Summer reading - first in historical fiction series

Falling in love with a set of characters, a location and a period is a wonderful thing. Finding there is a series featuring the same three is heaven. You can plunge back into your favourite characters’ world and find out what happened next. You may want to grab a few moments’ peace during the holidays. Here’s a selection of first-in-series books that you may enjoy…

The Disappearing Dowry by Libi Astaire

The Disappearing Dowry When a crime wave sweeps through 19th-century London’s Jewish community, wealthy widower Ezra Melamed is forced to turn sleuth. His first adventure involves the mystery of The Disappearing Dowry: a family fortune is stolen, dashing the marriage hopes of a young lady—unless Mr. Melamed can find the thief before the young man’s family hears about her misfortune.

The Ezra Melamed Mystery Series currently has four full-length novels and two novellas, with the latest novel being The Doppelganger’s Dance.

Read more about the series at Libi’s website.
Buy the book at Amazon.com.

 

Kydd by Julian Stockwin

KYDDKYDD is the first in the Thomas Kydd series of historical adventure fiction set in the Age of Fighting Sail. In KYDD, a young wigmaker from Guildford is press-ganged into the Navy; despite the harsh reality aboard a man-o’-war he finds he is drawn to the sea life and takes up the challenge to become a true sailor.

The following titles take the reader on the rest of one man’s journey from pressed man to admiral – 15 titles published to date, of a projected 21.

Read more  at Julian’s website.
Buy the book from Amazon (US and UK).

 

 Sea Witch by Helen Hollick

SEA WITCH In this first voyage of Captain Jesamiah Acorne, we learn that our hero has been a pirate from the age of fifteen. Then he meets Tiola (a healer, midwife and white witch) and his life changes  forever. But there comes a day when he has to choose; the woman he loves, or his ship…? Swashbuckling adult nautical adventure that is a blend of Hornblower, Indiana Jones, Richard Sharpe and James Bond – with a dash of Jack Sparrow thrown for that extra bit of sexy spice.

There are three more ‘Voyages’ so far – Pirate Code, Bring It Close and Ripples In The Sand, with the fifth, On The Account to be published early in 2015.

Read more at Helen’s blog.
Buy the book from Amazon (UK and US).

 

Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray 

Lily of the NileHeiress of one empire and prisoner of another, it is up to Selene, the daughter of Cleopatra, to save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers. Trapped in an empire that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, the young princess struggles for survival in a Roman court of intrigue. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to resurrect her mother’s dreams.  And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win-or die?

A 3 book series including Lily Of The Nile, Song Of The Nile and Daughters Of The Nile

Connect with Stephanie on her site.
Buy the book (choice of retailers).

 

When Women Were Warriors Book I: The Warrior’s Path by Catherine M Wilson

The Warrior's PathTamras arrives in Merin’s house to begin her apprenticeship as a warrior, but her small stature causes many, including Tamras herself, to doubt that she will ever become a competent swordswoman. Worse, the Lady Merin assigns her the lowly position of companion to a woman who came to Merin’s house, seemingly out of nowhere, the previous winter. This stranger wants nothing to do with Tamras.

When Women Were Warriors is a trilogy – Book II: A Journey of the Heart and Book III: A Hero’s Tale

Read more about the series. Book I is permanently free on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

 

The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau

Crown coverThis first in series introduces strong-minded Sister Joanna Stafford and follows her dangerous quest to find a Dark Ages relic during the turbulent reign of Henry VIII.

The second novel, The Chalice, won the RT Reviews Award for Best Historical Mystery of 2013. The third and final book in the trilogy, The Tapestry, published in March 2015.

Read more at Nancy’s website.
Buy the book from Amazon.com.

 

 

A Rip in the Veil by Anna Belfrage #1 in The Graham Saga

9781781321676-Cover.inddOn a muggy August day in 2002, Alexandra Lind was unexpectedly thrown backwards in time, landing in the Year of Our Lord 1658. Catapulted into an unfamiliar and frightening new existence, Alex could do nothing but adapt – how fortunate that Matthew Graham was around to help her!

Seven books on, and in Whither Thou Goest Alex and Matthew face new adventures in a 17th century Caribbean setting.

Find out more on www.annabelfrage.com.
Buy the book (Amazon US).

 

The Midwife’s Secret: The Mystery of the Hidden Princess by Linda Root

OL EAfter the Queen of Scots flees to England in 1568, her mortal enemy, the Earl of Morton, searches the shores of Loch Leven for human remains hoping to disprove rumours that one of the twins the queen allegedly miscarried survived. A child named Marguerite Kirkcaldy is kept hidden from outsiders by Abbess  Renée de Guise, Marie Stuart’s aunt, who suppresses evidence that the knight Kirkcaldy never sired a child named Marguerite. Who is La Belle Ecossaise and who wish her dead?

