and how his wife Queen Boudicca turned took the reigns of power all is well until the procurator demands payment of taxes. Now, Macro is retired from active service whilst Cato - who now has a family of his own - has risen in rank above that that Macro ever reached but is still firm friends with the latter. The novel ends with the destruction of Camulodunum and it is then clear that this is part one of an ongoing tale.

Well now that moment has arrived, I knew I had to read this novel, set in one of the events of British history I know so well. It’s the year AD60 and both protagonists are once again in Britannia, tasked in maintaining Rome’s tenuous hold of the province.

We've now also reached a pivotal moment in Roman Britain history, with the Boudicean revolt just about to kick off (as it does here) and as the Romans finally capture and raze the Druid stronghold of Mona. The story is full throttle and whilst there are a lot of characters and locations to keep track of, as a reader you are in safe hands with Scarrow’s expertly constructed, atmospheric and gripping novel. This is the twenty first book of this epic series and our heroes are older wiser at times but still going strong.

By moving the major Roman army units away from southern England, the Romans inadvertently created the opening and window of opportunity for Boudica's rebellion. Although now officially an army veteran living in the Roman colony of Camulodunum (Colchester), as Macro remarks to his wife, Petronella, ‘You can take the man out of the army, but never the army out of the man’. A stunning and unforgettable story of warfare, courage and sacrifice as brave men face an enemy with nothing to lose . Although, part of a series, this is the first that I have read and it worked well as a standalone novel.That, and a quote from the king of historical action-adventure fiction Bernard Cornwell that 'I really don't need this kind of competition . However, having lived in Camulodunum, with a wealth of local knowledge I have a lot of sympathy for the Iceni and Boudica! For much of the book, though, they find themselves apart, each wishing they had the other beside them for support and advice, and because of their complementary skills. His Roman soldier heroes Cato and Macro made their debut in 2000 in UNDER THE EAGLE, and have subsequently appeared in many bestsellers in the Eagles of the Empire series, including CENTURION, INVICTUS and DAY OF THE CAESARS. Feel bad for what Cato will be going through, I don't want to imagine how he'll feel if Macro of Lucius don't make it.

Death to the Emperor is a captivating book full of heroism and sacrifice that brings Boudica and the Iceni vividly to life. And when you get to the end, you know there will be at least one more because there are too many loose ends. This is the 21st installment in the author's "Eagles of the Empire" series which seems like it may be coming to an end in a book or two - but then again, maybe not.So the friends spend much of this apart but obviously as we would expect, trouble quickly finds them. When the self-serving procurator, Catus Decianus, is over zealous in gathering taxes from the local population and allows atrocities to be carried out on Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni, and her daughters, he provokes a rebellion on a scale never seen before and putting all Roman settlers and citizens at risk. I found the descriptions of life in Britain in the I century very interesting and they made me wish I know more about the lifestyle.