Lines of Desire — Wendy Robertson

Some comments on Wendy Robertson's writing: 'A terrific read. A world on the cusp of change and we experience it intimately.' Historical Novels Review. 'Wonderful....Robertson deftly intertwines two time periods, slowly absorbing one into the other through the remarkably likeable protagonist.' Booklist USA 'Wendy Robertson is a rare breed - a writer with an exquisite gift for creating vivid, relatable characters.' Scottish Daily Record. The Story: On the island of Britain in 383 AD a love story blossoms between Magnus Maximus, (in the Welsh myth Macsen Wledig), the Roman leader in Britain, afterwards for five years Roman Emperor, and Elen, daughter of a powerful British king, in the place we now call Wales. Magnus is fascinated by Elen, a gifted Seer and healer, a 'pathfinder' whose artistic, talented ancestors made the first straight roads in Britain. Now, in the story of Elen and Magnus, as the Roman Empire begins to crumble from the centre, we experience the merging of the spiritual, sophisticated Celtic culture and its mysterious esoteric rites and rituals, with the energetic, pragmatic, military culture of Rome at the dawn of a new world. Imagined through the inspiration of the Welsh Mabinogian and informed by modern research, Lines of Desire breathes modern life into this ancient story. Wendy Robertson. 'In Lines of Desire I have taken the available material and archeological history of late fourth century Britain and addressed the powerful pre-Arthurian myths of Macsen Wledig and the British princess Elen. My intention is to weave a story that has hope, truth and justice at its heart. Perhaps it is worth noting that I have used the term 'Seer' instead of 'Druid' to avoid the stereotypical anomalies associated with that labelling. All quotations from the Mabinogian are from the 2007 translation by: Sioned Davies