LUCIA: Geschichte einer römischen Sklavin

by Steven A. McKay, Susanne Döring (translator)

"Lucia ist eine Geschichte, die gleichzeitig niederdrückend und erhebend ist, eine Geschichte, die einen tief in der Seele berührt." - Sharon Bennett Connolly, Autorin von Silk and the Sword Was macht das Leben für einen Sklaven Roms lebenswert? Die Aussicht auf Rache, egal wie lange es dauert...
Im Alter von acht Jahren wird Lucia aus dem Leben gerissen, das sie kannte. Nachdem ihr Dorf niedergebrannt und ihre Eltern von den Römern ermordet wurden, wird sie entführt, verkauft und ins Ausland in die Villa Tempestatis in Britannien verschleppt, um dem jungen römischen Armeeoffizier Castus zu dienen. Konfrontiert mit einer düsteren Zukunft in jahrzehntelanger Knechtschaft bei ihrem Herrn sowie sadistischer Brutalität durch seine Hausverwalterin Paltucca, drehen sich ihre Gedanken nur um Rache.
Doch die Villa Tempestatis mit ihrer malerischen Umgebung in der grünen Landschaft Britanniens bietet ein Leben, das etwas einfacher ist als anderswo im Römischen Reich. Die Sklaven knüpfen starke Bande der Liebe und Freundschaft, genießen gemeinsam Feste und Feiertage und dürfen manchmal sogar eine Familie gründen. Viele von ihnen sind mit ihrem Schicksal zufrieden.
Trotzdem ist jeder Moment in Lucias Leben von ihrem Hass auf Castus und Paltucca überschattet, und nur die Vernichtung beider wird ihr ein gewisses Maß an Frieden bringen, auch wenn es Jahrzehnte der Arbeit und Planung erfordert ... Dieser eigenständige Roman des Bestsellerautors von "Der Druide" erzählt die Geschichte des Lebens einer Frau vor einem reich gewobenen Hintergrund aus Liebe und Hass, Rache und Erlösung und ist in der modernen Belletristik ziemlich einzigartig.

LOB FÜR LUCIA
"Lucia... bringt den Leser dazu, über seine Art zu denken und zu fühlen neu nachzudenken – und führt ihn in eine Tiefe seiner Seele, die er wahrscheinlich noch nie zuvor besucht hat. Steven A. McKay hat eine wahrhaft fesselnde Darstellung des Lebens einer Sklavin geschrieben. Wenn Sie dieses Jahr nur noch ein Buch lesen, dann sollte es Lucia sein." - Sharon Bennett Connolly, Autorin von Silk and the Sword
"Eine fesselnde 5-Sterne-Geschichte von McKay, einem Autor, der mich immer wieder mit seinem Schreiben verblüfft." – David's Book Blurg
"McKay schaltet einen Gang höher und schlüpft leicht in eine andere Welt und beherrscht sie von Anfang an. Dies ist die Shawshank-Redemption der Rachegeschichten." – David N. Humphrey, Autor von Valguard – Knight of Coins
"Eine unglaublich bewegende Geschichte, die extrem gut geschrieben ist. Ich kann dieses Buch nur wärmstens empfehlen" - Endo The Road Book Reviews

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2020

About the author

I was born in 1977, near Glasgow in Scotland and live in Old Kilpatrick with my wife and two young children. After obtaining my Bachelor of Arts degree I decided to follow my life-long ambition and write a novel. The Forest Lord series now has four novels, and various short spin-off tales.

My new book "The Heathen Horde" is the first in a brand series following Alfred the Great. It comes out on October 26 2023 so please check it out and pre-order if you can!

I play guitar and write all my books while listening to extreme metal.
In 2022 I started a podcast with fellow historical author Matthew Harffy. You can subscribe to Rock, Paper, Swords! on all the usual podcast outlets and also find the audio on Youtube every fortnight.

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book is a standalone novel about a Roman slave-girl named, Lucia, by the Scottish author, Steven A. McKay.

Story-telling has been once again of a superb quality, and all characters come wonderfully to life within very realistic tale of slavery and Roman oppression.

The book starts with a short prologue with the annihilation of a little settlement in Germania by the Romans, and eight-year old, Lucia, is taken as a slave to become someone else's property.

