What do you think?
Rate this book
The Conqueror
A Roman centurion. A captured druid. Their worlds, their lives, even their languages were different. They were natural enemies, irresistibly drawn to each other.
Read content warning in the first pages, please.
Also, be advised that outside of the romance, not a whole lot happens.
Read content warning in the first pages, please.
Also, be advised that outside of the romance, not a whole lot happens.
205 pages, Paperback
First published March 9, 2018
32 people are currently reading
351 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
May 19, 2018
4.5 stars rounded up because this romance, in my opinion, falls under the Epic category.
Druids are considered pagans. The magic they practice, evil and dark. They’re to be killed without exception. Marcus is a Roman centurion. He’s about to kill a druid named Gwynllyw (Gwen). His sword is drawn, but he can’t bring himself to kill the druid. The druid touches him, and Marcus does something that ends up weighing very heavily on his conscious. He is guilt ridden for months.
Unable to kill Gwen, Marcus takes him as his captive instead. This is just the beginning of the lengths that Marcus will go to, to protect and keep Gwen safe and alive. He learns to accept Gwen, even though he doesn’t understand his ways and doesn’t share his beliefs.
The story focuses mostly on the development of Marcus and Gwen’s relationship. There were times when I felt it was a bit slow going because with the language barrier, there couldn’t be as much dialogue in the beginning. The dialogue increases as Gwen learns Marcus’ language. Granted it’s broken, but that just made it more realistic.
My only complaint and reason behind the 4.5 instead of 5 stars is because the story is given only in Marcus’ pov. I fell so in love with Gwen, I would have loved to know his thoughts.
I am looking forward to reading more by this author.
Druids are considered pagans. The magic they practice, evil and dark. They’re to be killed without exception. Marcus is a Roman centurion. He’s about to kill a druid named Gwynllyw (Gwen). His sword is drawn, but he can’t bring himself to kill the druid. The druid touches him, and Marcus does something that ends up weighing very heavily on his conscious. He is guilt ridden for months.
Unable to kill Gwen, Marcus takes him as his captive instead. This is just the beginning of the lengths that Marcus will go to, to protect and keep Gwen safe and alive. He learns to accept Gwen, even though he doesn’t understand his ways and doesn’t share his beliefs.
The story focuses mostly on the development of Marcus and Gwen’s relationship. There were times when I felt it was a bit slow going because with the language barrier, there couldn’t be as much dialogue in the beginning. The dialogue increases as Gwen learns Marcus’ language. Granted it’s broken, but that just made it more realistic.
My only complaint and reason behind the 4.5 instead of 5 stars is because the story is given only in Marcus’ pov. I fell so in love with Gwen, I would have loved to know his thoughts.
I am looking forward to reading more by this author.
December 19, 2018
My God, what a beautiful beautiful book! 😍 I am in love with both MCs. First of all, we have all established that I’m a hopeless romantic so it’s definitely not a wonder that I love epic love stories. 😁 And this, my friend, is definitely an epic love story. It is poignant, powerful, alluring and just exquisitely crafted! 💜 Considering the opening of this story, I was really intrigued by how the author will turn around to create a love story between these very two unlikely characters. But somehow, Salem Fitzgerald nailed it to the T! 👏
The time was a very long time ago when Romans were invading and shaping Britain to become a part of their great empire. And Marcus is a Roman centurion who was tasked with slaying these heathens who worship false gods and believe in dark magic. As a centurion, it was his duty to command the raiding and to kill the druids, the very sole foundation of these pagans. Except, when he first laid eyes on Gwen, the fearless Druid who neither begged nor fought him when he was at the death’s door, he was bewitched and mesmerized by the most beautiful eyes he has ever seen in his life. So he committed an action that he has never done and captured and brought that Druid to become his personal slave. This is a death sentence for both him and the Druid if anyone ever found out that he’s harboring such an abomination in his household. But Marcus risked everything to make Gwen his. Will his endeavors be paid out in the end? And will these two enemies fall in love against all odds in the end and have a happily ever after?
