The third in Manda Scott's Rome series, the Eagle of the Twelfth will be no disappointment to either established fans or newcomers to the series. This is something of a departure from the first two books in the series both in terms of characters and ambience, yet not so much that you feel is if you've wandered too far off the main path. The first two books focus on the work of Pantera, the titular Emperor's Spy. Although Pantera is once again a major character here, he appears only at the beginning and end, leaving the main body of the book to the story of Demalion, a Roman legionary. Throughout the ten years of his life that we see, Demalion's path isn't an easy one. Assigned to the 'unlucky' twelfth, Demalion is witness to the almost total destruction of the legion, thanks in no small part to the incompetence of their senior officer. Most importantly, they lose their eagle, the main battle standard of any legion. Without it, the twelfth will cease to exist and all who served in it will face a lifetime of disgrace. The latter part of the book focuses on Demalion's almost suicidal mission to retrieve this most vital of icons in a legionary's life. Although there are familiar themes and scenarios littered throughout the book (training a body of fighting men, loss of life through the incompetence of badly-appointed superiors, the loss of comrades in battle) Manda Scott takes what could easily be clichés and, through the skill of her writing, makes each of them feel fresh and strong. To my mind, this displays the quality of her characters and the life she imbues them with to make you care whether every last one of them will live or die. A fantastically written book and, for me, the strongest in the series so far. Highly recommended to anyone with even the most passing of interest in Roman times and particularly the life of a legionary. I can't wait for the next one.