There are a total of three books in the  Legacy of the Queen of Scots series to date including 1603: The Queen’s Revenge, and a fourth coming in January.

Read more about the  author at http://lindaroot.blogspot.com.
Buy the book at Amazon.com.

 

The Bride Prize: Allan’s Miscellany 1839 by Sandra Schwab

Schwab-TheBridePrize-kleinA medieval tournament in Victorian Britain, two unlikely lovers, a very grumpy editor, and an unfortunate dearth of umbrellas: In their first adventure, the reporters of Allan’s Miscellany travel to Scotland to attend the infamous Eglinton Tournament of 1839.

So far, there are three novellas in the series, with the latest being Devil’s Return and more to come in 2015.

Visit Sandra’s website to find out more.
Buy the book at Amazon.com (currently free).

 

Feud by Derek Birks

FeudCover_sm1459 – The Wars of the Roses have brought chaos to England. Ambitious lords, like the Radcliffe family, seize the moment to overcome local rivals, in this case the Elders. With their father and older brother dead, it falls to young Ned Elder and his sisters to fight back. But they are young, they make mistakes and they will need help if they are to survive the feud.

Feud is the beginning of a story – the story of the Elder family’s struggle through the Wars of the Roses – and the story continues in A Traitor’s Fate and Kingdom of Rebels, the second and third books of the 4-book series, Rebels & Brothers.

Find out more at Derek’s website.
Buy the book at Amazon UK.

 

Britannia’s Wolf by Antoine Vanner

Britannia's Wolf1877 and the Russo-Turkish War is reaching its climax. To protect Britain’s strategic interests an ambitious British naval officer, Nicholas Dawlish, is assigned to the Ottoman Navy to ravage Russian supply-lines in the Black Sea. In the depths of a savage winter, Dawlish confronts enemy ironclads, Cossack lances and merciless Kurdish irregulars, and finds himself a pawn in the rivalry of the Sultan’s half-brothers for control of the collapsing empire. And unexpectedly, Dawlish finds himself drawn to a woman whom he believes he should not love…

Read more about the Dawlish Chronicles.
Buy the book at Amazon.co.uk.

 

Sultana by Lisa J Yarde

Sultana ebookIn thirteenth-century Moorish Spain, the realm of Granada is in crisis as a royal wedding destroys a fragile alliance between families. When bitter civil war threatens the bride’s and groom’s future, they discover the bounds of love, trust and family.

The Sultana series will comprise a total of six novels. The fourth,  Sultana: The Bride Price is available now.

Visit Lisa’s website to find out more.
Buy Lisa’s books.

 

And here’s me…

INCEPTIO by Alison Morton

Hunted by a killer, New Yorker Karen Brown flees to Roma Nova, her mother’s mysterious homeland. Founded sixteen hundred years ago by Roman exiles and ruled by women, Roma Nova gives Karen safety, at a price, but the killer pursues her and sets a trap knowing she has no choice but to spring it…

The first of three books. Numbers four, five and six are in the pipeline…

You are already on my blogsite!
Buy INCEPTIO here (numerous retailers)

Happy reading!

 

Update 2017

Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers INCEPTIO, PERFIDITAS, SUCCESSIO, AURELIA and INSURRECTIO. The sixth, RETALIO, came out in April  2017. Audiobooks now available for the first four of the series

Get INCEPTIO, the series starter, for FREE when you sign up to Alison’s free monthly email newsletter. You’ll also be first to know about Roma Nova news and book progress before everybody else, and take part in giveaways.

December 17th, 2014 | Tags: , , , , | Category: Authors, Books, Guests, INCEPTIO, Other people's websites/blogs, Readers | 7 comments - (Comments are closed)

Roman counts

Carina portraitCarina, the heroine of the first three Roma Nova books, has an honorary title of ‘Countess Carina’ as her grandmother’s heir. As the head of the family/tribe, Aurelia is called ‘Countess Mitela’. Now why do the descendants of Romans have these titles? And how does the relationship work between the imperatrix, the ruler of Roma Nova and the leading families?

For much of the Roman civilisation, people’s, i.e. men’s, status was denoted by the antiquity of their family, whether they were patricians, plebs, equites, nobiles, novi homines, etc. Power came through connections, wealth and political or other influence. Kings had existed in early Rome, but royalty had been thoroughly renounced in 509 BC when Tarquinius Superbus was thrown out. Military leaders were granted the title of ‘imperator’ as the need arose, but power was in the hands of the consuls, senators, tribunes.

