Carved in Stone — Graham Clews

Following the forced exile Cethen Lamh-fada and his family by the Ninth Hispana Legion, (as told in Eboracvm, The Village), the book Eboracvm, The Fortress continues the story as their children come of age. As the fate of both generations grows inexorably entwined with that of their Roman counterpart, the legate Gaius Sabinius and his son Marcus, each must decide where true loyalty lies; and, in so doing, deal with the inevitable consequence. As their cultures clash, both sides find themselves drawn further and further northward, one pursued, the other the pursuer, in a surprisingly ironic twist of fortunes. According to history, the outcome of the extended campaign of General Gnaeus Julius Agricola seemed inevitable in its conclusion; but defeat is a personal thing, and not always total. In the long run, the final battle at Mons Graupius settled nothing; in the short run, it was a ?right bugger? for both sides, but mainly for the families of people such as Cethen Lamh-Fada, and his sharp witted wife, Elena. Laced with action and turmoil, plus a dose of hard romance, the narrative is told with a dark humour that highlights the never ending ironies of choice, many of them strikingly familiar today. In the words of Marg Gilks, author and editor: The characters live and breathe on the page, moving through meticulously researched and vividly described settings that not only bring the ancient world to life, but show the reader that some aspects of the human condition transcend time.