Hardcover:
 Latest edition: 2022 Publisher: Head of Zeus ISBN: 9781800242890 Pages: 400 Availability & latest prices:    |
The Iron Way: What’s it about? From the blurb: AD 175, Vindolanda, Britannia. After their cavalry was broken by the legions on the frozen waters of the Danube, Sarmatian warrior Kai bought his peoples' lives with a pledge to serve Rome. Bound to the will of the Emperor, the Sarmatians are ready to fight and eager to die – death in battle is the only escape from the dishonour of their defeat. Exiled from their home lands, they are ordered to take the Iron Way to the far north and the very edge of the Empire. Here, a great wall of stone cuts across the land as straight as the stroke of a sword. On one side, Rome's dominion; on the other, mist and rumours – stories of men closer to giants, of warriors who fight without fear or restraint. For a people who knew no borders, who were promised war, garrison duty is cruel punishment. But as insurrection stirs on both sides of the wall, Kai will discover that every barrier has its weaknesses – and he will have his chance to fight, perhaps to die. Background This the author’s fifth published novel and the second of an intended trilogy set in the ancient Roman period, following ‘A Winter War’. He has written two books set in ancient Greece/Persia and followed those up with Smile of the Wolf in 2018 which is set in 11th Century Iceland. The hardcover for 'The Iron Way' is out now and the paperback is due out in April 2023. The Good and the Not so Good Once again, Tim gives us both a beautifully atmospheric world along with distinctive, interesting characters with the same gorgeous prose we’ve come to know. We’ve moved from the Danube in the first book to Hadrian’s Wall in this sequel and follow the attempts by the Sarmatians to preserve their very different values and lifestyles despite being many miles from their homeland, all the time clinging on to the hope that one day they will be allowed to return home. To be fair, I preferred the novelty of the Danube setting, that was one of the aspects of the first book that I liked the most and at first I was a little disappointed to be back in northern Britain where so many other novels in this genre tend to be set. That said, the descriptions of the forts and the part the wall played in the everyday life of the characters was well done, particularly in differentiating between the worlds north of the wall and those south of it. The characters in this series are what makes this series so appealing. The character of Lucius is far more to the forefront here, inevitably as we are in a Roman garrison now and his becomes a more rounded portrayal, dealing with the consequences of decisions made both by him and those around him. The theme of betrayal feels even more prominent in this book and betrayals and broken promises continually present the characters with hard decisions and soul-searching on a regular basis, inviting us to face those choices with them. Final thoughts I really enjoyed this book, perhaps a smidgen less than the first one, but in no way does this sequel suffer from middle book syndrome, the action scenes are vividly described and carry you along at quite a pace. So together with the excellent character writing, I would highly recommend you read this series if you haven’t already. | Paperback:
Latest edition: Due April 2023 Publisher: Head of Zeus ISBN: 9781800242913 Pages: 320 Availability & latest prices: |
If you want to read more about Tim and his work, his website is tim-leach.co.uk and he posts on twitter as @TimLeachWriter.
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