The Eagle's Conquest

Eagles of the Empire #2

by Simon Scarrow

When Centurion Macro arrives on British soil as one of Emperor Claudius's invasion force in 43 AD, he is facing one of the toughest campaigns of his battle-scarred career. In a series of bloody skirmishes, Macro and his young subordinate, Optio Cato, and the desperately outnumbered Roman army must find and defeat the enemy before he grows strong enough to overwhelm the legions. But the Britons are not the only foe facing Macro and Cato. A sinister organisation opposed to the Emperor is secretly betraying the invaders. And when rumours of an assassination attempt coincide with the Emperor's arrival on British soil, the soldiers realise they are up against a force more ruthless than their acknowledged enemy...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Roman, War, Adventure, Military Fiction

448 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Simon Scarrow is a UK-based author, born in Nigeria, and now living in Norfolk. He completed a master's degree at the University of East Anglia, and, after working at the Inland Revenue, went into teaching as a lecturer at City College, Norwich.

He is best known for his "Eagle" series. This is Roman empire military fiction, starting with the second invasion of Britain, and continuing with subsequent adventures in every corner of the empire. The stories are told through the eyes of two centurions, Macro and Cato. To date there are eighteen books in the series.

Scarrow has also written a series of four novels on the Napoleonic wars, focusing on the lives of Wellington and Napoleon.

Reviews

[Xabi1990 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Como decían Cornapecha o Justo, es un poco más de lo mismo que el primero de la saga. Personalmente me ha gustado más que aquel, igual porque ya sabía a lo que me enfrentaba: novela histórica sin grandes ambiciones en ningún apartado...pero que es contenida en tamaño y entretiene, mas de lo que esperaba.

Mira que le empezaba dispuesto a decir eso de "hasta aquí hemos llegado" y olvidarme del autor...pero no, ya tengo cargado el siguiente en el kindle, porque como "fondo de armario en histórica" me parece bien.

Por lo demás siguen las aventuras del optio Cato y el centurión Macro allá por las Britanias. Hasta aparece el emperador Claudio y ¡oh, por Dios!, he visto escrita la palabra "pene", rara avis en las novelas de romanos (la aparición es puntual, que no se me asuste/emocione nadie).

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This intriguing Roman adventure is the 2nd volume of the wonderful "Cato & Macro" series.

The tale is et in the year AD 43, in Britannia, and Centurion Macro and his Optio Cato being part of Emperor Claudius's invasion army.

Emperor Claudius needs desperately a huge victory against the Britons to keep his reign safe from power hungry enemies and assassins.

Already some assassinations committed by some sinister organizations are taking place within the Legions, and so everybody is on the alert to save the life of Emperor Claudius.

Knowing that they are outnumbered against a dangerous Briton enemy, Macro and Cato must somehow seem to survive this very tough campaign and at the same time do everything they can to catch the perpetrators of these killings.

What is to follow is a magnificent encounter in Britannia, with a victorious Emperor Claudius and his famous elephant, and in this environment of war and treason Cato and Macro will have to deal with the dangers and conspiracy, and in the end to extract the rightful justice to the perpetrators.

Highly recommended, for this is another excellent addition to this amazing series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Splendid Cato & Macro Sequel"!

[Javir11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75/5

¿Qué puedo decir de esta segunda entrega de la saga? Pues que es más de lo mismo que la anterior. Eso quiere decir que sus puntos fuertes son los mismos, básicamente, acción a raudales, ritmo narrativo trepidante, una buena ambientación militar y unos personajes protagonistas repletos de carisma y con los que es muy sencillo empatizar.

Con respecto a sus defectos, se cumple la misma premisa y se repiten con respecto al anterior. Falta de profundidad en el trasfondo, un antagonista bastante soso y unas tramas secundarias mejorables.

Resumiendo, si te gustan las novelas con mucha acción y de lectura sencilla, creo que esta saga te gustará bastante. Pero si por el contrario buscas una novela con una gran ambientación del periodo romano o personajes y tramas muy complejas, mejor que busques otras lecturas.