A lot of people said in their reviews that this is such a very low angst story but it wasn’t the case for me. I literally cried several times while reading this book because the emotions were so raw and realistic and beautiful in this lovely novel. 😭 Marcus not only redeemed his actions for the beginning, but he also definitely excelled my expectations for his character. And Gwen, oh my lovely, innocent, pure Gwen! I wish everyone in this world would be like Gwen! Pure, innocent, wise, strong, full of love, acceptance and forgiving! Although we didn’t get his direct POV in this book, he has such a strong and vivid voice in this epic love story and his forgiving and sacrifices just made Marcus and himself better and stronger in the end. 😌 Ans the smut? Smoking-hot-damn-f**king-sizzling! 🔥🔥🔥 It was erotic, sexy and titillating in a sophisticated way! I’m just in love with this book. 🥰 And the ending? I was sooo sooooo soooooooooo very happy for these two and their epic love story and their epic HEA. It’s been a while since I found such powerful, elegant and exquisite historical story and it has been an absolute delightful to witness this stunning and mesmerizing love story. 😍 I can’t recommend this enough. 👏
5 love truly conquers everything in the end stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The time was a very long time ago when Romans were invading and shaping Britain to become a part of their great empire. And Marcus is a Roman centurion who was tasked with slaying these heathens who worship false gods and believe in dark magic. As a centurion, it was his duty to command the raiding and to kill the druids, the very sole foundation of these pagans. Except, when he first laid eyes on Gwen, the fearless Druid who neither begged nor fought him when he was at the death’s door, he was bewitched and mesmerized by the most beautiful eyes he has ever seen in his life. So he committed an action that he has never done and captured and brought that Druid to become his personal slave. This is a death sentence for both him and the Druid if anyone ever found out that he’s harboring such an abomination in his household. But Marcus risked everything to make Gwen his. Will his endeavors be paid out in the end? And will these two enemies fall in love against all odds in the end and have a happily ever after?
A lot of people said in their reviews that this is such a very low angst story but it wasn’t the case for me. I literally cried several times while reading this book because the emotions were so raw and realistic and beautiful in this lovely novel. 😭 Marcus not only redeemed his actions for the beginning, but he also definitely excelled my expectations for his character. And Gwen, oh my lovely, innocent, pure Gwen! I wish everyone in this world would be like Gwen! Pure, innocent, wise, strong, full of love, acceptance and forgiving! Although we didn’t get his direct POV in this book, he has such a strong and vivid voice in this epic love story and his forgiving and sacrifices just made Marcus and himself better and stronger in the end. 😌 Ans the smut? Smoking-hot-damn-f**king-sizzling! 🔥🔥🔥 It was erotic, sexy and titillating in a sophisticated way! I’m just in love with this book. 🥰 And the ending? I was sooo sooooo soooooooooo very happy for these two and their epic love story and their epic HEA. It’s been a while since I found such powerful, elegant and exquisite historical story and it has been an absolute delightful to witness this stunning and mesmerizing love story. 😍 I can’t recommend this enough. 👏
5 love truly conquers everything in the end stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 21, 2019
4,25 stars
I've read this in one sitting. Great writing! Really loved the characters! There are A LOT of hot scenes, but be aware of the warning!
I've read this in one sitting. Great writing! Really loved the characters! There are A LOT of hot scenes, but be aware of the warning!
January 13, 2020
*4,5 stars*
I read this in one sitting.
Needless to add that I loved Marcus, the Roman commander, and Gwen, the native druid. (And yes, this is a guy, but Marcus, the Roman, can't pronounce his Welsh name and ends up calling him Gwen.)
This book is purely character and relationship based. There is little plot outside the development of their relationship, but here, this is nothing to complain about! In fact, there is so much going on between these two, I'm glad we're not distracted by other stuff.
Considering how these two men meet and what happens that day you would think there is no comeback from that. Please don't run in horror if you read the spoiler, because things are maybe not as clear-cut as the words suggest.
Marcus's wrongdoing is a theme that stretches throughout the book, and Salem Fitzgerald does a fantastic job in redeeming the man. Because basically he is a good guy with a big heart, but albeit one that has been raised as a Roman conqueror with a firm belief in the glory and righteousness of the Roman Empire.
I think my favourite part is the language aspect. Marcus and Gwen can't communicate to start with as neither speaks the language of the other. The development here is done in a very realistic way. Neither man learns another language overnight, on the contrary - there is a lot of 'acting out' and one word sentences. The progression is slow and almost painful (as it would be), and it's amazing these two men still manage to have a meaningful conversation with few words.
Final verdict: This is pure romance in an old-fashioned way, and totally captivating.
If you need something a little different with a touch of the paranormal, have a go at it!
I read this in one sitting.
Needless to add that I loved Marcus, the Roman commander, and Gwen, the native druid. (And yes, this is a guy, but Marcus, the Roman, can't pronounce his Welsh name and ends up calling him Gwen.)
This book is purely character and relationship based. There is little plot outside the development of their relationship, but here, this is nothing to complain about! In fact, there is so much going on between these two, I'm glad we're not distracted by other stuff.
Considering how these two men meet and what happens that day you would think there is no comeback from that. Please don't run in horror if you read the spoiler, because things are maybe not as clear-cut as the words suggest.
Marcus's wrongdoing is a theme that stretches throughout the book, and Salem Fitzgerald does a fantastic job in redeeming the man. Because basically he is a good guy with a big heart, but albeit one that has been raised as a Roman conqueror with a firm belief in the glory and righteousness of the Roman Empire.
I think my favourite part is the language aspect. Marcus and Gwen can't communicate to start with as neither speaks the language of the other. The development here is done in a very realistic way. Neither man learns another language overnight, on the contrary - there is a lot of 'acting out' and one word sentences. The progression is slow and almost painful (as it would be), and it's amazing these two men still manage to have a meaningful conversation with few words.
