Warriors of the Storm by Bernard Cromwell (historical fiction 2016)

Continuing the story of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, I find that Cromwell does not lose steam like some other series writers.  He is able to craft an exciting yarn without getting stuck in explaining what happened before.  The book stands alone and as part of the series quite well.

Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar by Tom Holland (nonfiction 2015)

As a "sequel" to Rubicon, this one fails.  I didn't learn much of anything new about all those wild and crazy Julio-Claudians, and the writing was oddly choppy throughout.

Elizabeth I and Her Circle by Susan Doran (nonfiction 2015)

Doran writes about the relationships between Elizabeth and some family members, courtiers, and others, which turns out to be a pretty effective method to analyze her reign.