The Chains of Ares by Frank Schildiner

Overall Rating: **** (4 stars)

The Chains of Ares is a collection of four short stories, all set in the time of the late Roman Republic, involving action-filled adventure and supernatural horror.

Marcus Fabius Maximus is a member of the Roman aristocracy, descended from a very old patrician family. He is the son-in-law of the Dictator, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, who appointed him to the position of rex sacrorum or “sacred king.” That isn’t just a political appointment. As one of the Republic’s foremost priests, Marcus is an expert on religious ritual and on the supernatural, and he is often sent to deal with paranormal threats to the growing Roman empire. He is accompanied on his missions by Kara Fabia, a formidable female warrior who was once a gladiator and now serves as his bodyguard.

Marcus and Kara are close friends and partners who (rather refreshingly) have no romantic interest in each another. They’re also far from a clichéd “brains and brawn” pair. Just as Marcus can handle himself in a scrap, Kara is by no means dumb muscle. The dynamic between these two characters is one of the most attractive elements of these stories.

Each of the stories in this collection involves one of Marcus and Kara’s missions, against ghosts, bizarre cults, or monsters out of ancient myth. The stories often involve puzzles that Marcus and Kara must solve, along with plenty of bloody action scenes. Each story is well embedded in the historical setting; I caught a couple of stumbles in the research, but by and large Mr. Schildiner has done his homework with careful attention to detail. If you’re familiar with the work of Robert Howard or H. P. Lovecraft, you may recognize some of the “ancient lore” that Marcus deals with.

The biggest weakness of The Chains of Ares is in its prose mechanics. The draft badly needs a copy-editor, with grammatical errors and odd word choices scattered throughout. It’s a testament to the fast pace, interesting characters, and clever world-building in these stories that I wasn’t pulled out of the narrative.

I quite enjoyed The Chains of Ares, and I found myself wishing for more about these characters and their world. Highly recommended if you enjoy pulp-style adventure, with intriguing characters and plenty of action, set in ancient times.