Final verdict: This is pure romance in an old-fashioned way, and totally captivating.
If you need something a little different with a touch of the paranormal, have a go at it!
May 27, 2018
This book is like a summer day, when the sky is blue, the sea is warm and some rare birds sing to lull you to sleep.
It's a happy book filled with light and the promise of love and happiness.
I have rarely seen two characters more perfect, morally just, kind and devoted to each other. Markus the centurion, from the moment he laid eyes on Gwen, had fallen hopelessly in love with him and it all started because of his blue eyes. He didn't realize it at the time because he was on a mission to kill the last druid from a small village in Britannia they had conquered. But when the druid looked at Markus as he entered with his sword raised in that little hut, he made his steps falter and his heart stop. Something deep within didn't let Markus give the killing blow. The desire to kill was replaced by another type of desire of a more primordial kind.
Gwen was a very kind, forgiving man ( sainter than the Pope if you'd ask me) and their relationship blossoms into something beautiful over the months to come.
What is to be appreciated most about this book is the author's writing skill. It managed to convey the atmosphere of the time and to make Markus and Gwen very endearing.
This is an enemies-turned-lovers story. This is a master-slave story. This is a story about the love between two men. This is a HEA. There is no angst,
And this story was a little boring for me because I like the storms and the dark clouds now and then. I like my characters flawed, not perfect. There was danger over their relationship, mortal danger, but my entertainment was not at the level I expect from a historical romance novel (my favorite genre). So only 3 stars for my entertainment, but 4 stars for world building and characters and 5 for the writing. That will be an average of 4.
If you like beautiful, warm stories I fully recommend it.
It's a happy book filled with light and the promise of love and happiness.
I have rarely seen two characters more perfect, morally just, kind and devoted to each other. Markus the centurion, from the moment he laid eyes on Gwen, had fallen hopelessly in love with him and it all started because of his blue eyes. He didn't realize it at the time because he was on a mission to kill the last druid from a small village in Britannia they had conquered. But when the druid looked at Markus as he entered with his sword raised in that little hut, he made his steps falter and his heart stop. Something deep within didn't let Markus give the killing blow. The desire to kill was replaced by another type of desire of a more primordial kind.
Gwen was a very kind, forgiving man ( sainter than the Pope if you'd ask me) and their relationship blossoms into something beautiful over the months to come.
What is to be appreciated most about this book is the author's writing skill. It managed to convey the atmosphere of the time and to make Markus and Gwen very endearing.
This is an enemies-turned-lovers story. This is a master-slave story. This is a story about the love between two men. This is a HEA. There is no angst,
And this story was a little boring for me because I like the storms and the dark clouds now and then. I like my characters flawed, not perfect. There was danger over their relationship, mortal danger, but my entertainment was not at the level I expect from a historical romance novel (my favorite genre). So only 3 stars for my entertainment, but 4 stars for world building and characters and 5 for the writing. That will be an average of 4.
If you like beautiful, warm stories I fully recommend it.
April 9, 2022
4,5 'Druid' stars
I got this book years ago as a freebie (sadly, it's not available on Amazon anymore) and I had no idea I left such a gem just sitting there on my Kindle for ages.
I don't remember what I was expecting but I certainly haven't expected this story to be so cute and sweet.
Marcus and Gwynllyw stole my heart from the start (yes, it was a rough start but still), and their forbidden love story was very beautiful.
I thought that their language barrier will get hard to read or boring but it was written so well and their interactions were the highlight of the story.
I also don't have any complaints about the setting. Honestly, there wasn't a lot of going on outside of Gwynllyw and Marcus's relationship but what did happen felt like a Roman-era Britain, so my inner history geek was satisfied, lol.
I only wish we would got Gwen's POV. I loved his character so much and I wanted to have his perspective. But I guess the reason was to keep his druid ways mysterious. Marcus was alright, his personality a tiny bit bland but damn, man knew how to grovel. Seriously, asshole romance heroes, take notes on how to properly make amends. My man groveled for a year and even after Gwynllyw already forgiven him, he still tried to make up for everything in anyway he knew.
And some more hot and sweet quotes for the end!
I got this book years ago as a freebie (sadly, it's not available on Amazon anymore) and I had no idea I left such a gem just sitting there on my Kindle for ages.
I don't remember what I was expecting but I certainly haven't expected this story to be so cute and sweet.
He was leaning down again as he said it, and that meant that Marcus could not help but lean up. “I like to kiss you,” he breathed, voice raw with want.
Crinkles around Gwen’s eyes as he smiled softly. “I like kiss Marcus,” he murmured in return—and then did. Long and slow and deep.
Marcus and Gwynllyw stole my heart from the start (yes, it was a rough start but still), and their forbidden love story was very beautiful.