Augustus

Augustus

Until Augustus.

He maintained he was merely a ‘princeps’, the first amongst men, but he was the first of many emperors, who were kings in all but name. In the late Roman Empire, the emperors became more autocratic and remote, and established the practice of personally appointing loyal servants to key posts, resulting in the creation of the rank of ‘comes’, (pron. co-mays, plural comites).

The comites became leading officials of the later Roman Empire, from the army to the civil service, but always retained their direct links and access to the emperors. Constantine took the final step of certifying the posts, as comites provinciarum, “counts of the provinces”. You can find a full list for the beginning of the fifth century in the Notitia dignitatum.

Roman governor

Senior Roman officials (Trajan’s column)

Emperor Theodosius – the one who banned all pagan worship in 395 AD and started the Roma Nova story – served as a young man in Britain with his father who was the Comes Britanniarum, tasked with the defence of Roman Britain (Britannia). This post expired circa AD 410, when the last Roman troops left.

The Roma Novans in my novels had been led by Apulius who was elected as leader and given the traditional title of imperator (war leader) by the twelve heads of families who trekked out of Rome with him. They became his comites, or companions, pledged to support and serve him. It was no mere hierarchical arrangement; in the early, grim times when they founded their new country, it was a case of ‘hang together or hang apart’. They needed a bonding mechanism to stay united to fight off outsiders.

The companions went on to found the Twelve Families, and formed the basis of the imperial council which advises the imperatrix, and functions as a check and balance to her executive power. In English, the title of comes (pronounced co-mays) becomes count/countess.

Roma Nova vexilloidThe head of each of the Twelve Families gives an honorific title and a measure of power and responsibility to their heir, so that in the event of sudden demise, the transfer of power and responsibility to the new head of family is, in theory, smooth. Since the earliest times, the leader of each of the Twelve Families is personally accountable for their family members’ behaviour and is also expected to respond positively if the imperatrix asks them to carry out a task or mission.

So there you have it, citizens, in chapter and verse!

 

Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers, INCEPTIO, PERFIDITAS, SUCCESSIO and AURELIA. The fifth in the series, INSURRECTIO, was published on 12 April 2016.

Find out Roma Nova news and book progress before everybody else, and take part in giveaways by signing up for her free monthly email newsletter.

December 11th, 2014 | Tags: , , , | Category: Alternate history, Latin, Research, Roma Nova, Roman life, Roman traditions, Romans, Women warriors | One comment - (Comments are closed)

The Bookseller's Editor's Choice

I was stunned to see that SUCCESSIO had been selected as an Editor’s Choice in The Bookseller‘s inaugural Indie Preview on Friday.

I was checking Twitter – having a break after wrestling with an article – and saw my name mentioned by  journalist, Porter Anderson, associate editor for  TheFutureBook.net — the world community for digital development in publishing, and part of The Bookseller.

Clever, knowledgeable and insightful, his tweets are always worth reading. I stopped, read it and clicked through.

Surprised? Excited? Dull words for how I felt.
Here’s what they said:

“Carina Mitela is the heir within a leading family, but has chosen the life of an officer in the Praetorian Guard Special Forces. When a blackmailing letter arrives from a woman claiming to be her husband’s lost daughter, a youthful indiscretion turns into a nightmare which threatens to attack the core of the imperial family itself. I thoroughly enjoyed this classy thriller, the third in Morton’s epic series set in Roma Nova, a breakaway Roman colony established in AD395, which has survived to the present day. The series came about because the author—a self-confessed “Ancient Roman nut”—wondered what a modern Roman society run by women would look like.”

The Bookseller is the UK publishing trade magazine and has taken an innovative step, in conjunction with Nook, in introducing the Indie Preview. I am so proud that SUCCESSIO was included in the inaugural selection.

Here’s the full post on The Bookseller site.

UPDATE: Here’s the follow-up post on The Bookseller site with details of the discussion about the preview and self-published/indie fiction standards required for success.

 

Updated 2026: 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. JULIA PRIMA and EXSILIUM,  set in the late 4th century, tell the story of Roma Nova’s foundation.  Audiobooks are available for four of the series. Double Identity, Double Pursuit and Double Stakes form a new contemporary thriller series. A new collection of Roma Nova short stories, HEROICA, is now out. 

Download ‘Welcome to Alison Morton’s Thriller Worlds’, a FREE eBook, as a thank you gift when you sign up to Alison’s monthly email update. As a result, you’ll be among the first to know about news and book progress before everybody else, and take part in giveaways.

December 5th, 2014 | Tags: , , , , , | Category: Authors, Awards, Books, In the press, SUCCESSIO | 2 comments - (Comments are closed)
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