When the Eagle Hunts

It is winter in Camulodunum and the Roman legionaries are bored with inactivity.  Centurion Macro has led his optio, Cato to a couple of bars and subsequently a couple of brawls.  Meantime General Plautius is planning his next move with Vespasian, the commander of the Second Legion.

Shortly thereafter, the Second Legion marches out of Camulodunum.  Cato is happy to be away, while Macro is upset at leaving the beautiful Iceni, Boudica behind, despite having parted on bad terms.  The legion was off in search of Caratacus and his army of Britons.  The legion sets up a camp south of the Tamesis, and it is there that they receive news that a fierce sect of the Druids has the wife and children of General Plautius.  The Romans have been given 30 days to exchange their Druid hostages for Plautius' family.

When Cato and Macro volunteer to try to rescue Plautius' family, they are shocked to see that the two Britons who will be guiding them are Boudica and Prasutagus, her body guard.   Travelling into enemy territory could mean certain death for all four of them.

A search of an encampment and a sacred grove turn out to be fruitless.  The only remaining possibility is an armed fortress.  Can the quartet get the captives and return them safely without endangering all in the process?  Once again author Simon Scarrow has written an engaging historical novel of the beginnings of the Roman conquest of modern day England.  This is a book, which was hard to put down.  I look forward to reading the sequels.