While this is by no means a deep thinking novel, I found it fun and entertaining.
There is lots of action, some small amount of political intrigue and a healthy dose of what it must have been like as a Roman soldier.
The story is set in the time of Emperor Claudius and follows the adventures of a centurion and his new, unexperienced optio, both of whom manage to survive several fights, skirmishes and battles with style, courage, good training and a bit of luck.