The Honour of Rome (Eagles of the Empire 19)

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I do admire Simon Scarrow's in-depth knowledge of life in the Roman Empire, from the day to day routine of housekeeping and providing meals to the details of Army life for both serving soldiers and veterans. I haven't read all of his stuff (there's so much of it!), but this is the third 'Macro' novel I've read and it was nice to renew his acquaintance, and that of Petronella, and to catch up on their adventures in the far-flung outpost of Britannia. Meanwhile, Cato was charged with accompanying Emperor Nero's mistress Claudia Acte into exile on Sardinia, with the bulk of the novel then following Cato, the burgeoning romance between him and Claudia and events on that island. A brilliantly written story with an intense atmosphere throughout, great fight scenes and an unbreakable bond of brotherhood that is intoxicating. For readers of Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden and Ben Kane - unputdownable fiction from an author who knows the Roman world like no other.

In these times of Covid is there a better way to forget all that nonsense than immersing yourself in a good book? In the case of Simon Scarrow's latest, it's a visit from our old friends Macro and Cato - and what can be more fun than that? Another excellent book in the Cato and Macro series. In this adventure, Macro is newly retired from the Roman army and has moved to Britain to set up a new life with his wife. Macro, along with his mother, is the co-owner of a bar in London and he also plans for a rural retreat in Colchester.For readers of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden – unputdownable fiction from an author who knows the Roman world like no other.

Things have changes since then, however - Macro is now retired from the legions, whereas Cato (originally Macro's optio) now outranks him and now has a family of his own to look after. A really enjoyable read, which although it could work as a standalone novel I feel is far better read as part of the series, with so many recurring and developing characters and many historical references.

For readers of Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden and Ben Kane – unputdownable fiction from an author who knows the Roman world like no other. This was another awesome novel from Scarrow, who has once again produced an exciting and fast-paced historical fiction read that perfectly envisions the landscape of Roman-occupied England. The Honour of Rome is a great read, and I loved the cool combination of historical and crime fiction elements throughout it. I ended up reading this book in only a few short days and loved every second of it.

A riveting story about dealing with London’s gangs, although does seem to jump around a bit with a slightly unnecessary jaunt for Macro with the veterans. What was also great about this book is finally the scene has been setup for Boudica’s revolt, which has been one of the key things to look forward to for me ever since her introduction in book three (along with reuniting with Vespasian, future clashes with Vitellius, the hope of seeing Figulus again, and the obvious year of the four emperors).Macro has been discharged from the army and is set on retiring to a place he knows well - Britannia. With his half share of an inn in Londinium and the prospect of a plot of land to build a home, things look good for the former centurion. But things are not what they seem in this part of the empire. The local tribes are unsettled and a group of gangs are causing problems for anyone who owns a business. This includes Macro and his inn. It’s simple, they what a cut of your profits and if you don’t pay there will be consequences. Entry #20 in Simon Scarrow's Macro and Cato series, which means there's been approximately one entry per year.