Adventures of the Ninth Legion of Rome

TITLE: Adventures of the Ninth Legion of Rome – The Sacrifice
AUTHOR: Hurley D. Mahan
PUBLISHER: iUniverse
ISBN-10: 1475991754
ISBN-13: 978-1475991758
PAGES: 308
GENRE: Fiction

The book gives the reader a beautiful experience of adventure, action, shocking war stories and drama. Reading through the chapters is thrilling, as one gets to understand how ranks in different armies work. I fell in love with Marcus Artorius Agricola from the start of the book. He had all the attributes I would want my commander to have if I was part of a Legion. Marcus was the commander of a Legion that had earned the greatest honors, that alone made him one of my favorite characters. Marcus was focused, had a plan and listened to his soldiers in the Ninth Legion.
The legion’s journey to conquer the Pict tribes in the north of York was strategically planned, and the commander and other senior officers surveyed every area. The dedicated team of soldiers worked as a team and paid attention to Marcus. I loved their loyalty and how they dealt with issues that arose in the group. Petra and Allred were my other favorite characters. I loved that Allred was a great hunter. The two were among the few slaves who had remained loyal to the Legion. I admired them.
I had expected that the Legion’s journey up north of York would be smooth, with little or no obstruction. The soldiers were well prepared, the slaves followed orders and the commander was fully in charge. I loved the twist as the legion encountered something different. The Ninth Legion was in an unlikely manner taken to England at the start of the second World War. I found it amusing that the soldiers could not understand how the flying horses came after them. The other mysterious thing was the horseless carriages, and the unfamiliar Pict houses being seen.
The Legion had circumnavigated the big city and that explained why they were in a different time. I found reading about the mystery and adventures of the Legion and time traveling thrilling. I was fully engrossed and wanted to read on non-stop. Mormaer was the reason for their time traveling; how entertaining. I sort of did not want Mormaer to be found when the commander gave the Legionnaires an order to look for him. His addition in the story made it exciting.
It was great reading about the different weapons the Legion used to fight. The entrance of Germans in the picture and their machinery came as a challenge, as the Legion had gotten used to using shields and swords, which were no match to the modern weapons the Germans had.
I love reading a good story and I sure enjoyed reading “Adventures of the Ninth Legion of Rome – The Sacrifice”. I got to be attached with some characters, that I imagined going on a mission with them. I followed everything Marcus and Walker did and even felt like I was part of the team. Hurley D. Mahan is an excellent writer who knows how to keep the reader hooked. Though the book had the major theme of tasks in the military and battles, the author incorporated other themes like love, loyalty and the role of the family in the book. Hurley D. Mahan’s book is a great read and will be loved by readers who enjoy fantasy, adventure, war and literature in general. 4/5 stars rating from me.
Questions for the author:
1. Why did you decide to write a book that majorly focused on war?
2. Is writing fiction easier for you compared to non-fiction?
3. Do you enjoy reading about modern weapons used in the military?
4. How long did it take you to write this book?
5. What makes a good author?