The Burning Road

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Fire in the East (Warrior of Rome Book 1)

A.D. 255. The Roman imperium is stretched to the breaking point, its authority and might challenged throughout the territories and along every border. One man is sent to marshal the defenses of a lonely city and to shore up the Read more

The Burning Road
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In the shadow of Sicily’s Mount Etna, a brutal rebellion is about to erupt . . .

The scorching new historical thriller from Sunday Times bestseller and Ancient Rome expert, Harry Sidebottom.

‘What Bernard Cornwell is to the Napoleonic Wars, Harry Sidebottom is to Roman legions: unassailable’ – THE TIMES
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AD265 – Sicily, Ancient Rome: In the shadow of Mount Etna, slaves are rising up. As the rebel leader declares Sicily the new land of the free, men and women are slaughtered, and cities across the island are sacked and burned.

When a ship is wrecked off the island’s west coast, all but two survivors are cut down in the surf by the rebel slaves. Ballista, an experienced Roman soldier, has always found a way to survive against the odds – but his son Marcus is still just a boy.

With the burning road stretching out ahead of them, father and son must cross the war-ravaged island in a race against time to save the rest of his family, and somehow find a way to extinguish the brutal rebellion, before it all goes up in flames.

THE BURNING ROAD is the scorching new thriller from one of the world’s best historical novelists – for fans of Simon Scarrow, Conn Iggulden, Ben Kane and Bernard Cornwell.

Fire in the East (Warrior of Rome Book 1)

Fire in the East (Warrior of Rome Book 1)
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A.D. 255. The Roman imperium is stretched to the breaking point, its authority and might challenged throughout the territories and along every border. One man is sent to marshal the defenses of a lonely city and to shore up the crumbling walls of a once indomitable symbol of Roman power, a man whose very name means war: a man called Ballista.

So unfolds an epic drama – a story of empire, heroes, treachery, courage, and most of all, of brutal, bloody warfare.

The spectacular flair for explosive action and depth of literary and geographic knowledge, as well as the psychological complexity of the characters, makes Fire in the East the most authoritative historical adventure novel this year.

Gladiatrix

Gladiatrix
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The Ancient Roman public’s hunger for gladiatorial combat has never been greater. The Emperor Domitian’s passion for novelty and variety in the arena has given rise to a very different kind of warrior: the Gladiatrix.

Sole survivor of a shipwreck off the coast of Asia Minor, Lysandra finds herself the property of Lucius Balbus, owner of the foremost Ludus for female gladiators in the Eastern Empire. Lysandra, a member of an ancient Spartan sect of warrior priestesses, refuses to accept her new status as a slave. Forced to fight for survival, her deadly combat skills win the adoration of the crowds, the respect of Balbus.

But Lysandra’s Spartan pride also earns her powerful enemies: Sorina, Gladiatrix Prima and leader of the Barbarian faction, and the sadistic Numidian trainer, Nastasen. When plans are laid for the ultimate combat spectacle to honor the visit of the emperor’s powerful new emissary, Lysandra must face her greatest and deadliest trial.

This is a thrilling first novel that combines fascinating historical detail with blistering action.

Essex Dogs

Essex Dogs
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The New York Times bestselling historian makes his historical fiction debut with an explosive novel set during the Hundred Years’ War.

July 1346. Ten men land on the beaches of Normandy. They call themselves the Essex Dogs: an unruly platoon of archers and men-at-arms led by a battle-scarred captain whose best days are behind him. The fight for the throne of the largest kingdom in Western Europe has begun.

Heading ever deeper into enemy territory toward Crécy, this band of brothers knows they are off to fight a battle that will forge nations, and shape the very fabric of human lives. But first they must survive a bloody war in which rules are abandoned and chivalry itself is slaughtered.

Rooted in historical accuracy and told through an unforgettable cast, Essex Dogs delivers the stark reality of medieval war on the ground – and shines a light on the fighters and ordinary people caught in the storm.

Sword of the War God

Sword of the War God
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In a world of war and ruin, men and gods collide.

436 AD. The Burgundars are confident of destroying Rome’s legions, for the Empire is weak. Their forces are strong and they have beaten the Romans in battle before.

But they are annihilated, their king killed, his people scattered. Their fabled treasure is lost. For Rome has new allies: the Huns, whose taste for bloodshed knows no bounds.

Many years later, the Huns, led by the fearsome Attila, have become the deadliest enemies of Rome. Attila seeks the Burgundars’ treasure, for it includes the legendary Sword of the War God, said to make the bearer unbeatable.

No alliance can defeat Attila by conventional means. With Rome desperate for help, a one-eyed old warlord from distant lands and his strange band of warriors may have the answers… but oaths will be broken and the plains of Europe will run with blood before the end.

Drawing on Norse mythology and European history, Sword of the War God is an epic historical adventure perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Joanne Harris, Neil Gaiman and Christian Cameron.

Lions of the Grail

Lions of the Grail
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First in an adventure-filled historical series following Irish Knight Templar, Richard Savage, as he is forced to spy on his homeland for the King of England.

1315 AD. Ireland and England are ravaged by bitter war.Rotting in an English prison, condemned as a heretic, Irish Knight Templar Richard Savage is given one chance of reprieve. But there is a catch. He must return to Ireland as a traitor, and work as a spy there for the King of England.

