Muori per Roma

Invader #5

by Simon Scarrow

Britannia, AD 45. Il piano di Roma di insediare un monarca alleato a capo di una tribù ostile rischia di fallire. Una sinistra setta di Druidi, guidata da un carismatico sacerdote, minaccia di destabilizzare la provincia e ha fatto prigionieri svariati soldati romani. Ora l'optio Orazio Figulo deve affrontare la sua missione più pericolosa. Deve avventurarsi in profondità dietro le linee nemiche alla ricerca dei suoi compagni catturati e della fortezza segreta dei Druidi. Riuscirà Figulo a impedire ai Druidi della Luna Nera di infliggere una devastante sconfitta alla Seconda Legione? Riuscirà a salvare i suoi compagni prima che vengano giustiziati nel corso di un terribile rituale?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical

79 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 30, 2015

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

[Darek Zawisko · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Phil Syphe · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Sacrifice’, a spin-off from the Eagle series, continues the course of events in Britain after Cato and Macro’s departure.

One of the secondary characters from the Eagle series, Figulus, now takes on the main role. I always liked him as a supporting character, though he doesn’t make for the best of leads. That’s not to say it was a mistake to elevate him, but I think another stronger character would’ve been better, with Figulus in the second main role.

As for the story, I found it to be okay but liked it the least of the five Invader books, which made it a disappointing end to the series. The set up revolves around the Romans setting up a king, who's really a puppet ruler, and a group of particularly dangerous druids who want rid of him and the occupying Romans.

The king's daughter, who added some spice to the predominantly male cast in the previous two novellas, is mentioned only in passing. The author may not feature female characters often in his books, yet when he does, they’re always vivid and often add some welcome titillation to a story, so it's a shame she doesn't feature prominently in 'Sacrifice'.

Battles scenes are exciting, spoilt only be the overuse of 'then', as in 'then he did this, then that happened,' etc. Cut or replace every 'then' and it'd be much stronger prose.

‘Telling’, not ‘showing' is another minus point.

Still, it’s a decent read, and I’ll be reading more Simon Scarrow books for sure.

[Michael Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seemed a good idea to Optio Figulus for he and another to go after his two fallen comrades and then rescue them. But they are prisoners in a camp of hundreds of British who want then dead, and once having got in there and seen them, getting out is another matter. The Roman task force arrives at the camp but it is heavily fortified with hundreds of able defenders and seemingly impregnable. Except Figulus has spent time in the camp and knows its one weakness. There is a final and very bloody battle and evil druid Calumus is killed and all ends well for the good guys. Figulus ends up with the rank of Centurion for the Roman battles that continue elsewhere.

[Deryk Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, thoroughly enjoyable.

[Laurence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent series, I'd like to see more stand alone entries in this era by Scarrow et al.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final part in Simon Scarrow's 'Invader' series of novellas (which are bound to come out as one package anytime soon ...), this sees Figulus and some of his comrades infiltrate a Druid stronghold deep in the British swamps to both rescue some of his captured comrades, and to scout an approach for the Roman Army.

These druids, remember, are not the peace and nature-loving druids of the Romantic ideal, but are instead a violent order of religious psychopaths, so if he gets caught ...

Of course, he doesn't, with the novella (and the series) ending with Figulus rescuing some of his captured comrades and (finally) making the jump to the becoming a Centurion.