Yet another entry in the recent host of action books set in ancient Roman times. What sets this apart from others is that the main characters are all relative nobodies--slaves, peasant, war captive-turned gladiator. This gives us a glimpse into the seedier side of Roman life, and into the hopes and dreams of men and women who don't share the typical patrician Roman attitudes handed down to us by those whose writings have been preserved. A nice change of pace.
None of these characters has any authority, power or control over the events that surround them. (Well, by the end two of them have gained some measure of power, but you get my point)
The title notwithstanding, this is not a book about the forgotten legion, it is a book about the four main characters (three of whom do eventually leave with Crassus's army on his ill-fated attempt to attack Parthia.) It takes half the book to get the characters to the army, and only the final pages are truly about the forgotten legion--because this is only the first installment of the whole story.
So be warned, don't start this book unless you are willing to continue on.