New Book Release - Soldier of Rome: Kingdoms Fall

 

#booksandbiceps 

My thirty-first book, Soldier of Rome: Kingdoms Fall (Book 7 of the Artorian Dynasty), has been released! It is available on Kindle, paperback, and most eBook readers.

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The year is 104 A.D. Two years have passed since King Decebalus knelt in submission to Emperor Trajan. The recent war between Rome and Dacia was brutal and costly for both sides. The graves of many thousands lie between the River Danube and the gates of Sarmizegetusa. With peace finally come to the frontier, Trajan returns to Rome in triumph. Yet Decebalus’ feigned surrender was but a ruse. With echoes of the previous war, the spirits of vanquished warriors crying out for retribution, and the humiliation of kneeling before the Emperor of Rome, the King of Dacia renews the call to arms.

Tiberius Artorius Castus’ tenure as Deputy Prefect of the Imperial Horse Guards is ending. But before he can begin the next chapter in his life, perhaps returning to his native Britannia, the emperor asks he remain for a time. Tiberius accepts the offer, just as renewed war with Dacia becomes inevitable.

Outraged by Decebalus’ flaunting of the treaty between Dacia and Rome, Trajan orders an even greater army across the Danube. Rather than subjugating the king, Trajan declares peace will only come with Dacia’s fall and Decebalus brought to Rome in chains.


Writing Updates

As I'd hoped, Kingdoms Fall released before Halloween. And thanks to my awesome copyeditor, Dione Benson, it came out even sooner than projected.

I'm outlining the next book in the series, Soldier of Rome: Traiana Victrix, and will begin the writing phase in the next week or so. This will cover a span of several years, between the end of the Dacian Wars and the opening stages of Trajan's war with Parthia.

My intent is still to finish the Artorian Dynasty with the historical Lucius Artorius Castus. There are at least two, possibly three more books before he comes into the story. I imagine the series will be well into double-digits before I finish with the Artorians, who I first began writing about nearly nineteen years ago.

As for my pending return to the Victorian British Empire, I am currently in the research phase. I decided to begin with the Second Anglo-Afghan War, which takes place concurrently with my series on the Anglo-Zulu War. We will follow a company from the 72nd Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders (who later become the 1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders). I chose them because they served in both the Afghanistan and Egypt Wars. One of their soldiers, Lance Corporal (later Sergeant-Instructor) George Sellar, earned the Victoria Cross at the Battle of Kabul on 14 December 1879. The intent is still to cover Afghanistan, Egypt, and the Sudan, spanning twenty years, from the opening stages of the Second  Anglo-Afghan War in 1878, to the Battle of Omdurman in 1898.

Research is proving far more problematic than the Anglo-Zulu War, so it will take some time before I can begin the writing phase of this series. Whether this will be after the release of Traiana Victrix or the next volume of the Artorian Dynasty remains to be seen.

Regardless, my intent is to match this year's writing output and produce four books in 2024. Will keep everyone posted ... meanwhile, I hope you enjoy Soldier of Rome: Kingdoms Fall!

(Next week, we return to health and fitness across history, regarding a topic that recently caught my interest)

Next Week: A (very) Brief Look at Women's Fitness and Society

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