The whole story takes place between AD 168 until AD 201, and the book is divided into four parts.

Its the story about, Lucia, slave-girl at the Villa Tempestatis, and belonging to a Roman officer called, Publius Licinius Castus, and his wife, Dianna, but the overall household command is in the hands of the despicable manageress, Paltucca.

Inside Villa Tempestatis Lucia will find in Sennianus her most loyal soulmate and lover, and together they will fight for their love and existence against all the odds they will have to face for survival.

What is to follow is an amazing story about slavery, and what it will do to people physically and mentally, and for Lucia while being raped by her Master and God at the Villa, and when her baby she's having with Sennianus is taken away to be left for dead, due to her enemies Paltucca and Dentatus, and all these factors and more will play a very important part towards vengeance against her enemies, and that endurance of willpower will finally reach its climax with a very surprising and emotional twist in the end.

Highly recommended, for this is a very remarkable story about slavery, and one that should be read and cherished, and that's why I like to call it: "A Most Astounding Liberating Tale"!

[Amy McElroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't read anything by Steven McKay but having heard of this book I decided to give it a try and I'm so glad I did. This is quite a dark story and does feature murder, rape and violence so it won't be for everyone but it's such an emotional book. I was drawn in from the very first chapter with Lucia being torn away from her home at such a young age.

McKay transports us back to the dreadful conditions of those sold in to slavery. Whilst compared to others Lucia appears to have a master who treats their slaves better but Lucia's story and those around her is heartbreaking. Castus, the master was difficult to fathom, I couldn't decide if I liked him or not, there are moments where I thought he was pure evil but others where I thought he was trying to improve himself.

The characters are wonderful and McKay does an excellent job of developing them so you feel like you actually know them. Personally I loved Senni,  Rogatus and Regalis, all slaves working with Lucia at Villa Tempestatis. Each one has their own reasons to keep going and all have a different outlook on life as a slave which is one of the reasons I enjoyed this so much as I got to know each character more.

Paltucca the manageress is that character you love to hate. Although she is a slave herself her actions towards the others is abominable. It's not just those within the villa that Lucia has to worry about tho, danger appears from almost everywhere.

Throughout the whole book I was hoping Lucia would get her chance to return home and whilst I won't spoil the ending there's a great twist which totally surprised me.

I won't say more as I'd hope those reading this will give the book a read and I wouldn't want to give anything away.
This is very much a page turner and difficult to put down, I found myself saying just one more chapter and before I knew it I was at the end.

An incredibly moving story that's written extremely well. I highly recommend this book to those interested in the lives of the slaves but as mentioned there are some really difficult moments.

[Steve Kimmins · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting historical fiction storyline but I didn’t get on with the writing style.

Lucia is a child captured from Germanic tribes during a Roman raid on her village, about 170AD. Most of the story is concerned with her subsequent life as a slave in a villa, or Manor House, in Roman Britain, spread over some decades. The domestic drama is interesting, describing the everyday lives of the small community, mostly slaves, servicing the villa and the Roman masters. There’s some contentment in their lives as there’s regular food and shelter, plus the companionship of others, but also the harshness of the overseer, and the ultimate degradation for the female slaves of being casually raped should dinner guests, or the master of the house, require ‘bed companions’. And this Villa is considered rather kinder in its treatment of slaves than others according to those in the know!

The downside for me was the story telling style. I’m not a writer and I don’t know the skills authors use to get you inside their characters, but something in that regard was missing for me here. We’re told repeatedly that Lucia is filled with hatred towards her Roman master (and the overseer) and seeks revenge. But I didn’t feel it through any emotional content in the writing! It’s as though the author presents a narrative to us on occasions where he describes how the Lucia and other slaves are feeling, but it never seemed that intimate to me. I’ve read many books where an author can make a Third Person POV’s emotions very clear, raw even, so that you can see inside their mind, but I’m afraid I rarely saw that here. A rather remote Third Person POV style. Almost ‘info dumps’ telling us of people’s feelings.

I wasn’t too sure about the ending either. Not the fact that it wasn’t well executed, as I think it was. But the choices that Lucia herself finally makes - though that’s my taste and others may well like her decisions better.

