"The Blood Crows".. a review..

In summary, "a triumphant return to form"! 😀

Just finished the latest Simon Scarrow, which features the imortal duo Cato and Macro, this time in a return to 'normal' army life after the last few books where they have served mostly in a political surrounding int he midst of the power struggles surroiuidng the meperor in Rome...  for me it was a very welcome return... the [political shennanigans were beginning to tiore slightly, but here we have Scarrow at his best depicting life on the Roman frontier for the average Roman Legionary...

Cato, now promoted Prefect (effectively third in command of a Legion), has been given command of a remote frontier fort (somewhere on the Welsh border I think) garrisoned by a cohort of the II Augusta, and an auxilia of Thracian cavalry (which he has personal command of). Macro, promoted to senior Centurion has been given command of the cohort.

Not surprisingly, not all is as straight forward as they like - arriving in London we find that the much boasted of "conquest of Britain" is actually far from complete, and Caractacus [clicky] (who they met in previous books, the last time they were in Britain) is still on the loose and still fomenting trouble amongst the remaining free tribes who haven't submitted to Rome's rule. In addition, they find that the current commander of the fort they have been given command of has been killed in slightly suspicious circumstances, and that there are dark rumours about the behaviour of his second in command who has taken control of the fort, and who has trained the auxilia of Thracian's (known as the Blood Crows) in particular to high levels of discipline and may have overstepped the mark in taking total war to the local population...

Against this background, Cato and Macro march north, hearing more and more stories and rumours of Quertus the centurion commanding the fort, until they finally arrive at the fort to discover the truth... and also Caractacus...

A cracker - well recommended - 9 out of 10.

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Bit quiet round here at the moment, but only because duck like, all is movement below the surface..  DG is down this weekend so i am working up the scenario for the second game in the Annexation of Chiraz campaign....  again I ma having to go off piste for this, as the scenario as described, while being eminently worthy, is not what you'd call a game...  more will become clear..

..and the rason DG is down??  One word....  "Warfare"!!