When the Eagle Hunts

‘The Eagle Hunts’ gripped me from start to finish. I rated the previous two books in the series with five stars, but this one is a notch above both those titles.

This is a Roman adventure, full of action and drama, along with a little humour and a touch of romance. If you like dull moments, don’t expect to find any here.

Although it’s fast paced, it’s not all hell and no notion. The exciting plot is solid and is engaging from start to end. A daring rescue operation is the highlight for me.

The characters are vivid. Cato, the main ‘star’, in my favourite. He’s believable and relatable. He’s getting to grips with being part of the Roman army having been thrown in at the deep end in the first novel. The youth holds a show more position of responsibility as an optio, which is a centurion’s second-in-command.

The different ranks take some getting used to if, like me, your knowledge of Roman times is sparse.

What’s interesting is the inclusion of the legendary warrior queen Boudicca about twenty years before she made history. Her interaction with Cato and Macro (the second-main character) is top quality.

The language is contemporary, which makes the narrative flow better than if the author had used archaic turns of phrase. He also uses modern English slang, which some readers won’t like, but at least it’s consistent. I’ve read historical novels where in one scene a character says something like, ‘Keep it in your trousers,’ while in another scene someone else says, ‘Whence came he thus?’

While I admit I would’ve preferred the language to not incorporate modern slang, the characters and third-person narration are engaging enough for this not to make me feel like I’m reading a story set during any period other than the first century AD.

Perhaps my being an Englishman makes the slang words and phrases more palatable. I admit, it did annoy me when, in another historical novel, the author of that book used the odd Americanism – ‘ass’ and ‘butt’, for example – so I can understand why any non-English reader – and certainly non-British – would be distracted by the slang terms.

So, while the slang words and phrases didn’t bother me, three other elements did distract me at times. One being a trait that keeps cropping up in books I’ve read this year by different authors, namely this sort of thing: ‘more loudly’, ‘more closely’, instead of the more concise ‘louder’ and ‘closer’. Don’t use two words if one will do.

Adverbs: the ‘tell’, not ‘show’. In ‘Macro glared angrily,’ the adverb not only tells, it’s superfluous, as ‘glared’ shows his anger.

The two points above are minor criticisms. The one big gripe I have is the overuse of ‘then’ to state what happens next. This novel is riddled with ‘thens’, at times making the third-person narrative sound like a child’s voice. ‘Then’ is easy to cut when editing, and it’s not hard to drop it altogether. It ends up being a filler word, notably when using it to start a sentence. The reader knows whatever’s happening is taking place after what’s just happened, so no need to put, ‘Then he …’ and such like.

In most cases, I deduct a star if a book is riddled with ‘thens’ or swamped with adverbs. As someone who appreciates good writing style, these things drive me to distraction. Yet, as mentioned, ‘The Eagle Hunts’ is such a cracking story it overrode these niggling points.

It’s easier to go on and on criticising a book than it is to praise it over and over, and I’ve doubtless not expressed how impressed I am with ‘The Eagle Hunts’ to the extent it deserves, so, in a nutshell, I’ll state this: it’s one heck of a great read. show less

After reading the first and second books in the Eagle series I basically know what to expect. Simon Scarrow does not disappoint.

One can argue that it's more of the same, and it is. The question is: does that bother you? If you don't like that kind of thing, this series is not for you. However, these books are definitely page turners. They are, in my opinion, simply fun!

I have taken a liking to the two main characters, Macro and Cato, and I find myself wanting to know more of their new adventures. Once again the book starts fairly slow, but soon enough the duo get themselves into trouble. And, once again, before I know it I'm on a roller coaster ride with them, not wanting to put the book down. Simon Scarrow's strength is in building up show more the story, adding plots and subplots, getting you to like the people you read about. Or hating them, for that matter. There are surprises too. It's a good ride, simple as that. show less

This is the best of the series that I have read so far. Cato and Macro must find the wife and children of General Plautius, held captive by Druids. With the help of 2 Britons they roam the countryside in their search.

This book, more than the first two books, has more description of the countryside and life of the times. The battle scenes are much more realistic and descriptive. The book held my attention from the beginning to end with plot twists to make the reading unpredictable, which I cannot say was the case with the first books in the series.

There is still the use of modern British slang in the conversation but that was not as plentiful as before and as such made the read more enjoyable. I have often seen ancient Briton tribes show more portrayed as wild men with white paint and hair caked up in lime. I used to think this was Hollywood excess but it seems from this book that during this time in history it was the norm...so I am learning something.

I will continue with the series and hope this book was not a "one of". show less

Amusing the range of opinions about this book! Myself, I am in the "it is good" category. A rollicking, fun historical romp. I would re-read this at a later date, not something I do for every book.

Scarrow's approach to historical fiction is not my preferred, I like to read about history from the top down, from the viewpoint of the leaders. C. McCullough's series did just that, and for me, she is the leading historical fiction author. Having said that Scarrow is a more fun read. I would recommend this series to anyone looking for an enjoyable series.

4th tale in a rip-roaring adventure series. Think "Sharpe in Roman Britain" and you won't go far wrong.
Cato and Macro find themselves "volunteering" to rescue their leaders wife and children from a dark set of Druids. All in all a great yarn, with some hilarious dialogue.

This is another solid installment in the swords & sandals style of novels. The story is fun, exciting and chock full of action.

The third in the series of books about Macro and Cato, Roman legionaries. The invasion of Britain is still in doubt, and the wife and children of the general Plautius have been captured. Macro and Cato are detached to find them and eventually with the aid of the legion, rescue them from a vast hillside fort.