Erotic Historical Romance set in Ancient Rome and Britain
18+/Adult Read
Book Blurb
A proud warrior.A brave woman.
A forbidden love that is tested by the intrigues of ancient Rome and the hostilities at the northernmost edge of the empire.Centurion Marcus Florius Corvus has a splendid career in the legions ahead of him. Yet a visit to Rome and a chance encounter with an old friend change his whole life: He falls in love with one of his friend’s pleasure slaves and becomes entrapped in an evil scheme designed to destroy him. And yet—he cannot help risking everything for Lia, the woman he has given his heart to, even if it means he will be banished to one of the most dangerous places in the Roman Empire: the northern frontier of Britannia.
My Review
Another Gem of a Romance *****
Eagle’s Honor: Banished is the second book I have read by Sandra Schwab, the first being Devil’s Return (Allen’s Miscellany #4). Once again this author played my emotions like the proverbial violin and at several points during the read I was moved to tears.
Romances set in the time of the Roman Empire are few and far between and I jumped at the chance to read and review it. I am fascinated by this time period, in particular the dichotomy between the civilized nature of the Romans and their assumed right to rule over others, be they slaves or their enemies, a right which can sometimes manifest itself in acts of great cruelty. I enjoyed how Ms Schwab takes the reader on a journey of forbidden love in this novel and at the same time explores these aspects of Roman life in the capital Rome and on the fringes of the Empire.
The heroine Lia is a pleasure slave and dancer in the home of Titus, a wily Roman. It is there she meets the Centurion Marcus, a guest of Titus, when she is instructed to ‘entertain’ him. Marcus has recently returned to Rome after spending time in the legions. Their ensuing love affair sets off a chain of events that will change their lives forever as Marcus vows to make Lia his, unaware of the malicious plot of others. I loved how Marcus courts her mind and her body, focusing on her wellbeing and pleasure, this woman whose sole existence has hitherto been to serve others. It is a romantic and page turning read with many sensual and erotic scenes, but don’t be fooled, Ms Schwab makes the couple work incredibly hard for their HEA!
Lia, bred to be a slave, knows no other life other than to obey and is an expert at masking her true feelings. I just loved how Marcus makes her feel like a woman of worth. Marcus is a true man of honour, disliking the often heartless and cruel excesses of Rome and has no love of many of its values. Yet the fates do not smile kindly on a love affair between a Roman Centurion from a distinguished family and a mere plaything, and the couple face the repercussions of their actions as a plot to discredit Marcus unravels. Honour is important to Marcus and he has to fight hard to balance his allegiance to Rome, his family honour and his love for Lia.
The story is first and foremost a romance but it also explores the themes of family and friendship – I hugely enjoyed the character of Alaric in particular, and also how the author depicted life amongst the Roman military. Ms Schwab has clearly carried out a great deal of research into the time period and this added to my enjoyment of the read.
Highly recommended for lovers of historical romance.
Reviewed by Tina Williams
A copy of this novel was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.
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[…] of the Roman Empire. It is the second book in the author’s Eagle’s Honor series, book one being Banished which I reviewed earlier this year (click on the book title for my […]