“Lovely Gwen.” He ran his hands back up the man’s stomach and caressed his chest again. “I want you to enjoy it this time, my treasure. I swear you will. I will give you such perfect pleasure.” Did it matter if the words would not be understood? The tone would surely make his feelings clear.
I thought that their language barrier will get hard to read or boring but it was written so well and their interactions were the highlight of the story.
A short stream of strange words, filtering through the laughter, and Gwen’s eyes full of mirth and pity for him. Marcus didn’t even feel like a fool. Gwen could look upon him as a slow child all he liked—as long as he smiled and laughed, Marcus was in paradise, here in cold, wet Britannia.
I also don't have any complaints about the setting. Honestly, there wasn't a lot of going on outside of Gwynllyw and Marcus's relationship but what did happen felt like a Roman-era Britain, so my inner history geek was satisfied, lol.
He felt Gwen’s gasp, the rigid shock that rippled through his body…but he didn’t stop. He kissed Gwen fully, deeply, nothing held back or hesitating, with all the passion and tenderness he cherished for this man, who should have been his enemy. Who might still become such…but that was not a thought for this moment. This moment, this kiss, was his answer—I love you still.
I only wish we would got Gwen's POV. I loved his character so much and I wanted to have his perspective. But I guess the reason was to keep his druid ways mysterious. Marcus was alright, his personality a tiny bit bland but damn, man knew how to grovel. Seriously, asshole romance heroes, take notes on how to properly make amends. My man groveled for a year and even after Gwynllyw already forgiven him, he still tried to make up for everything in anyway he knew.
“I want…” He flushed. Gwen was teasing him again, as he was wont to do. “I want apologize. I am sad Gwen was hurt.”
A sigh. “Marcus many apologize.”
He nodded. “I want Gwen happy.”
And some more hot and sweet quotes for the end!
The blanket fell from Gwen’s shoulders. Gwen pulled him close. “Marcus…Gwen is cold. Need warm.”
“Oh. You want me to…”
But Gwen was already undressing him. “Marcus body is warm. Marcus cock is much warm.” He pressed close, his lips brushing Marcus’ ear, his voice husky. “Need Marcus cock inside. Marcus touch, give warm semen in Gwen.”
Face flaming, Marcus moaned. He almost wished Gwen didn’t have certain words. Was it lack of the means to be subtle, or would Gwen always be this gleefully explicit?
“Gwynllyw,” he murmured in a moment of pause, “I beg you, ease my mind and tell me you have no wife nor lover.”
But Gwen only snorted a laugh at him. “Indeed I have a lover. He has today returned from Rome after years of absence, and he is still muddy from the road.”
Then they were kissing again, Gwen’s hand caressing Marcus’ stomach, smearing what seed had managed to land on him.
“Mmh,” Gwen murmured against Marcus’ insistent lips, “now, I think you will bathe, yes?” His eyes opened, sparkling at him. “Perhaps if I join you?”
“In that case, I certainly will,” he answered, and pulled Gwen up with him.
maybe
October 27, 2018Freebie at amazon.com right now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BCQK617/...
January 11, 2020
What a great read! Salem Fitzgerald definitely knows how to write! I've read two books by this author: The Conqueror and Captivated and both have been a win.
I really enjoyed the writing style: the books are captivating, engaging, simply unputdownable. Both stories, one a swashbuckling, adventure romance and the other a Roman Britain captor/captive story, are very well written. The background, the worldbuilding really well-thought-out. I think I could read anything by Ms. Fitzerald ;)
The Conqueror is, for me, a very refreshing story - set in Roman Britain, with MCs that are total opposites, that don't know any common language, are enemies on so many levels (ideological, religious, ethnic) - I haven't read many books set in an 'ancient' type of world, and even if, the MCs came from the same culture, or at least had a lot in common (e.g. could communicate without impediments), here, Marcus and Gwen had to start from scratch, from the very rough beginning...
The whole story was also very believable, right from which is, IMO, the only expected course of events in such a situation: invading Romans trying to eradicate Druids and their 'evil magic'; to Marcus and Gwen's first days together as Master and slave, to their growing affection and respect for each other. I believed in Gwen's stubborn conviction that he needed to continue with his Druidic rituals. I believed in his willingness to die for it. I believed in Marcus' fear of this unknown magic, strange tokens and Gwen's bewildering behaviour. But also in Marcus' growing attachment to the beautiful Druid, making him believe that Gwen's magic is harmless and preventing him from killing Gwen in quite a few situations. And finally, I found the ending of this story very plausible and fitting: . There was no quick and easy HEA and I appreciated that very much.
Marcus and Gwen's story is rather simple: they spend a lot of time together while living in the same quarters, they slowly try to get closer to each other, become friends, have fun, make love... I didn't need anything more - their love story felt complete, unhurried and simply beautiful.
