The Eagle's Conquest

Publishers Weekly

British writer Scarrow (Under the Eagle) offers a second action novel set in ancient Rome, focusing on a key battle in Britain during the Roman invasion led by Claudius in 43 A.D., then turning to an attempt to assassinate Claudius. The first half of the book follows the adventures of Centurion Macro and his eager young subordinate, Optio Cato (both of whom played prominent roles in the first book), as the Romans try to outmaneuver the forces of Caratacus, king of the Celtic tribes of Britain, in a series of skirmishes along the Thames. The battle scenes are lifeless and generic despite the nonstop action, mostly because Scarrow offers little in the way of character development (most of the combatants are military stereotypes) or period detail (the contemporary colloquialisms offer some unintentional levity: "Just make sure you get some proper bloody swimming lessons," Macro chides Cato). The assassination conspiracy that takes up the second half of the book is far more interesting. Macro and Cato must get to the bottom of a plot involving fellow soldier Vitellius, a Carthaginian surgeon and Flavia Lavinia, a former romantic interest of Cato's. Scarrow deftly negotiates this tricky, labyrinthian story line, but his writing style remains pedestrian. Cato and Marco are one-dimensional, albeit fitfully amusing, protagonists. Scarrow will need to elaborate their personalities considerably if they're to carry the sequel that Scarrow foreshadows in this book's rather predictable conclusion. (Dec.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

The continuation of Scarrow’s Under the Eagle (2001) follows the adventures of Roman Centurion Macro as he defends himself against friend and foe alike during the invasion of Britain in a.d. 43. Macro is one of those bright lads who rise to prominence out of nowhere, only to find he has to fight harder to stay on top than he did to get there in the first place. An illiterate soldier who rose through the ranks to become a centurion (i.e., commander of a division of a hundred men), Macro has learned that intrigue kills more officers than the barbarians ever could, and he has to keep a careful eye out for Vitellius, a senior tribune of the Second Legion who is a secret spy for Emperor Claudius. Macro and Vitellius have already crossed swords over an imperial payroll that Vitellius attempted to steal, but the aristocratic tribune is too well connected to be exposed outright--least of all by a plebian like Macro. So Macro keeps out of his way and concentrates on the first task at hand: the subjugation of the British tribes united under their warlord Caratacus. The Britons outnumber the Romans many times over, but they are no match for the Romans’ superior organization and strategy, and the conquest of their capital city Camulodunum (London) is only a matter of time. Once the victory is assured, however, a new danger arises when Vitellius attempts to overthrow Macro’s commander Vespasian, whose wife Flavia is connected with a secret society of republicans plotting to overthrow the emperor. The emperor, therefore, needs to return to Rome as soon as possible, put down the schemers in the senate, and have himself declared a god. In other words, politics as usual for the Roman Empire. Good, clean,intelligent fun--even the frequent anachronisms (e.g., ancient Romans exclaiming "Bloody marvelous!") can’t spoil the show. (N.B.: Caratacus escapes. Prepare for another installment.)