The Eagle and the Wolves

Rating:
Summary: Buy it Now!
Review:
The Roman Legions are now well entrenched in Britain, but are still finding dogged resistance from the fearsome natives. Macro and Cato find themselves standing between victory and bloody defeat.

Cato is newly appointed to the rank of Centurion and it falls to him and Macro to provide an army of untrained recruits for the aged ruler Verica.

With an army of raw recruits can they halt the progress of a cunning opponent and plotters who are eager not only to destroy Macro and Cato but the whole of the Roman army.

Simon Scarrow has a wonderful feel for the period he writes about and his characters endear themselves to you the reader. These books are well researched and for anyone interested in this period of Britain's history are a great read. Fact mixed with fiction in the best possible way.

Rating:
Summary: Another sterling installment
Review: Scarrow's fourth adventure of our two heroes, Macro and Cato, has the two stepping out of the recovery ward in Calleva (Cato grumbling about his terrible rib injury that might end his career - though, suspiciously all pain seems to be forgotten by page hundred or so, making Scarrow's consistency questionable) and being ordered by Vespasian to raise two auxiliary cohorts to defend the Atrebatan capital. The situation is extremely tricky, widespread food shortages, constant raids by the Durotriges, and Plautius chasing of Caratacus' army deep into the territory of the Silures.
With the aging client-king Verica trying to secure his people the bext possible vantage as subjects of the Roman whilst ensuring annexation does not occur and the hotheaded idealistic younger celtic men (spearheaded by Tincommius) fomenting discord, we're on a rollercoaster of a ride.
Both the newly centurionated Cato and Macro take charge, drilling and educating the Britons in the true mettle of the Roman II Augusta and having several necessary arguments along the way until they eventually proudly blood them in a skirmish against the Durotriges who are attacking one of the supply columns. A sense of unity is created with the creation of the Eagles and the Wolves but discord threatens when first the standard bearer, Bedriacus, is murdered, then Artax is killed by Cato apparently attempting to take Verica's life.
Eventually Plautius realises he's been chasing shadows and Caratcus' army has travelled south of the Tamesis to aid the Durotrigans who have now attacked Calleva with the help of several of the Atrebatans. What follows is a defense of heroic proportions as both centurions, a handful of legionaries and the auxiliaries defend the compound, royal enclosure and Verica's life before first Vespasian with a couple of cohorts, then Plautius arrive. Mixed in is a scheming tribune Quntilius (a poor replacement for the effervescent Vitellius) who wants to be the first procurator of the client kingdom of the Atrebates (he does achieve his aim but his poor management and cowardice are noted).
The latest installment adds more weight to Scarrow's resume, and the adventures of Cato and Macro are a refreshing breeze through the Roman historical genre. It is not designed for the historical purist and to pick holes in for inaccuracy of place, time and context misses the point of these novels. Long may they continue.