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Roman Boy
The action-packed story of Roman boy Lucius, exiled from Rome to the most savage province of the Empire – Britannia.
Banished from Rome by his jealous stepfather, fourteen-year-old Lucius is exiled to Londinium. Plunged into mortal danger as he flees his stepfather's assassin, Lucius takes a false name and joins the brutal ranks of The Eagles, the Roman Legion in Britannia. Under the watchful eye of the god Jupiter, Lucius excels in battle and catches the attention of his superiors – but how can he fulfil his destiny when he can’t even claim his own name? As the shadows of war gather, Lucius’s secret past catches up with him. He must face not only the Celtic rebels but also his stepfather’s relentless vendetta – and the spectre of his own self-doubt.
Banished from Rome by his jealous stepfather, fourteen-year-old Lucius is exiled to Londinium. Plunged into mortal danger as he flees his stepfather's assassin, Lucius takes a false name and joins the brutal ranks of The Eagles, the Roman Legion in Britannia. Under the watchful eye of the god Jupiter, Lucius excels in battle and catches the attention of his superiors – but how can he fulfil his destiny when he can’t even claim his own name? As the shadows of war gather, Lucius’s secret past catches up with him. He must face not only the Celtic rebels but also his stepfather’s relentless vendetta – and the spectre of his own self-doubt.
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 4, 2024
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About the author
Tony Bradman
650 books43 followersTONY BRADMAN graduated from Cambridge University and worked in journalism for many years as an editor and reviewer. Now a full-time author, he has produced several successful anthologies for young readers for Random House Children's Books, including three focusing exclusively on football: the FOOTBALL FEVER titles.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 12, 2025
A decent read.
Anglo Saxon Boy was much better IMO.
I think the biggest takeaway point which is true for this title and all of Bradman’s work, is that he writes gripping tales for adult readers, not young readers; a typical mistake that so many authors make. Regretfully, it’s marketed as a younger-reader’s book.
I can’t imagine most year 5/6/7/8 students being particularly interested in reading until the end. The book begins in Latin and introduces a fair amount of new vocabulary throughout. From a teacher’s perspective, this is a great opportunity for students to learn historical words/ items etc. But in reality, most young readers will see these as stumbling blocks that prevent them from reading with ease from start to finish and simply switch off.
No wonder the only young reader who reviewed Bradman’s Anglo Saxon Boy gave such a scathing review: “Boring.” Regretfully, I suspect many young readers would feel the same about Roman Boy too
Anglo Saxon Boy was much better IMO.
I think the biggest takeaway point which is true for this title and all of Bradman’s work, is that he writes gripping tales for adult readers, not young readers; a typical mistake that so many authors make. Regretfully, it’s marketed as a younger-reader’s book.
I can’t imagine most year 5/6/7/8 students being particularly interested in reading until the end. The book begins in Latin and introduces a fair amount of new vocabulary throughout. From a teacher’s perspective, this is a great opportunity for students to learn historical words/ items etc. But in reality, most young readers will see these as stumbling blocks that prevent them from reading with ease from start to finish and simply switch off.
No wonder the only young reader who reviewed Bradman’s Anglo Saxon Boy gave such a scathing review: “Boring.” Regretfully, I suspect many young readers would feel the same about Roman Boy too
Displaying 1 of 1 review