Como siempre, os dejo el enlace a mi blog por si queréis darle un vistazo a la reseña que dejé allí:

https://fantasiascifiymuchomas.blogsp...

[RG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarrow really understands the Romans. He makes their warfare and politics so much fun with these characters. Cato especially. Great war scenes with the perfect amount of suspense and action. The historical element is not over powering and provides great information/description of that times. Oh and I hate Vitellius haha.

[Christian Schultheiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing is clear above anything else in getting through each book of this series and that’s that Simon knows a lot about roman history and culture and it shines pretty clear that he’s a history teacher and while I have to be honest at times and admit that it required more than a few word definition search and googles but almost all my personal tension related gripes that I experienced from the first novel were addressed and taken note with the primary antagonist in Vitellius being just so easy to both root against and hate, even if at least of yet he hasn’t gotten what’s coming to him. I really enjoyed the intense warfare descriptives and battle scenes along with the fact that while surely embellished upon I like that there was a real battle and conflict in which this fictional telling was based and like Scarrow I too hope one day some elephant tusks are excavated from some of the battle sights because what a wile turn that would end up being. Still a long way to go on this series and it’s nothing like anything else I’m reading at the moment but hey that’s the joys of reading and I’m hooked in now and want to see Cato and Macro really expand and get all they deserve out of life, love, and conquest.

[Atlas · Rating 4 out of 5]

* * * *
4 / 5

~mini review~

I thought this was much better than it's predecessor, Under the Eagle. The Eagle's Conquest focuses on the invasion of Britain by the Romans, covering three battles up to the capture of Camulodunum (modern day Colchester, Wikipedia tells me), and the greater scope of the book compared to the first one makes it a lot more exciting.

We've got battles, we've got a (kinda bad) love story, we've got politics and assassinations, and Scarrow deftly brings people from history to life (though not terribly historically accurately, I don't think). Vespasian and Vitellius and General Plautius and Emperor Claudius all get properly fleshed out into characters of their own, alongside Optio Cato and Centurion Macro; some of them you want to give a hug, and others you'd like to beat over the head with a stick.

Like most light historical novels, this is the kind of book best read on public transport or other long journeys. I have read many more exciting, envigorating, complex and dark historical novels, and whilst The Eagle's Conquest is not really on par with those kinds of books, if you take it as what it is, it is certainly an enjoyable read.

Read more of my reviews on my blog: http://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.com

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Insisto en que la mejor manera de no fumar es no empezar a fumar jamás. Pasa lo mismo con algunos libros.-

Género. Novela histórica.

Lo que nos cuenta. En el año 43 de la era cristiana la ocupación romana de la isla de Britania no está siendo tan rápida y segura como se preveía, porque los britanos no colaboran. El emperador planea visitar el lugar para animar a las legiones pero parece que hay un complot en su contra. Segundo libro de la serie de Quinto Licinio Cato.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Phillip Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

What made this book a great read was the main antagonist Vitellius: An opportunistic sociopath who uses and then disposes of others for his own ends. This guy is able to manipulate others and avoids any punishment for his treachery. I also felt the disgust of the military leaders as politicians sought glory at their expense. The conquest of Britain was not that interesting since a well organized Roman army was more than a match for the Britons. What made it worth reading was the political intrigue as Emperor Claudius made a personal appearance with much plotting against him.

[Laura Tenfingers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another informative and entertaining tale of Macro and Cato in the Roman army during the invasion of Britain.

The bromance was a bit less in this book than the last one, the treachery of our treacherous villain was more than in the last book and we got to delve deeper into some side characters. I learned a bit more about the invasion of Britain which was interesting. I will continue the series.

It took me longer than usual to finish thanks to the Coronavirus locking me in my house with kids that needed homeschooling and adults planning for the apocalypse.

[Terrible Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Legions brought a chainsaw to a sword fight"

Someone asked me how could I like Simon Scarrow's novel so much when I know that it's not historical accurate - that I should be put off by the swearing in his novels. That's exactly the point why I'm such a fan of Scarrow's Eagles series. He doesn't romanticize war or politics. The author doesn't pretend to be historically accurate (unlike some authors - when there really not!). The reality is that history can be as dry as the papyrus it was written on.

