Thorpe writes strong, uncluttered narrative, and his characters actually sound like real people. Tom Holt, SFX The battle scenes are truly epic and Thorpe doesn't give anything away until the final sword stroke has fallen. -Fantasy Book Review The Crown of the Blood is a testosterone-fueled, dinosaur-punch of a book. It is a collection of violent conquests and vicious battles, from the fields of war to the equally-bloody arena of politics... Not I, Claudius, but definitely Rome, this book is hairy, gory, sweaty, shameless... and perhaps even a little bit thoughtful. - Pornokitsch.com This is one of Thorpe's best novels. The setting and story are well thought out and are remarkably logical for a fantasy novel. If you enjoy military or historical fiction, you will enjoy The Crown of the Blood. Action, intrigue, conquest, and charismatic generals are waiting for you here! - James Atlantic's Speaks ...a well written fantasy with some nice twists. - Charles R. Rutledge, Singular Points Gav Thorpe, along with Paul Kearney, Stephen Pressfield and David Drake, writes war as it should be written: brutal, dark, bloody, treacherous, confusing, and insane. - Red Book Review The Crown of the Blood is set in a world that resembles with a mix between the Roman and Middle Eastern empires, but with Gav Thorpe's personal additions to the mixture that make his world captivating and interesting. - Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews