BOOK REVIEW: DESTITUTIO QUOD REMISSIO by BRETT ARMSTRONG

Hello people.

The first time I saw the book Destitutio Quod Remissio, two things struck me immediately. First, the title of the book. I thought at first that the book was written in Spanish or one of those exotic languages and I wondered how on earth I was supposed to read a book written in a language I did not understand. 

The second thing that struck me was the cover of the book. The average book cover can be summed up in one of three words: beautiful, terrible, or just plain. There are very few books with evocative book covers, and Destitutio Quod Remissio happens to be one of them. 

As it turned out, I was wrong on two counts. First, the book title happens to be Latin and not Spanish, second, the book is actually written in English language, notwithstanding its Latin title. Needless to say, I was relieved.

Destitutio Quod Remissio is the story of a wealthy Roman senator, Marcus Servius, who arrives home one day to find his house burned down, his wife missing, and himself a target for would-be murderers. 

Filled with questions about his wife’s disappearance and the identity of the man who betrayed him, Marcus embarks on a journey to find Benjamin Truvias, a former employee of his whom he believes has the answers to many of his questions. He gets more than he bargained for, however, and in his quest to find answers, he must come to terms with the fact that people, and things, are not always as they seem to be.

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

Hmm...

First, I must say I love the storyline. It’s a beautiful book that engages the readers from the get-go. However, if you’re not too big on descriptions, you may find the first few chapters a bit difficult to read. I personally wish Brett Armstrong had spent a bit more time describing Marcus’ past life as a senator and less time on the actual journey but hey, anyone who loves descriptions will not have a problem with this.

I also love the various surprises lined throughout the book.  As one gets past the middle of the book, surprises upon surprises await the reader, and many of them you don’t see coming. In fact it becomes very difficult to put the book down as you get to the end.

Another selling point of the book is the fact that it gives readers a glimpse into the Roman Empire as it was in the past and aptly describes life as it was for Christians then. The drawback here, though, is that the author sometimes tells instead of shows which distracts the reader from the book’s narrative.

All in all, though, I must say that the book is quite entertaining and if one can get past the drawn-out descriptions of the first few chapters, one will find that the book was definitely worth reading. Readers who enjoyed Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion series will definitely like this book.

About the Author:

Brett Armstrong

Brett Armstrong's first book, Destitutio Quod Remissio, won the 2014 CrossBooks Writing Contest. Historical Novel Society called the book a 'solid, meaty work.'

 In addition to Destitutio Quod Remissio, Brett has written a fantasy tale called Daymoon. More information can be found on his website; www.brettarmstrong.net