I’ve not read this author before and according to his postscript this standalone novel was a departure from his usual work so I’m still up for checking out other work of his as he is an acclaimed historical fiction author. But this one didn’t quite work for me...

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steven A. McKay's Lucia is a wonderful novel and a deep and layered character.

Lucia lost everything as a child only to discover that even when it seems you have nothing, you can still lose more. Forced into slavery from a young age, Lucia endures hardship, privation and abuse against her person and her dignity. As the years pass, her cunning intelligence emerges and she begins to craft a brilliant plan for revenge against those who have destroyed her life.

The life of a Roman slave is made very real and McKay fleshes out that existence from the viewpoint of the slaves themselves. The tasks set for the slaves of a Roman villa are interesting and feel authentic, as do the various ways in which the slaves cope with their fate. It's clear McKay has done his research.

I have read all of McKay's work and this one is up there with the best of his novels. Highly recommended.

[Sumit · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘𝘼𝙮𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙙𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙨: 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚. 𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨.’

"𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙, 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚'𝙨 𝙖𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙖 𝙩𝙤𝙤, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙧, 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙚𝙨."



“𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙮... 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙮. 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚. 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 – 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 – 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚.”

👧🏾In 167 AD, the 8-year-old daughter of Germania warlord, Lucia's life turned upside down when Romans invaded her settlement and wiped out her tribe. She found herself sold into slavery and transported to Villa Tempestatis in southeast Britannia to work as a helping-hand for Tribune Publius Licinius Castus. Faced with a bleak future of decades of servitude, Lucia gradually learns to get used to her new life and befriend other slaves but the evil manageress, Paltucca never missed a chance to punish her. As she grows into womanhood Castus who initially shows himself as a good master revealed his deprived side and used her for pleasure. Her only light in life was Sennianus, a fellow slave who wants to spend his life with Lucia, but years of servitude, humiliation, tortures, and violation, filled her heart with hatred. She wants nothing other than revenge from her tormentors, no matter how long it takes! So what will Lucia choose love or vengeance?

👧🏾This standalone book focus on the darker side of Roman society - slavery. Steven had immaculately portrayed the harsh life of a Roman Slave - their struggle to cope up with their fate; the flogging, confinement, and sexual harassment that they had to endure in their day to day life; the pain of not spending their life with their lovers/ losing their babies at the whims of the master – all these feel authentic and shows Steven’s detailed research.

👧🏾The book is divided into 4 parts, showing different time periods in Lucia’s life. Narrated from Lucia’s POV its’ pacing sometimes plods and other time run at breakneck speed, but the simple language and gripping narration never allow the reader to lose interest in the book.

👧🏾Lucia's character is meticulously crafted. Other characters equally contributing to the story are also well written. I would have liked it more if some of their backstories are explored, especially Sinni, Paltucca, Popillia, and Regalis.

👧🏾I like how the ending is left open for the readers to imagine the character’s ending. Lucia after waiting a lifetime will finally get her right moment to take her revenge from her master Castus, but whether she utilized it/ not for that you have to read the book.

Overall, Lucia was a good read for me. If you like historical fiction then you will like it. But if you are expecting to read action-packed fight/battle scenes then you are highly mistaken. This book is for serious readers.

𝙈𝙮 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.5/5)

[David Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Hell hath no fury like a (slave) woman scorned..”

They say revenge is best served cold but this is something else. Spanning the life of Germanic girl Lucia taken to Briton when she was but a child and put to work for her Roman master. Learning to obey and please through gritted teeth, as well as avoiding the dangers of a life where you can be flogged, maimed or killed unexpectedly just on a whim. Her journey into womanhood and progression through a life whilst harbouring her ultimate desire for complete revenge when the time is right. This is the Shawshank Redemption of revenge stories.

The narrator, Imogen Church, is superb and lifted the great story and dialogue and really did the prose justice. Perfectly capturing the heartache, camaraderie and fragility of slave life and her telling of a couple of tragedies in particular is emotional and moving. After the Wolf Lord books and the Druid, McKay changes gear and slips easily into a different world and commands it from the start. No wonder Audible picked it — it’s a seriously recommended listen.