Savage returns to his homeland, but even here he can trust no one. He soon discovers the Scots intend to invade and someone in Ireland is helping them. The King of Scotland also claims to possess a mysterious holy treasure, and many are flocking to his cause. And what’s more, Savage discovers he left more than just memories behind in Ireland…

Amid feasts, tournaments, invasion and war, can Savage decide whose side he is really on, discover whether this holy relic is real and, above all, stay alive?

Book 2 here

Odin’s Game: the Whale Road Chronicles

Odin's Game: the Whale Road Chronicles
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SWORD OF THE WAR GOD, THE EXCITING NEW HISTORICAL EPIC FROM TIM HODKINSON, OUT NOW!

Not everyone will survive, but who will conquer all in Odin’s game?

AD 934. Eighteen years ago, a young woman fled her home to save the life of her unborn child. Now he is grown, a witch foretells that evil from her past is reaching out again to threaten her son.

Outlawed from his home in Iceland, Einar Unnsson is thrown on the mercy of his uncle, the infamous Jarl Thorfinn ‘Skull Cleaver’ of Orkney. Einar joins forces with a Norse-Irish princess and a company of wolfskin-clad warriors to play a deadly game for control of the Irish Sea, where warriors are the pawns of kings and jarls and the powerful are themselves mere game pieces on the tafl board of the gods.

Together they embark on a quest where Einar must fight unimaginable foes, forge new friendships, and discover what it truly means to be a warrior. As the clouds of war gather, betrayal follows betrayal and Einar realises the only person he can really trust is himself.

The Spear of Crom: a thrilling historical adventure set in Roman-occupied Celtic Britain

The Spear of Crom: a thrilling historical adventure set in Roman-occupied Celtic Britain
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In Roman Britain, a Celtic warrior rides out on a deadly mission. A thrilling blend of legend and history, bloody battles and daring deeds by the author of the Whale Road Chronicles.

A priceless relic – a thankless quest – who will make it out alive?

Britannia, 58 AD. Fergus MacAmergin is a man out of place. An Irish Celt, he passes as a Gaul and rides with the Roman cavalry, affirming Nero’s control over the province. Fergus dreams of escaping the fetters ofhis birth and living freely as a citizen of Rome.

When Fergus’s commander makes a battlefield error, Fergus is blamed. He and his men are given a thankless task: a quest that spells danger, despair, and near-certain death. The mission: to find the Holy Lance, the spear that wounded Christ on the Cross.

The young Tribune Agricola is drawn into the quest, and he and Fergus must overlook their differences to survive. But there are plots and enemies everywhere. And just why is the Holy Lance so key to Roman mastery over Britannia?

God of Vengeance: (The Rise of Sigurd)

God of Vengeance: (The Rise of Sigurd)
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A glorious, bloody, perfect Viking saga of honour, courage, blood feud and revenge from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lancelot, Giles Kristian. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Games of Thrones.

“Unrelenting pace, brilliant action and characters. A masterwork.” – CONN IGGULDEN
“Action-packed storytelling which stirs the blood and thrills the soul” – WILBUR SMITH
“Easily one of the best books I’ve had the pleasure to read” – ***** Reader review.

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IT BEGAN WITH THE BETRAYAL OF A LORD BY A KING…

Norway 785 AD
. When King Gorm puts Jarl Harald’s family to the sword, he makes one fatal mistake – he fails to kill Harald’s youngest son, Sigurd.

His kin slain, his village seized, his taken as slaves, Sigurd wonders if the gods have forsaken him. Hunted by powerful men, he is unsure who to trust and yet he has a small band of loyal followers at his side. With them – and with the help of the All-Father, Odin – he determines to make a king pay for his treachery.

Using cunning and war-craft, Sigurd gathers together a fellowship of warriors – including his father’s right-hand man Olaf, Bram (who men call Bear), Black Floki who wields death with a blade, and the shield maiden Valgerd, who fears no man – and convinces them to follow him.

For, whether Ódin is with him or not, Sigurd WILL have vengeance. And neither men nor gods had best stand in his way . . .

Sigurd’s story continues in 
Winter’s Fire.

Blood Eye (Raven trilogy)

Blood Eye (Raven trilogy)
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A Viking adventure, packed with battles, blood and gore, Raven is historical fiction at its very best, and marks the debut of an outstanding new talent.

For two years Osric has lived a simple life, apprenticed to the mute old carpenter who took him in when others spurned him. But when Norsemen from across the sea burn his village, Osric is taken prisoner by these warriors. Their chief, Sigurd the Lucky, believes the Norns have woven this strange boy’s fate together with his own, and Osric begins to sense glorious purpose among this fellowship of warriors.

Immersed in the Norsemen’s world and driven by their lust for adventure, Osric proves a natural warrior and forges a blood bond with Sigurd, who renames him Raven. But the Norsemen’s world is a savage one, where loyalty is often repaid in blood and where a young man must become a killer in order to survive. When the Fellowship faces annihilation from ealdorman Ealdred of Wessex, Raven chooses a bloody and dangerous path, accepting the mission of raiding deep into hostile lands to steal a holy book from Coenwolf, King of Mercia.

There he will find much more than the Holy Gospels of St Jerome. He will find Cynethryth, an English girl with a soul to match his own. And he will find betrayal at the hands of cruel men, some of whom he regards as friends.