The Eagle's Conquest is the second in the series and a bit of a beast. Cato and Marco along with their Second Legion buddies find themselves chopping through several engagements, from the Tamis (Thames) to Camulodunum (Colchester). Tension is kept high due to the volume of conflicts and the pace of the novel. Throw in conspiracies and a bit of love tension and mesh it altogether. Then you've got a fairly believable living and breathing story. What the Roman's need is a set piece battle. They are not trained or equipped to fight a guerrilla war. General Plautius decides to push towards Caratacus tribal capital of Camulodunum - and push he does. The Second Legion suffer heavy causalities on the way, through a series of direct engagements and filtering of poor orders from the General's staff. Marco and Cato find themselves bogged down in a marsh then wading across the Thames where they have to fight for a beachhead across the shingles on the opposite bank of the river - outnumbered 4-1 will they make it. Tune in next week folks...

One of the reasons I enjoy Simon Scarrow's novel so much is the way he handles the social structure within the Legions. From the lowest legionaries (at this point legionaries are from from various different provinces - Gaul and Germania and obviously Romans). It's the same for the aristocratic in the sense that you no longer had to come from one of the famous lines of Roman houses - Julio/Claudian, Scipio, Paullus etc etc, to become a Legate or Senator. Gone were the days of courage and loyalty, now were the days of money and how much one could kiss the Emperor's arse. Power by now was brought with the Legions loyalties, money was power. In this case, it is said that the Praetorian Guard appointed Claudius as Emperor due to his many infirmities (Was he a fool? Possibly). However I digress - we get to read where Vespasian family line descended from. His father was a lowly Centurion previously. Where Tribune Vitellius family descend from good genealogical seeds. Vitellius uses people for his own gain and ambitions, where Vespasian cares about his men (and obviously his position). The two become embroiled in their rivalry again, thanks to the Tribunes discovery of Vespasian's wife dealings with a anti-Claudian faction within the Empire. So we get to see Roman politicking at its best - conspiracy, murder, counter claims, covert operations. Did they ever leave Rome behind?

Opito Cato is such a likeable character. A modern day geek in a Roman Legion (if you will). A seventeen year old boy, a lover of books and poetry. He becomes infatuated with Lavina, a slave to Vespasian's wife. A person who shouldn't be in the army, but finds himself there out of both where and who he was born to. Centurion Macro is the mirror opposite, he is a soldier's soldier. Crass, a womaniser, reliable and a believer in Rome's virtues *coughs* he fights because he believes in what they do. They balance each other well as their chalk and cheese in personality.

Some of the new characters that appealed include a 'former' Carthaginian named Nissus, apparently a descended of the Barca family tree, he is a surgeon and befriends Cato until Vitellius gets his claws into him. Actually that's about it with new characters - I can't think of anyone else to mention.

Emperor Claudius joined the campaigning in Britain when the Legions were about to crush Camulodunum - this actually happened. He brought his Praetorian Guard, some elephants and a military genius that was borderline destructive to the Legions. You can imagine the bemused look Aulus Plautius might of had when he learnt that elephants were going to be used for the assault. We actually get to read how this might of actually happened in this novel.

The Eagle's Conquest is a great read if you enjoy military novels. The pacing is about right, couple that with everything else mentioned above, I'd say if you can look past the crass language (I enjoy it gives the feeling of the social divide in Roman society and of the Legions) then you're going to enjoy this. Good fun.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this second book in the Eagle series. Simon Scarrow writes very well and both his story and his characters come to life. I'm very happy I gave this series a chance and am hopng the rest of the series is just as good.

[Harry B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much a terrific read. Compared to the first novel, I'd say that this almost (and I do mean almost) reaches the same level of intrigue and excitement I experienced with the first. In this one, the story does a good job in painting the (possible) political tensions that prevailed at the time of Claudius. It is interesting how the author does this with subtlety via the thoughts of each characters as they thought about what they valued in life coupled with the day to day realities of campagin, without giving too much. I cannot say more for I am a dry reviewer and would only recommend to try reading this series. This book is near no different from the first, indeed I am unsure at how different they may be, but both thoroughly enjoyable and of high quality. It is a genuine page turner (literally) and would not be a waste if you are interested specifically with what the players in the year of the 4 emperors did during the reigns of Claudius and Nero.

[Ettelwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jako by autor ze začátku úplně nevěděl, jak navázat na předchozí díl a sázel jeden boj za druhým beze smyslu. Do toho Macro sem tam utrousil nějakou poznámku a Cato byl jako vždy ňouma. Do půlky jako by autor zapomněl rozvíjet postavy i samotný příběh. Ale od půlky je to zase ten starý dobrý Simon Scarrow, což znamená akčnost, drsnost, dynamičnost, předvídatelnost, smysl pro humor a neskutečný relax.

[Beorn · Rating 2 out of 5]

What strikes me most about this book, and to a certain extent the previous book in the series too, is just how different it is to the author's non-Roman period fiction.

For someone who is routinely trotted out as one of the best authors of Roman fiction, it surprises me just how bland and un-engaging a novel Scarrow puts out.

For a little context, the first of Scarrow's book that I read was Sword and Scimitar set around the sixteenth century siege of Malta. It was ripe with betrayal, battle, blood, believable battle sequences and a rich depth to the character's, often flawed, personalities and histories.
Compare such an invigorating tome with a pair of books where there is precious little depth to any of the characters beyond occasional almost throwaway attempts at adding meat to the character's bones, and you'll hopefully see where I'm disappointed.

The overwhelming feel of the book is of a very militarist outlook at the Roman conquest of Britain told supposedly from the viewpoint of three characters - Macro and Cato, whom the series is primarily based around, and Vespasian. The battle scenes have far more a feel of rigidity and formula than the chaotic bloodsoaked frenzy that you feel from other authors depictions.

More attention seems to have been paid to noting and reciting various statistical details and minutiae of the logistical running of the campaign than giving the reader anything human to grasp onto.

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.

Practically all the elements of this book have been done so much better by other authors - the practically tangible feel so realistic you could step into the book you get from Douglas Jackson's Claudius, the bone deep realism of Vespasian in Robert Fabbri's Vespasian series or the ever intriguing, internecine and often colubrine social dynamics you get in Anthony Riches excellent, and far superior, Empire series.

The standard of characterisation is at such a relatively minimal two-dimensional level that you could pick and choose almost any character from this book and slot them straight into any other Roman fiction and they'd be just as invisible and unremarkable.

The most torturous part? The fact I know I have almost ten more books in this series before it'll be complete (or at least up to date) without even including the various tangential off-shoots.
They'd better improve fast or they'll be confined to gathering dust for some time!

Not so badly written that you could pin disliking it on that, just so woefully bland and flat that it prevents you from engaging with it.

It does pick up a little towards the tail end of the book, around the time of the climactic battle before Camulodunum, along with the cobbled together conspiracy finally doing something like come to fruition, but by that stage of the book the lacklustre effect is already to ingrained to remove and it gets a little predictable.

Anyone with an interest in military history or a background in one of the armed forces are the ideal target audience for this book, and it's pretty evident that Scarrow is or was a lecturer in military studies. Everyone else could well find this a Marmite series. You either love it or hate it. And right now, on a scale between love and hate, I'm edging past huffing, drooping shoulders and sighing.

[Robin Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was even better than Simon Scarrow's first book - and that's some achievement!
This time around Cato and Macro are ranged against the Britons, desperately defending their homeland in a series of pitched battles. The battle scenes are something else and carry the reader right into the heart of the bloody conflict so that somehow the author manages to make you see, hear, smell and feel the terrified combatants.

The characters are wonderful creations and smack of real living and breathing people complete with all their faults. Heroes try hard to be heroic, and sometimes fail. Villains seem to know no limit to their evil plotting. If ever there was a novel crying out to be filmed or made into a TV series then this is it.

if thes series keeps improving like this we will see Simon on the best seller lists in no time.
(Parm)

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10

This was a similar outing to the first novel in the series with the relationship growing stronger between Cato and Macro, the treachery growing stronger within the political ranks and a good number of well described battle sequences.