[Linda Humberstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is an illustration of what it would have been like for a child captured by a Roman officer to become a slave in his household for the rest of her life. Taken from Germany to England, not knowing the language or what would happen to her, she has to adapt in many ways to life as a slave, without any rights or status. As she grows up her life is entirely centred within the villa of her owner and as the years roll by she does progress to a position of authority, but never loses her hatred for her owner and a vindictive estate manageress. Although there is some accuracy in how slaves were treated, (and in some cases is was much worse), it is more a novel about this particular slave, her actions, emotions and planned vendetta. The writing style is plain and uncomplicated, so therefore easy to read at a pace but this means it does lack excitement for the reader.

[Cathy Donnelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this story very moving. Usually books of those times involve politics and gruesome battles with never-ending casualties, but this story was about people. Among the characters were those who accepted their lot, and others, like Lucia, who sought only revenge for what was taken from her.

Steven McKay’s portrayal of life as a slave under the Romans was well balanced in that he included the moments of contentment they experienced amidst the total helplessness of being owned and abused. His character descriptions of both masters and slaves, and where and how they lived, brought the story to life in a way that, despite the tragedy of it all, was an engaging and hard to put down book.

I always enjoyed reading Mr McKay’s Author Notes at the end of his books. I would definitely like to read the Epilogue to this one that he mentioned. As with the first two books in the Druid series that I read, his skill as a storyteller shone through. Now, which of his books to read next? The third in the Druid series, I think.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this book sat waiting on my Kindle for a while but never quite got round to it but, having just finished the quite wonderful Unholy Night (a book that also showed how harsh the Romans were) I decided it was time this was next. And I am so glad I did, as it is everything I'd hoped it would be and more.
It is Steven's first standalone novel and a really good read, highlighting the real hardships, and how the slaves will likely have felt being treated the way they were.
Steven mentions at the end that he was worried fans of his work would miss the fight scenes and everything that has made his previous works such a success, but he needn't have worried because this is a gripping read and I thoroughly enjoyed following Lucia's journey from start to finish, even picking it up in the middle of the night and missing out on sleep because I was so engrossed in the story.
A lovely, easy to read book that will shock, educate and make you miss sharing Lucia's life the moment it is finished.

[Blaise · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://undertheradarsffbooks.com/202...

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Whenever we hear of the Roman Empire and all its pride, glory, and massive influence on the modern world, there are a few different thoughts that pop into out head. Emperors, colosseum, gladiators, senate, and the legions of soldiers that the Romans had at it disposal. The stories we don’t hear about are the thousands of victims and slaves the Romans conquered and forced into servitude to obey the wills of their masters. Lucia is such a slave at the peak of the Roman Empire and her story is about love, sacrifice, and vengeance against the barbarians that have enslaved her, years in the making. Lucia is a standalone alternative history story that will bring you back to ancient times and is written with precision as if Steven McKay were painting the Mona Lisa.

Lucia takes place between 168 AD and 201 AD where the Romans have invaded Germania and burned the land to the ground. Lucia’s home village is sacked, pillaged, and she is kidnapped by the Romans while her parents are butchered and left for dead. She is shipped off to Villa Tempestatis in Britannia to serve the young Roman army officer Castus. Lucia will learn the ways to manage and maintain a Roman villa while also staying on the good side of the manageress Paltucca. Lucia will find love in the Villa with her loyal friend Sennianus and will look to build a life together. Eventually a horrible tragedy will befall Lucia and she will vow vengeance of the Villa even if she has to bid her time to do it.

Having studied Roman history at university, I always find myself flocking textbooks and documentaries on ancient civilizations and how they have shaped our society today. What I didn’t expect to see was the other side of the coin and how the conquered struggled to survive centuries ago. I also learned quite a few facts about Roman history that I never knew before. Roman Villa’s would bring in slaves from several different countries whom don’t speak the local language in order to avoid insurrections. Steven also goes into very fine details regarding the daily chores of the Lucia and her co-workers as well as the horrible fates that befall the slaves when male guests would enter the villa. There is rape in this book but it is not just thrown into the story for the sake of shock value, rather to show the dread of that time and to build sympathy and empathy for the victims.

