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Empire #10
The Scorpion's Strike
Set in the second century AD, The Scorpion's Strike continues the story of Marcus Aquila's fight for justice for a family ripped asunder by imperial assassins.
Still seeking revenge, Marcus finds himself thrown back into the heart of the chaos that is shaking the Roman Empire to its roots.
Fresh from their close escape from imperial betrayal in the German forest, Marcus and the Tungrians are ordered to Gaul, where an outlaw called Maturnus is wreaking havoc. Havoc that may be more than mere banditry, as deserters and freed slaves flock to his cause: rebellion is in the air for the first time in a generation.
And if escape from Rome's memories is a relief for the young centurion, he soon discovers that danger has followed him west to Gaul. The expedition is led by Praetorians whom he has every cause to hate. And to fear, if they should discover who he really is.
Still seeking revenge, Marcus finds himself thrown back into the heart of the chaos that is shaking the Roman Empire to its roots.
Fresh from their close escape from imperial betrayal in the German forest, Marcus and the Tungrians are ordered to Gaul, where an outlaw called Maturnus is wreaking havoc. Havoc that may be more than mere banditry, as deserters and freed slaves flock to his cause: rebellion is in the air for the first time in a generation.
And if escape from Rome's memories is a relief for the young centurion, he soon discovers that danger has followed him west to Gaul. The expedition is led by Praetorians whom he has every cause to hate. And to fear, if they should discover who he really is.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 18, 2019
111 people are currently reading
313 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Riches
51 books359 followersAnthony Riches began his lifelong interest in war and soldiers when he first heard his father's stories about World War II. This led to a degree in Military Studies at Manchester University. He began writing the story that would become Wounds of Honour after a visit to Housesteads in 1996. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 25, 2019
This truly captivating book is the 10th volume of the "Empire" series, featuring Marcus Valerius Aquila (Corvus), from the ,in my view, great historical author called, Anthony Riches.
Once again the historical details concerning this period of history are very well researched and explained in the Historical Note, which you can find at the end of the book, and it's there where you can also find the Roman Army set-up in the late 2nd Century.
At the beginning of the book you'll notice a well-drawn map of the Roman Empire around AD 186, during the Reign of Emperor Commodus, and this part of the Roman Empire will play the major part in this astonishing story.
Storytelling is as ever, just like all his other books, of a top-notch quality, all the characters, real great historical or superb fictional, come wonderfully to life in this tale of betrayal, war, survival and death within the Roman Empire.
After a short intriguing prologue which is set in the year AD 180, the main story is set between AD 186-187, during the Reign of the increasingly unpredictable and murderous, Emperor Commodus, and this story starts in Rome, where our main character, Centurion Marcus Valerius Aquila and his Tungrians, are finding themselves at the moment, after their dangerous mission in Germania, only to hear to prepare themselves for another mission into the western part of Gaul, where a resurrection is taking place under the leadership of the former Praetorian, Maternus.
In a fast-paced and action-packed Roman adventure Marcus Aquila and his Tungrians will have to face rebellion with all its implications, including fighting to the death, while at the same time watching their backs for treachery and backstabbing from assassins sent by Chamberlain Cleander.
And so what will follow is an intriguing and exciting Roman historical adventure, in which on the one hand Marcus Aquila and his Tungrians must try to infiltrate into the enormous rebellious factions in an effort to stop that resurrection and their leader, Maternus, while on the second hand trying at the same time to detect the Praetorians sent by Chamberlain Cleander in their effort to eliminate Marcus, and if Marcus Aquila is able to succeed in his actions and survive, he can still take revenge later on the man who killed most of his family and save the rest of his "Familia", who are now under the "close protection" of Cleander in the Palatine as a surety.
Highly recommended, for this is a tremendous series to follow, and what this book is concerned I want to call it: "A Most Powerful Venomous Masterstroke"!
Once again the historical details concerning this period of history are very well researched and explained in the Historical Note, which you can find at the end of the book, and it's there where you can also find the Roman Army set-up in the late 2nd Century.
At the beginning of the book you'll notice a well-drawn map of the Roman Empire around AD 186, during the Reign of Emperor Commodus, and this part of the Roman Empire will play the major part in this astonishing story.
Storytelling is as ever, just like all his other books, of a top-notch quality, all the characters, real great historical or superb fictional, come wonderfully to life in this tale of betrayal, war, survival and death within the Roman Empire.