There wasn't much wrong with this novel other than the bits seemed to plod between the battles. It was slow to get going but when things kicked off it got going. The dialogue was also the same as the first which could be seen as a bit trashy but I quite enjoyed the banter.

The assassination plot of the Emperor was a little weak and you always new what was coming but there is plenty more to be explored in this series.

I look forward to picking up more in the series and seeing how things progress.

If you like this try "Dissolution" by C J Sansom

[Roberto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cuando termine de leer el primer libro no sabia si continuar con la serie por que se me hizo muy lento el primer libro y muy pesado pero pensé en seguir por que normalmente las primeras partes de las series no son las mejores y tenia muy buenos comentarios este segundo libro, en lo personal se me hizo mas aburrido que el primero, mas lento y mas pesado, no puede ser que en casi 600 paginas Simon Scarrow nos cuente tan poco. Muy decepcionante, ahora si me queda claro que no seguiré con esta serie.

[Rui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continua a saga, maravilhosa, da águia. Transportando-nos para um ambiente mágico e tenebroso, em que, por vezes, se torna difícil de imaginar como seria a vida nesse passado remoto. História, bem esgalhada, com um bom equilíbrio entre a ação e a narrativa. Venha o próximo. Obrigado Simon.

[Jeff Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are going down like the Gauls and Britons did!

[Graeme · Rating 5 out of 5]

43 CE. Having landed on the barbaric island of Britain in the previous book, the Roman army now attempts to conquer it. Our hero, Cato and his centurion Macro are two men amongst the thousands of troops in four Roman legions assigned the task.
Despite the renown of the Roman army, the native Britons are fearsome opponents. Over two hard fought battles, many, many men on both sides are killed before the Romans can advance.
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.
In addition to all this, there is a plot to assassinate Claudius. The tribune Vetellius, a traitor in the previous book, is working with the Britons and intends to help them kill his emperor in an elaborate scheme to further his own career. Cato inadvertently uncovers this plot. Can he foil it and save Claudius, or will the treacherous scheme succeed?

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.

As well as this we have political plots and personal betrayals.
Vitellius is of course the villain of the piece. Just as he did in the first book of the series, he betrays his country and his comrades.
Vespasian is caught up in the intrigues of his wife, Flavia, who he knows is involved with a revolutionary group called The Liberators. Though she denies it and he must choose whether or not to believe her.
Worst of all, from a personal point of view, Cato is betrayed by his lover Lavinia, who is herself betrayed by the man she forsook Cato for. He is also betrayed by a man with whom he had formed a firm friendship he believed would last.

On top of the action and politics, there are also accounts of what life in the empire was like for non-Romans. For slaves, auxillary troops and for those who are conquered. Was Rome a force for civilisation, bringing law and culture to barbaric lands, or was it a hungry predator feeding on the wealth and resources of its unfortunate neighbours? The author is not judgemental. Both are true, depending on one's point of view.

An excellent book for lovers of historical fiction.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great. It clearly does lack the pondering depth of certain other authors (such as Steven Saylor) but if you're in the mood for a fun romp, look no further. This series in general is one I'd equate to Hollywood action films; very easy to digest, lots of action, punchy, lively, succinct with a tight overall structure, whilst also scraping by on enough historical depth to remain interesting and immersive. It never questions things too deeply and the result it a fun slice of fiction.

The two main characters are quite opposite to each other and their relationship grows and strains in new and interesting ways. Furthermore, just when you feel you might be getting too much of one character (such as Cato reflecting and moping around a lot in book #2) there's always Macro to pick up the pieces and vice versa. So as a whole they balance things well for themselves as well as the reader.

The political intrigue begins as Scarrow's weakest point but I feel he starts to iron this out and make it as interesting as everything else with each subsequent book. All in all, this is a book and series I enjoy.

