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Title: Legionary

Author: Gordon Doherty

Narrator: Simon Whistler

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-25-14

Publisher: Whistle Media

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 48 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The Roman Empire is crumbling, and a shadow looms in the east....

376 AD: The Eastern Roman Empire is alone against the tide of barbarians swelling on her borders. Emperor Valens juggles the paltry border defenses to stave off invasion from the Goths north of the Danube. Meanwhile, in Constantinople, a pact between faith and politics spawns a lethal plot that will bring the dark and massive hordes from the east crashing down on these struggling borders. The fates conspire to see Numerius Vitellius Pavo, enslaved as a boy after the death of his legionary father, thrust into the limitanei, the border legions, just before they are sent to recapture the long-lost eastern Kingdom of Bosporus. He is cast into the jaws of this plot, so twisted that the survival of the entire Roman world hangs in the balance....

Members Reviews:

A visceral historic cross-section

What did you love best about Legionary?

Obvious care and painstaking work went into the military history of the piece. Armed units, organization and procedure rolled out with a feel of authenticity, and you could feel the author's enthusiasm for his work.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The ending provided a sequel hook by hinting a previously mentioned character would soon come into the story. This came out of the blue, however. The lack of context kept me from feeling the intrigue.

What does Simon Whistler bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Simon's vocals are smooth and ambient. He makes the bone, blood and guts story pleasant to the ear, and oddly relaxing to listen to.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Live by the Sword."

Decent book, stellar performance

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this audiobook to anyone who loves a good adventure yarn and would enjoy following the travels of a boy battling for his life across the tapestry of a lush but brutal history.

What other book might you compare Legionary to and why?

Hard for me to say, as I'm not much of a historical fiction reader. If anything, though, I would say this reminded me of Louis L'Amour's "The Walking Drum." Lots of action, shallow characters, plenty of fun.

Which scene was your favorite?

I enjoyed the bar scene in who Pavo drunkenly escapes a thrashing by kicking his far superior opponent in the privates -- not because of the cheap comedy, which wasn't bad, but because it encapsulates the sense of rowdy, slapdash, seat-of-your-pants action that typifies the story.

Any additional comments?

Simon Whistler's narration of this tale is a joy. His English accent gives it a sense of Old World majesty while his enthusiasm is infectious. He clearly enjoys the material (or he's very gifted at faking it). I would love to listen to more books read by him.

interesting historical novel

I enjoyed this novel but stumbled a bit with mispronunciations and wrong use of tenses. It could use a good editor and preview listener.

I enjoyed this novel

I was never a big fan of the historical type fiction, but since i listened to this i think my tastes may have changed. I found the story-line intriguing and it all flowed very well.