Clash of Eagles (Clash of Eagles #1)
by Alan Smale
The blurb:
It’s The Last of the Mohicans meets HBO’s Rome in this exciting and inventive debut novel from Sidewise Award-winner Alan Smale that will thrill fans of alternate history, historical fiction, and military fiction.
In a world where the Roman Empire never fell, a legion under the command of general Gaius Marcellinus invades the newly-discovered North American continent. But Marcellinus and his troops have woefully underestimated the fighting prowess of the Native American inhabitants. When Gaius is caught behind enemy lines and spared, he must reevaluate his allegiances and find a new place in this strange land.
Review:
This is the first alternate history novel I've read and it was a pleasant surprise. Clash of Eagles was a well written story that just flowed so smoothly.
It's the thirteenth century and Praetor Gaius Marcellinus travels to Nova Hesperia to quench the Roman thirst for gold. Early on, Marcellinus's legion falls and the Cahokian people of the Mississippi river valleys take the Praetor in. Throughout the book, Marcellinus learns about the Cahokia culture and introduces the people to many Roman ideas and inventions. Rich with graphic descriptions of battle, I found the day to day interactions between Marcellinus and the Cahokian people to be my favorite. If you like alternate history novels, this read might be for you.
Great read.
4/5 stars
**Thank you to Del Rey Spectra, a part of Random House, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book for review**