[Tom Humphries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just keeps getting better

I literally can't put these books down. Brilliant reads that make you Wang to keep going. Now on to the next

[Martin Smrz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big potential in the story, but for my liking it just moves slow because of the battle parts.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

About halfway through the book, the Emperor Claudius arrives on the scene, intent on "leading" the troops to victory in the climactic battle that will cement his rule. However, amidst all the elephants and courtiers are a cabal seeking to assassinate the emperor, possibly with the assistance of the 2nd legion's tribune and/or the commander's wife. There's plenty of skullduggery afoot, but I personally found the military portions more engaging than the court intrigue. To be sure, the writing's not sparkling, but it's serviceable enough for those seeking a fun historic adventure. I'll definitely read the next in the series.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 sterren - Nederlandse paperback

43 n.Chr.: centurio Marco trekt met het Tweede Legioen op tegen de Brittanniërs. Al snel stuiten ze op de eerste hindernis: een brede rivier met op de andere oever versterkingen waarachter de barbaren zich verschanst hebben. De Brittanniërs compenseren hun primitieve strijdwijze met een ongelooflijke moed en onverzettelijk- heid.

Samen met zijn tweede man Cato staat Marco voor de steeds moeilijkere taak de Brittanniërs zo snel mogelijk te verslaan. Het echte gevaar komt echter uit een andere, onverwachte hoek.

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.

Met spanning zat ik te wachten op de vertaling van het tweede deel nadat ik het eerste deel in een aantal dagen had uitgelezen.

Ook dit boek kreeg mij weer op het puntje van mijn stoel. Het boek, sterker nog de serie heeft voor elk wat wils.

Tenenkrommende politiek en intrige met een heftige ontknoping aan het eind van het boek. Ook de gevechten zijn levendig omschreven.

Ik werd meegesleurd in de wereld van Marco en Cato. Ik kan niet wachten op de volgende delen!

[MrKPOT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Маршем по Англии

Военная кампания по завоеванию Англии продолжается. Впереди первая крупная цель - город Камулодунум, от успеха по его захвату зависит как жизнь наших героев, так и жизнь императора и судьба всей Римской Империи.

Если после прочтении первой книги, ваши мысли были схожи на - “книга хорошая, только вот побольше бы сражений, и по меньше бы любовной драмы” - Орел-Завоеватель придётся вам по душе. И хоть при прочтении я не скучал, большого энтузиазма продолжат эту серии у меня тоже нету. Просто не зацепила. Возможно, в электронном варианте я попробую закончить кампанию в Англии, но физические книги точно брать не буду.

Финальная Оценка 3,5 из 5.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in the Eagles of Rome series, this time following the battles on the front in the British stronghold.
Whilst enjoyable, I did find this more focussed on the battles themselves rather than the fair mix of the main characters on the last outing.
Either way, it’s a good listen and the characters remain as strong as they did previously.
There is still the added mix of espionage, treason, love and suspicion throughout, which I think adds to the success of the series so far.

Overall, four out of five.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

En spännande historisk roman om antikens Rom och slaget om Britannien. Andra delen om Macro och Cato bjuder på politiska intriger, hårda strider och intressant karaktärsutveckling. Scarrow fångar återigen romerskt militärliv med imponerande detaljer och utvecklar relationen mellan Macro och Cato på ett engagerande sätt. Jag tyckte att den började lite trögt, men mot slutet kunde jag inte släppa den. Ser framemot att fortsätta läsa Silverörnen-serien.

[Sol Villagarcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demasiadas cosas sucedieron al final. Me encanta la relación paternifilial que tienen Macro y Cato. Es lindo ver cómo evolucionan y Macro lo cuida a su manera.

No sabía que pensar de Lavinia. Pensé (confié) en que no sería infiel.😭 pero por supuesto, me decepcionó. No digo que mereciera el final que tuvo, pero ya no había vuelta atrás para la trama. (No iba a aceptar que Cato se quede con ella después de lo que ella hizo. Era una chica joven e ilusa. Pero así son las cosas y ese fue su destino.

[Jim Wallis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, although it didn't have me turning the pages as quickly as it's predecessor.
I will continue with the series though - I want to continue following Macro and Cato on the campaign through Southwest Britain, and see what happens to them next.