Well done, Salem Fitzgeralt! :)
I really enjoyed the writing style: the books are captivating, engaging, simply unputdownable. Both stories, one a swashbuckling, adventure romance and the other a Roman Britain captor/captive story, are very well written. The background, the worldbuilding really well-thought-out. I think I could read anything by Ms. Fitzerald ;)
The Conqueror is, for me, a very refreshing story - set in Roman Britain, with MCs that are total opposites, that don't know any common language, are enemies on so many levels (ideological, religious, ethnic) - I haven't read many books set in an 'ancient' type of world, and even if, the MCs came from the same culture, or at least had a lot in common (e.g. could communicate without impediments), here, Marcus and Gwen had to start from scratch, from the very rough beginning...
The whole story was also very believable, right from which is, IMO, the only expected course of events in such a situation: invading Romans trying to eradicate Druids and their 'evil magic'; to Marcus and Gwen's first days together as Master and slave, to their growing affection and respect for each other. I believed in Gwen's stubborn conviction that he needed to continue with his Druidic rituals. I believed in his willingness to die for it. I believed in Marcus' fear of this unknown magic, strange tokens and Gwen's bewildering behaviour. But also in Marcus' growing attachment to the beautiful Druid, making him believe that Gwen's magic is harmless and preventing him from killing Gwen in quite a few situations. And finally, I found the ending of this story very plausible and fitting: . There was no quick and easy HEA and I appreciated that very much.
Marcus and Gwen's story is rather simple: they spend a lot of time together while living in the same quarters, they slowly try to get closer to each other, become friends, have fun, make love... I didn't need anything more - their love story felt complete, unhurried and simply beautiful.
Well done, Salem Fitzgeralt! :)
January 23, 2020
What drew me to this book was that I read some reviews that said this was a very sweet book, and in that regard, they were right. But I should have also remember I was going to read a book about a Roman conqueror and that this book was a historical. I mean, we’re talking 3rd or 4th century BC here. It doesn’t get more historical than this.
But I never expected that to really bother me. Especially since Marcus was not your typical Roman conqueror. He was sweet and not a violent man at all (despite him killing people ‘for Rome’). Even the violent way they met was because of magic, and not because Marcus was a terrible man.
Still, it was the little things that bothered me. The fact that it is mentioned at the beginning that Marcus has a wife back home. And that Gwen (Marcus can’t pronounce his real name, so he just calls him Gwen) would always be a servant. This was as good as it was going to get, and I guess I’m just too modern to accept that.
It especially bothered me that it is mentioned in the last few pages that Marcus had to go back to Rome, that he apparently had children with his wife, that he made her pregnant once more, and that he had to stay in Rome for 2 years before he could leave his wife and go back to Gwen.
You don’t just throw in a 2 year separation right before the epilogue. And the fact that Marcus had children never occurred to me, or that he would feel obligated to impregnate his wife once more. I guess it’s realistic for those times. But since nothing else was realistic in this book, couldn’t we just have skipped the wife and the children??
The romance itself was very sweet and no matter what happened, Marcus loved Gwen with all his heart. He never even fought his feelings. He just accepted it and went with it.
Overall this was not a bad book, I just think I should stick with 21st century books.
But I never expected that to really bother me. Especially since Marcus was not your typical Roman conqueror. He was sweet and not a violent man at all (despite him killing people ‘for Rome’). Even the violent way they met was because of magic, and not because Marcus was a terrible man.
Still, it was the little things that bothered me. The fact that it is mentioned at the beginning that Marcus has a wife back home. And that Gwen (Marcus can’t pronounce his real name, so he just calls him Gwen) would always be a servant. This was as good as it was going to get, and I guess I’m just too modern to accept that.
It especially bothered me that it is mentioned in the last few pages that Marcus had to go back to Rome, that he apparently had children with his wife, that he made her pregnant once more, and that he had to stay in Rome for 2 years before he could leave his wife and go back to Gwen.
You don’t just throw in a 2 year separation right before the epilogue. And the fact that Marcus had children never occurred to me, or that he would feel obligated to impregnate his wife once more. I guess it’s realistic for those times. But since nothing else was realistic in this book, couldn’t we just have skipped the wife and the children??
The romance itself was very sweet and no matter what happened, Marcus loved Gwen with all his heart. He never even fought his feelings. He just accepted it and went with it.
Overall this was not a bad book, I just think I should stick with 21st century books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2022
Interesting, magical, and morally grey romance between a Roman soldier and his captive Druid.
While there is a rape scene that starts this story (there’s a thorough author’s note about it), this is not a noncon book outside of the slavery. I almost DNF’d quite a ways through because this felt like one rape and the rest of the story was the MC trying to atone and the author trying to make me forgive a rapist. That’s not the entire story and I’m glad I read until the end so that I knew I didn’t waste my time with something unpleasant.
