Finally a book in the Eagle series that didn't feel like a huge waste of time reading.It has taken this far in to make me actually enjoy (slightly too strong a word) one and if I'm honest, if I hadn't been over-eager and bought all the books before having read any, I probably wouldn't have bothered with the series again.This book can neatly be summed up as Macro & Cato versus some typically evil as hell Druid bastards who've captured some Romans - the family of General Plautius himself no less - and the story essentially revolves around the rescue attempt.Most of the irks I had with the previous books in the series don't seem as much of an issue any more as it's either significantly different or it's been long enough between books for me to only see the previous books in a boring, staid light compared to this. That said there are similarities between this book and the last; specifically how the plot feels awkwardly bent and warped solely to ensure that Macro & Cato - two relatively anonymous middling officers - are at the very centre of the story all the way through, at the expense of credibility.Other historical fiction manages to pull of making it appear that the lead characters are set on this path thanks to the decision of others, incidental choices and just the way life goes, you know, a more casual sense. Whereas there's the distinct feeling in this book that the narrative was almost intentionally mangled to put them in the limelight.There appears to have been a lack of either a competent proof-reader or mistakes by the author himself, as on one occasion the word 'cohort' is repeatedly used instead of the word 'century' (think hundreds of men instead of less than 80) and there are typos too.There is also one particularly glaring error where, as Macro & Cato are attempting to sneak into a Druid village, Scarrow makes a point of describing the village as having an outer palisade and then an inner enclosure with it's own (second?) palisade, making it doubly protected. Yet as he describes the action, neither palisade is even mentioned again as if the characters have somehow teleported themselves from outside the palisade to right bang inside where they want to go.All that said, the reason I still gave this a three out of five is that is still one of those books that you find yourself almost galloping through the pages and, even if it's one of those books that lets you check your brain in at the door, doesn't feel like you've wasted the time it took you to read it.Overall, an improvement on the previous books in the series yet still some way short of being of the level to set it apart from the scores of other Roman fiction authors out there.Hopefully though the next book in the series will continue the upwards trajectory as, to be honest, the only reason I started this book at all was to clear space on my shelf, rather than any particular devotion to the series.
This third volume in Scarrow's Eagle series sees our two heroes, the central character Cato and his Centurion Macro, sent on a private mission to rescue the family of General Plautius. They have been captured by a group of outraged Druids who wish to trade them for a number of Druids held as POWs following the battle of Camulodunum.The novel opens with the hapless pair at a banquet. Cato is being seduced by future warrior queen Boudicca. This I found a little bit incredulous. I know that Scarrow likes to work real historical figures around his fictional characters but still... this was a little too much on top of everything else.My major complaint centres on the central character, Cato. Firstly, his bitterness at the girl who betrayed him and the man who killed her gets a bit too much at times. Secondly, he has changed far too much since the first book and the interesting dynamic between the Optio and the Centurion is already lost, making the overall story a lot less interesting. Though in light of the final chapter, the series will now undergo a change of direction - it will be interesting to see how their relationship changes in view of these events or indeed, whether Macro takes on a smaller role.This was perhaps a little more educational than the previous book; Scarrow has woven in the complexities of the Roman conquest of Britain rather well, taking care to dispel the myth that it was entirely an aggressive military campaign to destroy the tribes and make Britain a Roman province. The truth is nothing of the sort; Rome had allies amongst the native Britons and they had invited a task force over to assist them against the aggression of other tribes. There had also been trade for many decades and Scarrow is very keen to point out all of these facts and intricately demonstrates the polarised reaction to Roman presence on the island.Other real world characters include the dastardly Vitellius (who murdered Cato's lover in the last book) and fellow future Emperor Vespasian. Anybody with an interest in 1st Century Roman history knows how that story is going to pan out when we eventually reach that point. Currently, the series is up to book eleven, which is called Praetorian. I find that I am becoming increasingly ambivalent about this series. It isn't bad, in fact there is nothing actually wrong with it, it just doesn't light my fire either. I guess I have been spoilt by Lindsey Davis' Falco series and Harry Sidebottom's Warrior of Rome. I'm not excited about reading the next in the series but I probably will.
What do You think about When The Eagle Hunts (2003)?
In the Macro/Cato series, this was a most enjoyable read.Taking place in the bitter winter of AD 44, troops on both sides of the Roman conquest of Britain await spring so they can begin their campaigns. The native Britons are restless, though, and carry out guerilla raids on targets of opportunity.The Roman commander, General Plautius discovers his family has been shipwrecked and captured by Druids. Macro and Cato volunteer to try to rescue the General's family before they are sacrificed. The odds are very much against them succeeding but they believe that with courage and ingenuity, they can outwit the Druids and rescue the hostages.The pace of the story is exhilarating and the characters have become so familiar that it's a pleasure to watch them operate together.
—Ed
Another adventure for Centurion Macro and his Optio, Cato.Bit of a slow start, but when the action starts then it moves along at a good pace.Macro, the grizzled veteran and Cato the idealistic youngster make a good counterpoint to each other and let the author explain things by way of explanations to Cato.Aided by some Iceni allies, they have to try and rescue a General's family from Druids. Ranging from scenes of the might of Rome in its ordered ranks to small, bloody skirmishes, this book has a good range of characters.
—Brian Turner
Mentre nei primi due libri i due protagonisti erano "immersi" nella vita della legione, soprattutto nei combattimenti, in questo terzo libro si trovano in missione in territorio nemico con solo altri due personaggi.La storia e la narrazione rimangono su buoni livelli, e la trama è godibile, ma ancora non riesce a far appassionare veramente ai personaggi e alle loro (dis)avventure.A livello di traduzione mi hanno dato un po' fastidio alcune differenze di stile rispetto ai primi libri (per esempio il Tamesis qui diventa Tamigi)
—Alessandro Pellizzari
