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.
The Eagles Conquest is the second book in Simon Scarrows series following Macro the centurion and Cato his optio. I read this book straight after the first (Under the Eagle) and have the whole series waiting to be read on my bookshelf. I can assure you that they will be read soon. I am a young man myself with an interest in all things academic much like Cato and I find if I was thrown into the Roman legions away from a life of study and security my reaction would be the same. Cato struggles to get along with his comrades as they are from different worlds to him and as such have vastly contrasting views on most matters. If it were not for the lovable rough role-model Macro Cato may well be dead the characters bounce off one another very well, bringing out the best in both of them.The other main character, although maybe not as much as Macro and especially Cato, is Vespasian. He is forever fretting, whether about his wife and a connection to the anarchists in Rome or how his career is moving along and finally how to deal with the sneaky tribune Vitellius.Vitellius is the bad guy in this series he is a sneaky tribune who will stop at nothing to satisfy his high ambitions. He will kill, steal and manipulate and it seems to Cato that he is the only one to see through the tribunes agenda. The reason why the rating is only a 4 star and not a 5 is the lack of originality throughout the books. Obviously when writing about history it is hard to change the past and give a sense of uniqueness, but this is not what worries me it is the structure of the books. There is a 'bad guy' who the protagonist always catches, only to be quelled at the last minute, giving a feeling of injustice. This structure is very stereotypical of most fiction books and what the character Vespasian brings to the books is a breakaway from this, as well as a look into the pressure of Roman politics, deciding on where the line lies between family and ambition.All in all Simon Scarrows novels give a very rich and imaginitive insight into many walks of Roman life. From the basic legionnaire to even the emperor himself! This broad outlook does not lack on historical detail as the author explains at the back of each book.The book is fast paced and full of excitement, yet sometimes this does lack authenticity as lots of events fall into place for very little reasoning, though again sometimes this needs to happen when writing with a historical background.
What do You think about The Eagle's Conquest (2015)?
I'm really enjoying this series. Book II, The Eagle's Conquest, finds Cato and Macro in the thick of it yet again. Cato, still young, inexperienced and naive must show his mettle in the heat of battle, for he must prove to his men that he can lead by example and display courage where fear threatens to overwhelm. Off the battlefield, things are no easier for our impressionable hero and Cato's unrequited love is destined to teach him a painful but invaluable lesson. If personal trials and tribulations were not enough, Cato must also play his part in order to protect the life of the Roman Emperor and our worldly centurion Macro must ensure his young charge survives to see a new day. Eagle's Conquest successfully continues on from where book one left off.
—Joel Judge
As a follow-on from Scarrow's first book, UNDER THE EAGLE, which I greatly enjoyed, I found THE EAGLE'S CONQUEST something of a letdown. I put it down to the old "curse of the second novel", whereby it appears that Scarrow found this very difficult to write and that somehow transmutes into it being something of a chore to read.It's really odd, but there's something about this novel that I didn't like, and I can't quite put my finger on it. It's certainly an easy read, and action packed, chock full of thrilling battle scenes which make full use of their Romans vs. Celts premise. And yet, and yet, and yet...it appears that Scarrow is trying to copy Bernard Cornwell's old formula of having bad guys among the good, but it never really works.At least half of the novel is involved with a conspiracy sub-plot about a murder attempt on the Emperor's life. Instead of being suspenseful and thrilling, this is actually extremely boring and it goes nowhere, building up to a "climax" that's over in two pages. The characters are far too black or white, there are no surprises and I was just itching to get back to the 'meat' of the novel, the warfare.It also doesn't help that Cato is a singularly unlikeable character in this novel. Oh, Macro's fine - Scarrow has his coarse, soldierly dialogue just right - but he's definitely a supporting character here. Cato comes across as a whiny, self-important youth forever at the mercy of anyone and everyone. The romance scenes are corny in the extreme and by the time he's been beaten or abused for the umpteenth time you just wish he would grow a pair. Sorry, Cato.I shall plough on with this series and hope that Scarrow's stride picks up as he gets more familiar with the craft of writing.
—Graham
La primera novela de la saga me dejó algo frío, tenía ideas realmente buenas pero pecaba de ser demasiado ingenua en su desarrollo.Y en la segunda pasa lo mismo.Todo el tema de ambientación militar y de hacerte sentir dentro de una invasión romana a las islas británicas está estupendamente logrado, te hace sentir un legionario más, con sus problemas, sus dudas, las marchas que debían hacer, cómo les usaban lanzándoles contra el enemigo…Luego tenemos un dúo protagonista que pese a ser un cliché en cualquier género (chico joven, listo y prometedor bajo las órdenes de un hombre mucho más sencillo y rudo que le hace de mentor) funciona bastante bien y le da un contrapunto interesante a la vida en las centurias.Y luego está el añadir una trama de traiciones con un antagonista claro y un par de giros hacia el final del libro.Hasta aquí todo bueno.Lo malo viene cuando no consigue sorprender en ningún momento, volviéndose una novela entretenida, pero que no aspira para nada a volverse algo más, y eso que los elementos para dar un salto de calidad están allí.Lo recomiendo? Sólo si sois fans del período histórico y queréis ver cómo vivían las legiones romanas, para los demás es un seguido de batallas y aventuras para los dos protagonistas que no aporta prácticamente nada al que lo lee (pese a, como he dicho, entretener).Igual ha tenido la mala suerte de ir detrás en mi pila de lecturas deel último libro de la Rueda del Tiempo, pero el caso es que me ha dejado algo frío.Reseña completa en: http://www.darlantan8.blogspot.com.es...
—Vicenç Sanz
