This is the fourth and possibly last installment in Iggulden's epic series (see also Emperor: The Field of Swords) chronicling the intertwined lives of Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus (the author leaves open the possibility of future books involving ancient Rome). Caesar has taken control of Rome, his rivals have been defeated or killed, and he has the Egyptian queen Cleopatra as his mistress. But now new enemies are gathering, especially the estranged Brutus, one of several men who fears that Caesar will declare himself king. This volume features some gripping moments but suffers from poorly defined motivation (e.g., Brutus appears petty) and strained dialog (e.g., "Did Caesar's friends really call him `Julius' when his first name was `Gaius' "). Also, because it tries to say so much, it lacks the richness of Colleen McCullough's novels on Caesar and, although a different medium, the grit of HBO's addictive series Rome. Still, Gods of War is an entertaining and fairly compelling historical novel, an impressive feat considering everyone already knows the ending. For larger collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/05.]-Robert Conroy, Warren, MI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY.