Book picks similar to
The Wall by Richard Denham
historical-fiction
fiction
historical
britain-england
The Man With Two Names
Vincent B. Davis II - 2017
For the sake of his family, Quintus must leave his village for the Eternal City. If he succeeds, his people will be fed. If he fails, his people will starve. He begins his political career under the most influential men in Rome, but soon discovers that those in the Senate are less inclined to help him than he had hoped. His journey takes him from the corrupt and treacherous Forum to the deadly forests of Gaul, making powerful friends and enemies along the way. But it will take more than allies to succeed. He will have to decide what compromises he is willing to make, and what risks he is willing to take, if he is to secure a future for himself and his people.
The Eagle and the Dragon: A Novel of Rome and China
Lewis F. McIntyre - 2017
Gaius Lucullus sees a bright military future, but his reluctant centurion Antonius Aristides would rather be somewhere else. Translators Marcia Lucia and her brother Marcus were taken from their village in China to serve the Han court, abused and despised, hiding a horrible secret. A notorious Arab pirate, with a Roman price on his head and crucifixion in his future, shadows the entourage, seeking the wealthy prize of their treasure-laden ships. But Fate has other plans for these unlikely companions, sending them together on a journey that will take them thousands of miles by sea and land across the tapestry of the mysterious worlds at the close of the first century. From the storm-tossed Indian Ocean to the opulent Hanaean court, from the wild grassy steppes north of China to the forbidding peaks of the Pamir Mountains of Bactria, they fight for their lives, hoping to find the road that will lead them back to Rome.
The Sign of The Blood
Laurence O'Bryan - 2018
Constantine, the son of an emperor, the Roman officer leading this raid, tells his men to halt - something is wrong. Have they been seen in the pre-dawn light? Before long, the battle rages. Eventually he frees a slave named Juliana. She is half Persian and half Roman. As they are pursued to Britannia over land and sea, he learns that she can see the future - his future.It is 306A.D., long before Constantine the Great converted to Christianity and became the first Christian emperor.To ensure he survives, he must now eliminate his enemies. But who must die first? The priestess, Sybellina, who joined them in Rome and practices dark and seductive magic? Or the brutal legion commanders who surround his father? Or, as Juliana suspects, are those who want him dead even closer?An electrifying historical novel about Constantine’s bloody rise to power, the woman who helped him, and the real reason he supported a persecuted Christian minority, a decision which changed the world into the one we know.Reviews of previous books by the author:“A delight,” Yorkshire Evening Post.'… superbly executed…' Irish Examiner.'Well written, beautifully descriptive, and with smart dialogue and a compelling air of menace throughout,' The Lancashire Evening Post.'A brisk plot…which draws the reader into a conspiratorial rapport,' Telegraph.
Lost Legio IX
Marc Alan Edelheit - 2017
One of history’s greatest mysteries, the Ninth Imperial Legion guarding Rome’s northernmost frontier in Britannia disappeared around the year 122 AD. This is their story. Badly outnumbered, facing certain destruction, and cut off from supply, the Imperial Roman Ninth Legion Hispana is in a desperate position. Surrounded by the hostile Celtic army, Senior Centurion Lucious Grackus Lisidus Karus must lead his men to safety after unexpectedly finding himself thrust into command of the legion. Then the unthinkable happens. Karus and the Ninth are transported to a strange place, far away from the Britannia they knew. The legion’s deliverance from danger at first appears to be a blessing from the gods, but slowly they begin to uncover the secrets of this new land, a world that is slowly being overrun by a terrible evil. A young woman is discovered in a dungeon, where she has been abandoned and left to starve. Inextricably linked with Karus’ own destiny, she may be the key to salvation, or worse, the instrument of destruction for the Ninth. Cast adrift in a terrible war, Karus must find his way through the mysteries of this unfamiliar world, one that is filled with true magic, strange alien races, evil gods, and dragons. More importantly, Karus must discover his destiny, and complete a desperate task set for him by a god of Rome. Should he fail, it will mean certain destruction for the Ninth, the triumph of evil, and the rise of a new order. Lost Legio IX is the first book in this exciting series. ‘For these I set no bounds in space or time; but have given empire without end.’ —Jupiter, Virgil’s Aeneid.
Rivals of the Republic
Annelise Freisenbruch - 2014
Flying in the face of her husband’s and father’s attempts to protect her, rebelling against the constraints imposed upon her sex, she is drawn ever deeper into the corrupt underworld that lurks in the shadows cast by the city’s all-powerful elite. When fires begin to rage in the slums and more key witnesses are silenced, only one man can save Hortensia from becoming the next victim of a conspiracy to destroy the Republic: Lucrio, the damaged ex-gladiator to whom she already owes her life. Then the secrets of his own tragic past threaten to subsume them both…
Dark North
Gillian Bradshaw - 2007
Memnon, an African scout, comes to Britain with his cavalry unit. When he saves the life of a beautiful young attendant of the Empress, he becomes aware of tensions within the imperial house. The bitter war tests them all to the limit, and if any of them are to survive, it can only be through their friendship.
Sand of the Arena
James Duffy - 2005
For Quintus Honorius Romanus, son of one of the richest men in Rome, everything is as it should be—as long as he can sneak off to the arena for a little entertainment. Things go drastically wrong, however, when Quintus loses his family, his social standing, and his name to an imposter. Faced with a life of menial slavery, Quintus joins a gladiatorial school instead and begins a game of high stakes, as he vows to bring down the usurper who stole his life.
