
the attack with a vicious blow. The force drove Marcus to one knee and nearly knocked him
unconscious. Marcus raised the shield to protect his head and shoulders and thrust his sword
upward. The point struck metal, so he shoved it harder until he felt the blade dig into the soft
underside of a trunk-like arm. Marcus could hear the giant’s howl above the din of the battle and
knew that retribution was near. Another thunderous blast crashed into the shield, the metal and
banded leather splintering from the attack. The next blow would rip Marcus asunder.
Desperate, Marcus hastily covered his head with the remains of his ruined shield. He
mustered all his strength and drove forward into the beast. The shield thudded against his waist,
eliciting an angry grunt. Marcus reached around the barbarian’s leg with the blade of his sword,
finding the naked thigh. Thought never meant as a weapon for slashing, the edge of his sword
was still razor-sharp. He drew it across the giant’s hamstring, cutting through flesh and sinew as
Marcus pushed forward. The Suebi screamed in agony as the two men crumpled to the ground.
The barbarian smashed the hilt of his sword into Marcus’s head, knocking off his helmet. The
world spun as Marcus stood and staggered away. Blood flowed down his face, blurring his
vision. His opponent, writhing in pain, screamed at him.
Marcus heard several men shout, “The giant is down!”
A loud cheer erupted from the Romans, but that only encouraged the other barbarians.
Marcus raised his sword in time to block another attack, but the force knocked him to the
ground. The barbarian raised his sword to strike a death blow when Gaius appeared out of
nowhere and ran him through. With great effort, Marcus regained his footing, lumbering forward
to rejoin the melee. He lost his balance again and had to lean on his sword to keep from falling.
As he stood watching the raging battle, a sharp pain shot through his side.
He looked down and saw the blade of the stricken giant sliding beneath his armor. The
barbarian was sitting on his haunches, trying to stab him again. Marcus summoned his remaining
strength and, swinging for the neck, felt the cold steel bite into flesh, then bone. A low gurgle
escaped the laceration as the colossal body slumped forward, and the barbarian’s head fell to the
ground.
Marcus dropped the sword, trying in vain to reach his wound and stem the flow of blood.
His breath grew labored, and he coughed, a coppery trace spilling into his mouth. Marcus slipped
to the ground, his gaze fixed on the gray, sunless sky.
Moments later, Gaius knelt beside him. He tried to undo the bloody clasp of his armor,
but Marcus pushed his hand away. Their eyes met.
“The men did good,” Marcus said.
“Yes, they did.”
Marcus continued, but it was inaudible.
Gaius leaned over, and Marcus whispered, “Tell my wife—” He coughed up specks of
blood onto Gaius’s soiled cheek. “I’m so sorry…” Marcus swallowed back the warm fluid rising
in his throat, “sorry I left her.”
“I will,” he promised. “I will tell her myself.”
Marcus nodded as a white horse arrived, the rider dismounting. Somewhere in the
distance, he could hear the general’s voice.
“Gaius?”
The old centurion did not reply, but the answer was written on his troubled face. Quintus
knelt to the ground.
“Marcus, your actions have saved the day. I plan on submitting your name to the
Senate…”
Quintus paused when their eyes met, then shifted to the pool of blood gathering around
them. Marcus looked beyond him to the sky above as the general spoke of honor rolls and
victory marches. There was a shimmer in the cloud that resembled a bird. He tried to focus on
the form as it grew closer, but he could not keep his eyes open. As he slipped into the darkness,
he thought of his wife and the fact that he would never see her again.
~~ A U T H O R I N F O ~~
B.K. Greenwood lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and wolfpack of 4 rescue dogs. He loves to travel and has incorporated his experiences into his writing. B.K. enjoys works of fiction and nonfiction, with a heavy emphasis on history, adventure, and classics. His passion for history is on display in his debut novel, The Last Roman: Exile.
Once again, thank you to Breakeven Books and the author for sharing the excerpt with me! Make sure to check out the others on the tour down below, and I’ll see you all next week!
Love,
Nox
Feb 21st – Jeremy – Youtube
Feb 22nd – Kathryn – Blog
Feb 23rd – @Alarareads – Goodreads/Instagram
Feb 23rd – Kerry – Blog
Feb 24th – Nox (me!)
Feb 24th – Sharon – Blog
Feb 25th – Josh – Blog
Feb 26th – MK Books – Youtube
Nox Reads 