Synopsis/blurb....
One man stands
against the might of the Roman Empire. His name is Caradoc.
In Rome a new
Emperor, Claudius, accedes the throne. But he is politically weak, enemies who
would take his place circle and plot. If he is to survive Claudius needs a
triumph, one that marks him as a leader of men.
Claudius’s eye turns
to the mysterious isle of Britannia, home of the supernatural Druids and
brutal, wild-eyed warriors, reputed to fight naked. The place not even Julius
Caesar could conquer.
AD43 and a massive
invasion force, commanded by Aulus Plautius, lands on a tiny corner of
Britannia. Caradoc, King of the country’s most powerful tribe, assembles an
army to throw his enemy back over the water and into Gaul.
But divisions are
rife and there are those who are secretly working with the Romans for their own
benefit. The very future of the country is at risk and only one man can
safeguard it…
Read the UK best
selling historical fiction novel everyone is talking about. The Eagle's Shadow
reached no. 1 in historical mysteries, no. 2 in war fiction on the UK Amazon
charts.
Praise for Keith
Nixon’s Work
'A gripping story
with a fantastic plot, full of family dynamics, war and political intrigue.'
PM Harrison
'A compelling story.'
Books and Pals blog
'A hugely enjoyable
debut novel from Keith Nixon.'
Ian Ayris, author of
Abide With Me
I’m a big fan of Keith Nixon’s books so decided to take a
punt on one of his historical efforts which is a big change of genre for me.
How did we go then?
Well I enjoyed it up to a point, but I don’t think it has
redirected my reading compass.
We are in ancient Britain and the Romans are coming again.
Intrigue and in-fighting among the British tribes, some want to rally together
to repel the invasion and some have hitched their colours to the Roman mast,
feeling an improvement in circumstances for their clan will arise from a Roman
conquest. However, those aiding the invaders have to play the time-honoured
game of deception, duplicity and subterfuge.
We have our heroes and villains and there’s a forging of
alliances and a tentative romance….bravery, loyalty, love, family conflicts,
friendships enjoyed - with plenty of banter and a sprinkling of humour, battles, camaraderie, death, deceit,
double-crossing and an enjoyable tale which I was keen to read through and
discover the outcome.
I have to assume Nixon has done his research and has blended
fact into his fiction, but as I’m not a student of ancient British history I’ll
be leaving things at the assumption stage. I feel I know a bit more about the
period than I did before, so never a bad thing leaving a book knowing more than
when you started.
I was entertained, but I don’t feel compelled to read his
second book in the series – The Eagle’s Blood - one which I assumes picks up
and runs where we leave off here. Caradoc’s adventures will continue without
me.
3 from 5
I have previously enjoyed a few from the author, his loosely linked Konstantin - Russian hitman series – Plastic Fantastic, Fat Gary, Dream Land and Russian Roulette.
Thoughts on The Fix which was also read in May coming soon, much more my cup of tea than ancients Brits.
Read in May. 2017
Published - 2014
Page count - 299
Source - purchased copy
Format - Kindle
Interesting, isn't it, Col, how you can really like one of an author's series, but be less bowled over by the other. Still, I'm glad you enjoyed this one well enough.
ReplyDeleteI kind of knew it wasn't really my thing when I bought it, but it isn't something I regret reading. Sometimes it's good to change things up a bit!
DeleteI was surprised when I saw that you were reading historical fiction. The Konstantin series sounds interesting. I will look into those books.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed the author's books previously so was minded to give this a go even though it's not usually my thing. I don't regret reading it but it wasn't really my cup of tea!
DeleteAn interesting move between genres! This one sounds quite appealing to me, I like historical fiction...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I read it, but I won't read more from this series. I do enjoy his crime fiction much more.
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