Steven A. McKay certainly did his homework in writing Lucia and it will make you question everything you have learned in school about the Roman Empire. The stories climax involves one of the best twists to a story I have every read and it took the story in a completely different direction than what I was anticipating. You will be on your toes in the buildup to it. I had a great time revisiting an ancient world written from a different perspective. Fans of alternative history, Roman history, and revenge tales will find enjoyment in Lucia. People say that history is always written by the victors and the virtuous, but for those whose voices have not been heard throughout the centuries, this is a story for you.

Cheers!

[Lashanti Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure if it’s because the author is a male and the main character is a female but I feel as though there was a general lack of proper/appropriate reaction to certain situations in the novel. Lucia did not address/tackle/handle the situations handed to her in a way that I feel a woman in her position may have responded. There was no depth and there was too much internal confusion and turmoil. She was inconsistent with her hatred/loathing and there were just numerous inconsistencies in her actions. She went from loathing her position in life and not understanding the complacency of the other slaves to excitedly welcoming a child into the mix. Then after things take a turn she was back to her hatred, loathing and not understanding complacency.

I also thought her personal relationship to Senni was super odd. It just didn’t make sense to me. I’m not saying she has to love him or anything, but they’re something more than friends but at the same time not really? Then after you pair that with the ending you wonder if you missed something early on?

The whole Paltucca “thing” was really odd. Lucia went from hating her to understanding her to remembering she hates her( this is also what I mean by the inconsistency and inner character confusion). There was a whole “maybe Paltucca is not as bad as she seems” moment but then Lucia remember Paltucca did horrible things early on. When the author was exploring whatever he was trying to explore I felt it confusing and unreliable. There was no motive behind Paltuccas actions and I think the lack therof enhanced the confusion. Even a simple shes evil would’ve clarified somethings.

Lastly I just truly did not like the ending. It kind of made you feel like reading the novel and seeing the journey of the characters was a waste of time. I acknowledge this is a way of life novel and therefore not plot heavy, so there’s no super grand expectations for the ending. But that ending was just awful to me. I do think the treatment of slaves depicted in the novel is historically accurate. However the theme revenge that the author was going for was unconvincing.

[Richard West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Steven McKay is like a fine wine - as he ages, he improves and gets better. Generally, he deals in series as witness his Robin Hood series and his current one about a Druid, Bellicus. This book however, is a standalone and it is Excellent! It's a tale mostly about revenge, but there are some action scenes tossed in - just none of the bloody 6-10 page battle scenes you might expect to find in your average book about the Roman Empire - and there's romance as well. Generally, something as sappy as romance would turn me off on a book, but it isn't overwhelming and fits in with the narrative.

Lucia is a Roman slave, taken from her family in Germanica as a young girl and we first meet her at the age of 8 when she is abducted, her family killed, and she is subsequently sold into slavery. We follow her life through to the age of 42 where the story climaxes into a rather unexpected ending which lets the reader draw their own conclusion as to how things work out in the future. Just for the record Steven, my ending would have been different! Along the way, we find that the life of a Roman slave, born in Germanica, sold to a Roman in Brittanica, wasn't peaches and cream. It was in fact, pretty brutal. However, there were times when - if your master wasn't a total jerk - you had moments of happiness - there just weren't enough of them.

And that's all I'm going to say about the plot because I don't want to spoil this for anyone contemplating purchasing it.

Highly recommended for McKay's growing legion of fans, for people who enjoy a good Roman Empire novel, for someone looking for something a little bit different in the field of historical fiction or for anyone who just enjoys a good read. It's hard to put down once you start, but it's divided into sections of her life, so you can put it down and come back to it with no problem.

Very enjoyable - buy it and you won't be sorry. And by the way Goodreads, I did not read the Kindle edition no matter what you say, I read the real book edition!

