The Silver Branch by Rosemary Sutcliff

[parthianbow]

The Silver Branch is the second novel in the loosely linked Roman Britain trilogy by Rosemary Sutcliff. It was published in 1957, just a few years after the tremendous success of The Eagle of The Ninth, the first book. Like all of Sutcliff's work, The Silver Branch was written for children, but thanks to its rich prose and compelling story, also holds considerable appeal for adults. Sutcliff died in 1992, and while she has been far from forgotten, her name has this year come into the limelight once more. The Eagle is currently showing in movie complexes all over the world, no doubt winning over a huge new audience for her wonderfully written books.

 

I for one have no need of being won over. It's thirty years or more since I first became acquainted with Rosemary Sutcliff, and I've been a fan ever since. The Roman Britain trilogy is partly responsible for helping me to change professions too - from that of a veterinarian to a writer of military historical fiction, namely about the Romans. As a mark of my respect for Sutcliff, the title of my second book, The Silver Eagle, actually pays homage to the first two volumes of her trilogy.

 

The plotline of The Silver Branch is quite different to The Eagle of the Ninth. It's set more than one hundred years later, and concerns a descendant of TEOTN's hero, Marcus, and his cousin, Flavius. It's a story of intrigue, treachery and a secret network to smuggle those loyal to Rome out of Britain, where a usurper has taken the purple. The book has a much larger list of characters than The Eagle of the Ninth, and this adds to its appeal. As well as Justin and Flavius, we have the genial Carausius, the cold, calculating Allectus, Evicatos, the brooding warrior, and Cullen, the faithful King's Hound. Last but not least, there is the fierce old matriarch, Great-Aunt Honoria. Every one of these protagonists is simply but splendidly drawn, and their presence successfully enlarges the tale for the reader.

 

Rich images from the first book also reappear: the Aquila signet ring with the carved green dolphin at its heart and the eagle standard that Marcus retrieved in Scotland. Themes of comradeship and loyalty - to family and friends, as well as to ideals - are central to the plotline, and appeal to us all. As always, Sutcliff's descriptions of the time are vivid and for the most part, extremely authentic. It is this rare ability to draw us completely into ancient times that makes The Silver Branch and her other works such a joy to read. Be sure to read The Eagle of the Ninth first, however!

[Centurion-Macro]

I must admit, I did not like this one as much as I did the others written by Rosemary Sutcliff. However, it was still a good story.