They lead a tiny group of survivors on a quest to find a new, safer place to settle, and ultimately join a massive invasion into the Roman Empire assembling on the banks of the Danube River.
The invasion is led by Gothic king Radagaisus, described by ancient writers as “a worshipper of demons”. His drive to conquer the tempting lands across the river is fueled by his anger at Rome for abandoning the old pagan gods and adopting Christianity as the new state religion. What will he do when he finds that among the thousands of people joining the invasion, he is harboring Christians? And what will Theona do when she quickly draws the interest of Radagaisus’s impetuous son, Roderic?
Young Gallic aristocrat Marius Ausonius, unaware of the looming threat, joins the Roman Army to train as a tribune. Too soon after his training, he and his cohort are thrust into the eye of the storm when they must defend one of the key strongholds blocking Radagaisus and his hordes.
The lives of Marius and Theona become intertwined in incredible circumstances that will have far-reaching consequences for both of them and their people.
My Review:
I've always been a bit fascinated by this time period, and the Roman empire as a whole, so though I'm not usually one for historical fiction lately, this one really called to me. I get a strong sense of the work the author must have put into her research, and as someone who has freshly studied many of these topics myself during my senior year I have to say she really has a strong attention to detail. I was immediately caught up in the story and found myself entranced so much so that I was around a hundred pages in before I stopped to blink.
The characters are all well fleshed out, something that I feel is often lacking in books set in the period that I've read, perhaps for fear of messing up details - not something Racines had to worry, as previously mentioned.
I really enjoyed Theona's character, and her reactions with those arond her - Roderic included. If you're looking for a well written, entertaining historical romance set during this time I strongly encourage you pick up this one. Five Stars!
About L.A. Racines:
Cheryl(a.k.a. L.A. Racines) is a native of Quebec, Canada, and a graduate of Montreal’s McGill University with an Honour’s BA in Anthropology and Sociology. She worked as a teacher in rural Nigeria for two years during the Nigerian Civil War, and then worked for a number of NGOs and charities in Quebec and Ontario.
Married to an Anglican clergyman, mother of two daughters and grandmother of four, Cheryl has, over the decades, written and published a number of freelance articles for various publications including Reader’s Digest (Canada), Decision Magazine, The Sower, Faith Today, Christian Week, and a variety of denominational and evangelical publications. Cheryl loves research and studied broadly and deeply for eight years before beginning to write this novel. She has found great satisfaction in achieving a lifelong dream of writing a novel, and has been encouraged by the accolades she has received from readers from both Christian and non-Christian backgrounds. Her novel is published under the pen name L. A. Racines, which can be translated “Wings and Roots,” because Cheryl agrees with the old saying that “the greatest gifts we can give to our children are roots and wings.” She is a member of The Word Guild, an association of Canadian writers who are Christian, and very active in the Healing Rooms ministry in her home town of Uxbridge, Ontario.
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