Eagle of the East by L.S. Lawrence

This is based on a true story. It is 53BCE. The Romans invade Parthia, a huge empire stretching from Turkey, through Syria, Iraq, Iran and parts of central Asia. In the aftermath of a ferocious battle, 40,000 Roman legionnaires lie dead, their army cut to pieces. One thousand Romans survive and negotiate surrender. Unable to go home the Roman legionnaires must once again fly their Eagle standard as mercenaries to the Great King. Treachery marks their every move as they travel eastward. T he only Parthian they can trust is Ardavan, a boy born to a Roman slave. During their struggles they find unlikely friends and deadly foes and Ardavan must use his newly found skills with a sword to help avoid a deadly plot.

I picked this book because I like the Ranger’s Apprentice series. I wasn’t disappointed. Although it is a little more challenging to read than the Ranger’s Apprentice, it was made more interesting because it is a story based on events that actually happened two thousand years ago. The almost father and son relationship that develops between the two central characters Ardavan and the leader of the Romans Pontus, is central to the story. If you like stories set in the past where action, adventure, friendship and loyalty are important, then this is a story you might like to read.
For readers who like the Ranger’s Apprentice, an 8/10!

Alyzon Whitestarr
thinks of herself as more white mouse than star, until something happens that heightens her senses, enabling her to smell people's feelings, perceive their essences, and see flashes of their lives.
She is shaken to discover that some people's spirits are afflicted by a strange and ravenous disease which is both sentient and hungry for new hosts. Seeking to learn how the disease is transmitted, Alyzon's investigations lead her to a mysterious entrepreneur, a secretive group of young people with a habit of violence, and ultimately back to her own beloved family, where she will learn a shattering truth about the world . . .
Then Alyzon realises that, just as she can perceive the sickness, so the sickness can perceive her . . .