Just don't buy it
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Junk. The most badly written book I have encountered in years. Typos abound (how about " a board sigh" and "fetes of strength" for starters), although they are a relatively minor irritant. What destroys the book overall - for a reader - is the use of modern USA military vernacular with a novel about the Roman Empire. I literally threw the book into the bin (£9.95 simply wasted) at the opening para of chapter 3 when I came across this extraordinary sentence - "It was his seventeenth birthday; a day that had been six years coming". It just had to go after that - not worth wasting a second to read any more of it.
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Soldier of US oops I mean Rome
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This is my first review and I have felt compelled to write it. I think the authors final acknowledgement `to my brothers-in-arm that I served with in the Iraq war. You are the Legionaries of this age', really sums up the book (noting I have no issue with his sentiment). James Mace has transported his experience of a modern army and applied it to a Roman army of AD 9-15 and I regret it doesn't work and grates from very early on. There are also a number of phrases or situations that seem very familiar from recent epics and other books - the use of Centurion Macro (Scarrow)for example. The treatment of the battle of Teutoburg Forest is perfunctory at best as is the view on Varus (I would recommend Adrian Murdoch's Rome's Greatest Defeat). The life in the legion is idealised and the sudden switch to barbarian atrocities appears formulaic, albeit the the style improves later in the book. In addition the hero of the piece, Artorius, has no flaws and turns out to be the best trainee, lover, legionary etc and he will, I suspect, by book 2 be the best swordsman in the legion, this just detracts from any authenticity that the book has. James Mace refers to his divine `gift' - when compared to Simon Scarrow, Manda Scott, Conn Iggulden, David Gemmell, Steven Saylor et al - sorry Mace just isn't in their league and this book will disappoint if not annoy (and I really tried to like it).
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Excellent Read
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This is a great book, I opened the thing and found that I simply couldn't put it down.
At times it's brutal, and quite disturbing that man could treat man in the way that James has written, but when you realise that the research was done while still serving in Iraq you can see how the authors first hand experience of conflict is mirrored in the writing.
It's an excellent work and I eagerly await book 3 (having read the Sacrovir Revolt and found that just as good.)
Rich
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The Story
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Perhaps I am something or a rarity when it comes to writing a review.
In that I mean I focus on the story as opposed to small editing flaws. Some people going so far as to say that could not even read the novel is something I find altogether ridiculous. James Mace has already stated several times after the flack that some people have given him that he intends to seriously address the issue of editing for an author starting out this is something that almost all of them have to go through.. I for one found the story to be quite simply incredible the imagery and earnest bonds of friendship connecting the characters were quite simply incredible. At no point in the book did I 'struggle to read it', I focused on the story and at this point the book excelled. I would advise anyone who is interested in Rome or in a good story to read the book and you will see that all of my points that I have made here are true. An excellent first book by James Mace and I will be looking forward to reading more of his books in the future.
***** From me, wonderful book.
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The first novel what I have writ.*
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My 3 star rating is an average of 5 for the storyline and 1 for the apalling editing.A good book completely ruined but I will buy the second book if only to find out whether the YTS proof reader is still employed.
*Title dedicated to the late,great Ernie Wise.
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