'It's Spartacus meets Master and Commander in this rip-roaring, thoroughly entertaining tale of swashbuckling adventure from one of the most exciting writers in historical fiction'

 

(Scottish Daily Record )

Simon Scarrow's brilliant adventure novels about the Roman army appear in stunning new covers.

It is spring 45 AD and Centurions Macro and Cato, dismissed from the Second Legion in Britain, are trapped in Rome, waiting for their involvement in the death of a fellow officer to be investigated. It is then that the imperial secretary, the devious Narcissus, makes them an offer they can?t refuse: to rescue an imperial agent who has been captured by pirates operating from the Illyrian coast. With him were scrolls vital to the safety of the Emperor and the future of Rome. However, Narcissus also sends Vitellius, an old enemy of the two centurions. The three officers set out from Ravenna with the imperial fleet but the pirates are forewarned and the Romans pay a heavy price. Outnumbered by the enemy, surrounded by rumours of treachery and endangered by Vitellius? desire to redeem himself, Centurions Macro and Cato must find the pirate base to avert a disaster that could destroy the Emperor.

Simon Scarrow's brilliant adventure novels about the Roman army appear in stunning new covers.It is spring 45 AD and Centurions Macro and Cato, dismissed from the Second Legion in Britain, are trapped in Rome, waiting for their involvement in the death of a fellow officer to be investigated. It is then that the imperial secretary, the devious Narcissus, makes them an offer they can't refuse: to rescue an imperial agent who has been captured by pirates operating from the Illyrian coast. With him were scrolls vital to the safety of the Emperor and the future of Rome. However, Narcissus also sends Vitellius, an old enemy of the two centurions. The three officers set out from Ravenna with the imperial fleet but the pirates are forewarned and the Romans pay a heavy price. Outnumbered by the enemy, surrounded by rumours of treachery and endangered by Vitellius' desire to redeem himself, Centurions Macro and Cato must find the pirate base to avert a disaster that could destroy the Emperor.

Simon Scarrow is a former teacher who now devotes himself to writing full-time. He lives outside Norwich with his family.

2008-06-15 Hmmmm

If you've stumbled into Scarrow after reading everything that O'brien, Forrester and Cornwell have to offer then this novel maybe the one where your reservations are finally justified. Trite and unconvincing, I'm heartily sick of Cato's 21st century attitude to the injustices of Rome, at one point he even goes on about Rome's Moral responsibilities to the world!!! Pah! I want to read about big battles with barbarians in distant lands.

I wouldn't mind but it's badly written too.