Tag: historical fiction

‘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

#TopTenTuesday Historical Fiction Featuring Real Historical Figures #TuesdayBookBlog

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

The rules are simple:

  • Each Tuesday, Jana assigns a new topic. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want.
  • Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own Top Ten Tuesday post.
  • Add your name to the Linky widget on that day’s post so that everyone can check out other bloggers’ lists.
  • Or if you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic we’re invited to pick a genre and build a list around it.  My favourite genre being historical fiction, I’ve picked Historical Fiction Featuring Real Historical Figures. Links from the title will take you to my review.

  1. Queen Macbeth by Val McDermid – Gruoch, the real Lady Macbeth
  2. The Endeavour of Elsie Mackay by Flora Johnston – pioneering female aviator, Elsie Mackay,
  3. Precipice by Robert Harris – Prime Minister Herbert Asquith and socialite Venetia Stanley
  4. The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable – violinist Anna Maria della Pietà and composer Antonio Vivaldi
  5. The King’s Mother by Annie Garthwaite – Cecily Neville, Duchess of York
  6. Agricola: Invader by Simon Turney – Roman general Gnaeus Julius Agricola
  7. Diva by Daisy Goodwin – opera singer Maria Callas
  8. A Tapestry of Treason by Anne O’Brien – Constance of York, Lady Despenser
  9. The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng – author W. Somerset Maugham
  10. The Chosen by Elizabeth Lowry – author,Thomas Hardy