In my experience sequels are often pale imitations of the original but this series just gets better and better. It's 79AD - and Vesuvius is erupting over Pompei - but two mosaic makers from Pompei are unaware of this, till late in the tale, because they are busy building the floors of the new baths in Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester) in southern Britain. Our hero Topher,is the mosaic maker's apprentice and it is here that he meets the cat Ka, brought to Briton by the Romans. Topher, here an Ancient British boy, is torn when the eagle, symbol of Roman power is stolen from the forum. He knows his brother has stolen it, aided by the all powerful druid. Can he find it and restore it to the Romans before they start taking reprisals. Luckily he has the assistance of the miraculous Ka. This is a fast moving adventure which lightly carries lots of info about life in first century Roman Britain. The map of Calleva Atrebatum makes it easy to follow all the comings and goings and the kids want to go there, and to Reading Museum where they can, it seems - well it says so in the book - see the Roman eagle itself.
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