The Eagle and the Wolves (Roman Legion 4)

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.


Scarrow a leading torch in the march of Rome   June 23, 2004
 19 out of 22 found this review helpful

Scarrow is someone that has only recently been recommended to me by a reader of the site (cheers Robin) and as such is an author that I feel having read is one that deserves to have his work mentioned. Many people know of authors such as Bernard Cornwell and Steven Pressfield and know the sort of historical fiction that they write. But what does Simon's work have to offer readers?

Whilst many authors base thier characters in a more modern time, Simon's work is based during the Roman invasion of Britain during the first century and makes great use of not only the political strife of Rome at the time but also the beliefs of the peoples involved during this period of great conflict. An altogther rich environment full of intrigue which shows clearly in Scarrow's lovingly crafted work.

The tales centre around two characters in the roman legion and we follow thier careers as the series progresses, however unlike other authors, he isn't afraid to put them not only in mortal peril but will allow a soldiers language to accompany the situations, which is something that many authors leave out feeling that it would ruin the content of thier novel. Far from ruining it, this sort of careful consideration actually throws the reader a chance to see the emotional side of the characters in addition to making them more believeable.

Perhaps the greatest testimony to an author is recommendations by readers and as such Scarrow is starting to build a huge fanbase through not only those who have followed his work since the beginning but also by those who are new converts to the cause to which I am probably one of the newest members. As such I really don't think it will be too long before the fans will number more than enough for a number of legions marching under the banner of Scarrow's Eagle for the glory of Rome.


Good honest fun.   March 25, 2004
 12 out of 14 found this review helpful

Book four in Simon Scarow's simple but effective series, The Eagle and the Wolves is equally as enjoyable as its predecessors and brings the added benefit of an element of character development to its central antagonists, Macro and Cato. If you've read the first three - and you'd be mad not to if you're contemplating reading this - you'll know exactly what to expect this time round, with the same adventure yarn formula, lots of action, last ditch skirmishes, betrayal and general politicking that makes the series singularly fun to read.
On the downside, I did find this instalment to be a little on the short side, although that could be due to the ease of reading, so it's not necessarily a criticism; but if you're looking for something deep and challenging then you should look elsewhere.