Silk Road Centurion - Book Review

 

Silk Road Centurion
by Scott Forbes Crawford

Silk Road Centurion is a story about a Roman soldier named Manius Titinius and his detachment who arrive at a desert territory that was once controlled by the Parthian Empire. Their mission is to gather information about the Parthians in the area. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Manius is captured by a nomadic warband called the Xiongnu. He is separated from his troops and taken deeper into an unknown territory where he is made a slave. Tangur, the merciless leader of the Xiongnu, subjects Manius to unimaginable physical suffering.

Along the course of his captivity, Manius was joined by Chinese slaves with whom he established a friendship and learned to speak their language. Eventually, Manius and the Chinese captives escaped from Tangur's clutch. However, due to an oath he made to the goddess Fortuna, Manius decided to go back to his captor's tent to fulfill his promise. From here on, more heart-stopping actions take place between Manius and the barbarians.

Another twist of fate brings Manius to the last Chinese frontier where he assimilates into a small community of farmers. The Xiongnu barbarians eventually found the community and attack the residents there. Upon their retreat, the Xiongnu take with them a little girl captive, prompting Manius and the girl's father to go on a fierce pursuit of the well-equipped lawless nomads.

The Book and the Author

The book, Silk Road Centurion, by Scott Forbes Crawford is an enthralling read that keeps the reader engaged. The author has done an exceptional job of portraying an ancient historical period. The book takes you on an intriguing adventure through the last century BC, where the battle scenes were consistent with historical accounts.


The part that I enjoyed the most in the book was where the character named Manius made a final decision for his life. It was surprising as it was a complete turn-around of his personality. However, the pacing of the story was a bit slow, and there were scenes that could have been told more concisely without affecting the story's buildup. Additionally, I noticed more than ten typographical and grammatical errors in the book, which could have been easily avoided with better proofreading.


After reading Silk Road Centurion, I would give it a three-star rating out of five. However, I would only recommend it to adult readers due to its graphic content that is not suitable to younger readers.

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