David Drake Resident Scholar Profiles TOP SCHOLAR: steven vanzant SCHOLARS: Manda
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Review Summaries
"A group of aliens traders travel to Earth in order to buy a defeated Roman Legion. They need low tech soldiers to fight for them and they soon learn that the Romans are the best low tech fighters that can be found in the Galaxy. They use these soldiers to defeat the native inhabitants of these alien worlds in order to secure trade rights and previledges. In battle after battle the soldiers defeat all opponents until their worth is unquestioned. This worth is shown in the fact that they recieve treatments that keeps them from aging and after each battle all those who are slain are revived unless they have received a brain injury. A leader soon emerges in the figure of the tribune Gaius Vibulenus. The constant battles forge him into a leader of men and when the Legion tire of the constant fighting and their alien overlords it's to Gaius that they turn. He tells them to bide their time and wait until an opportunity presents itself. This opportunity comes when their alien commander is killed in battle because of his inexperience and this throws the normal routines in disorder. This is what they have been waiting for and they decide to make their bid for freedomand they rise up against their overlords in a effort to secure their freedom and return home."
steven vanzant, Resident David Drake Scholar
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Overall Review
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Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 50% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%
Tone of book
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
War or Invasion
Yes
Major kinds of combat:
- sword fights
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- infantry soldier
Age:
- 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- none
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Setting
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body:
- unfriendly aliens
Planet outside solar system?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- explicit references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- some scientific explanation
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
How much dialogue?
- significantly more descript than dialog
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