My Week in Books – 10th August 2025

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On the blog last week

Monday – I shared My Top 3 July 2025 Reads.

Tuesday – This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic was all about genres and I went with Historical Fiction Featuring Real Historical Figures.

Wednesday – As always WWW Wednesday is a weekly opportunity to share what I’ve just read, what I’m currently reading and what I plan to read next… and to take a peek at what others are reading.

Saturday – I shared a list of Ten Novels Set In Roman Times.

New on my shelves

Not a sausage…

What I’m currently reading

I’m reading Cairo Gambit from my NetGalley shelf and The House at Devil’s Neck for the blog tour. I’m listening to the audiobook of The Summer House Party and reading a physical copy of The Body in the Ice (both books on my 20 Books of Summer list).

Look out for…

  • Book Review: The House at Devil’s Neck by Tom Mead
  • Book Review: The Mare by Angharad Hampshire
  • Book Review: Green Ink by Stephen May
  • Book Review: There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
  • Book Review: The Best of Intentions by Caroline Scott
  • Book Review: Lion Hearts by Dan Jones
  • Book Review: The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel

Yes, I am way behind with writing reviews.

‘Friends, Romans, countrymen…’ Ten Novels Set In Roman Times

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As a fan of historical fiction with a taste for a bit of action from time to time, here are ten novels set in Roman times I’ve read. Some are part of a series (unlike me, you might want to start from the beginning of the series!), some are standalone. Links from the title will take you to my full review.

  1. Defender of the Wall (Dragon of the North #1) by Chris Thorndycroft – Britain, 390 AD. A barbarian prince fostered by a Roman family faces conflicted loyalties
  2. The Emperor’s Shield (Legionary #9) by Gordon Doherty – 386 AD. The Eastern Roman Empire faces multiple threats meaning Pavo, a veteran of the legions, is called back into service
  3. Death to the Emperor (Eagles of the Empire #21) by Simon Scarrow – Britain, 60 AD. The Roman Empire’s hold on the province is increasingly fragile as tribes implacably opposed to Rome grow more cunning in their attacks on the legions
  4. Terra Incognita by Simon Turney – 61 AD. Emperor Nero tasks members of his Praetorian Guard to discover the source of the River Nile
  5. Sword of the War God by Tim Hodkinson – 436 AD. The Huns, led by the fearsome Attila, once Rome’s allies are now its deadliest enemies
  6. The Iron Way (Sarmation Triology #2) by Tim Leach – 180 AD. Bound by an oath to serve as part of the Roman army for twenty-five years, the Sarmatians find themselves guarding one of the forts along Hadrian’s Wall against the threat of attack from tribes to the north
  7. Masters of Rome (Rise of Emperors #2) by Gordon Doherty & Simon Turney – 308 AD. Childhood friends, Constantine and Maxentius compete for the imperial throne
  8. The Fort (City of Victory #1) by Adrian Goldsworthy – 105 AD. The Dacian kingdom and Rome are at peace, but no one thinks that it will last
  9. Rivals of the Republic (Blood of Rome #1) by Annelise Freisenbruch – 70 BC. Roman high society hums with gossip following the suspicious suicide of a prominent Roman senator and the discovery of the body of a Vestal Virgin in the River Tiber
  10. The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper – 74 AD. Amara was once a beloved daughter, until her father’s death plunged her family into penury. Now she is a slave in Pompeii’s most infamous brothel

Any recommendations for other novels set in Roman times?

Defender of the Wall