(Legion XXII #1)
by Simon Turney

BLURB
Warrior and combat medic, Titus Cervianus, must lead a legion and quell the
uprisings in Egypt in a new Roman adventure from Simon Turney.
Titus Cervianus is no ordinary soldier. And the Twenty Second is no
ordinary legion…
Egypt. 25 BC. A former surgeon from the city of Ancyra, Titus Cervianus is now a
capsarius – a combat medic. He is a pragmatist, a scientist – and deeply unpopular
with his legion, the Twenty Second Deiotariana.
The Twenty Second have been sent to deal with uprisings in Egypt. Founded as the
private army of one of Rome's most devoted allies, their ways are not the same as the
other legions', which sets them apart and causes friction with their fellow soldiers.
Marching into the unknown, Cervianus will find unexpected allies: a local cavalryman
and a troublesome lunatic. Both will be of critical importance as the young medic
marches through the searing sands of the south, finding forbidden temples, hidden
assassins, and worst of all, the warrior queen of Kush…
Reviews for Simon Turney:
'A blistering epic brimming with tension, mystery & adventure!' Gordon Doherty
'A page turner from beginning to end… A damn fine read' Ben Kane
'First-rate Roman fiction' Matthew Harffy
REVIEW
I've been a long time admirer of this author. The only thing he does that causes any consternation on my part is that he writes too many good books too damn fast. On top of that, he keeps veering off into new regions for yet another series. I mean, how am I supposed to deal with all of this? I'll tell you how...by reading his stuff and being blown away time and time again. The Capsarius is no exception to all of the things that make this author stand out. Impeccable research combined with a vivid imagination...story telling that keeps you turning the pages...a diverse cast of characters... In a succinct summation - another triumph for yet another captivating series. Pulse racing action in the burning lands of the Nile.
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Unfortunately, this book just didn't grip me. Around the 60% mark, I skipped to near the end just to know how it ended. Nothing about it was bad. I just found it a bit tiresome and dull, and I didn't like the main character, which hinges so much of the plot. I would recommend this to specific people who wanted to learn more about this time period, but I didn't have much to say about it after finishing.

The first in a new series by Simon Turney is always something to get excited about. For a man who manages to churn out 3/4 books a year, the quality never dips, and this is no exception.

The Capsarius is an enjoyable romp across the deserts of Egypt with the Legions in the early first century. Titus Cervianus is a interesting new main character, a break in tradition from the rough and tumble sorts Turney usually writes, so we're treated to a Roman campaign from the point of view of a medicus, not a frontline centurion.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book, and i really cant wait for book 2 in the series, which i believe is due in only a few months time.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Cervianus isn’t your typical Roman solider, he’s a also a medic. At times this role seems to have an advantage as he gets a few perks but it soon become clear it’s not a free ride in any sense and he has his own unique battles to face in this role.

He’s also an outcast within the legion.. as a medic he puts some of his faith in knowledge and skill while many still hold the belief a man’s life is in the hands of the Gods.

The twenty second legion have been given the task of tackling the Kushite’s in Egypt and to take back what is rightly theirs!

It’s not going to be an easy fight for sure but Cervianus has to hope his fellow soldiers don’t kill him first.. he doesn’t make friends easily.

Cervianus has luck on his side I feel and makes it to the battle but events along the way give him pause for thought.. maybe there is something to be said about the will of the Gods.

What Turney always does so well is the battles and the detail added to everything to set the scene, from the makeup of the army, the buildings, the heat.. the dints in a helmet.. nick in the armour.. everything.. it just puts you right there in the action.

For fans of the genre there’s plenty of action but what I’ve always admired about Turney’s work is how he manages to interweave personal fights too, it’s not just about the big battle… there’s lots to this tale to savour.. read it slowly, enjoy every morsel offered and I guarantee you’ll not be disappointed. It’s a talent to add knowledge and detail to an exciting plot like this one, some readers are simply in it for the action but Turney adds detail without forcing it, or slowing the pace.

I can honestly say I was hooked in from the prologue which set the tone of the story and has my mouth watering for more! Bring on book 2.

I also really enjoyed the character development throughout this one. It’s difficult at times to make characters real but Turney seems to do this effortlessly and I loved the relationship dynamic growing within the senior staff… oooo the tension!! You could cut it with a knife!

The Capsarius by Simon Turney

It 25 BC and Egypt is not what it once was. Pharaoh-less, it is ruled by Romans, hungry for its wealth and resources. The Queen of the Kush, far to the South, also has her eye on it and that means trouble. The 22nd legion is sent up the Nile to deal with the Queen’s army and raiders and among it is Titus Cervianus, an army medic and scientist who has the distinction of being both extremely talented at mending people while being incredibly unpopular and picked upon. It doesn’t help that he finds himself friends with one of the legion’s troublemakers, Ulyxes. As they travel deeper into Egypt, there is danger everywhere, from within the legion, from terrifying enemy fighters, and from the Nile itself, which thrashes with crocodiles.

I love a Roman military adventure and have read many of them over the years. The Capsarius is such a fine example for lots of reasons, not least its author, Simon Turney. What he doesn’t know about the Roman world and its military engine isn’t worth knowing. The amount of research he does for each of his books (fiction and non-fiction) is extraordinary and all of that means that you can enjoy his novels while also feeling that you’re learning something.

The setting of The Capsarius is fantastic and it is effectively a military tour up the Nile at a time with the wonders of ancient Egypt are fading but are still marvelled at and have a power to awe. Temples are described in beautiful detail that captures the enigma of Egyptian religion and architecture. I’ve visited many of these places myself on a leisurely cruise up the Nile and the novel brought back memories of the colour and heat of middle and southern Egypt.