[Paul Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

BLURB
What makes life worth living for a slave of Rome? The promise of vengeance, no matter how long it takes...
At eight years old, Lucia is torn from the life she knew. Her village burned to the ground and parents murdered by Romans, she is kidnapped, sold and shipped abroad to the Villa Tempestatis in Britannia to serve the young Roman army officer Castus.
Faced with a bleak future of decades of servitude to her master, as well as sadistic brutality at the hands of his manageress, Paltucca, she finds herself fixated by one thought alone: vengeance.
Yet Villa Tempestatis, with its picturesque surroundings in Britannia’s green countryside, offers a life that’s a little easier than elsewhere in the Roman empire. The slaves form strong bonds of love and friendship, enjoy feasts and holiday celebrations together, and are even allowed, sometimes, to start a family. Many of them are happy enough with their lot.
Despite that, every moment of Lucia’s life is blighted by her hatred for Castus and Paltucca, and only seeing them both destroyed will bring her a measure of peace, even if it takes decades of work and planning…
This standalone novel from the bestselling author of The Druid tells the tale of one woman's life against a richly woven backdrop of love and hate, revenge and redemption, and is quite unique in modern fiction.
REVIEW
A tale that brings out all that is evil about slavery. A tale that highlights the range of emotions; the defeated acquiescence, the fear of reprisal for any mistake, for some the never relenting urge for revenge. The author presents what life was like on a large Roman estate. One that was totally dependent on slave labor; the need for harsh discipline, and for absolute obedience was a slaves daily existence. It is an emotional journey in the life of Lucia; a journey that twists, a journey with surprises, and setbacks; yet one that she follows with one goal in mind no matter the changes in the pathway. Lucia is a departure from the author's usual subject matter of Druids and Forest Lords, but he has maintained his story weaving skills producing another page turning tale. 4⭐⭐⭐⭐

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucia is a Germanic girl, aged 8 when the Romans led by Castus sacked her village, killed her parents, and took her back to his Estate in Britannia. The story gives a picture of the domestic life in a rich Roman estate, seemingly quit accurate. The slaves are regarded as the property of the owner, not as people with rights, and accordingly do exactly that, especially sexual access to the owner and to his dinner party guests. There were large differences in the way slaves were treated, depending on the owner’s bent, but they were totally objectified. Lucia was accordingly raped by Custus at 14, and for this she bore an overwhelming hatred for him and for the manager of the slaves, Paltucca, who although a slave herself was vicious. Slave’s babies, in the absence of contraception, were left out to die of exposure, including Lucia’s. Lucia kept her feelings to herself, except for her slave friend Sennianus; the story focuses on her hatred and plans for revenge. Lucia is promoted within the slave hierarchy and herself becomes manager of the other slaves. Lucia, once so full of fellow feeling for other slaves, becomes, as manager and to her horror, more like Paltucca: authority corrupts. It is an interesting and revealing story, but the writing is didactic and often clichéd, including many of the characters. I originally gave it three stars on account of the writing, but on reflection it is worth 4 because of the issues it raises.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t read anything by this author before, but thought the blurb sounded very interesting. This is a plot driven novel, with the action coming thick and fast, making the book a page-turner. It was one of those rarer books that would have benefited from been longer and thus giving more chance for some of the storylines to be more developed.

The book was an interesting exploration of slavery, looking at the subject from many different points of view. I also liked the fact that the book explored how and why people can become cruel towards their fellow humans as they gain power.

One of my only criticisms is quite a few parts of the plot were somewhat unbelievable, Why did Lucia not have more children when given the chance? Why did she not marry Senni ? Why did she not take her freedom when offered it if she hated been a slave so much and why did she wait so long to take revenge? but overall this dark tale was an exciting tale that was hard to put down.

[Chasity Gaines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed every second spent with Lucia and household

Steven has given us an original story from the view of a Roman slave. Like most slaves, Lucia was stolen from her home after the Romans destroyed her village. Luca hellbent on revenge of the mistreatment of her fellow slaves and herself, yet loyal and hardworking. She is torn between revenge and wanting to be free. Will she achieve what she set out to do or follow her constant companion into freedom and a family of their own.

I couldn't set my Kindle down! Lucia is an amazing read and I highly recommend reading this book.

