trope: Rome

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

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Beasts Beyond The Wall (Brothers Of The Sands)

In the dog days of Rome, a mission to the edge of the world... Drust and Kag, two ex-gladiators, are met with an unusual request. Powerful Servilius Structus sends them deep into Scotland, land of the Caledonii, to find and secure a woman and Read more

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?

Beasts Beyond The Wall (Brothers Of The Sands)

Beasts Beyond The Wall (Brothers Of The Sands)
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In the dog days of Rome, a mission to the edge of the world…

Drust and Kag, two ex-gladiators, are met with an unusual request. Powerful Servilius Structus sends them deep into Scotland, land of the Caledonii, to find and secure a woman and her young son.

Accompanied by a crew of fellow rogues, they will risk everything on an insane quest and a daring escape.

With decadence and corruption in the air, the consequences of their failure are immeasurable, for the Empire itself is at stake.

A searing, blood-soaked historical adventure, perfect for fans of Giles Kristian, David Gilman and Conn Iggulden.

Praise for Rob Low

‘An epic tale of hardship, triumph, betrayal and brotherhood’ S. J. A. Turney

Beyond Night

Beyond Night
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An Epic Fantasy tale of action, adventure, heroism, horror and sorcery…

Beyond Night is a Dark Fantasy Horror novel that pulls back the veil of nearly two thousand years of jaded history. Come tread in the bloody footprints left by monsters, soldiers and wizards and behold what lies hidden Beyond Night itself.

It’s Bigfoot War mixed with Lovecraftian horror on the edge of the Roman Empire.

How could Rome lose a Legion? What could’ve happened to blot out the existence of over five thousand men not only from history but the Earth itself?

As the Legion moves north to engage the forces of Pictdom, a dark horror emerges from the bowels of the Earth. Thought to be random attacks by hulking monsters, Decurion August soon learns a dire truth, that these bloody events are directed by opposing the wizards of the Picts. While one side assembles all tribes in a confederated army to battle the Legion, the other pulls these Greyman beasts from the depths of the Earth.

August fights not only these creatures and workers of magicks, but internal passions in the Legion itself.

Can he discover a way to survive the enormous bloodletting about to take place that will only serve to satisfy the wizards of Pictdom?

“Fans of David Gemmell will lap up this earthy, brutal fantasy.” – William Meikle, The Ghost Club

Under the Eagle: A Tale of Military Adventure and Reckless Heroism with the Roman Legions(Eagles of the Empire)

Under the Eagle: A Tale of Military Adventure and Reckless Heroism with the Roman Legions(Eagles of the Empire)
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In this first book of a new historical fiction series, a crack Roman legion invades Britain in this brazen tale of military adventure, political intrigue and heroism

It is the year 42 AD, and Centurion Macro, battle-scarred and fearless, is in the heart of Germany with the Second Legion, the toughest in the Roman army. Cato, a new recruit and the newly appointed second-in-command to Macro, will have more to prove than most. In a bloody skirmish with local tribes, Cato gets his first chance to prove that he’s more than a callow, privileged youth. As their next campaign takes them to a land of unparalleled barbarity – Britain – a special mission unfolds, thrusting Cato and Macro headlong into a conspiracy that threatens to topple the Emperor himself.

Filled with the kind of historical details that brings the adventure to life, Simon Scarrow’s Under the Eagle is destined to become a military fiction classic.

Warrior: The epic story of Caratacus, warrior Briton and enemy of the Roman Empire

Warrior: The epic story of Caratacus, warrior Briton and enemy of the Roman Empire
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The epic story of Caratacus: a barbarian king who led the tribes of Britannia against mighty Rome . . .

AD 18, Britannia.

The Roman Empire rules much of the known world. Beyond the northern frontier lies Britannia, where ceaseless feuding amongst the Celts leaves the island vulnerable to Rome’s ambitions.

Caratacus, son of a powerful king, has no premonition of destiny when he is dispatched to train with the Druids. A brutal regime transforms the young prince into a warrior with unparalleled military skills – and the strategic cunning essential to outwit a stronger enemy.

Nothing can prepare a man for the vicious reality of war. When Caratacus’s father takes a stand against aggressive neighbouring tribes, the combat exercises are over; this is a fight to the death. Only the most ruthless of tactics offer any hope of victory. But Caratacus, and the loyal comrades willing to ride with him into hostile terrain, are ready to do whatever it takes – and endure any hardship – to defeat those set on destroying their kingdom . . .

As mayhem and carnage spread across the land, everywhere can be felt the malign influence of Rome. Even if the battle is won, conflict with the Empire lies ahead.

Warrior: first in the brand new Warlord of Britannia series from the Sunday Times bestselling authors of Invader and Pirata – the story of Britannia’s barbarian warlord Caratacus.

The Dream God

The Dream God
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Classical Rome never ended, but expanded into a solar Empire. This pagan commonwealth rules from Mercury to Pluto, and each planet’s orbit is now a classical kingdom – under the federation of Caesar Automedon.

A new metaphysical innovation is discovered by the ruler of Neptune: the Godstream. But does this innovation bring humanity closer to the divine? Or does it manufacture new, stranger gods from men?