After a short intriguing prologue which is set in the year AD 180, the main story is set between AD 186-187, during the Reign of the increasingly unpredictable and murderous, Emperor Commodus, and this story starts in Rome, where our main character, Centurion Marcus Valerius Aquila and his Tungrians, are finding themselves at the moment, after their dangerous mission in Germania, only to hear to prepare themselves for another mission into the western part of Gaul, where a resurrection is taking place under the leadership of the former Praetorian, Maternus.
In a fast-paced and action-packed Roman adventure Marcus Aquila and his Tungrians will have to face rebellion with all its implications, including fighting to the death, while at the same time watching their backs for treachery and backstabbing from assassins sent by Chamberlain Cleander.
And so what will follow is an intriguing and exciting Roman historical adventure, in which on the one hand Marcus Aquila and his Tungrians must try to infiltrate into the enormous rebellious factions in an effort to stop that resurrection and their leader, Maternus, while on the second hand trying at the same time to detect the Praetorians sent by Chamberlain Cleander in their effort to eliminate Marcus, and if Marcus Aquila is able to succeed in his actions and survive, he can still take revenge later on the man who killed most of his family and save the rest of his "Familia", who are now under the "close protection" of Cleander in the Palatine as a surety.
Highly recommended, for this is a tremendous series to follow, and what this book is concerned I want to call it: "A Most Powerful Venomous Masterstroke"!
November 17, 2021
I enjoyed the heck out of this one!
The Tungrians were sent to Gaul to bring a century of former praetorian soldiers to heel; they had officially turned to murder and mayhem throughout the countryside, and their numbers had swelled alarmingly. The auxiliaries were given this task alongside a praetorean cohort. And of course, since Commodus' sidekick Cleandar was the person to assign the Tungrians, one could safely assume that there will be at least one assassination attempt on at least one member of the Tungrians.
I could see why the ringleader rebelled as not only was Commodus a horrendous emperor, but the whole imperium was such a vile pit of corruption. And he had seen too many of his comrades die for the whims of Rome. But even though I could sympathize with his reasoning for betraying his oath, his calculating methods and viciousness destroyed the warm and fuzzies.
I'm going to soldier on to the end of this series!
The Tungrians were sent to Gaul to bring a century of former praetorian soldiers to heel; they had officially turned to murder and mayhem throughout the countryside, and their numbers had swelled alarmingly. The auxiliaries were given this task alongside a praetorean cohort. And of course, since Commodus' sidekick Cleandar was the person to assign the Tungrians, one could safely assume that there will be at least one assassination attempt on at least one member of the Tungrians.
I could see why the ringleader rebelled as not only was Commodus a horrendous emperor, but the whole imperium was such a vile pit of corruption. And he had seen too many of his comrades die for the whims of Rome. But even though I could sympathize with his reasoning for betraying his oath, his calculating methods and viciousness destroyed the warm and fuzzies.
I'm going to soldier on to the end of this series!
February 19, 2019
Anthony Riches is a fantastic author, one of my very favourites and his Empire series featuring aristocrat turned gladiator and centurion Marcus Valerius Aquila is one I wouldn't be without. Commodus is emperor and, not surprisingly, he has enemies in every direction. Marcus and his cohort of Tungrians and Britons is sent off to deal with one particular treacherous rebel in Germania Superior and Gaul. As we'd expect, Marcus continues to have a price on his head. His survival and that of his comrades is not guaranteed. The fight will be dirty. Excellent as always! Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.
February 10, 2024
'Sometimes you have to forget your own safety in this life and do the one thing that nobody expects.'
Historical fiction light. Another Roman superhero exploit. Action-packed, if comic book style adventure. The gods certainly favor Marcus, not to mention his friends. The stories are getting formulaic, but that’s probably part of their appeal to their target audience.
‘[Now] more warrior than I have ever been before or ever will be again, fighting as if I was possessed by some daemon of vengeance, my previous torpor burned away to leave my spirit incandescent with fury.’
Sadly, abandoned earlier practice of using vernacular names for sites rather than obscure Latin. Argentoratum, for example. Riches earlier rendering of place names in the vernacular reinforced Tommy-level storytelling.
‘But not today Sanga, you ugliest of men … Not today. Today we lie like gods themselves, eh?’
The soldier-in-the-ranks cynicism should resonate with Brits reflecting on the empire the sun never set. Shades of Bill Mauldin’s American WW2 soldiers Willie and Joe. (Was there a British equivalent?)
‘Just have the stonecutter write that I died like a man, in the company of my brothers. That would be enough.’
