Pirates & Privateers: Simon Scarrow's Books

In A.D. 45, pirates attack a merchant ship carrying an imperial agent named Secundus. In his possession is a chest of scrolls. These are not ordinary scrolls – they contain information that can devastate Emperor Claudius and the Roman Empire. When the pirate captain, Telemachus, realizes their worth, he demands a high ransom for their release. At the same time, he negotiates with the emperor’s enemies to see which side will pay the highest price for the knowledge contained in the scrolls. Telemachus’s reign of terror on shipping also makes it imperative for Rome to deal swiftly and decisively to retrieve the scrolls and destroy the pirates.

Implicated in the death of a fellow centurion, Macro and Cato are in Rome awaiting the outcome of the investigation. Narcissus, the imperial secretary, offers them a way out of their troubles: retrieve the scrolls and his agent (if possible). If they succeed, the investigation disappears; if they don’t, both will die. To complicate their mission, they must appear to be part of the force assigned to wipe out the pirates. The leader of this task force is none other than Vitellius, a power-hungry man who is also Macro and Cato’s enemy.

Vitellius plans to establish a temporary base closer to where the pirates operate, but the fleet is attacked at sea. Ships are lost and many Romans die. It soon becomes apparent that there’s a traitor amongst the Romans. Cato discovers that Vitellius is intent on betraying him and Macro before they complete their mission. Will the two centurions recover the scrolls and live to fight again? Will they unmask the traitor before it’s too late? Or will Vitellius’s vanity and thirst for prestige and power bring about their downfall, as well as that of the empire?

The Eagle’s Prophecy is the latest installment in a series about the Roman army, but those who haven’t read the previous five books will easily find themselves drawn into this adventurous tale of intrigue and betrayal. Scarrow’s portrayal of life in Rome vividly contrasts opulence and poverty, drawing the reader in until he/she walks (and sometimes runs) along the streets with the centurions. His depiction of the hunt for the pirates and the battle scenes subtly ensnare until the reader hears the clang of swords and feels the spatter of blood. Few authors write about ancient pirates, but Scarrow’s portrayal of them is historically accurate and eye-opening. They are as fully developed as his Roman characters, and combined with the action and his attention to detail, he brings alive a time long past.

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