The Last Hour: '24' set in Ancient Rome

by Harry Sidebottom

'A ripping story...this transplanting of 24 to Ancient Rome is a great success' Telegraph

For readers of Bernard Cornwell, Ben Kane, Simon Scarrow and Conn Iggulden, this is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

A lone figure stands silhouetted atop the Mausoleum of Hadrian. Behind him, the sun is setting over the centre of the known world. Far below, the river is in full flood. The City of Rome lies spread out before him on the far bank.

Footsteps pound up the stairs. He's been set up. An enemy is closing in; he is cornered. He jumps.

Bruised and battered, he crawls out of the raging river. He is alone and unarmed, without money or friends, trapped in a deadly conspiracy at the heart of the Empire. The City Watch has orders to take him alive; other, more sinister, forces want him dead. As the day dies, he realises he has only 24 hours to expose the conspirators, and save the leader of the world. If the Emperor dies, chaos and violence will ensue. If the Emperor dies, every single person he loves will die.

He must run, bluff, hide and fight his way across the Seven Hills.

He must reach the Colosseum, and the Emperor.

He must make it to The Last Hour.


Praise for The Last Hour:

'Relentless, brutal, brilliant, this is Jack Reacher in ancient Rome' Ben Kane

'A cracking tale. More twists and turns than the Tiber itself' Rory Clements

'Cracking, page-turning stuff' James Swallow

'Grabbed me from the start. I loved it' Donna Leon


Praise for Harry Sidebottom:

'Makes you feel as though you are there' Bettany Hughes, The Times

'Harry Sidebottom's epic tale starts with a chilling assassination and goes on, and up, from there' Mary Beard

'An amazing story of bloodlust, ruthless ambition and revenge' Kate Saunders, The Times

'An extraordinarily vivid take on the ancient world. Think of The Killing crossed with Andy McNab crossed with Mary Beard, and you're there' David Sexton, Evening Standard

'Ancient Rome has long been a favourite ­destination for writers of historical military fiction. Much the best of them is Harry ­Sidebottom' Sunday Times

'Swashbuckling as well as bloody, yet curiously plausible ... a real gift for summoning up a sense of place' Times Literary Supplement

'The best sort of red-blooded historical fiction - solidly based on a profound understanding of what it meant to be alive in a particular time and place' Andrew Taylor

'Absorbing, rich in detail and brilliant' The Times

• ISBN10: 1785764217
• ISBN13: 9781785764219
• Publish Date: 8 March 2018
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 18 March 2024
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Zaffre
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of The Last Hour from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

While The Last Hour is listed as the first in a new series, it is all actually still connected to Ballista and the previous books he’s been in. While one can easily read this novel without having read the series (like I did) I do think a fan of the earlier series would probably enjoy it more, as I likely missed a lot of references and details. Not to mention I didn’t get to see Ballista’s character develop to the point he is at now, which is a shame, really.



I’m sure that by not reading the previous trilogy I’ve missed a lot of the finesse and backstory that goes with Ballista’s character. I regret that. Nowhere in the description of the novel did it indicate that this was branching off of another series; a fact I went back and double checked. Had I been aware of the other series, I likely would have taken the time to read them first. In theory I would have had a lot more context for the world around, as well as previous plots and character development.
Despite all of this, I actually really enjoyed Ballista’s character. He’s devoted and determined and stubborn as heck, and I loved that. It actually really makes me wish I had read the earlier novels first (I’m sort of picturing the latest James Bond movies for that – where he’s younger and is still gaining the skill set he’s so famous for).
From what I’ve learned about Ballista, he’s a barbarian (in the most romanticized fashion, of course) that’s been forced to take up sword and shield for Rome. There’s a lot more to it than that, I’m sure. For example, while it’s clear that he didn’t choose to be in Rome, he still made some friends and acquaintances during his stay. I should have liked to learn more about how that all came out, which means I’m going to have to add a certain trilogy to my reading list (the horror).
I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, but I really enjoyed the break from my more typical choices. Harry Sidebottom is an excellent writer – I greatly enjoyed his writing style and tone of voice. Along with being descriptive (but not overly so, thank goodness), Sidebottom does an excellent job of pacing. The whole story starts out with an action scene full of danger, immediately griping the reader, and it continues to wax and wane and overall keep the pace steady.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks