I received an advance review
copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily. A Coin for the
Ferryman is due for release March 2022 and is available for pre-order.
As I searched through the
offerings on the BookSirens review site, the first thing that caught my
attention to Ferryman was the cover. I have always been fascinated with ancient
mythology and historical fiction, and this one promised to be a historical
sci-fi story. The next thing that convinced me to download and read was the book’s
blurb. Bringing a famous personality from history is not a new idea, but the
treatment in this book is fun and fascinating, mostly because of some
well-developed characters. The story itself is light on science fiction in that
the method for bringing Caesar into the present is not explained to a large
extent, which is okay because the story focuses more on characters and plot.
Mostly, all we get for the science of the time travel is there is a place where
there is a machine that can snatch someone from the past and bring them to the
present.
If you had the means to bring a
famous historical figure to the present day, who would you choose? How would
you communicate? What questions would you ask? How much of the present would
you let your choice see? Those are some questions facing an interdisciplinary
team who build a time machine they plan to use in bringing Julius Caesar to the
present.
Cassandra is one of the most
important members of the team. Her job is to talk to the visitor in his own
language and help him understand what is happening.
Caesar arrives just before his
assassination and enters a world of modern wonders. The scientists have four
days to return their charge to ancient Rome, so there isn't a minute to waste.
If they cannot return him to his own time, there could be dire consequences.
While all the members of the
team have signed a strict nondisclosure agreement, there are leaks and
antagonists plot to kidnap Caesar for their own purposes. When the kidnapping
comes to light, Cassandra takes it upon herself to protect the Roman ruler and
takes him on a roller coaster ride through the modern world.
Cassandra is a brilliant young
woman whose passion is ancient languages, particularly Latin. In order to fund
her schooling, she works in Las Vegas as a call girl, barely making ends meet.
A wealthy client learns of her interests, he became fascinated with her and
rather than taking advantage of her as a call girl, gives her an all-expense
paid endowment to finish her education. Cassandra takes full advantage of this
opportunity and is chosen to be Caesar's interpreter when he arrives.
Cassandra is a level-headed,
strong female character who has strengths she isn't even aware of. The
circumstances of the story force her into rising above herself to improvise a
plan to keep Caesar safe.
Julius Caesar is known for many
things but getting to meet him in this story is a fun romp. At first, he is
aloof, but as he warms to Cassandra, we get to see the modern works through his
eyes which is my favorite point of plot in this tome.
So what would someone who lived
two-thousand years ago think about the modern world? Especially the modern
world of Las Vegas? One would think that Caesar would be overwhelmed, but in
this story, I loved the way he just took everything in stride and fit in as
best he could. The parts of the story dealing with the Roman ruler were
amazing, imaginative, and a lot of fun.
Picture Caesar in sweatpants,
t-shirt, tennis shoes, and topped off with a baseball cap. I had to laugh as I
read some of his thoughts on fashion, both for men and women.
One of the funniest things was
Caesar's fascination with television. He took to channel surfing like a pro.
The story wasn't intended to be a comedy, but the lighter elements of the story
for me were one of the things that kept me reading.
I have to say the author,
Edwards, nailed this plot element, creating an enjoyable speculation of how
Caesar might behave if brought into our time.
I recommend A Coin for the
Ferryman as a well-written twist on an old idea that doesn't overwhelm the
reader with a lot of technical writing to impede the story. This
speculative/science fiction story is an enjoyable romp with some intense
moments along with some lighter themes. The principal characters are
captivating and convincing as real people. Even Caesar came to life for me
through the imaginative writing.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
About the author:
I write about “real life in the
shadow of the Strip,” but what I like best is crafting fiction set here. I have
two mysteries set in Las Vegas: Getting Off on Frank Sinatra, and Full Service
Blonde. Both feature aspiring journalist Cooper Black. There’s a third Cooper
Black mystery in the works, but before that is released, the book I came here to write
in 1999 finally has a publication date.
A Coin for the Ferryman will
come out on the Ides of March 2022. It’s the perfect release date, because one
of the main characters is Julius Caesar.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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