Legionary by Gordon Doherty

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As the title suggests this is an adventure story set in the Roman Empire but this time it is the Eastern Empire with it's capital in Constantinople.   The northern frontier is the river Danube and throughout it's length Gothic tribes are pressing to break through.   As if this were not bad enough the Empire is riven with religious controversy and the members of the Senate are more concerned with manoeuvering against one another for personal advantage than overseeing defences that are short of men and equipment.  
The leading character in this story is Pavo, a youth forced into slavery when his soldier father is killed on active service leaving his familly destitute.   Bought by a Senator, who is also a leading figure in the conspiracy against the Emperor, Pavo endures years of brutality until he is sent to the border to join Legion XI Claudia which, like the other units, is under strength and badly equiped.   At this point I must say that the device used to accomplish his move requires industrial strength suspension of disbelief.  
Despite it's weakness the Legion is ordered to take back the Kingdom of the Bosperus, now known as the Crimean Peninsula, which was lost to the Goths who are themselves under pressure from the Huns.   At the same time in Constantinople the Archbishop and some Senators are plotting to unseat the Emperor and are in contact with the Huns who they fondly believe can be used to effect this.   How they plan to control the Huns afterwards is not revealed but perhaps they had not thought that far ahead.   Needless to say Pavo and his mates in the Legion manage to surmount all the obstacles and inflict a defeat on the Huns.  
I have to say that in plotting, characterisation and narrative Doherty is a long way behind the likes of Simon Scarrow and Christian Cameron but nonetheless has produced a pacy "Boys Own" story that I was happy to read to the end which I would not have done if I was not enjoying it.