Well written ripping yarn material. Set in Britain during the rule of Nero, this novel takes us through the politics of the time, tosses in a bit of romance and plenty of action. Our hero, part of the invading force, is intelligent and brave. While remaining loyal to Rome, he sees that only by looking after the locals will permanent peace be achieved. The blokes in charge are greedy and not so bright. It could be any stupid empire doing stupid things in a foreign land. The characters are well drawn and believable. You will come to like our hero who, I’m happy to know, will go on with his adventures through more books. I can’t help feeling that the author has drawn on 20th Century US international politics to set the scene, but it is probably just a well told yarn that could apply to any nation that invades another country – it’s pretty hard to win the hearts and minds of the locals with soldiers and weapons.
Prince of the Paddock 