Customer Reviews
Stomping roman action - By: edzshed, 23 Feb 2008 
This is a brilliant, unrelenting novel that picks up where Under the Eagle finishes. If you enjoyed the 1st one then get this read. Yeah now that's a book.
Second in What Should be a Great Series - By: J. Chippindale, 06 Feb 2007 The author, Simon Scarrow teaches at a leading Sixth Form College. He has run a Roman History programme taking parties of students to a number of ruins & museums across Britain. This is the first in a series of books about Quintus Licinius Cato, Optio (second in command) to Macro a centurion & veteran of more than one campaign in the Roman legions.
Centurion Macro & his Optio (second in command) Quintus Licinius Cato have arrived in Britain as part of the Emperor Claudius's invasion force in AD43. The Roman army are easily outnumbered by the local natives, so it is essential that the Roman's engage the enemy before they have a chance to grow strong enough to overwhelm the legions.
However the Britons are not the only danger facing Macro & Cato. An organisation opposed to the Emperor is secretly betraying the Legions & when rumours of an assassination plot coincide with Claudius arriving on British soil, the soldiers know that they are up against a force much more dangerous the British.
Battles, conspiracy and then some - By: PJ Nasser, 14 Apr 2006 
The second in the series follows the legions of Claudius from their beachhead near Rutupiae to the battles on the Medway, Thames & before Camulodunum (Colchester). It moves at a great pace making use of several plot threads to keep tension high. As before, the main characters, Cato & Centurion Macro, unify alll the threads from the terror & exultation of battle through the politics of military strategy to the machinations of conspiracy.
Scarrow does battles extremely well, if always at the service of plot. Confusion never lasts long; the reader always knows what part the detail plays in the whole picture. The fight is not clean, but it is clear, & Scarrow is able to draw out the action so that every battle has its own arc & could be extracted & read for itself.
Cato is seen to grow in this book. The action in the first was dominated by his need to prove himself; here, though his part is often heroic, he must also come to terms with helplessness & the aftermath of slaughter. His infatuation with the slavegirl, Lavinia, continues & plays a part in the machinations of Vitellius to assassinate the Emperor. Cato is decisive at the denouement of this conspiracy, but Scarrow does not alllow him to take the hero's palm - a sign that the book is a little more than a boys' own adventure.
There is, as well, another point of view for Cato to understand & absorb: that of the conquered. Nisus is a surgeon & from North Africa, not only Carthaginian but a direct descendent of Hannibal! He voices the opinion that some might not be grateful for the benefits of Roman civilisation, that they might have been happier as they were. We're not told what Cato makes of this, & Nisus is soon involved in grand conspiracy. It is not clear if the seditious sentiments he uttered were merely a ploy by the author to justify the character's eventual treachery, or if they portend an important theme for the other books. I was a little surprised by the inclusion of these thoughts; they interrupted the flow of the narrative in what might have been an interesting way.
The prose does not hold you up. Nouns have immediate calll on their tabloid adjective: "crush the enemy in an iron vice; deadly efficiency; an icy dread; bleak despair; the ruthless efficiency of vigorous training; the grim reality of their predicament". At times he feels the need to make use of every note taken during research - as a boat moors, who throws every rope to whom for it to be tied to every mooring post. However, these are smalll faults in a fast-moving narrative set in an exotic Britain.
Very enjoyable! - By: Iceni Peasant, 14 Apr 2006 Following straight on from the first book we find the characters, Macro & Cato on British soil with the legions awaiting the next movements in the invasion. Battles & skirmishes by the bucket load, alll written in a fast paced way, giving the reader a sense of the tension & melee of battle.
There are more revelations of plots & sub plots from alll the various characters, with the consequences of their actions played out & still providing unexpected surprises & intrigue. There are plenty of twists & turns in the lives of Macro & Cato too.
Again the author gives the reader a real sense of the life in the Roman legions. By including such rich characters as Vespasian & Vitellius the reader is given a top quality book.
The book goes through to the victory & gain of Camulodunum, & of course the path to that point is littered with political & personal games.
Excellent 2nd book of an excellent series; highly enjoyable.
second novel but far from second best - By: Didier, 15 Jan 2006 Macro & Cato are at it again & I for one am very happy they are. This is a very good second novel in the series after 'Under the eagle', with as much action & adventure. The main characters do develop though not much (I wouldn't want them to), & at times it's funny to meet historical characters one knows from other novels too (such as Vespasian). Keep up the good work Simon!
