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Title: Squandered opportunity
Review: This is a novel that should be very engaging from both an historical and a character perspective. It details the lives of two Gauls serving in the Roman army who end up among the captured legionaries serving the Parthians after Cassius' defeat. Unfortunately, it is merely an extended set of episodes, not a unified narrative. The characters and context are likewise thoroughly undeveloped--no immersion at all in the world of Gauls, Romans, or Parthians. The novel is equally disappointing from a military perspective--no rich descriptive material on tactics or events. The book feels like an outline for something much, much richer, but as it stands is merely an uninspired exercise.
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