Not much happens in this story. It is fully about the relationship between the two MCs, the struggles to communicate through a language barrier, and one of the MC’s perceived necessity to make amends. It was surprisingly sweet after the start. I never quite got over the discomfort I felt with the Roman murdering all of the Druid’s people and then enslaving him, but it didn’t totally ruin the story because it makes sense for the time period portrayed. The lack of action and constant guilt from one MC had me leaning towards a two star rating until nearly the end. The ending made up for some faults in my eyes.
While there is a rape scene that starts this story (there’s a thorough author’s note about it), this is not a noncon book outside of the slavery. I almost DNF’d quite a ways through because this felt like one rape and the rest of the story was the MC trying to atone and the author trying to make me forgive a rapist. That’s not the entire story and I’m glad I read until the end so that I knew I didn’t waste my time with something unpleasant.
Not much happens in this story. It is fully about the relationship between the two MCs, the struggles to communicate through a language barrier, and one of the MC’s perceived necessity to make amends. It was surprisingly sweet after the start. I never quite got over the discomfort I felt with the Roman murdering all of the Druid’s people and then enslaving him, but it didn’t totally ruin the story because it makes sense for the time period portrayed. The lack of action and constant guilt from one MC had me leaning towards a two star rating until nearly the end. The ending made up for some faults in my eyes.
January 27, 2020
A Roman Centurion and a Pagan Druid! This book scores points in my book for individuality. It’s the story of a leader in the Roman army who falls in love with a mysterious pagan he finds in the village that his army has just conquered. Instead of killing Gwen as he’s supposed to, he takes the beautiful blonde creature for himself.
This is a hard book to rate. On the one hand, the writing drew me in from the very first page and it has the hallmarks of an epic love story. Both of the characters were so sweet and endearing it made my heart melt. And the scenes were HOT. On the other hand, the plot was a bit mundane given that the MCs are a Roman conqueror and a Druid who wields actual magic.
It was really about two people who fall in love despite language barriers that create a lot of misinterpretations, which are magnified given the nature of the Pagan’s rituals. We got a glimpse into magical elements, but it almost seemed misplaced (except that the magic did play an important role in the storyline). There also weren’t a lot of secondary characters (none that had any depth).
But I finished the entire book in about a day so I guess that speaks for itself! Also their HEA was incredibly sweet.
This is a hard book to rate. On the one hand, the writing drew me in from the very first page and it has the hallmarks of an epic love story. Both of the characters were so sweet and endearing it made my heart melt. And the scenes were HOT. On the other hand, the plot was a bit mundane given that the MCs are a Roman conqueror and a Druid who wields actual magic.
It was really about two people who fall in love despite language barriers that create a lot of misinterpretations, which are magnified given the nature of the Pagan’s rituals. We got a glimpse into magical elements, but it almost seemed misplaced (except that the magic did play an important role in the storyline). There also weren’t a lot of secondary characters (none that had any depth).
But I finished the entire book in about a day so I guess that speaks for itself! Also their HEA was incredibly sweet.
April 30, 2018
Really, really good!
The blurb had a caution that outside of the romance, not much else happens. I disagree!! It had a whole lot going for it and it was actually a really intriguing story! I really enjoyed it.
Sure, the stilted language of a Druid not understanding a foreign language was sometimes distracting because even I couldn’t understand what he was trying to say. But I think it honestly worked well because it was realistic. It took Gwen 13 chapters to be able to speak almost fluently. There wasn’t any quick fixes and I appreciated it because otherwise it would have made the story a lot shallower.
I wish we knew more about Gwen and the magic he practices. I think the epilogue aimed to do that but it just further confused me.
This was a bit of a slow burn romance but it was lovely to watch the journey. And Marcus was such an honourable man. And Gwen was just on the right side of mysterious. I did wonder how could the author possibly give this story a satisfactory resolution. Happy to say it worked out swimmingly!
The blurb had a caution that outside of the romance, not much else happens. I disagree!! It had a whole lot going for it and it was actually a really intriguing story! I really enjoyed it.
Sure, the stilted language of a Druid not understanding a foreign language was sometimes distracting because even I couldn’t understand what he was trying to say. But I think it honestly worked well because it was realistic. It took Gwen 13 chapters to be able to speak almost fluently. There wasn’t any quick fixes and I appreciated it because otherwise it would have made the story a lot shallower.
I wish we knew more about Gwen and the magic he practices. I think the epilogue aimed to do that but it just further confused me.
This was a bit of a slow burn romance but it was lovely to watch the journey. And Marcus was such an honourable man. And Gwen was just on the right side of mysterious. I did wonder how could the author possibly give this story a satisfactory resolution. Happy to say it worked out swimmingly!
January 18, 2023
This started out being really promising and I enjoyed the first half but that’s because I made a lot of assumptions about how the story would go. Unfortunately, things never came close to meeting my expectations so my enthusiasm for the story dropped lower and lower the further along I went.
