In ‘The Sign of the Blood’ Laurence O’Bryan has weaved historical facts into a novel that grips the reader from the first chapter. A great read.The time is the Roman empire of 306 AD and the son of the Western Emperor, Constantine, sent as a child to the Eastern Emperor to ensure his father’s loyalty, has been granted permission to return to the West. A long held dream, Constantine, long schooled in the wars of the east, is sure that now, standing with his beloved father, he can begin the assent of his birthright, Emperor of the West. Dreams of reuniting with family and birthrights are quickly shattered as Constantine enters the Western Empire. Rome is cesspit of corruption and treachery. His father has remarried and his new Empress wants her son on the throne. Constantine travels from Rome to the edge of the Western Empire in Northern England to join his father, now grown cruel and suspicious of his oldest son, advised by his court and sinister forces to do away with him, all realizing his threat to their power and wealth in the corruption of a declining Western Empire. Alone, Constantine must weave through this treacherous world to keep his life and fulfill his destiny.More than just the history of names and dates, O’Bryan tells the story through the eyes of the common people, the servants, soldiers and citizens providing us a view rarely seen in historical fiction. He graphically depicts the power and brutality of an imperial empire in pre-Christian Europe that shocks and enlightens the reader. The story rushes to its ultimate climax as Constantine becomes fully aware of what must be done to save himself, his empire and his birthright. O’Bryan has shown himself to be a master storyteller. ‘Sign of the Blood’ is a must read for any interested in this pivotal time in Western history.