Clash of Eagles

The main issue I had with Alan Smale's alternate-history tale of Roman legions battling their way across pre-Colombian North America is that, quite frankly, I've read or watched it so many times before. Alternate history as a genre seems to be in love with the idea of a Rome that never fell. And the plot itself is the same rehashed White-Savior story that was old in Avatar—only Avatar and The Last Samurai did a better job of it, because at least the damaged veteran was portrayed as actually damaged, whether with PTSD or career-ending injuries. Both Avatar's Jake and The Last Samurai's Nathan had somewhat plausible reason to forsake their own and reinvent themselves in a new culture. In Clash of Eagles, Marcellinus turns and becomes show more complacent among his captors so quickly that I lost all interest in him as a character. If there had been more complication and inner conflict on his part, I would have found it easier to invest in his story. As it was, I found him simply despicable. I have no motivation to continue on to the second book of this series—though the story in this first novel is by no means complete. In fact, the ending is so abrupt that it feels as if Smale just decided to stop writing at that point, regardless of whether anything was resolved.

I received a free review copy of this book from NetGalley. show less

Smale’s debut novel falls short of practicing the true alternate history faith yet has enough imagination and realism to recommend it.

In the year 1218, the Roman Empire has survived. Its Western European provinces has remained. It has expanded into Viking lands. There, after intercepting a Viking pirate ship returning from Vinlandia, Rome has made a welcome discovery: gold idols in the ships hold. Imperator Hadrianus III senses a new source of revenue in Nova Hesperia, as they dub North America. The Emperor needs revenue to buy influence and popularity, and he needs those to push the frontiers of the Empire to encircle the world.

So our hero, Praetor Marcellinus, is ordered to take his 33rd Legion to conquer Nova Hesperia. And there, show more in a confrontation with the mound-building Cahokians, that legion is wiped out, and Marcellinus becomes a prisoner in Cahokia, an ancient and once quite real city near modern day St. Louis.

The book’s plot surprised me enough that I will be vague about it. I thought Smale’s characterization, particularly how Marcellinus reconciles his actions in Cahokia with his belief that Romans will again return to Nova Hesperia, well done. Smale avoids romantic clichés in Marcellinus’ relationship with Sintikala, a woman who leads an important group in Cahokia.

The warfare in this novel – and there’s plenty – is realistic and interesting enough that I would not be surprised if it eventually inspires a wargame. The book is also supplied with maps. Smale also throws in a glossary of Roman military terms and an explanation of the Cahokian calendar.

The attitudes and brutality of the two civilizations seem historically accurate and not altered for modern sensibilities.

So what do I mean by it failing in the true alternate history faith?

First, Smale doesn’t provide any specific event that diverted events from those of our timeline. The Roman Empire’s trauma of the third century AD is avoided, but we don’t know how.

Second, Smale knowingly postulates a certain advanced piece of technology for the Cahokians that they never possessed in history.

Also, for a book that acknowledges Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel, there is no mention of disease exchange between old and new worlds.

And Smale also plays with an unhistorical notion – and modern cliché – the Warrior Babe. Though he doesn’t go all the way with it which is a blessing.

But the cultural collision Smale builds a story around is very uncommon – I’m aware of no other Romans vs. Cahokian tales. His plot is surprising. His afterword promises to open up the North American setting in future volumes of the Hesperian Trilogy, so I’m onboard for the next book in the series. show less

Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

When I was a kid, I used to love watching old Roman movies. These were big epic stories about both the struggles of trying to civilize the world, a world which often did not want the civilization efforts, and the moral turmoil within the Roman Empire itself. Clash of Eagles reminds me of these movies because it is epic in style and addresses many of the same issues.

The beginning is almost too typical in the way the Romans work, and how they interact with those not of Rome both in the ranks and outside of them. That isn’t to say it’s poorly written by a long stretch. I found the characterization both of Gaius Publius Marcellinus and of his troops wonderful from the start. The tension between show more auxiliary and citizen troops is well-written while I marked one action scene as excellent because it focused on what happen before and after but the actual action was swift and decisive. No long drawn out descriptions of what must have taken seconds to do.

Clearly I was enjoying the book, but in the back of my mind were grumbles at the portrayal of those native to the Americas (where this alternate history has Gaius undertaking his expedition). Imagine my surprise, then, when the book turns on its head (avoiding spoilers), and reveals the typical, and false, ideas about other cultures to be character, not author, beliefs.

With the one exception of what I believe is too much focus on scalping where it’s been largely shown to be a rare event until European intervention, Clash of Eagles offers a full-featured and complex journey of one Roman military leader’s transition from preconception to understanding.

The book feels historically accurate in that the deviations from what is known still fall within the technological and social levels of the portrayed cultures. In the back is an appendix describing the specific changes and why, but as a reader, I was never thrown out of the story by something that felt impossible or even improbable based on the presented cultures.

And the cultural complexity, though firmly grounded in what archeological evidence has been discovered of the peoples included, is lovingly introduced in dribbles that fit with the story. We, the readers, have the perfect narrator in Gaius because he discovers much alongside us.

Again without spoilers, I was disappointed in how this book ends but let me clarify: What happens matches the culture and circumstances well. It is a little short-sighted, but at the same time, it is the kind of decisions people will make, especially these people. The good news is this begins a series, so it’s not the final moment. I can still have hope. It is not a failed end by any means, bringing a satisfying conclusion to the part we have just experienced. I just had hoped for a different answer, and still hold out for that hope.

You probably guessed I intend to continue with the series. It is a compelling, complex narrative, with well-drawn cultures and individuals. How could I not?