The Positives
One of the big positives of this story is the historical details. The author decided to give the druids in this world real magical powers, which technically makes the story a historical fantasy but Gwen’s use of magic is a very minor part of the story so I think the story does a great job of being an Ancient Rome historical romance. I’m not usually a fan of Ancient Rome historical romances because I don’t know anything about that time period and authors tend to go in-depth with Roman culture and that means I’m dealing with a massive amount of terminology that I’m not familiar with. Thankfully, the entire story takes place in what would later become Wales and the story focuses on how the Romans went about conquering land/people to expand Rome’s boundaries so there aren’t any complicated politics or complex Roman societies. To be fair, I have no idea how historically accurate the author did things but I was easily immersed in this very old version of our world that existed so long ago.
I especially loved Markus’ unapologetic Roman characterization and how he viewed the world. He’s married and has children but both of these situations happened as part of his service to Rome. There’s no deep emotional bond between any of the members of his family and it’s completely normal that he’s gone from home for years at a time on military campaigns. What his wife expects is that he perform his duties well, keep the Roman Empire strong and occasionally come home to give her another child, which she can use to fulfill her own duties. In addition, Markus never wavers on his firm belief that Romans are superior to other people. Other cultures are barbaric and primitive, which barbarians need to be ‘rescued from’ by being absorbed into the Roman Empire. His loyalty to the Empire and his belief that keeping that Empire strong and assimilating people into it are never questioned and they never change. But at the same time, he’s a compassionate, kind man. He might not respect other cultures and believes other people are inferior to him but he’s not a cruel man. I found this type of characterization really interesting because this type of unquestioned arrogance usually makes a character an asshole, but that wasn’t the case here.
I also liked how the author dealt with the captor-captive situation, since I’m not usually a fan of that. When Markus’ soldiers attack a small village, Markus randomly goes into a hut that happens to be Gwen’s. What I loved was that Markus wasn’t only instantly attracted to Gwen’s physical appearance but he was intrigued by Gwen’s bravery and his dignified way of surrendering to the inevitable. Gwen always views himself as an equal to Markus, even if it takes Markus a long time to view Gwen the same way (due to the whole Roman mentality that I mentioned earlier). I also initially liked that Markus quickly regrets the horrible way he’d treated Gwen during their first meeting and that this guilt haunts him for a while. I ended up not liking this plotline in the long term, but it made me like the captor-captive situation.
Another interesting thing I liked was the role of language in the story. Gwen and Markus can’t speak a single word of each other’s languages when they meet and this makes communication really difficult between them. To nobody’s surprise, Markus gives up on trying to learn Gwen’s language pretty quickly (he claims he’s just bad at languages but his lack of guilt over the situation made me think it was his superiority complex at work again) so it’s up to Gwen to slowly learn Latin. The process takes a long time (more on that later) and this means their communication is limited to body language, facial expressions, pantomimes and using the very limited vocabulary Gwen manages to pick up. I really liked how Markus quickly understands how to phrase things so Gwen has the best chance of understanding him. This is something native speakers of any language tend to really struggle with so I liked how Markus learned how to do it properly.
While all of these various pieces of the story were great, the actual execution wasn’t.
Lack Of Plot
The author says in the summary that ‘outside of the romance, not a whole lot happens’. This is what excited me because I wanted a wonderful slow burn enemies-to-lovers plot that focused heavily on the MCs and their relationship. Unfortunately, the author seemed to think that ‘romance = lots of sex and lots of repetitive angsting’. Despite the amazing setup, the vast majority of this story consisted of two things: the characters having sex or Markus angsting over his guilt. That guilt is connected to .
There were some promising plotlines that popped up here and there. For example, . Unfortunately, all of these plotlines were either done through telling instead of showing or they were resolved very quickly with no lasting impact on the narrative. There was one chapter in particular where the MCs had sex three separate times and each sex scene was separated by one of those angsty-non-conversations between them. What a waste of a really interesting premise!
Language / POV Issues
While I started out liking that Gwen and Markus had to work at their communication due to not being able to speak each other’s languages, this eventually got annoying. Even after Gwen has been with Markus for an entire year, he still only knows a handful of useful words (the names for Markus’ armor pieces don’t count) and their conversations still consist of sentences like ‘Markus go, Gwen stay’. Eventually, this got old. In addition, when Markus and Gwen start having more complex conversations but their vocabularies are still really limited, they ended up having conversations that I couldn’t understand. I could understand the individual words they were using but because of the extremely primitive way things were phrased, I had no idea what the author was trying to make the characters say.
This wouldn’t have been such a problem if one of my other issues hadn’t taken place: not having Gwen’s POV in the story. While it was interesting at first being in Markus’ shoes and having to guess Gwen’s emotional state and requests using his limited conversation skills, Gwen’s constant use of very basic conversation meant I didn’t fully connect with him. We never learn more than a basic rundown of his history and we aren’t privy to his thoughts regarding Markus, his captivity, his druid beliefs or his role as a middle man between the newly conquered people and the Romans. There are so many things about Gwen that I wanted to know and I kept assuming that the author would fast forward to a time when Gwen could speak Latin fluently so I could finally learn more about him and properly enjoy his romance with Markus, but it never happens.
