Rebellion (Eagles of Empire 22)

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I will be sad when this series comes to an end and in this book we lose some great characters. But the good news for me is I have many unread books to get through in this series😉 Flavia Domitilla: Vespasian's wife, who, he is chagrined to learn, is a member of the "Liberators," a group of conspirators plotting Claudius's assassination; however in Day of the Caesars, the conspirators have changed their target to Nero, hoping to allow Brittanicus to succeed his father. She also reveals that Julia was faithful to Cato. She kills herself when the coup fails. Meanwhile, Cato was charged with accompanying Emperor Nero's mistress Claudia Acte into exile on Sardinia, with the bulk of the novel then following Cato, the burgeoning romance between him and Claudia and events on that island. Bound together more by their hatred of Rome than anything else, the rebel tribes take brutal and bloody revenge on the Roman settlements they pass through. Whipped up into a religious frenzy by their Druids, their treatment of prisoners is especially cruel and merciless. Those who are squeamish may wish to skip a couple of the scenes.

Sometimes fate is destiny though as, not long after suffering a beating for not paying up, the former soldier gets his wish and Cato comes looking for refuge to this part of the empire. Their next campaign will be the invasion of Britannia with the Roman army, until in Britannia they will stumble into a conspiracy to overthrow the Emperor. Fight for Freedom (2011) – Recruited as a gladiator, young Marcus Cornelius Primus faces a new life of brutal training, governed by strict rules, as he learns the skills of an elite warrior. But Marcus cannot simply forget his past. His father lies murdered by soldiers and his mother has been kidnapped and forced into slavery. Marcus is determined to find his father’s old commander, Pompeius the Great, to seek justice for his family and set his mother free. This is the twentieth book in the Eagles of the Empire Series, and as usual an excellent read. Full of great characters and with a real sense of life in the Roman Empire. AD 60. Britannia is in turmoil. The rebel leader Boudica has tasted victory, against a force of tough veterans in Camulodunum.All in all, I found it entertaining and educational. I thought there were one or two wobbly components to the plot, and certainly one occasion where I thought a legion commander would have been rather more ruthless in finding the truth than he was when questioning a slave! I also guessed who the ‘spy’ in the camp was well ahead of the reveal and I’m one of the world’s slowest to see such things. Maybe it was intended, in that case. I have found the previous two books The Emperor’s Exile a waste and ponitless it was just written to get Cato to Britain to join up with Macro again.

The main thrust of the story is, inevitably, about the military. We join Cato as he undergoes strenuous training (Gemmell's LION OF MACEDON sprang to mind) and is then involved in some action. There's a wonderful extended set-piece in the middle of the book as the Romans battle Germans in a run-down settlement, and then some massive battles at the climax against the Britons. The action is well written and bloody, without being excessive. Scarrow ably balances the small scale front-line work with the strategies undertaken by the commanding officers. The Fields of Death (2010) – 1809. Viscount Wellington and Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte have made their mark as military commanders. Lifelong enemies, they both believe their armies are strong enough to destroy any rival. But in war victory can never be certain. I do admire Simon Scarrow's in-depth knowledge of life in the Roman Empire, from the day to day routine of housekeeping and providing meals to the details of Army life for both serving soldiers and veterans. I haven't read all of his stuff (there's so much of it!), but this is the third 'Macro' novel I've read and it was nice to renew his acquaintance, and that of Petronella, and to catch up on their adventures in the far-flung outpost of Britannia. Cato is the son of an Imperial Freedman (former slave) in direct service of Emperor Claudius. Being born a slave himself, and the property of the state, he was given an opportunity by the Emperor as a favour to Cato's late father to enlist in the legions and be given his freedom. Cato has lived a relatively luxurious life as a slave within the Imperial palace, in comparison to the rank and file of the legions, and after accepting the Emperor's offer. he joins the Second Augustan as Macro's Optio.

Without getting into spoiler territory, this revolves around the British legend Queen Boudica of the Iceni and her revolt against the Romans.......and with good reason. Heads roll (literally) and the bodies pile up as the revolt continues. And, of course Macro is at the centre of the action, protecting Roman The first book starts in 42AD. The books cover the experiences of the two soldiers, initially as an experiencedcenturionand newoption, in battles in Germania and the invasion of Britain byClaudiusas part of theLegio II Augusta. The 6th bookThe Eagle’s Prophecyhas them serving as part of the Imperial Navy east of Italy. The 7th and 8th put them in Rome’s eastern provinces as agents of the emperor’s secretaryTiberius Claudius Narcissus. As the streets run red with blood, the army's heroes face an enemy as merciless and cunning as any barbarian tribe. The honour of Rome is in their hands ... With the aim of attracting more readers, the publishers of the series had decided to drop the word Eagle from the title of the series in the year 2007. However, the idea seemed to be quite absurd and they decided to continue with the same title.

