A review by felinity
Clash of Eagles by Alan Smale
5.0
An alternate history epic, and well worthy of the title. In this world, the Goths did not sack Rome. The Romans are continuing to expand their frontiers, fighting the Mongol Khan on one side while sending troops across the Atlantic on the other. Marcellinus, a Roman Praetor, has been charged with finding the fabled gold. Roman tactics might not work quite so well in the New World though, and their concept of warfare may have a different result in the mountains of Appalachia, or when they near the great Mississippi river.
I'm glad there are to be more books in the series. The worldbuilding is excellent, the characters generally well-rounded (no black hats or white hats here), and Marcellinus' internal honesty and introspection prove most interesting as he is forced to re-evaluate everything he knows and believes, and begins to see his warriors as individual people rather than just a mass of faceless troops.
As an anthropologist, it was incredibly fascinating to see Roman soldiers coming up against braves, the interactions with the local tribes with their varying customs and how even the simplest things (like counting on fingers) may be done differently. They clash, with great confusion, and eventually start melding together to create a wholly new picture, yet there is always a price to pay for innovation.
The level of detail in Smale's research is quite astounding, but the level of thought that's gone into recreating these lost civilizations was even more so - and that's before you see the "alternative" part - but I also appreciated the detailed appendices with their extra information, creating more historical context and offering a lengthy bibliography to anyone who wishes to learn more.
I already had to recommend Clash of Eagles to someone else, who is waiting impatiently for his copy! If you enjoy military SF (historic rather than futuristic) or alternate history, you should definitely take a look.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm glad there are to be more books in the series. The worldbuilding is excellent, the characters generally well-rounded (no black hats or white hats here), and Marcellinus' internal honesty and introspection prove most interesting as he is forced to re-evaluate everything he knows and believes, and begins to see his warriors as individual people rather than just a mass of faceless troops.
As an anthropologist, it was incredibly fascinating to see Roman soldiers coming up against braves, the interactions with the local tribes with their varying customs and how even the simplest things (like counting on fingers) may be done differently. They clash, with great confusion, and eventually start melding together to create a wholly new picture, yet there is always a price to pay for innovation.
The level of detail in Smale's research is quite astounding, but the level of thought that's gone into recreating these lost civilizations was even more so - and that's before you see the "alternative" part - but I also appreciated the detailed appendices with their extra information, creating more historical context and offering a lengthy bibliography to anyone who wishes to learn more.
I already had to recommend Clash of Eagles to someone else, who is waiting impatiently for his copy! If you enjoy military SF (historic rather than futuristic) or alternate history, you should definitely take a look.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.