
Blurb
In the Teutoburg Forest, three Roman legions are ambushed and killed under the orders of Arminius, the leader of a united confederation of German tribes. It is a political disaster for Rome and a personal one for Tribune Valerius Maximus and Centurion Marcellus Veronus, two of the few survivors of the attack. Both are given an opportunity to take their revenge on the barbarians.
It’s an opportunity given by Germanicus Caesar, a rising star of the empire and nephew to Emperor Tiberius. As Germanicus begins raising an army, Valerius immerses himself in the German language and customs, and Marcellus trains soldiers in the ways of their enemies. While Valerius and Marcellus understand the ambush tactics of their adversaries, many of the army’s senior leadership underestimate the barbarian tribes.
Valerius and Marcellus are not the same men they were in Legions of the Forest. Will their newfound experience, strength, and spirit be enough to lead Rome to victory? Or will they once again fall prey to the German barbarians?
My Review
This book tells us of the events that follow the dreadful annihilation of the Roman legions at Teutoburg Forest. As expected, Emperor Augustus couldn’t take this lying down, as the expression goes. He insisted on raising eight legions to avenge the three that were lost, as well as the missing eagles. The young Germanicus was chosen to command the expedition, and he was very impressed by our Tribune Valerius and Centurion Marcellus, who survived the massacre. Needless to say, they were persuaded to go back, since there were few Romans left who know anything at all about the Germans. Valerius was persuaded to learn the language, and acted as Germanicus’s close advisor. He was taught by a member of a rival tribe to the Cherusci—those responsible for Teutoburg—and Wothar also taught Valerius how to fight like the Germans. This was to come in very handy. Their main goal was to catch up with Arminius, the man who betrayed the Romans and led his people to victory. This was to be no easy task, for Arminius was very clever and already knew Roman tactics. He patched together the rival tribes who all wanted to get rid of the new Roman incursion, and, against his better judgment, they opted to attack the Romans in their encampment. It didn’t go well:
The mood was glum. Instead of defeating the Romans, they had suffered a humiliating loss. The German tribal leaders hung their heads in shame. Arminius noted that they were fewer in number than previously. It had been a costly setback, but not a decisive one. The coalition was still intact, albeit in a fragile state. He pondered his words. How was he to address this group? He rejected the “I told you so” scenario. That would do little good. More than likely it would turn more of the chieftains against him, and they would go back home. If only they had listened to him. The attack on the Roman encampment had been foolish.
So on to the next plan, which didn’t go much better, though many were killed on both sides. Alas, Valerius was captured, and his prospects were terrifying. But his German training held him in good stead, and his captors didn’t quite know what to do with him. This novel really plunges us into the uncertain world of post-Teutoburg Germany, where neither side particularly knew what it was doing. There was no clear way forward. But there was no possibility of truce, either, and bloodletting seemed like the only option. Highly recommended.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQWWQ9X