After Whorl: Donning Double Cloaks by Nancy Jardine
AD 73 Northern Roman
Britain
Brennus of Garrigill—Bran—monitors Roman activity across Brigantia. Stability prevails till AD 78 when Agricola, Governor of Britannia, orders complete conquest of all barbarians. Brennus heads north, seeking the Caledon who will lead the northern tribes against Rome.
Ineda treks northwards with her master, Tribune Valerius – supplies officer for Agricola’s Britannia campaigns. At Pinnata Castra, she escapes and seeks fellow Brigantes congregating for battle in the north.
The Legions of the Roman Empire and the Caledon allies clash at Beinn na Ciche in AD 84, but where are Brennus and Ineda?
The adventures of the Garrigill Clan continue…
This
third book in the Celtic Fervour series is my favourite so far. This
novel follows straight on from The Beltane Choice and After Whorl:
Bran Reborn. We discover what happened to Ineda and Bran after they
are ambushed by a passing a Roman patrol.
The timeline scans ten years with the focus mostly on Ineda and her life in captivity. It's fascinating to understand the dynamics of the relationship between her and her captor Tribune Valerius. Despite the hostility between them in the beginning, over time, there's a softening of feelings between them. The result allows Ineda to use the information openly discussed between them to help keep the local people informed about the Romans intentions.
The timeline scans ten years with the focus mostly on Ineda and her life in captivity. It's fascinating to understand the dynamics of the relationship between her and her captor Tribune Valerius. Despite the hostility between them in the beginning, over time, there's a softening of feelings between them. The result allows Ineda to use the information openly discussed between them to help keep the local people informed about the Romans intentions.
The outcome of this novel appeals to my romantic side. I heartily enjoyed Lorcan and Nara's story in The Beltane Choice and since then have enjoyed updates about them along the way. Yet it's Bran and Ineda story which grabbed my imagination the most and knowing they finally have a happy ending is heartfelt and satisfying especially after what both have experienced during their time apart and how acceptance and trust allows them to be together.
For those who enjoy intriguing historical stories wrapped around absorbing facts, The Celtic Fervour series is a must-read. Nancy Jardine masterfully writes a flowing narrative full of detail. I particularly enjoy learning about how the Romans and the local tribes lived their days to day lives.
So what's next? I'm looking forward to continuing this saga with the fourth novel; Agricole's Bane.
***review
copy received courtesy of Ocelot Press via Rachel's Random
Resources***
A member of the Historical Novel Society; Scottish Association of Writers; Federation of Writers Scotland; Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Independent Alliance of Authors, her work has achieved finalist status in UK competitions.
Website:www.nancyjardineauthor.com/
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/XeQdkG & http://on.fb.me/1Kaeh5G
Twitter https://twitter.com/nansjar
Amazon Author page http://viewauthor.at/mybooksandnewspagehere
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