Ranks of Bronze (Ranks of Bronze Series Book 1)

Ranks of Bronze (Ranks of Bronze Series Book 1)
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They were Roman soldiers—
and they were still alive because there
were no better killers in the galaxy.

The Galactics need fighters who could win battles without the aid of technology. That’s why, when Rome’s legions suffered disaster at Carrhae, secretive alien traders were waiting to buy them on the Persian slave market.

Now, virtually immortal, the Romans fight strange enemies on stranger worlds; and though they win every battle, the spoils of victory never include freedom. If the legionaries are ever to return to Earth, it must be through the beam weapons and force screens of their ruthless alien owners. But no matter the odds, two thousand years is a long time; the Romans are coming home.

At the publisher’s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Vietnam veteran, former lawyer, former bus driver, and now bestselling author, David Drake tells a military story like no other. His readers recognize that he can take them where no one else can, with gut-wrenching description that puts them face-to-face with the enemy, and in the midst of the action right on the battlefield. He helped create the audience for mercenary military science fiction with his best-selling “Hammer’s Slammers” books. Drake graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Iowa, majoring in history (with honors) and Latin. His stint at Duke University Law School was interrupted for two years by the U.S. Army, where he served as an enlisted interrogator with the 11th Armored Cavalry in Vietnam and Cambodia. Drake has a wife, a son, and various pets.

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Agent of Byzantium

Agent of Byzantium
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From the New York Times–bestselling “standard-bearer for alternate history”: A spy takes on the enemies of the Byzantine Empire (USA Today).

In another, very different timeline—one in which Mohammed embraced Christianity and Islam never came to be—the Byzantine Empire still flourishes in the fourteenth century, and wondrous technologies are emerging earlier than they did in our own.

Having lost his family to the ravages of smallpox, Basil Argyros has decided to dedicate his life to Byzantium. A stalwart soldier and able secret agent, Basil serves his emperor courageously, going undercover to unearth Persia’s dastardly plots and disrupting the dark machinations of his beautiful archenemy, the Persian spy Mirrane, while defusing dire threats emerging from the Western realm of the Franco-Saxons.

But the world Basil so staunchly defends is changing rapidly, and he must remain ever vigilant, for in this great game of empires, the player who controls the most advanced tools and weaponry—tools like gunpowder, printing, vaccines, and telescopes—must certainly emerge victorious.

A collection of interlocking stories that showcase the courage, ingenuity, and breathtaking derring-do of superspy Basil Argyros, Agent of Byzantium presents the great Harry Turtledove at his alternate-world-building best. At once intricate, exciting, witty, and wildly inventive, this is a many-faceted gem from a master of the genre.

Lest Darkness Fall & Timeless Tales Written in Tribute

Lest Darkness Fall & Timeless Tales Written in Tribute
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Rarely do books have such a great influence on a genre as Lest Darkness Fall has had on science fiction. Frequently quoted as one of the favorite books of many of the masters in this genre, this book by L. Sprague de Camp helped establish alternate-history as solid sub-genre of science fiction.

An indication of the influence and longevity of the book is by the number of best-selling writers who have written stories in direct response to, or influenced by, Lest Darkness Fall. The original tribute volume (titled Lest Darkness Fall and Related Stories, reprinted three such stories by Frederik Pohl, David Drake and S. M. Stirling written over a period of forty-three years―a testament to the timelessness of the book.

The 2021 edition (Lest Darkness Fall and Timeless Tales Told in Tribute) includes two brand new stories by Harry Turtledove and David Weber.

Similar, thematically, to Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, the book tells the tale of Martin Padway who, as he is walking around in modern Rome, is suddenly transported though time to 6th Century Rome.

Once in ancient Rome, Padway (now Martinus Paduei Quastor) embarks on an ambitious project of single-handedly changing history.

L. Sprague de Camp was a student of history (and the author of a number of popular works on the subject). In Lest Darkness Fall he combines his extensive knowledge of the workings of ancient Rome with his extraordinary imagination to create one of the best books of time travel ever written.

This volume also includes an afterword by Alexei and Cory Panshin, adapted from their Hugo-winning book on science fiction, The World Beyond the Hill.

Heir of Darkness

Heir of Darkness
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RACE FOR THE RING OF THE GODS

Romans have crossed the border into Germania and stolen Andvaranaut, the Ring of the Gods. Depending upon who possesses it and how it is used, it could let Rome conquer the world—or destroy the world altogether.

Osric, the son of a benign Germanic sorcerer, has entered Roman territory on a quest to reclaim the Ring and its destructive magic power.

But, unknown to Osric, the sorceress Frigerd has also come to Rome to steal the Ring for the evil Cult of Heid, who wants to use it to bring about Götterdämmerung and end the world—and Frigerd is willing to kill anyone who stands in her way.

Even worse, the Ring is held by none other than the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who wants to learn its secrets and exploit its power. To regain the Ring, Osric must penetrate the most heavily-guarded Imperial Palace in the world—and do it before Frigerd does.

In a search and chase that leads from the prisons and palaces of Imperial Rome to the desolate and dangerous Isle of Capri, the battle for Andvaranaut unfolds and then explodes. Who will live to see the day after… and will that day be worth living for?

If you enjoy historical fantasy, sword and sorcery, or adventure stories, then read Heir of Darkness today