The Fort
Adrian Goldsworthy - 2021
Sent to command an isolated fort beyond the Danube, centurion Flavius Ferox can sense that war is coming, but also knows that enemies may be closer to home.Many of the Brigantes under his command are former rebels and convicts, as likely to kill him as obey an order. And then there is Hadrian, the emperor's cousin, and a man with plans of his own."An instant classic of the genre." HARRY SIDEBOTTOM"An authentic, enjoyable read." THE TIMES
Mistress of Rome
Kate Quinn - 2010
First-century Rome: A ruthless emperor watches over all--and fixes his gaze on one young woman... Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia. Now she has infuriated her mistress by capturing the attention of Rome's newest and most savage gladiator--and though his love brings Thea the first happiness of her life, their affair ends quickly when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.Remaking herself as a singer for Rome's aristocrats, Thea unwittingly attracts another admirer: the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But the passions of an all-powerful man come with a heavy price, and Thea finds herself fighting for both her soul and her sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor's mistress.
The Flame of Resistance
Martin Lake - 2011
But because he is only thirteen years of age the throne is given instead to the experienced warrior Harold Godwinson, a man who appears best fitted to defeat the forces preparing to invade the kingdom. When Harold is killed at the Battle of Hastings the great council of England ignore more experienced claimants and proclaim Edgar King. He marches out to meet the Norman army but his advisers desert him and he is captured. On Christmas Day 1066, William the Conqueror is crowned King. Eighteen months later, when a bitter nation rises up in resistance to the Norman conquerors, Edgar escapes captivity to lead the last armies of England in their fight for freedom. The hopes of a nation are placed on a youngster with little experience of life. His weapons are a fierce intelligence, dauntless courage and the loyalty of a handful of friends. Burdened with overwhelming hopes and expectations, mired in fear and treachery, Edgar begins a life-time of resistance to the Norman invaders. The Battle of Hastings is over. The Battle for England is about to begin.
Intractable Heart: The Story of Katheryn Parr and Henry VIII
Judith Arnopp - 2014
The Tudor court is a tangible place, filled with real people and gives us a sixth wife of Henry VIII that stands out in Tudor fiction." Nancy Bilyeau, The Crown "An evocative and compelling story of Tudor intrigue, set in the final years of King Henry VIII." Tony Riches 1537. England. Henry VIII is in conflict with the Pope and the country is divided. A contingent of people in the north embark upon the Pilgrimage of Grace, to compel their monarch to bring him back into the fold. But the unyielding Henry sends an army to quell the uprising. In Yorkshire, Lady Katheryn Latimer, and her step-children, Margaret and John, are held under siege at Snape Castle. Henry proves victorious, although his victory doesn't wholly heal the divisions in the country. A few years later, widowed for the second time, Katheryn joins the household of Lady Mary Tudor where she encounters an old sweetheart, Thomas Seymour. But they are forced to cancel their plans to marry when King Henry VIII makes Katheryn an offer that she is unable to refuse. Haunted by the fates of Henry’s previous wives, Katheryn becomes the king’s trusted consort. But the court is treacherous and Katheryn wins more enemies than friends. . It is not until the Henry's death that Katheryn is finally able to follow the desires of her heart. Judith Arnopp is the author of numerous bestselling historical novels, including The Kiss of the Concubine, written from the perspective of Tudor women, from all walks of life.
The Wedding Shroud
Elisabeth Storrs - 2010
Leaving her militaristic homeland, Caecilia is determined to remain true to Roman virtues while living among the sinful Etruscans. But, despite her best intentions, she is seduced by a culture that offers women education, independence, sexual freedom, and an empowering religion.Enchanted by Veii but terrified of losing ties to Rome, Caecilia performs rites to delay becoming a mother, thereby postponing true entanglement. Yet as she develops an unexpected love for Mastarna, she’s torn between her birthplace and the city in which she now lives. As war looms, Caecilia discovers Fate is not so easy to control, and she must choose where her allegiance lies.The Wedding Shroud is the first book in the series A Tale of Ancient Rome. Subsequent books in the series include The Golden Dice and Call to Juno.
Palatine
L.J. Trafford - 2014
Depravity. Decadence.Just everyday life at the imperial palace.Whilst Emperor Nero plays with his new water organ and a cross-dressing eunuch, his wily secretary Epaphroditus manages affairs of state. But dissent and rebellion are growing across the empire, and Nero is soon to discover playtime is over.Praetorian prefect Nymphidius Sabinus, disgusted by the moral degeneracy, secretly plots the overthrow of Nero’s court. Motivated by the traditional Roman values of valour and nobility, yet blinded by his own righteousness, Sabinus is ignorant of what he has unleashed – The Year of the Four Emperors.'Palatine' is the first in an enthralling four-book series about the tumultuous ‘Year of the Four Emperors’ which will appeal to fans of Lindsey Davis and George R. R. Martin.
A Song for Nero
Tom Holt - 2004
But here's another possibility: Nero did not die in that ditch, but somebody who looked very much like him did. This gives Nero the opportunity to start a new life in pursuit of his first love—music. But Nero is being pursued by two people who have reason to suspect he is still alive—one wants him dead, the other is a passionate fan of his dreadful music and wants his genius recognized.
Fire & Steel
C.R. May - 2016
Arthur is dead. As Britannia burns a small tribe clings to its colony of Anglia. Across the German Sea powerful enemies covet Engeln itself. But the English are not easily cowed. As Spear-Danes threaten the homeland a hero returns, leading the fightback with ferocity and guile...