[Heather R. Siuta Ingerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucia

I just finished reading Lucia - and truly feel a loss at having the story end so quickly and abruptly. I know the author intended for this incredible story to be a standalone novel - but I truly wish it wasn’t! I could not put this book down from the moment I started to the moment I finished, and will likely lay awake tonight wondering what happened to Lucia and Senni as they started their new lives as Freedmen. Just a wonderful story that really connected you to the characters and my heartfelt thanks to the author for enriching our lives with this excellent story.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I don't think I could 100% vouch for the historical accuracy (e.g. the name Alfwin was not as far as I can tell used before the sixth century and this book was set in the second century), but there is not a great deal that is obviously contrary to life in Roman Britain at that time and this story gives an interesting view of what life might have been like for slaves (and free women, which in some ways probably wasn't that different) then. As a story I did enjoy it, (though the cover doesn't make me think Roman Britain!

[Ray Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a surprisingly great story.

This book slapped me squarely between the eyes, I thought it would be about the favourite slave given all kinds of favours and then her freedom, Not at all this is probably what the life of a Roman owned slave was like really brutal and still compassionate in places, it sends you to a place where things don't always come up smelling of roses. Lucia has to find her way through a world on hate, petty jealousy , vicious overseers and perverted freemen. As well as dealing with her own hatreds, I could not put it down.

[Bill Cushley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the books I have read by this author.
Lucia is a different tale from his usual fare. I have to say that Mr McKay absolutely nailed this one.
A well written, easy to read book about the life of a slave. His narrative takes his reader back in time, and you can see, hear and almost smell what it was like to be the property of another.
Well done Steven, yet another great read.

[Jann Grimes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had trouble getting into this book, and nearly quit a few times. I don’t often quit a book. I made my way through and feel my three star rating successfully reflects my neutral feeling about it. I enjoyed learning about things like the inner workings of a Roman bath house (how they were heated). What I did not like, and I always feel this way in historical fiction, was the use of what I consider “modern” phrases that seem so out of place. I do not recommend this book.

[Jason Micallef · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written.
This is my first book of Steven. A mckay, having discovered him through his rock paper swords podcast co hosted with Matthew harffy.

For such a short novel, it covered so much, with such a span of time!

Characters were likable and relatable. I just felt a few times where Lucia's motives were a little unrealistic. Too much focus on vengeance.
The ending was nice,

Overall good read and I'll be definitely reading more from Mckay in the near future

[LesleyjR · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good well written historical novel set in Roman Britain. Lucia who was captured at age 8, is sold into slavery where slaves are possessions, and beatings and rape are commonplace. She is a strong character who survives whatever is thrown at her, and plots her revenge over a number of years on those who wronged her. So glad the author added the epilogue (which was originally left out) as this gives a closure to the story.

[Dave Broadbridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great novel from Steven, telling the story of a slave in Roman Britain. So much we still don't know about the history of the slaves from that time, but I could imagine that it could well have been like the book or worse.
Just a shame that we still haven't learnt anything as slavery is still all over the world in the year 2020, we have to learn from history.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the words of Monty Python, “And now for something completely different”. I enjoy reading Steven’s books, especially his Forest Lord series. I’m fairly open to book genres, so when Lucia came along I was intrigued by the theme. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked how the story weaves through Lucia’s life. Another great book from Steven.

[peter david mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A life of slavery in Roman Britain.

I was unsure whether to award three or four stars. I settled on four because I found the ending to be really satisfactory. I usually prefer to read historical fiction with plenty of action. I did not expect to get enjoyment so was quite surprised the book grew on me.

[Anneka Avery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable

I enjoyed this book and found the timeline which spanned decades really interesting. The characters were all well written and I could relate to them. There are a few areas I felt could have been improved like the ending. I felt it was very quick and didn’t give me the conclusion I had hoped for.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Inkling of a great book but

This book could have been so much more. I would have liked to learn more historically than was offered. There were parts undeveloped or missing that was frustrating. Character development could have been much deeper. This is like a first draft of a great novel.

[Lesley Janet James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I discovered Steven A McKay, I have enjoyed every book so far, and Lucia didn't disappoint. An interesting read of a captured slave girl, told from her perspective. It made a change from the usual Roman stories that I have read in the past. Knew that the slaves obviously had a tough life but not as brutal as this story. No sugar coating here! Love this book.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, in one sitting. It was THAT engaging and immersive.
But I am unhappy with how things ended.
With all the trials & tribulations in the story, I think Lucia deserves a more dramatic ending.

I am overall enjoying reading the story as my introduction before diving into more Roman-themed histofiction novels.