The Celtic Fringe
Sep. 6th, 2019 08:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
qatsiBook Review: The Encircling Sea, by Adrian Goldsworthy
It's almost a year since I read Vindolanda, the first in this series. Whilst there are a few repetitions or flashbacks to the previous novel, the next in the series does nevertheless stand on its own, with Ferox and Vindex tackling a kidnapping that has taken them to the far north. On their return to Vindolanda, they find the Romans have been invited to Hibernia (Ireland), by one of the candidates for the process of selecting a Great King. Of course, things do not quite go according to plan. Northern tribes are raiding the area, taking cattle and setting fire to local settlements; and they seem particularly interested in one particular Roman family.
Again, I found it interesting to read of the fluctuating alliances between tribes or groups, seeming to swap sides quite readily. I did find it a bit surprising that more wasn't made of the Romans' reluctance to set sail, as they navigate first the Irish Sea and later up to the Western Isles of present day Scotland, though even the "Roman" characters come from various parts of the Empire, including of course Britain. On the downside, somehow the kidnapping of (supposedly) important people felt a bit reminiscent of the earlier novel, and the battles later in the novel were at times confusing. For those for whom life was not short, it apparently was nasty, brutish, and repetitive. Again, the author offers historical notes at the end of the book, with the basic plot inspired by the revolt of the Usipi documented by Tacitus.
It's almost a year since I read Vindolanda, the first in this series. Whilst there are a few repetitions or flashbacks to the previous novel, the next in the series does nevertheless stand on its own, with Ferox and Vindex tackling a kidnapping that has taken them to the far north. On their return to Vindolanda, they find the Romans have been invited to Hibernia (Ireland), by one of the candidates for the process of selecting a Great King. Of course, things do not quite go according to plan. Northern tribes are raiding the area, taking cattle and setting fire to local settlements; and they seem particularly interested in one particular Roman family.
Again, I found it interesting to read of the fluctuating alliances between tribes or groups, seeming to swap sides quite readily. I did find it a bit surprising that more wasn't made of the Romans' reluctance to set sail, as they navigate first the Irish Sea and later up to the Western Isles of present day Scotland, though even the "Roman" characters come from various parts of the Empire, including of course Britain. On the downside, somehow the kidnapping of (supposedly) important people felt a bit reminiscent of the earlier novel, and the battles later in the novel were at times confusing. For those for whom life was not short, it apparently was nasty, brutish, and repetitive. Again, the author offers historical notes at the end of the book, with the basic plot inspired by the revolt of the Usipi documented by Tacitus.