Macro has been close friends with Cato since Cato saved his life in the first book. This bond deepens when Macro confesses that he is illiterate and asks Cato's help in learning to read, and so maintain his position as an officer. He visto que son un montón de libros la serie del optio protagonista este, Cato. Voy a continuar con el siguiente a ver si merece o lo dejo. Revenge (2013) – The opening day of the Games in Rome is a time for celebration in honor of the new Emperor. But for Marcus Valerius Pavo, a young military tribune fallen from grace, only despair awaits. Along with former mentor, Optio Macro, Pavo must fight for his life in a ferocious beast hunt. Battling against lions and bears, he’ll have to use all his wits to survive, as well as the help of a hated former rival.

Publication Order of Warrior Books

Alerted to the rapidly spreading uprising, Governor Suetonius leads his army towards endangered Londinium with a mounted escort, led by Prefect Cato. Soon it's terrifyingly clear that Britannia is slipping into chaos and panic, with ever more tribal warriors swelling Boudica's ranks. And Cato and Suetonius are grimly aware that little preparation has been made to withstand a full-scale rebellion. First Sword (2013) – The imperial gladiator school in Capua: once the pride of the Roman Empire, lately driven to the brink of ruin by a greedy lanista. Now the school welcomes its newest recruit: Marcus Valerius Pavo, the high-born gladiator with a string of impressive victories to his name, sworn to seek revenge for the brutal murder of his father. There is a good amount of plotting and intrigue as well, which is fitting for a novel set in this Roman era. I found this to be a compelling part of the read. Macro has retired to Britain with his wife, Petronella, to enjoy a peaceful life together farming their patch of veteran's land and assisting his mother in the inn she and he together owned in Londinium. Cato was also heading for Britain, having had to leave Rome swiftly and secretly to protect Claudia, Nero's ex lover. Together again, they face more blood and battling than any retired veteran might reasonably expect. There’s a reason Schenke has been selected – he’s not a member of the Nazi Party and is only tolerated for his glamorous past racing cars, an illustrious career that ended in a crash. If this case should uncover demons, then Schenke will make the perfect scapegoat. Then, as the nights draw even darker, another woman is murdered and the pressure on Schenke mounts. PLAYING WITH DEATH

Things have changes since then, however - Macro is now retired from the legions, whereas Cato (originally Macro's optio) now outranks him and now has a family of his own to look after. As of 12 March 2018 Scarrow has sold over 4 million copies of the books within Eagles of the Empire in English alone. [1] Cover illustrations [ edit ] Macro has been discharged from the army and is set on retiring to a place he knows well - Britannia. With his half share of an inn in Londinium and the prospect of a plot of land to build a home, things look good for the former centurion. But things are not what they seem in this part of the empire. The local tribes are unsettled and a group of gangs are causing problems for anyone who owns a business. This includes Macro and his inn. It’s simple, they what a cut of your profits and if you don’t pay there will be consequences. The novels since Under the Eagle first being published have contained the word 'Eagle' in the title however since the 8th book Centurion the author has refrained from using 'Eagle' - the reason for this is unknown, however some speculate that this has been done in effort to make the books accessible to a wider audience, and also explains the change in cover illustrations. If you find yourself looking for better accounts of ancient warfare there are quite a few good authors out there. Christian Cameron is the best, although all his ancient world series ( Tyrant, Long War, and Commander) are all set in the Greek world. For Rome you have Ben Kane's Eagles and Clash of Empires. I find Kane frustratingly uninterested in nonmilitary topics, but he does at least understand them. Preston Holtry's Arrius books are an often underlooked series. And Harry Sidebottom's Warrior of Rome books are what you get when you cross a gifted novelist with a genuine historian. All come highly recommended.

Challenger (2012) – Rome under the rule of the ruthless new Emperor Claudius is a dangerous place. Condemned to gladiator school Marcus Valerius Pavo, the son of a treasonous general, is a celebrated hero following a dramatic victory in the arena. Now he finds himself pitted against one of the greatest gladiators who ever lived: Decimus Cominius Denter.