Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: A plot in need of an editor

While the book has good historical info, it is a rather droll read. Saylor drifts woodenly around historical events, more like driftwood caught in a whirlpool, than a Roman war trireme circling in for a kill.I really wanted to like this book, but it takes effort to finish it.If you want to read good Roman adventure, I suggest reading Julius Caesar's "Conquest of Gaul".