So what's this 'Roma Nova' about?

It’s about books. No, it’s about stories of people, their aspirations, their dilemmas, their loves and their adventures. It’s about sacrifice, passion and loyalty, about betrayal, power-hunger and redemption. And it takes the imagination on one of the most intriguing ‘what if’ stories ever…

Roma Nova is an imaginary country (except in the author’s head and in those of similar enthusiasts) which bears some physical resemblance to a small European country but nothing like or any other otherwise. Developing along an alternative timeline from ours, it’s a survivor from the mess at the end of the Roman Empire, its people value strength, service and loyalty.

Women have always been prominent from the first day they buckled on armour and stood side by side with their men to defend their tiny country. They run the government, businesses and families. But men are in no way disadvantaged.

Two ‘strands’ centre round two tough but fallible heroines – Carina and Aurelia – both from the leading Mitela family. They are so similar in character, but their temperaments are different. Coffee is a must for both, but Aurelia likes a French brandy and Carina a chilled Castra Lucillan white wine.

Carina, warrior, councillor and mother

Aurelia is a ‘bone-and blood’ Roma Novan brought up with Roman values that have endured for over fifteen hundred years. Carina, brought up in the Eastern United States, but tied by blood to Aurelia, has a less sure start, but she soon learns to become a solid Roma Novan, finding herself completely at ease in that society although she trips up on occasion.

Aurelia Mitela at different stages of her life in the series

Despite their service to the state in the elite Praetorian Guard and later as agents, then in government, both women find enduring love. However, that goes anything but smoothly for both of them and their children.

Conrad Mitelus, Carina’s husband

Miklós Farkas, Aurelia’s partner

Carina’s strand takes place in the ‘present plus’ and running underneath her adventures are themes – empowerment (INCEPTIO), acceptance of the real world (CARINA, a novella), betrayal (PERFIDITAS )and nemesis (SUCCESSIO).

Aurelia features in Carina’s story – she’s her grandmother after all – but as a young woman in the late 1960s (AURELIA) and as a diplomat/investigator in the mid 1970s (NEXUS). In her forties in the 1980s (INSURRECTIO and RETALIO), she fights against an amoral criminal, later tyrant who threatens to destroy Roma Nova.

And other books? ROMA NOVA EXTRA is a collection of shorter stories, uncovering hidden glimpses of our characters from AD 370 to 2029.

Lucius Apulius and Julia Bacausa

And JULIA PRIMA set in AD 370 takes us back to the first meeting between Lucius Apulius and Julia Becausa in Roman Noricum. Readers kept asking me to write the foundation story of Roma Nova. So I did. But I had two much story for one book. The other half of that story followed in EXSILIUM – the epic journey that led to the foundation of Roma Nova in AD 395.

Roma Nova

Triumphal arch

So if you’re looking for escapist thrillers with a Roman tone, special forces women, epic love, slightly off-piste heroines, loyalty, a sense of doing the right thing even if it’s not quite legal, a family with bad eggs and true heroes, tough men who have vulnerabilities, snappy dialogue and some provocations, you’re in the right place.

That’s a very quick run down. The book draw associated with this post has finished, but do take a look around the site – there’s a lot here for you…

Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers –  INCEPTIO, CARINA (novella), PERFIDITAS, SUCCESSIO,  AURELIA, NEXUS (novella), INSURRECTIO  and RETALIO,  and ROMA NOVA EXTRA, a collection of short stories.  Audiobooks are available for four of the series. Double Identity, a contemporary conspiracy, starts a new series of thrillers. JULIA PRIMA, a new Roma Nova story set in the late 4th century, is now out.

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