So I know I've read Rosemary Sutcliff before, but I can never keep track of what I've read, because frankly, she's written a million and one books. Or 50, whatever. Anyways, Front Street has re-published a book that originally came out about 30 years ago, The Mark of the Horse Lord. And we have an ARC kicking around.

First off, the cover is amazing. Kudos, Front Street, I love it.

The book is set in Roman Britain, in what is today Scotland. Phaedrus is a slave, and has been a gladiator for several years when he is finally granted his freedom. He's approached by some mysterious men, who propose a plan to him. Basically, one of the kingdoms in Scotland was taken over by a woman named Liadhan. In order to take the throne, Liadhan had the previous king's son mutilated and blinded and left for dead (they have a rule about blind men not being allowed to be kings). The boy survived, and he has a remarkable likeness to Phaedrus. The proposal is that Phaedrus pretends to be the long lost prince, and go to war against Liadhan to take the kingdom back.

Although I enjoyed the book immensely, I had a few problems. One is that the map sucked. Out of all the places Phaedrus went, I think maybe four were labelled. That doesn't include any of the battle sites. I also found that a lot of knowledge seemed to be assumed, making it hard to keep track of what was what. A better map, and maybe a glossary of terms and pronunciations would have been great. I should also note that though this would be an excellent book for boys, it is not one for reluctant readers; the language is not for the faint of heart.

Overall, though, a great read!

The Mark of the Horse Lord by Rosemary Sutcliff
ISBN 1932425624
289 pages