Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for The Capsarius by Simon Turney. My thanks to Andrew at Head of Zeus for inviting me to take part in the tour and for my review copy.
About the Book
Egypt. 25 BC. Titus Cervianus and the Twenty Second Deiotariana have been sent to deal with uprisings and chaos in Egypt. Yet the Twenty Second is no ordinary legion. Founded as the private royal army of one of Rome’s most devoted allies, the king of Galatia, their ways are not the same as the other legions, a factor that sets them apart and causes friction with their fellow soldiers.
Cervianus is no ordinary soldier, either. A former surgeon from the city of Ancyra, he’s now a capsarius – a combat medic. Cervianus is a pragmatist, a scientist, and truly unpopular with his legion.
Marching into the unknown, Cervianus will find unexpected allies in a local cavalryman and a troublesome lunatic. Both will be of critical importance as the young medic marches into the searing sands of the south, finding forbidden temples, dark assassins, vicious crocodiles, and worst of all, the warrior queen of Kush…
Format: Hardback (432 pages) Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: 14th April 2022 Genre: Historical Fiction
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My Review
The Capsarius is a great example of why I love historical fiction. Before reading this book I had no idea there was such a thing as a capsarius and couldn’t for the life of me have explained what a contubernium was. Readers familiar with Simon Turney’s previous books won’t be surprised that The Capsarius is jam-packed full of detail about Roman military structure, strategy, equipment and weaponry – not forgetting the construction of latrine pits.
The author has created a fascinating character in Titus Cervianus. We learn little about his early life (I’m hoping the author is saving that for a prequel) but what we do know is that he speaks several languages, has a voracious appetite for books and considers his vocation to be saving lives – not that he isn’t pretty deadly with a sword or spear when the need arises. He’s a man of science and logic who views superstition as the ‘bane of all reasoned thinkers’, one of the many reasons he has been ostracised by most of his comrades (although I have to say I’d be happy to befriend the over six foot tall, clean shaven soldier with raven black hair). Fortunately for Cervanius he is ‘adopted’ by another member of his contubernium, the irrepressible Ulyxes who has an almost photographic memory but is never happier than when there’s a prospect of a brawl.
Aware of the perils that lie ahead, Cervanius is nevertheless excited at the prospect of seeing the sights of Egypt he has only read about – Alexandria, Memphis, Thebes – and through his eyes the reader is able to do the same. Gradually Cervanius finds his rejection of superstition being challenged by the seeming significance of symbols he encounters as he visits temples dedicated to Egyptian gods. Are the whispered warnings and his strange dreams portents of misfortune yet to come? ‘He was finding it hard to deny that something powerful seemed to be at work in this strange land.’
In his Historical Note, Simon Turney reveals that one of the inspirations for the book is Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. As Cervianus and the Twenty Second legion travel down the Nile on a campaign that seems more driven by the arrogance and pride of their superiors than by strategy, darkness is just what they find, especially when they reach the fortress of Buhen. (Thanks to the handy map at the front of the book, I now know exactly where that is.)
In one of the great set piece scenes in the book, Cervanius and his comrades are confronted by an enemy described as a ‘cloud of black hissing death’ who rise from the ground with ‘iron points gleaming in the moonlight, ebony shafts and black fletching blending into the darkness’. Another memorable scene is the legion’s assault on the heavily fortified Abu Island during which they have to accomplish a landing from small boats whilst dodging arrows raining down on them and then face a ‘screaming, roaring tide of humanity, bristling with weapons, designed to strike fear into their enemy’. Death is always just a hair’s breadth away whether that’s due to a mistimed stroke, an inadvertent gap in a shield wall or a momentary lapse of concentration.
The first in the Legion XXII series, The Casparius is an impeccably researched and thrilling journey through 25BC Egypt. If you like full-on action, it has it. If you like historical detail, it has it. If you like a book to have a protagonist who’s not just a one dimensional character, it has it. Personally, I can’t wait to experience more of Titus Cervianus’s exploits in future books. As he says in the closing chapter, “Here we go…”.
In three words: Action-packed, authentic, compelling
Try something similar: A Night of Flames by Matthew Harffy
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About the Author
Simon Turney is from Yorkshire and, having spent much of his childhood visiting historic sites, fell in love with the Roman heritage of the region. His fascination with the ancient world snowballed from there with great interest in Rome, Egypt, Greece and Byzantium. His works include the Marius’ Mules and Praetorian series, the Tales of the Empire and The Damned Emperor series, and the Rise of Emperors books with Gordon Doherty
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