Rosemary Sutcliffe.
Recommended For: lovers of everything Roman, battles, adventure and loyalty.
Easy/ Hard Reading Rating: Medium
Over All Rating: 4/5
Rosemary Sutcliffe absolutely astonished me with her play with words. She is best at her visual description, it really is breathtaking. It one of those books that I have to start reading it aloud to feel the words just lift me off and take me away.
Marcus is a young Roman, the son of one of the men who was a part of the ninth legion that marched into Britain and was never found again. Marcus sets off with a native of Britain, Esca, and the two loyal friends search high and low, to retrieve the eagle (the ninth legions icon), and find out what happened to Marcus father.
Certainly, I loved the book. The only thing that I really found annoying was, of course, Marcus followed after Thor, the thunder god, and, seriously, this book would have immediately escalated to my favourite of favourites list if he had but been a Christian.
The other thing is just a pet thing, the girl he marries in the end, well, I wasn’t convinced that they really loved each other. He never outright said to her ‘I love you, will you marry me?’ it’s a whole lot of second guessing. You get the idea that they married, though.
He lifted it from its place, realizing as he did that the last Roman hand to touch the stained and battered shaft had been his father’s. An odd, potent link across the years , and he held to it as to a talisman, as he set about freeing the Eagle from its staff. – Chapter 15: The Feast of New Spears.
Marcus did not answer, but settled down to ride as he had never ridden before. The dark heather streaked backward under his pony’s thudding hooves, the long harsh hairs of its mane sprayed back over his wrists, and the wind sung past his ears. For one flashing instant there rose in him the exultancy of speed, the surge and the splendour that he had once thought never to know again. The I instant past, swift as a darting flight of a kingfisher. He was riding for his life with the dark hunt in full cry behind him, putting out all his skill to keep clear of hidden pitfalls, the hummocks and snags and snarls among the heather that might bring disaster… – Chapter 17: The Wild Hunt
Suggested Age for Enjoyable Reading: 12 for reading alone and aloud; Just to warn you, in Chapter 15: The Feast of New Spears there is a scene of some idol worshipping, which I personally did not read on the advice of Mrs. BB. The book made perfect sense even though I didn’t read that part. If you want to know exactly were I stopped reading and then started again in that chapter, let me know via a comment, but defiantly, read the chapter, don’t just skip it!
If you enjoyed, you will also enjoy: Pearl Maiden by H. Rider Haggard and anything by G. A. Henty. (And this book has just been brought out as a movie, The Eagle.)
~ Meggie
Inkdrips 
I love this book so much! Glad to know someone else does too 😀 I’ve read it three times now I thin.
Have you seen the movie? It’s nothing like the book 😉 But I still really enjoyed it.
I saw the movie yesterday… I am sad to say it didnt meet up to my expectations at all… I commented on your review of the movie. 😀
Yes, it is definatly an amazing book!
Blessings,
Meggie
Oh, wow! I’ll have to read this! I listened to one of Sutcliffe’s other books, “The Lantern Bearers” and it was *so* good! Have you ever read it? Except, as you said, for the fact that it’s not a Christian book, it would be one of my very favorite fiction books. Oh, and both of these books are part of a loosely-tied chronology, which is kinda cool =)
((hugs))
Hi Amy!
Yes, I managed to buy all three in the one volume, so I am going to read the Lantern Bearers as well. Its a pity they dont have the same characters though. Its hard to say goodbye to Marcus, Esca and Cottia!
Blessings,
Meggie
I know exactly what you mean, Meggie–though, for me I’m rather fond of the characters from “Lantern Bearers” =) The thing is, I could relate so well to the main character Aquila, which made the book that much more enjoyable. You’ll have to tell me what you think after you’ve read it.
What is the other book you got in the set?
((hugs))
It is ‘The Silver Branch’, it comes second, I think !
Blessings,
Meggie
How Awesome! I will have to pick it up off the shelf and take a look at it myself. My brother has read it before and he reported that it was a good read, but I’m convinced to give it a try now that I’ve viewed your preference. I love any books about history, but of course like you, they are always a special hit when they include Jesus.
Rosemary Sutcliffe is one of my favourite authors, but I didn’t know that she wrote ‘The Eagle of the Ninth.’ I have also read ‘Song of a Dark Queen’, which is about Boudicca, and ‘The Queen Elizabeth Story’, which were both written Rosemary Sutcliffe.
Which chapter was the idol worshiping apart of? I am not so keen on reading that part.
Blessings,
~ Chloe
P.S. Thank you so much for becoming my follower!!
I havent read any other books by Rosemary Sutcliffe, but I really wouldnt hesitate after reading ‘ The Eagle of the Ninth’ . Thats awesome. Let me know what you think of it.
The idol worshipping is Chapter 14: The Feast of New Spears, its sort of in the middle of the chapter. I finished reading at the sentence: The many coloured throng had turned northward, winding along the valley towards the Place of Life. The great mound rose higher on their sight, and presently Marcus found himself… (thats were I stopped reading) and I started reading again in that same chapter at this sentence: (in the copy I have, it is 4 pages later). : Marcus found this was dancing as he understood the word. Dance followed dance, blending into each other so that it was hard to tell where one ended and another began.
I hope that helps you!
Blessings,
Meggie
Hmm, I’ve read this book, and I have to say I didn’t find the idol worshiping part objectionable, I would be curious to know why you recommend skipping it? (not to judge against you or debate with you or anything, I want to know to see if I’m missing something, if you know what I mean.)
Lol! I totally understand about the girl, although I liked that they weren’t necessarily madly in love, but that they were simply really good friends etc…
~Lady Amy~
Hi Amy!
I was lent this book by one of my friends mothers, she had only read it awhile ago (and she is strict with what she lets her children read), and she couldnt remeber exactly what had happened that put her off that part, but she said for some reason or another she hadnt liked it and had thought it was too deep. Maybe she was thinking of another book when she was telling me. I think I might one day read that part for myself and decide. I just didnt read it on her suggestion, thats all!
Yes, Cottia. It seemed they were only friends though! They could have added at least a sentence of.. ‘Will you marry me, Cottia?’ I thought that would have been nice. 😀 I am a bit of a romantic myself, though!
Blessings,
Meggie