The Centurions

The author brings the last third of the first century Roman empire to full bloom. For a period piece this has all of the essential elements. In twenty two chapters the author describes a world very different from ours while at the same time familiar in several aspects. There is romance, warfare, sibling rivalry, travel, politics, & a ton of personal angst. But, at the heart of the story are two main themes. The unexpected romance between the Roman Centurion Correus with Freita a German slave girl. The conflict between the Romans & some Germanic tribes sets the stage for both the action & romance on the Roman empires northern border known as the "Agri Decumates." The six main characters are Correus, the son of a Roman general & a Gallic slave girl. Flavius, Correus' half-brother who is the legitimate son of Appius Julianus the former Legate of the tenth legion who fathered both. Aemelia, is the daughter who is promised in marriage to Flavius despite being madly in love with Correus. Freita is the very proud german slave girl who is saved from a harsh fate by Correus & they fall in love under the most difficult circumstances. For the Romans are at war with Nyall Sigmundson the Chieftain of her tribe the Semnones. What was so appealing about this novel was that almost all of the characters were that they had depth & usually showed the human condition very well for a period piece. Whether it was a grudging admiration that the Romans & Germans showed each other, the sons seeking their fathers approval, or an almost never mentioned love affair between two slaves. This was a very fast & entertaining read.

This first volume is a story of two young brothers and junior officers coming of age in the same Roman legion on the German frontier. While some words are devoted to the politics and history of the time (A.D. 72 under Vespasian), the focus is on the brother's' rivalry for honors and women. The problem is that if you read this you will wish there were many more volumes in the series, but I have a feeling something bad happened to author or publisher. The name for the 2nd vol., set in Britain, changed. Some reviewers pan the third volume. The series stops far short of having the Appius brothers fight their way through all the frontier provinces (as the broad maps imply), and over as many women, and eventually try for the Imperium?Book Creations, Inc. (Kent Family Chronicles, Wagons West) hired a capable and informed writer to fill out its plot for the series. The author is comfortable with Roman terms in context rather than ostentatiously didactic. I developed a respect and interest in the characters-Romans, slave, or free German-perhaps because all were handled sympathetically and we see them in their familes and marriages as well as on campaign as soldiers or warriors. Good maps and illustrations.

You know the plot. If you have ANY imagination, ANY lust for adventure, a desire to be really gripped by a book, THIS is the one ( of two ) to read. Unlike many novels, one becomes involved with both sides of the conflict and can empathize with both the "good guys" and the "bad guys". In reality, there are none the way the story is presented. BTW, the second of two is the sequel: The Barbarian Princess. The third: The Emperor's games....... buy at your own risk

This first book of Damian Hunter's fabulous trilogy paints a vivid picture of life in ancient Rome. The text is remarkably accurate, from details of how to wear armor to what Roman soldiers did in boot camp and as duties in the legions. Excellent work that should definitely be reprinted!

The story of two half-brothers, one noble, the other freed, and their training as young centurions, first postings in Germania, and their rivalry. Set against the backdrop of the early Roman empire, first half of the first century A.D., the writer gives excellent detail and conveys a feeling of being a participant in the action. The first of a series. You won't want to loan it out!