P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review. show less

Why would the Mississippian mound-builders of pre-Columbian America create their towering earthworks? For launching hang-gliders, of course. And speaking of Columbus … forget him. If he got born at all it was under the rule of the Pax Romana because, contrary to the history you’ve read, in 211 CE the Roman co-emperor Geta was not assassinated. Geta eliminated his evil brother Caracalla and instituted reforms that prevented the Crisis of the Third Century. Which leads inevitably to the Roman invasion of America in the year 1218.

Astrophysicist Alan Smale (who must work for NASA in his spare time, considering the volume of fiction he publishes) is at his best when describing technology, both real and imagined. I liked his battles, show more too. This is swash-buckling, “hard SF” sword and sandal alternate history that is a lot of fun.

From page 212:
“What Marcellinus needed first and foremost was good axes. And because iron was so hard to work into steel, he turned to the idea of making bronze. Certainsly there was no shortage of copper; the women wore disks of it in their ears, and the men around their necks. In the ceremonies Marcellinus mostly avoided, he had seen dancers wearing large beaten sheets of the metal. It came from the Great Lakes, far to the northeast of Cahokia, mined there in its natural form and shaped using cold hammering rather than smelting.
“He already had tin. Tin was light and flexible and abundant in Europa; most of the Legion’s pans and cooking utensils had been made of it. Eventually he would need a local supply, but for the time being he mined his own carts and came up with thousands of tin pans, dishes, and spoons. It became another game for the endlessly useful children of Cahokia to ransack the Roman wagon train and separate out the tin.
“Bronze could be made at a much lower furnace temperature than steel. For steel getting exactly the right measure of charcoal and air into the mix was crucial, but for bronze the proportions were more forgiving - one part tin to nine parts copper, a bit of care with the melting and mixing, and that was all there was to it. Before midwinter Marcellinus was turning out bronze ax heads and hoe blades by the score.” show less

Roman Empire Meets Unsettled North America.

"Clash of Eagles" is an interesting take on the tale of a fish-out-of-water. Take the Roman Empire; extend its' dominance into the 1300s; run them into an unexplored North American wonderland; collide with native american civilizations...and BAM, you've got a pretty good concept for a solid story.

After seizing treasure on board Viking ships, a future emperor Hadrianus sends the 33rd legion, led by Gaius Publius Marcellinus, to 'Nova Hesperia' (New Western Land), to explore the land and find gold. Landing at Chesapica, the Romans march west, bent on finding gold, and expanding the empire.

The book succeeds though the first 15% at exposing a realistic scenario of the Romans marching across an show more undiscovered country. Without exposing any key plot points, Smale does a nice job building Marcellinus' relationships with the Cahokian tribe he ends up living with. And here we have the fish-out-of-water.

The book fails to get into why the Romans survived and what tidbits in history were changed due to this key factor. Once Marcellinus settles into his new home, aside from some technological and militaristic nuggets, there's very little that's alternate history.

The story is heavy on action and moderate on the development of the characters. Though definitely sets up what could make for a quality series.

I received this book free through Net Gallery. show less

I really wanted to like this book. The basic concept of a surviving Roman empire reaching the Americas and interacting with the natives, in this case the Mississippian Mound-Builders of Cahokia, has lots of potential.

Unfortunately, alternate histories live or die on their plausibility, and while the basic idea can certainly be made plausible, that's as far as this book goes. I can accept the Roman empire in AD 1218 (though I'm not sure how Geta defeating Caracalla as the point of divergence would be enough to get there), but I have very large problems with an empire that stretches from the North Sea to the Indus. I see no way for the empire to hold together when the speed of communication is limited to horse and ship. And this despite show more the fact that things seem to be rather unstable politically, with the 41-year old protagonist having lived under 6 emperors and served under 4 in the previous 25 years. And despite this stability, there are Saxons in Britain and Magyars in whatever they call Hungary. Plus Christianity is just another acceptable cult right next to Mithraism and the usual Roman gods.

At that point I was annoyed, but willing to live with it. Then we encountered the Native Americans. The Iroquois (or Iroqua as the Romans have it) come off as the worst sort of 19th century stereotype of a Plains tribe (not to mention being a good 200 years too early), torturing prisoners to death, scalping those they slay in combat, etc. And then we find out they have hang gliders. Hang gliders from which they can use their bows. The Cahokians even have 12-man catapult-launched gliders and Greek fire.

I almost gave up, but the story was well enough written that I stuck with it. I was prepared to give it 2.5 stars and wish that Smale had filed off the serial numbers and set this in a purely fantasy world (like John Hornor Jacobs in The Incredibles for example).

And then came the final section of the book, which pulled me in completely and made me tear through the last 50 or 60 pages. He took the story in an unexpected direction and the ending is rather a downer, more in line what one might expect from the second book of a trilogy, not the first, but it was very strong. Strong enough to bring the whole thing back up to average and make it likely that I'll read the rest of the books when they come out.

I still wish he'd written this as a pure fantasy, though. show less

Alan Smale won a Sidewise Award for Clash of Eagles. Think of Sidewise as the Nebula Award for alternate history.

Smale’s first counterfactual premise is that the Roman Empire did not fall. There are no Dark Ages, so by the 13th century, we find the 33rd legion, led by Gaius Marcelinus, exploring the New World. Moving through the Appalachians, the Iroquois use guerrilla tactics and primitive hang gliders to harass the Roman troops. As they move closer to the Mississippi, they encounter the sophisticated mound-building Chahokian culture. They have raised hang-gliding to a fine art. The 33rd has all it can handle.

If you can grant Smale his premises, the story is entertaining and plausible.