New author: John Drake

We've added John Drake to our growing list of authors publishing novels set in the Ancient Roman world. He has written three novels so far in his Londinium series, the most recent being published in november last year. Set in the 1st Century London and tells the story of Ikaros of Apollonius, a Greek slave and former soldier.

1. Death in Londinium (Londinium series: book 1 of 3)

Londinium, 1st century AD. Must every slave die?

Fabius Gentilius Scorteus is a Britannic Celt, the richest man in Londinium. But he desperately wants to become a Roman citizen. He calls upon his Greek slave Ikaros of Apollonius.

Ikaros was once a soldier, nobleman and engineer, but, after his country was invaded by the Romans, he was forced into a life of servitude. Known for his mind-reading abilities, Ikaros is believed by some to have magical powers. Londinium is in need of a method to raise the water for the Imperial Baths. So Scorteus calls upon Ikaros’ talents to design such a structure. If this project is accepted, Scorteus will finance the project for Londinium in the hope of winning citizenship. And once he becomes a Roman citizen, Scorteus promises to make Ikaros a free man.

But, things do not go as planned… A member of the Scorteus household is discovered murdered. Everyone believes that it must be the work of a servant. Under a vicious Roman law Senatus Consultum Silanianum, if any slave killed the master, then every slave in the house was put to death, meaning hundreds of innocent people. Ikaros is sure no-one in the household is to blame. With his mind-reading powers, it is suggested that he may be able to solve the murder.

With the support of Morganus, First Javelin of the Twentieth Legion and his men, Ikaros sets out to solve the mystery. Will Ikaros unmask the culprit before innocent blood is shed?

Paperback: Latest edition: 2022 Publisher: Lume Books ISBN: 978-1839015144 Pages: 384 Availability & latest prices:

Kindle: Latest edition: 2016 Publisher: Lume Books Availability & latest prices:

2. Games in Londinium (Londinium series: book 2 of 3)

Ikaros of Apollonis is a long way from home. An educated and noble man enslaved by the Roman Empire that killed his family and destroyed his city, he is stranded in the bleak and inhospitable colony of Britannia. His only consolation is to be living in the city of Londinium, a place where all races, tribes and intellects meet, within the household of his dear friend, the military hero Morganus.

But all is not well in Londinium. As the provincial governor plans an impressive spectacle to further his own ambitions, others see the Londinium games as a chance to pursue their own agenda, even it brings them into direct conflict with Rome.

In particular, the Celtic tribes of Britannia have been causing problems for the authorities. Officially colonised and suppressed, their druidic spiritual leaders are determined to rise up, even if blood must be spilled. Then, people start to die. And it falls to Apollonis and Morganus to find the common factor behind their brutal murders.

Paperback: Latest edition: 2022 Publisher: Lume Books ISBN: 978-1839015151 Pages: 358 Availability & latest prices:

Kindle: Latest edition: 2018 Publisher: Lume Books Availability & latest prices:

3. Gods in Londinium (Londinium series: book 1 of 3)

Ikaros of Apollonis is a slave of the Roman Empire. But in the heathen wilds of Britannica, he may be about to save it.

His home city conquered, Ikaros of Apollonis, an engineer and physician, is now the slave of a Roman soldier. But his master is no ordinary soldier, and Ikaros is far from an ordinary slave. In a characteristically Roman blend of pragmatism and superstition, he is widely admired – and feared – for his striking intelligence and ability to read minds. So, who else would the empire choose to investigate the death of a hero, the spread of a strange religion, and a potential uprising among the native Celtic tribes?

In Gods in Londinium, Ikaros navigates the tensions between Britannica’s Celts and its Roman occupiers, defying attempts on his own life and those of the people he loves. In doing so, he’s drawn into negotiations that may spell the end of Roman Britain – or perhaps, quite the reverse.

Paperback: Latest edition: 2022 Publisher: Lume Books ISBN: 978-1839015137 Pages: 290 Availability & latest prices:

Kindle: Latest edition: 2022 Publisher: Lume Books Availability & latest prices:

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