Septimus
AD 78: It’s taken the Roman invaders over thirty years to reach the Lake District and the lands now known as Cumbria. Surrounded by high mountains, deep valleys, and a multitude of lakes, tarns and sheep, the Romans speculate on whether the inhabitants are an illiterate band of semi-neolithic individuals or an affluent tribe of significant status. Perhaps they will prove to be rich in gold, silver, and other treasures mined from the rocky environment where they live. Or do the locals survive on the edge of starvation existing on a daily diet of basic nourishment that is below normal living standards? Where is their army, the Romans ask? Will they run and hide in the caves with the first flight of an arrow? Are the natives naïve or cultured? Can they be trusted? How long will it take to destroy them?
The way ahead for Rome is simple and uncompromising – to conquer and move on. Once this minor obstruction is dispensed with, they will journey further north where the Picts, Caledonii, and a scattering of smaller tribes live out their humble lives. Yet the natives intend to preserve their identity, safeguard their culture and beliefs, and deny the Roman Conquest.
A cohort of the Ninth Roman Legion under the command of Sextus Maximus is on the shores of Ullswater. They are the unwanted intruders. One man stands alone against them. His name is Hallin, King of the Hallinii, leader of the Vitaminic tribes, and a member of the Carvetti Alliance. This is his story. The story of Hallin, his battle, his beliefs, and how war and peace are often entangled in a complex web of love, hate, jealousy, loyalty and treachery.
Reader’s Review: An absorbing tale which incorporates fiction based inside fact. I really enjoyed it. A good story all the way. (Meg Johnston Reader)
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