Island of Ghosts — Gillian Bradshaw

The Roman Empire sends a barbarian warrior to faraway Britain in this historical novel of love and survival in the ancient world.

A Sarmatian warrior-prince, Ariantes is uprooted from his home and thrust into the honorless lands of the Romans. The victims of a wartime pact with the emperor Marcus Aurelius, Ariantes and his troop are sent to watch over Hadrian's Wall. Unsurprisingly, the Sarmatians hate Britain -- an Island of Ghosts, filled with pale faces, stone walls, and an uneasy past.

Struggling to command his own people to defend a land they despise, Ariantes is accepted by all, but trusted by none. The Romans fear his barbarian background, and his own men fear his gradual Roman assimilation. When Ariantes uncovers a conspiracy sure to damage both his Roman benefactors and his beloved countrymen, as well as put him and the woman he loves in grave danger, he must make a difficult decision -- one that will change his own life forever.