War at the Edge of the World

This is a story of the Roman Empire and Centurion Aurelius Castus, in the 4th century AD, mainly set in Britain and involving a war against the Picts. This is a good adventure story which, as it’s about war, has some gory bits. The story is not as straight forward as it appears, with quite a few twists and turns, and political intrigues. It was well research and vividly brings alive Roman life, military and battles. Although the first in a series, this was complete and it made you want to read more by this author.

We enjoyed reading this book. It wasn't too gruesome! It gave an interesting insight, historically, to the period and brought it to life. The human interest kept the pages turning and we felt that we had learned something new.

This book was of particular interest to the group as it was about the Picts and their battles with the Romans. There was a Pictish settlement in St Andrews around the Hallow Hill area.

Those in the group who like historical novels enjoyed the book, although some found it rather gory in places. It is a good story and well depicted. There was plenty of intrigue in the story, not unlike some of today’s politics!

There is no real criticism of the book, it appealed to those who are interested in this historical period.