Roman England, 366 AD
Minna, a Roman serving girl, loses family and home and is flung out into the brutal world to fend for herself. Desperate to reach her soldier brother at the northern frontier, she falls in with acrobat Cian, a tribeless youth with no loyalty to anyone but himself.
A terrible mistake sees them thrust into the wilds of barbarian Scotland, a land in chaos. The Romans send scouts north from their frontier, seeking to subdue Scotland by any means possible. The dark Picts attack back, raiding and pillaging Roman farms.
And caught in the middle is Cahir, King of the Dalriadans in Scotland. Year by year he has watched his people fall under the Roman yoke, and wounded by shame, his power dwindles.
At Dunadd, Cahir's fort, Cian and Minna must struggle to survive. Cian retreats into the pain of his hidden past, while Minna has an entirely unexpected path open before her. For what are the visions and dreams of Scotland that plague her, full of battles and bloodshed?
Compelled by an ancient prophecy, Minna's visions reveal a destiny that she shares with the wounded king Cahir, a path as seer and healer. Yet her journey to save them both has far-reaching consequences even she cannot foresee.
Love gained and lost.
The truth of who she really is.
And a war that will free Scotland from the Roman invaders forever.
This, as with all other writings of Jules Watson, left me utterly breathless. I could never possibly say enough great things about this amazing author. Her words grab you and suck you back in time, making you feel as though you're breathing the very air that surrounds her characters. You want to know these characters and feel as though you do by the time the book comes to a close. Though a historical novel in the sense of the time period it was set, the characters are purely fictional, yet everything felt so real. As though I was really there.
Labels: historical fantasy