Series overview: Hardcore historical fiction told with modern English military idioms and profanity. Second-century Roman empire provides rich background of war, intrigue, and unrest to propel too-good-to-be-true protagonist to adventure. Roman grunts spoke Latin, but not that learned in school. (The whole series loses one star for profanity and violence. You’ve been warned.) Compare to Ellis Peters’ Chronicles of Cadfael or Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe's Tiger series. Though episodic, best read in order.
Historical fiction light. Another Roman superhero exploit. Action-packed, if comic book style adventure. The gods certainly favor Marcus, not to mention his friends. The stories are getting formulaic, but that’s probably part of their appeal to their target audience.
‘[Now] more warrior than I have ever been before or ever will be again, fighting as if I was possessed by some daemon of vengeance, my previous torpor burned away to leave my spirit incandescent with fury.’
Sadly, abandoned earlier practice of using vernacular names for sites rather than obscure Latin. Argentoratum, for example. Riches earlier rendering of place names in the vernacular reinforced Tommy-level storytelling.
‘But not today Sanga, you ugliest of men … Not today. Today we lie like gods themselves, eh?’
The soldier-in-the-ranks cynicism should resonate with Brits reflecting on the empire the sun never set. Shades of Bill Mauldin’s American WW2 soldiers Willie and Joe. (Was there a British equivalent?)
‘Just have the stonecutter write that I died like a man, in the company of my brothers. That would be enough.’
Series overview: Hardcore historical fiction told with modern English military idioms and profanity. Second-century Roman empire provides rich background of war, intrigue, and unrest to propel too-good-to-be-true protagonist to adventure. Roman grunts spoke Latin, but not that learned in school. (The whole series loses one star for profanity and violence. You’ve been warned.) Compare to Ellis Peters’ Chronicles of Cadfael or Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe's Tiger series. Though episodic, best read in order.
June 28, 2021
Well done!
I enjoyed this latest book in this series. Great ending, to me the characters continue to make this series great. I am a big reader of of Roman Legion stories.
I enjoyed this latest book in this series. Great ending, to me the characters continue to make this series great. I am a big reader of of Roman Legion stories.
May 3, 2019
No 10 in the series and showing no signs of slowing down , after a break with the excellent Centurions trilogy Anthony Riches is back with a bang. One of the joys of the Empire series is how he captures the language of the soldiers and how they act , add that to a fast paced and gripping page turner and you have a first class historical novel. I have praised the series many times for its historical research of the period , but the thing made the most impression on me and is very currant to the present day was the small passage of conversation between Julius and a centurion of the Eighth about how the effect of war had on their mental health , a tropic very much in the present day with our service men and women. Marching with the Tungrians is always a pleasure and I look forward to the continuation of Marcus Aquila`s story in this excellent series.
July 6, 2021
Volume 10 and Riches still keeps the stories interesting this time the story revolving around the outlaw Maturnus who (historically) raised an army and pillaged Roman Gaul. Good stuff once again...
February 9, 2020
Wow, the tenth book in a consistently excellent series. The author took a break to provide us with his “Centurions” trilogy but now returns to the Tungrians and AD186. Back from their adventures in Germany, they are still under threat from Emperor Commodus and his slimy chamberlain Cleander.
An ex Praetorian officer has gone rogue and is stirring up rebellion in Gaul. Our Tungrian troops are sent off to bring the rebellion to a halt with the support of Praetorian troops. A few promotions have been thrown at the team for political reasons, but Cleander has no wish for certain individuals to survive any conflict.
The series started by being all about Marcus Valerius Aquila, certainly the last couple of books have been about his personal tragedy and a thirst for revenge. But the focus here is wider and more towards the senior officers, especially Tribune Scaurus. It also felt more of a bigger picture book with slightly less focus on the cameos of individuals and their loyalty to each-other.
A welcome return and as good as we have come to expect.
An ex Praetorian officer has gone rogue and is stirring up rebellion in Gaul. Our Tungrian troops are sent off to bring the rebellion to a halt with the support of Praetorian troops. A few promotions have been thrown at the team for political reasons, but Cleander has no wish for certain individuals to survive any conflict.
The series started by being all about Marcus Valerius Aquila, certainly the last couple of books have been about his personal tragedy and a thirst for revenge. But the focus here is wider and more towards the senior officers, especially Tribune Scaurus. It also felt more of a bigger picture book with slightly less focus on the cameos of individuals and their loyalty to each-other.
A welcome return and as good as we have come to expect.
October 24, 2019
Another excellent Roman novel from Anthony Riches in the Empire series.
Riches creates a realistic Roman world for the reader and shows how the Roman Empire works in the time of Emperor Commodus with the dark workings of Cleander, the emperor’s chamberlain, having an impact on the central characters.