But this is a dangerous place for Cervianus, not least because his fellow soldiers keep wanting to kill him while the officers in charge make reckless decisions about their mission. Cervianus seems to reel from one disaster to the next, while all of the time the legion is plagued by attack, the hostile environment, the heat, and then there are the crocodiles. I’m rather glad there were none of those on my cruise. Unfortunately, the crocodiles seem to like nothing better than the taste of a sweaty Roman soldier.

Cervianus’ medical knowledge is called upon with alarming regularity and the detail of his progressive methods is both fascinating and, I have to say, gory. But there is something really appealing about Cervianus. He is an entertaining and true companion, loyal, very unlucky and clever. Despite being widely unliked, he does find friends in strange places, including among the native Egyptian auxiliaries, who are fascinating in their own right.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of an unusual man and his exploits on the trail of the Kush queen’s army. The descriptions of the Nile and the legacy of its pharaonic past are wonderful as the army moves further and further away from Alexandria ad the familiar. Simon Turney knows his stuff and the fascinating detail and insight makes this novel stand out. If you love Romans and the ancient world, you’ll love this.

Other reviews (also writes as S.J.A. Turney)
Caligula
Commodus
Marius’ Mules I: The Invasion of Gaul
Marius’ Mules II: The Belgae
Writing historical locations – a guest post
With Gordon Doherty – Sons of Rome

For once, I am lost for words. An extraordinarily well-researched and enjoyable book about a highly intelligent and worldly-curious medic in the Roman army. I was totally unaware of the role of a Capsarius in the fighting legions, The main protagonist is disliked by most of his peers, despite his many skills in performing delicate operations and general medical duties.
The author skillfully describes the Capasarius' role, his multi-faceted personality as well as the mysterious & fascinating lands that the legion passed through. I also got totally absorbed in the bloody battle scenes.
I am really excited about reading the sequel and the outcome of his awful premonition.
Congratulations to Simon Turney for writing such a powerful novel. I hope to see it one day on the big (or small) screen!

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…”.

Have enjoy turneys novels in the past. This one took a bit for me to get into but once I did the story started rolling. While it definitely feels like the “start” of something was quite ready for the next steps to come. Not overly complex storyline but well done character development

Simon Turney is the gift that keeps on giving.

Another fantastic book by this author that puts the reader in the place after Ceaser and just at the start of the emperor's of Rome.

It's been fun to see the different side of the legions by viewing it through the eyes of a capsarius.

You can really feel the weight of burden on the main characters shoulders , not only from his everyday life in the legion but from him wrestling with his inner daemons.

Anybody who was a fan of Marius Mules will absolutely love this and I personally can't wait to get stuck in to the series .

This is not a fast paced, action-packed book about some Roman legionary but a very clever, well researched and compelling story about a clever man in a new world facing superstition and nastiness who will find strange allies, discover the unknown, and face very strong enemies.
It’s epic and it prepares the scene for the action and exciting things that will come.
Simon Turney can surely write historical fiction, and this was an excellent story that kept me hooked an turning pages. It wasn’t love at first pages, but the story grew on me as I got to know the different characters and travel with them
Titus Cervanius is a fascinating character, a man of his time and very modern at the same time. He’s well developed and interesting, I look forward to reading more about him.
The historical background is well researched and vivid, I learned something new and travelled with the characters in the ancient Egypt.
I can’t wait to read the next story as I want to know what will happen.
This one is strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Aries and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I really enjoyed The Capsarius. I've read some of Simon Turney's Roman fiction in the past, but this book, without its focus on Roman Rome, is a little different, and very enjoyable.

I didn't read this book quickly - rather I enjoyed it slowly, taking delight in reading a small amount each day over an extended period. It's a story rich with detail, as our main character, The Capsarius, travels through a land he is clearly excited to visit, being so very strange to his birth lands, and yet one he understands is filled with danger. The heat, the lack of water, and the need to stay close to the great river Nile, bring into play some very dangerous enemies, the crocodiles of the delta.

The Capsarius is not your usual Roman warrior. He's a skilled and widely read individual, keen to hold on to the ideals he has as a medic in the Roman army, even though he's pitted against just about everyone in the legion, and his superior's really don't seem to like him a great deal - not that it worries him. He's a man of reason, and yet one who's thrust into a strange land, with even stranger gods, and gods who seem to speak to him. The interplay between the reasoned man forced to question his beliefs because of the pervading Egyptian religion, is skillfully drawn.

This is a slow burn, which rewards the reader with two really quite different battle scenes in the second half of the book when our Roman hero finally encounters their elusive enemy, and I'm already looking forward to book 2.

A wonderful read - with just the right amount of humour and peril - set in a wonderfully drawn land of intrigue and danger.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

Titus Cervianus, legionnaire and combat medic, has a huge problem. He is unpopular in his unit because of his belief in science over the gods. The Twenty Second Deiotariana has been sent from Galatia to Egypt where it is sent south with units of the two other legions under a commander obsessed with winning and glory. Cervianus has to navigate the ire of officers, his unit, and troubling events to survive and help his legion succeed. This title (the first in a series) ends in a bit of a cliffhanger as the legion is getting ready to plunge further into the interior of Egypt. An interesting historical tale in a time and place not often covered..

Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this title

The Capsarius is an easy to like character who brings a ‘human being’ approach to being in the Roman army. The story has an undertone of an underdog becoming more and more influential the deeper in to the campaign the army marches. The difference of opinions and personalities in amongst the army means that there is a battle on two fronts, that of the real local enemy and that of comrades and officers of all levels who should be working together.
I really enjoyed this book and will certainly read the next instalment.