Stomping roman action
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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.
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Second in What Should be a Great Series
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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 and museums across Britain. This is the first in a series of books about Quintus Licinius Cato, Optio (second in command) to Macro a centurion and veteran of more than one campaign in the Roman legions.
Centurion Macro and 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 and Cato. An organisation opposed to the Emperor is secretly betraying the Legions and 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.
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Battles, conspiracy and then some
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The second in the series follows the legions of Claudius from their beachhead near Rutupiae to the battles on the Medway, Thames and 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 and Centurion Macro, unify all the threads from the terror and 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, and Scarrow is able to draw out the action so that every battle has its own arc and could be extracted and 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 and the aftermath of slaughter. His infatuation with the slavegirl, Lavinia, continues and 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 allow 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 and absorb: that of the conquered. Nisus is a surgeon and 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, and 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 call 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 small faults in a fast-moving narrative set in an exotic Britain.
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Very enjoyable!
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Following straight on from the first book we find the characters, Macro and Cato on British soil with the legions awaiting the next movements in the invasion. Battles and skirmishes by the bucket load, all written in a fast paced way, giving the reader a sense of the tension and melee of battle.
There are more revelations of plots and sub plots from all the various characters, with the consequences of their actions played out and still providing unexpected surprises and intrigue. There are plenty of twists and turns in the lives of Macro and 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 and Vitellius the reader is given a top quality book.
The book goes through to the victory and gain of Camulodunum, and of course the path to that point is littered with political and personal games.
Excellent 2nd book of an excellent series; highly enjoyable.
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second novel but far from second best
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Macro and Cato are at it again and 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 and adventure. The main characters do develop though not much (I wouldn't want them to), and at times it's funny to meet historical characters one knows from other novels too (such as Vespasian). Keep up the good work Simon!
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