Romans on the Rampage: Jail Break
Krysis, the head of the Imperial Mint, is wrongly jailed for stealing from the mint. His family is made homeless and his son Perilus, with the help of his pet raven Croakbag, set out to discover the real thief. The mystery is not solved by the end of the book, so the reader will have to wait for the next book in the series to find out what happens. The story moves at a brisk pace, with lots of terrible puns and ridiculous names, which the younger reader will find funny. Although the setting is ancient Rome, there is very little historical detail and almost nothing a child could take away from this book about life in the Roman Empire. There are many far better books available to give an idea of life during the Roman period though, in fairness, I am sure Jeremy Strong did not intend this book to be a history lesson. It is a fun read with lively black and white illustrations by Rowan Clifford. The plot is basic and the characters’ speech is modern and slangy at times. The story would probably appeal to boys in the 8-10 age range.
