Book Review- Simon Scarrow- The Eagle’s Prophecy

Simon Scarrow- The Eagle’s Prophecy 4.25 Stars

In AD 45 centurions Macro and Cato, are being told that they must go on a deadly mission or be executed. A large group of vicious pirates have come into possession of scrolls that could destroy Rome if they see the light of day. Now Macro and Cato must go with a group of troops to try to get the scrolls back and save Rome. If they are successful, they can have there lives back. It seems like a suicide mission, but what choice do they have?

This book had a good introduction, as it gets you right into the heart of what the book is going to be about. The main plot is great. It has some twists, but no real shocking moments. It did keep me reading and enjoying the time period as it is a captivating time. It had some very intense parts that kept me on the edge of my seat, not wanting to put the book down. I loved the characters in the book as well. I will definitely be looking for more books in this series. I did feel in parts like I was missing something in not having read the other books preceding this one. In the future I will read this series in order. I would recommend this book those who love historical fiction.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- James Rollins- Excavation

James Rollins- Excavation 3.75 Stars

Excavating an archaeological site in the Andes, Dr. Henry Conklin and his group of students unearth an old mummy who was an old friar. The students are exploring the site and come across an underground passage filled with deadly traps. This site is filled with a vast richness, far beyond the important historical knowledge. All of this may appear wonderful on the outside, but inside, they may be unearthing something far more dangerous than they ever thought possible.

The introduction to this book was pretty good. It draws the reader in, making you want to read more and find out how it is going to tie into the rest of the book. The book kept me on the edge of my seat for the majority of the novel. It was a fast-paced plot with many great twists and turns. I do not usually enjoys sci-fi twists, but in the case of this novel, it fit perfectly, a little too odd for me, but overall it was well done. The characters were fairly well-crafted and assisted the storyline nicely. Overall it was an enjoyable read, although a little too sci-fi for me to keep it.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Lawrence Hill- The Book of Negroes

Lawrence Hill- The Book of Negroes/Someone Knows My Name 4.5 Stars

Aminata Diallo is letting everyone know her life story while she is living in London, England during the 19^th century. She was just eleven years old when she was stolen from her village and witnessed the murder of her parents. Sold into the slave trade, she experienced many horrors along the way as they take her to America. As she struggles to gain her way to freedom, she finds herself writing a ledger recording names in the “Book of Negroes”. Travelling by boat she finally ends up in Nova Scotia with many others.

This is a wonderful novel. A tough read about the brutal treatment of black slaves. It was captivating and really hard to put down. It was beautifully written and had a plot that was brilliantly crafted. The characters seemed to jump off of every page and assisted the story with every turn. The way that they were treated was awful and it was dreadful how they justified it by making it sound as if it was providing a better life for them. I do get tired of how this is brought up time and time again in society now, as I would love to see the world learn from the mistakes and move on, but at the same time it makes for a good read that draws you in as you get caught up in the hardships they had to face. I do not read these kinds of books too often as they are too difficult to think about. Overall this was a great epic tale that will easily become a Canadian classic.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Howard Pyle- Robin Hood

Howard Pyle- Robin Hood 3.25 Stars

I won’t bother summarising this classic as I think you all know the basics about Robin Hood. I was actually surprised at how different this was from what I expected, especially the fact that Maid Marian doesn’t make an appearance until three-quarters of the way through the book, and then it is just for one chapter as well as one mention later on. It seems that movie makers have taken a lot of liberties with this book and have changed so much about it. It covers so much more time than I was expecting as well. I did enjoy reading this novel, once I got past all the ‘doths’ and ‘quoths’. It did seem choppy in its writing style. It was more like a collection of short stories about Robin Hood in the way that it was put together, but it keeps the reader intrigued about what trouble he was going to get himself into next. His playful personality is what gets him into the most amount of trouble every time. This makes for an amusing read. The characters were also very well done, they seemed quite realistic and I love how we see him battling it out with the same people every time, yet there actually was very little killing. Overall I enjoyed this classic, but would have liked it better if it didn’t feel so choppy at times.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/