M.C.Scott
Bantam Press (Random House)
March 2013 (Hardback)
Fourth book in the “Rome” series:
The Emperor’s Spy (2010)
The Coming of the King (June, 2011)
The Eagle of the Twelfth (May, 2012)
Having wrote the “Boudica” series, four books detailing the life of the Iceni Warrior-Queen Boudica and eventual death, Manda Scott has already delved in a little of the early times of Rome so you could call her an “expert”. Those four books are the most detailed books of Rome I have ever read, having read and re-read them many times, they are just fantastic. I would highly recommend them if you want an awesome series to read.
After a four-year absence since releasing the last Boudica book, Dreaming the Serpent Spear (2006) with its iconic white front cover, in 2010 Manda Scott released her the start of another series delving into the seedy waters of Ancient Rome. Although this wasn’t an absence of not writing, Manda Scott has also released books that were worlds away from Rome. In 2007 Manda Scott also released The Crystal Skull which was in many ways hypothesizing about the end of the world.
It must be said that her Rome series is fantastic, following the path of Roman Spy Sebastos Pantera. Her last book, The Eagle of the Twelfth, was a fantastic book about the story of how a Roman cohort lost their beloved icon – the Golden Eagle – and fought to reclaim it back; I sat and read it a few days, it was just that good.
This book doesn’t also come without competition: Conn Iggulden and Simon Scarrow are two highly regarded and favourite authors of mine, both having already written effortlessly about Anicent Rome respectively. Conn Iggulden has written about Julius Caesar, the famous emperor and assassinated by The Conspirators (or whatever they are called), conversely Simon Scarrow writes his own series about beloved characters Macro and Cato. Manda Scott’s writing is easy to read, almost as if it’s way too easy (the pages turn themselves), and her research is undeniably detailed and thorough — whilst her characters, scene-setting and story-telling is just masterful.
Having just picked this up in hardback — I didn’t know it was out, to my surprise! — the book is pretty big (557 pages to exact) so it is a length read, at best. To be fair and honest, I did pick this book down for a while and move to other books, before picking up and resuming it. I did flick back through the book as I skimmed the pages trying to reconfigure myself with the story. When I resumed reading it, I couldn’t put it down again.
That being said, I won’t delve too much into the story. I don’t want to spoil anything and have quite a few book reviews myself, I see a lot of reviews that do spoil the book I want to read (hence reading the review in the first place). One thing which is unclear to me, when having read the book and finished it, is whether this will be the last book in the series. I, as a long-time fan of M.C.Scott’s literary works, would like to see more books in this series.
I really like the ending as well. I felt that there was some absolution in what he had done for the emperor, Sebastos was finally cleared of his debt. So, all in all, a really enjoyable read — for the die-hard fan and just the casual reader wanting something different, but enthralling at the same time.
Overall: 4 / 5
Enjoyment: 5 / 5