Sent to Gaul, to meet the challenge posed by the rebel Roman Maternus, Marcus Aquila is in danger from both the enemy and also those sent by Cleander to assassinate him. The success of the mission and the death of the assassin leaves Marcus alive for his next adventure.
Riches is an excellent storyteller, but the reader is also aware of the historical knowledge and research underpinning the narrative in this excellent series of novels.
Riches creates a realistic Roman world for the reader and shows how the Roman Empire works in the time of Emperor Commodus with the dark workings of Cleander, the emperor’s chamberlain, having an impact on the central characters.
Sent to Gaul, to meet the challenge posed by the rebel Roman Maternus, Marcus Aquila is in danger from both the enemy and also those sent by Cleander to assassinate him. The success of the mission and the death of the assassin leaves Marcus alive for his next adventure.
Riches is an excellent storyteller, but the reader is also aware of the historical knowledge and research underpinning the narrative in this excellent series of novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2019
I'm happy Riches is turning his attention back to this series. I missed Marcus and the others. This book certainly didn't disappoint: It was solid, action-packed book, and I'm stupidly relieved no one important died this time. Also: I'm very happy with Marcus's character development, and so, it appears, are his friends. He's back! Mostly. He has his priorities in order again, at least. And he's still gonna get revenge, which... good for him.
April 22, 2019
Welcome back
Following a gap whilst adventures in another period of Imperial Rome got Mr Riches attention, the welcomereturn of The Tungrians is done In spectacular style.
Once again we are drawn through the twists and turns of a cracking adventure as our
heroes return to save The Empire again with all the excitement we have come to expect.
Brilliant read.
Following a gap whilst adventures in another period of Imperial Rome got Mr Riches attention, the welcomereturn of The Tungrians is done In spectacular style.
Once again we are drawn through the twists and turns of a cracking adventure as our
heroes return to save The Empire again with all the excitement we have come to expect.
Brilliant read.
August 29, 2020
Another good read from Mr Riches. The continuing story of Marcus Aquila and the Tungrians swirling about amongst the currents of Roman empirical intrigue is amazingly consistent. The action is violent, vivid and addictive while the vicious and dastardly Cleander's attempts to make the Tungrians sacrificial lambs while doing his bidding enthralls.
October 21, 2020
Really enjoyed this but came in to the series at this book! (it was chosen for me by Conwy libraries as part of lockdown book collections- which i have LOVED btw!) i found the names hard to keep hold of and am not sure i always got the characters right but the plot was fantastic and i really want to read the previous 9!!!
Read
November 13, 2020This continues to be one of my favorite series. Marcus, Scaurus and the rest are sent in yet another impossible mission and manage to survive yet again. The historical notes tell us there really was a bandit leader named Maternus who ran amok and it seems he eventually had the gall to besiege a legionary fortress. A well-imagined take built on a solid foundation of history.
March 25, 2021
The story itself is ok , this one is down to my own reading style , i read the previous book some years ago , so i was struggling to remember who was who , i had read the first 8 books of this series in a row , so it was difficult to get into it
September 15, 2019
Brilliant
Fantastic read, fantastic series. Bloody and so thrilling. I look forward to the next chapter and Marcus aquilas continued exploits
Fantastic read, fantastic series. Bloody and so thrilling. I look forward to the next chapter and Marcus aquilas continued exploits
October 7, 2022
Fast paced, dramatic, and bloody. A good read.
February 18, 2023
Seemed uninspired to me.
February 4, 2025
A list of the main characters, their rank and function would have been helpful. I found it difficult to work out who was talking in a conversation.
June 16, 2023
Ormai Anthony Riches è una certezza per me: ogni romanzo con protagonista il centurione Marco Valerio Aquila è pieno di azione, suspense e battute taglienti (soprattutto dei personaggi secondari); devo ammettere però che da qualche volume le vicende non le trovavo particolarmente complesse, con risoluzioni che forse erano troppo semplici.
Invece quest'ultimo romanzo mi ha davvero colpito, forse perché ad un certo punto la situazione si ribalta a tal punto che ho pensato per la prima volta che Marco fallisse.
Davvero un bel romanzo, non vedo l'ora di sapere come andranno avanti.
Invece quest'ultimo romanzo mi ha davvero colpito, forse perché ad un certo punto la situazione si ribalta a tal punto che ho pensato per la prima volta che Marco fallisse.
Davvero un bel romanzo, non vedo l'ora di sapere come andranno avanti.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews