The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

The Ninth Legion marched into the mists of Northern Britain—and they were never seen again. Four thousand men disappeared and their eagle standard was lost. It’s a mystery that’s never been solved, until now . . .

Marcus has to find out what happened to his father, who led the legion. So he sets out into the unknown, on a quest so dangerous that nobody expects him to return.

Is it wrong to find that summary horribly lacking for what actually occurs in the book? At heart, this book is a bromance against odds, and a story of devoted friendship and reads a lot like a coming of age novel set in Roman held Britannia. The main plot point may be Marcus and Esca on a mission to reclaim the lost eagle standard, it's really a story about discovering what's important to a person and how to overcome past losses and moving forward from them.