The Legions of the Mist: A Novel of Roman Britain

by Amanda Cockrell

Sometime during the beginning of the second century A.D., the Ninth Legion Hispana marched into the mists of Roman-occupied Britain and disappeared forever.

Rome erased their name and number from the legionary rolls, and so far no British farmer has turned up a buried graveyard with his plow, to show where they lie.

Perhaps they turned their backs on everything that was of their own world and melted into the native tribes. Perhaps they were ambushed and cut down. All we know for certain is that they vanished as surely as if the ground had opened to swallow them, taking with them their Eagle, the life and honor of the Legion, and leaving behind only a few men who happened to be detached from the HiIspana when it marched out that day.

This novel is history as it may have happened, on the edges of that country where history turns into myth.

Wherever the Roman conquers, there he dwells.
-- Seneca

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Roman Britain

306 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

I grew up in Ojai, California, a wonderful place where you could ride your horse down Main Street and there was a hitching post outside the library. It was a bedroom town for Hollywood, full of writers and actors and directors, so there was always something going on, and famous people’s discarded trousers tended to end up in the local thrift shop. Ojai also had a branch office for every philosophical and religious movement to arrive in California since the 20s. I loved it and it became the template for Ayala, the setting for several of my books.

My father, Francis M. Cockrell, was a screenwriter, and my mother, Marian Cockrell, was a screenwriter and a novelist. I first began to write, badly, in high school, where I created characters that my high school English teacher, J. B. Close, of blessed memory, told me were shallow. He was, alas, right, and the rightness of his assessment was knocked into my head in creative writing workshops at Hollins College (now Hollins University) a school which had, and has, a wonderful writing program with the goal of teaching students to write like themselves, and not like the creative writing professor. (This is rarer than you would think.)

Since the only thing I actually do well is write, I have managed to make a living doing so in one form or another for most of my life. Besides my novels, I have written a lot of other things. I have written radio commercials for Custer’s Last Sandwich Stand, featuring the Singing Pickles. (“Oh, you must be a lover of your landlady’s daughter, or you don’t get a second piece of pie!”) I have written ads for panty girdles. I have written the text for a book of very bad paintings of California missions. I have written local history, book reviews, obituaries, wedding stories, and a paperback plantation saga under a name that will forevermore be secret. Also, I have received fiction fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.

I have a master’s degree in English and creative writing from Hollins and am currently the managing editor of that university’s literary journal, The Hollins Critic, and director of its graduate program in children’s literature. I teach writing and children’s literature.

I live with my husband, Tony Neuron, and a substantial assortment of dogs and cats, in Roanoke, Virginia.

Amanda Cockrell also publishes under Damion Hunter.

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roman soldiers in Britain. This is the author's speculation that IX Legion Hispana was ambushed and wiped out in Caledonia [present-day Highland Scotland]. The story was heartwarming and poignant; I wept at the ending of the epilogue at the conversation of Centurion Hilarion and Gwytha, the British girl. I loved the main characters and cared so much about the survivors to wonder what their subsequent lives might have been and to speculate. Easy to read.

[Edwin R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a love of historic fiction and the story of the mysterious disappearance of the 9th Hispana Legion during the reign of Hadrian is just about tailor made for this genre. This is the only book I've read about this mystery and the author weaves a sweeping story of love and war. This was her first novel and was published in 1979, there were not a lot of young women writing epic depictions of men at war, but she does it surprisingly well for a first effort.

That said I didn't care much for the first half. The story was slow and a bit cliched. The dialog seemed disjointed and wooden. This was a 2 star book, and then it turned into something else. If the first half was 2 star, the second half was 4 star! Her battle scenes made me feel as if I were there. Her Roman world wrapped around me and transported me as only the very best writers can do. I fully entered this book and honestly that feeling is why I love to read. Sadly it can be rare and was a truly unexpected pleasure! If you love this genre give this one a shot and stick with it to the end. I ended up loving it.

[Steven Kuehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3-1/2 stars; an enjoyable historical fiction novel about the 'lost' Roman legion of Britain; interesting characters and good storyline; story dragged a bit in the middle, and the foreordained ending was very much a given, so no surprises at the end. One of the most interesting characters from early on, Licinius, sort of disappeared into the background further along in the book, and was only 'rescued' by the late appearance of the Legate's daughter, whom I would have liked to have seen more of. Gwytha also started out strong and became more of a stereotyped character in the second half of the book. Also a few historical inaccuracies, but nothing that would upset the casual reader. A good book for fans of historical fiction set in Roman Britain; if you like Ruth Downie's Medicus series (the best Roman Britain mystery series around, in my opinion), you will likely enjoy Cockrell's book.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting started but found it easy to finish once I got into it. Ms. Cockrell does a good job of breathing life into Roman Britain. Having visited many of the Roman ruins in Britain, its easy to imagine what this life was like. Well written but predictable finish and a probable scenario to the demise of the Ninth...taking the romance out of the legend!

[David Fraser · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK historical novel.

[Karina McRoberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this again after some years. It is entertaining, albeit fairly predictable, as it would be, seeing that the author is interested in historical truths; and, perhaps we all know the general story. However, it struck me with major thoughts - one, do we have the right to judge others by our standards? Historically, probably not. That's the way the world was - for them. Of course, I'm on the side of the under-dog, the side of the conquered. But they have played the role of conqueror too. War seems terribly stupid.
But, laying judgement aside, I did find inspiration here. Both leaders displayed a solid sense of honour. Something profoundly lacking now. It seems in our present time that there is preciously little leadership of any quality. No honour.
If those in the past could pass judgement on us, I feel they would be deeply disgusted.

[Laurentiu Lazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come

[Rose Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story of Roman soldiers in Britain is easy to read, down-to-earth and heartwarming.