Corre el año 24 antes de Cristo y Augusto, amo y señor de Roma, se encuentra a las puertas de la muerte. Al carecer de un heredero claramente designado, las especulaciones sobre su sucesión profileran sin control, y la agitación en las fronteras se incrementa a cada momento. En medio de este mar de intrigas, un legado imperial aparece asesinado en la costa de la provincia de África, mientras que su hija ha sido raptada y permanece cautiva de los piratas en lo más profundo del desierto. Marco Agripa, el fiel lugarteniente de Augusto, decide llegar al fondo del asunto y le encarga la misión a su nuevo descubrimiento: Curcio Rufo. Curcio es un antiguo centurión caído en desgracia al que es más probable encontrar durmiendo la borrachera abrazado a una esclava que resolviendo conspiraciones palaciegas. Agripa, no obstante, está decidido, y la expedición parte hacia África con un objetivo claro: liberar a la hija del legado. Pero en la Roma imperial no todo es lo que parece...

There is something hypnotic about Breem's writing. He really makes you feel you are in the bleak, barren landscape of Mauretania [present day Algeria and Tunisia]. I reread this book several times; each time I picked up some nuance I had not noticed before; or some aspect or sardonic statement became clearer. This novel does not have the quality of Eagle in the Snow, but was still very enjoyable -- a diplomatic mission with all that entails vs. preparations for battle and battle scenes. Breem's characters are opaque and somehow veiled, in a metaphorical sense. I preferred the first-person narration in Mr. Breem's earlier book; I got closer to understanding the protagonist. At this point, maybe I'm obtuse, but I do not understand the connection between the kidnapping and a conspiracy against Emperor Augustus.
Right now [several days later from my original review] I'm rereading aloud, slowly, only a few pp. or a section at a time. One really has to read between the lines; so much is not spelled out. Think something cerebral like, say, John Le Carre. ( )

The Legate’s Daughter by Wallace Breem is a well crafted, historically detailed story of one man’s redemption as he seeks to rescue a daughter of an aristocratic Roman family. This is far more a story of intrigue and political manoeuvrings than of action or adventure. This author has the ability to place the reader in the scene so vividly that you actually feel like you are walking the streets of Rome or Carthage.

I enjoyed the fact that this wasn’t a simple straightforward story, that I had to work at understanding the implications, and who was actually working with who. I suspect the actuality of Roman politics was very much like this story. The main character spent much of his time puzzling things out and I admit I was right there beside him doing the same.

I have seen some negative reviews about this book, mostly from people who were expecting The Legates Daughter to be a replica of his Eagle In the Snow, but these are two very different books, although both share in common accurate historical details and richly colourful descriptions. While Eagle in the Snow was much more action based, The Legate’s Daughter, I thought, gave a very intricate look at the workings of the rich and powerful in the closing days of the Roman Republic. Betrayal is the name of the game, and The Legate’s Daughter is exceptional in it’s portrayal. ( )

Corre el año 24 antes de Cristo y Augusto, amo y señor de Roma, se encuentra a las puertas de la muerte. Al carecer de un heredero claramente designado, las especulaciones sobre su sucesión profileran sin control, y la agitación en las fronteras se incrementa a cada momento.

En medio de este mar de intrigas, un legado imperial aparece asesinado en la costa de la provincia de África, mientras que su hija ha sido raptada y permanece cautiva de los piratas en lo más profundo del desierto. Marco Agripa, el fiel lugarteniente de Augusto, decide llegar al fondo del asunto y le encarga la misión a su nuevo descubrimiento: Curcio Rufo. Curcio es un antiguo centurión caído en desgracia al que es más probable encontrar durmiendo la borrachera abrazado a una esclava que resolviendo conspiraciones palaciegas. Agripa, no obstante, está decidido, y la expedición parte hacia África con un objetivo claro: liberar a la hija del legado. Pero en la Roma imperial no todo es lo que parece...

I thoroughly enjoyed Wallace Breem’s first novel “Eagle in the Snow” and was excited when I came across his second novel “The Legate’s Daughter” at the local used book store; and Mr. Breem didn’t let me down. This time around Mr. Breem delivers unto us Curtius Fufus a down and out, virtually bankrupt, womanizing gambler from the seedy streets of ancient Rome, a complete antithesis to the hero from his first novel. Filled with Chekhovian vignettes of emotional eruptions and utter silence Mr. Breem amazes the reader with surreal scenes and landscapes while delivering a story full of vim and vigor. Too bad Mr. Breem only wrote three novels –as far as I know- and I only have one more to look forward to discovering. ( )