Eagle in Exile

In Clash of Eagles, the failed Roman invasion of Nova Hesperia (America) in 1218 A.D. left Gaius Publius Marcellinus, praetor of the 33rd Legion, a captive of the Cahokia tribe. Two years later, Marcellinus still considers himself loyal to Roma, but he has been adopted by the Cahokia and begun to question Roma’s colonizing ways. He is trying to mediate a treaty between the Cahokia and their enemy, the Iroqua, so together they can combat the next legion that Roma sends to the New World. But a coup within the Cahokian power structure sends Marcellinus fleeing down the Mizipi in a Roman longboat with those still loyal to him. After several adventures on the river, Marcellinus finds that a new Roman legion has arrived. He is eventually captured and taken before the Roman emperor himself, Hadrianus III, who has his own reasons for wanting to invade the New World and refuses to let any tribes stand in his way. But will Marcellinus, who is accused of being a traitor to Roma, survive long enough to negotiate a lasting peace? The author has done prodigious research into Native American lore and Roman military history to produce this novel, which is filled with intelligent extrapolations of what a 13th-century Roman Imperium might be like. Unfortunately, all the characters come across as rather stiff, with the exception of Emperor Hadrianus, whose scenes with Marcellinus really crackle with drama and humor. Those elements are otherwise absent from this incident-crammed and overlong novel. Agent: Caitlin Blasdell, Liza Dawson Associates (Mar.)