War! Blood and dust! I hurried straight on to the next book in Manda Scott’s Rome series which, again, took me to a place I wasn’t expecting. Disconcertingly, after two novels focused on Pantera, we step away from him completely for much of this volume and instead follow Demalion of Macedon, a young horse-trader turned legionary in the XIIth Legion. If the first book centred on Rome and the second on Judea, this volume takes us to even more exotic regions: to Armenia and Hyrcania under the rule of the Parthian King of Kings. Knowing that I was in good hands, I pushed impatience about Pantera to the back of my mind, and let Scott unfold her story in her own compelling time.

For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2017/08/11/rome-the-eagle-of-the-twelfth-m-c-scott/ ( )

Third in M.C. Scott's four novels in her Rome series with Pantera the spy as protagonist. In this departure from the others, in the hero is the young unwilling conscript, Demalion of Macedon, telling us his story of the last five years in the unlucky XII Legion : his basic training, bonding with the others in his contubernium, winter survival exercises against another legion to toughen the men. There are exciting heart-stopping battles and skirmishes against Parthians and against Jewish rebels in Judaea. The rebels steal the Eagle and Demalion, along with Pantera and others are charged to recover it. We see Demalion grow from raw recruit into experienced, blooded veteran and leader. The legion regains its honor.

Out of the whole series, I consider this volume easily the best. I could not relate to Pantera; he seemed like an unbelievable superhero, often unpleasant and I feel he was present only to further the action. The well-drawn Demalion touched me with his emotions and deep feelings. Writing was superb. The small amount of m/m romance was tastefully done. Especially poignant was the incident of one soldier's death and his comrades parceling out his possessions, thereby each man remembering him.

Highly recommended. ( )