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The Governor of Britannia has decided now is the time to try and defeat once and for all the troublesome hill tribes of Wales and also the druids who are based on Mona, or Anglesey. He takes most of the available soldiers on the expedition including Cato, leaving most of the country to be protected by a few ill-trained forces, including Camuldonunum which is left to Macro and the few hundred other veterans who have also retired to the town. This book is set in the year, AD 57, during the reign of Emperor Nero, and Prefect Cato and Senior Centurion Macro have returned to Rome from the Eastern campaign with General Corbulo, only to find an Imperial Court uneasy and hostile towards their achievements as well as towards Nero and his mistress, Claudia Acte. This second in the "Eagle" series takes place a few months after the first book, and finds the two heroes of the 6th cohort of the 2nd legion, Centurion Macro and Optio Cato, as part of the Roman expeditionary force sent to pacify the British Isles circa 43 AD. The Roman forces are greatly outnumbered by those of the Celtic tribes assembled under Caratacus, and a series of desperate battles and skirmishes ensue. As in the previous book, while the characters are not exactly brimming with depth, there's plenty to learn about Roman military tactics as they fight their way to the far bank of the Thames. The whole book is so underwhelming and staid that it's at times like this I can honestly say if I hadn't so rashly been out and already got the remaining books in the series, I could quite easily have ditched the series here and now.
Asked by the Edinburgh Book Review about the inspiration behind his interest in the Roman era, Scarrow said, "Firstly, great Latin teachers – Gordon Rodway and then Reg Nash, who inspired a love of the language and more enduringly a fascination with Roman history and culture. Secondly, when I was growing up in the seventies swords and sandals epics seemed to be on the TV regularly. Not to mention the brilliant I, Claudius". [4]
Publication Order of Invader Short Stories Books
De bloedige strijd tegen de dappere barbaren, de tegenslag die Cato en Marco ondervinden en de op de achtergrond slepende samenzweringen maken ook het tweede deel uit de Adelaar-reeks bloedstollend spannend. In the initial battles the Romans are commanded by General Plautius, an experienced warrior who knows his military tactics well. However, the final assault, on Camulodunum, the captital of the British King Caratacus, is to be led personally by Emperor Claudius, who has travelled especially to Britain to win glory for his name. Sadly, Claudius is a useless General. He believes he cannot lose. Plautius' plans are overruled by naive ones involving elephants and direct assaults on fortified positions. All this makes victory seem unachievable.
Emperor Claudius needs desperately a huge victory against the Britons to keep his reign safe from power hungry enemies and assassins. The Eagle's Conquest is a worthy sequel to Under the Eagle. Most of the tale is an exciting and vivid account of bloody battles which help you get into the head of a Roman legionary fighting a war in far-flung unknown lands some 2,000 years ago.This is another enjoyable read in the series, although I did miss the presence of macro for large swathes of the novel (good news, though: it looks like he's returning in the next instalment). I have to wonder, though, was Apollonius being written as his replacement ...? I think the biggest mistake Simon Scarrow made when writing these books was to make Macro as old as he was at the start, he could’ve easily made him five years younger and it would’ve made no difference to the story or series as a whole. It doesn’t lose the star because of that, but it finally came to a head in this book when Macro departs about a third of the way through to see out his retirement in Britannia, and was obviously gutting as Macro is the best character!
What is to follow is a Roman adventure with plenty of action, no doubt about that, but its also a book with a similar theme as in "Invictus", in what the local tribal revolt is concerned, but now adding to it is a deadly pestilence and with only Cato in the headlines an a supporting role for Apollonius, so that overall this engaging book is somewhat inferior to its predecessors in intensity, interaction, warfare and (real) historical battles against fearsome opponents like the Parthians, or the tribes from Germania, or the Celts from Britannia, and I can only hope that the author will return to that kind of formula again. It was a fascinating read as Boudica’s rebellion is a fascinating topic as it’s also one that changes according to the personal point of view of the reader: feminist ante litteram, nationalist or simply someone who rebelled against the power of the Romans. As you might expect, the book is full of authentic detail about weaponry, military strategy, social and religious customs and much, much more. There are some terrific set pieces such as the assault on the island of Mona which involves not just a battle against a ferocious enemy but against the elements too. Battle scenes are brought thrillingly to life, putting the reader right in the heart of the action. ‘The two sides became a heaving mass of helmets, crests, blades, spears, swords and axes, amid sprays of crimson and a cacophany of weapns clashing and thudding home on shields and limbs’. Other than the Eagle Series, Simon has also written a few other notable novel series’ including the Revolution series, which is based on Napoleon and Wellington. Apart from the novel series’, Simon has also penned down a couple of standalone novels. This is the 21st installment in the author's "Eagles of the Empire" series which seems like it may be coming to an end in a book or two - but then again, maybe not. Out of all the books in the series, this is most definitely the best. And when you get to the end, you know there will be at least one more because there are too many loose ends.While just newly settled there, Macro and his family will be threatened and molested by rival gangleaders, Malvinus and Cinna, and to save Portia and the inn for the moment Macro and Petronella will flee to Camulodunum (Colchester) and settle there. A.D. 57. Battle-scarred veterans of the Roman army Tribune Cato and Centurion Macro return to Rome.
n.b. these novellas were available as e-books prior to publication of the full title. Pirata series (with T. J. Andrews) [ edit ] The Eagle and the Wolves Audiobook | Simon Scarrow | Audible.co.uk". Audible . Retrieved 4 January 2020. The plot isn't groundbreaking but allows for some great action such as the siege in the German village which was excellently done and allowed Cato to really shine and show his potential, especially with his bravery.
Because of his palace upbringing, Cato is well-read, often portrayed as more cerebral and forward-thinking than Macro. Macro is dismissive of this at first, but eventually comes to respect Cato's talent for thinking ahead and seeing "the big picture." Simon also judges the annual Scarrow Award in the Fiction category held in the school. The family of Simon has one more author in the form of his brother, Alex Scarrow, who has written a number of novels himself. Simon says that his passion for writing had begun at a very young age.
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