Not getting Gwen’s POV also meant the presence of the two little servant girls was pointless. One of them is an orphan who had been a beginner-level Druid apprentice, who Gwen unofficially adopts. Later, there’s an even younger girl who Markus also agrees to keep around because she speaks both Gwen’s language and Latin so she can help Gwen’s language learning. The problem is that Markus has to keep both girls at arms length and treat them as nothing more than regular servants or people would get suspicious. The girls spend all their time with Gwen but because Markus isn’t part of that dynamic, it means we don’t get to know the girls very well and honestly, their presence in the story was pointless. Speaking of the girls...
A Strange Epilogue
The author made the really cool choice of having the epilogue take place hundreds of years later, long after Gwen and Markus had passed away. I loved the idea of this because I thought the author would reference something that had survived through time, which is strongly connected to Markus and Gwen but maybe future generations don’t realize the connection. I thought maybe archaeologists would find Gwen’s old stone circle and maybe Gwen’s magic is still doing something cool there, like growing flowers that are the color of Gwen’s eyes (which was one of Markus’ favorite things about him). The possibilities were endless and I was so excited about it! Anyway...the author clearly had other plans.
The epilogue takes place 300 years after the story ends, which is already a random choice. But even stranger is that the epilogue focuses on a random powerful female leader who has some magical abilities (I didn’t track the details because I didn’t care). Well, it turns out that the young Druid apprentice girl is her ancestor. Yay....??
I didn’t get it. Why would I care about this? The girl was a minor character in the story and barely did anything important. But even more importantly – I wanted the epilogue the focus on Gwen and Markus, not this random girl. What a strange choice.
Conclusion
Overall, despite the building blocks of this story being really great, the execution left a lot to be desired. I loved the setup and the characters but they deserved a much better and more interesting story than this.
The Positives
One of the big positives of this story is the historical details. The author decided to give the druids in this world real magical powers, which technically makes the story a historical fantasy but Gwen’s use of magic is a very minor part of the story so I think the story does a great job of being an Ancient Rome historical romance. I’m not usually a fan of Ancient Rome historical romances because I don’t know anything about that time period and authors tend to go in-depth with Roman culture and that means I’m dealing with a massive amount of terminology that I’m not familiar with. Thankfully, the entire story takes place in what would later become Wales and the story focuses on how the Romans went about conquering land/people to expand Rome’s boundaries so there aren’t any complicated politics or complex Roman societies. To be fair, I have no idea how historically accurate the author did things but I was easily immersed in this very old version of our world that existed so long ago.
I especially loved Markus’ unapologetic Roman characterization and how he viewed the world. He’s married and has children but both of these situations happened as part of his service to Rome. There’s no deep emotional bond between any of the members of his family and it’s completely normal that he’s gone from home for years at a time on military campaigns. What his wife expects is that he perform his duties well, keep the Roman Empire strong and occasionally come home to give her another child, which she can use to fulfill her own duties. In addition, Markus never wavers on his firm belief that Romans are superior to other people. Other cultures are barbaric and primitive, which barbarians need to be ‘rescued from’ by being absorbed into the Roman Empire. His loyalty to the Empire and his belief that keeping that Empire strong and assimilating people into it are never questioned and they never change. But at the same time, he’s a compassionate, kind man. He might not respect other cultures and believes other people are inferior to him but he’s not a cruel man. I found this type of characterization really interesting because this type of unquestioned arrogance usually makes a character an asshole, but that wasn’t the case here.
I also liked how the author dealt with the captor-captive situation, since I’m not usually a fan of that. When Markus’ soldiers attack a small village, Markus randomly goes into a hut that happens to be Gwen’s. What I loved was that Markus wasn’t only instantly attracted to Gwen’s physical appearance but he was intrigued by Gwen’s bravery and his dignified way of surrendering to the inevitable. Gwen always views himself as an equal to Markus, even if it takes Markus a long time to view Gwen the same way (due to the whole Roman mentality that I mentioned earlier). I also initially liked that Markus quickly regrets the horrible way he’d treated Gwen during their first meeting and that this guilt haunts him for a while. I ended up not liking this plotline in the long term, but it made me like the captor-captive situation.
Another interesting thing I liked was the role of language in the story. Gwen and Markus can’t speak a single word of each other’s languages when they meet and this makes communication really difficult between them. To nobody’s surprise, Markus gives up on trying to learn Gwen’s language pretty quickly (he claims he’s just bad at languages but his lack of guilt over the situation made me think it was his superiority complex at work again) so it’s up to Gwen to slowly learn Latin. The process takes a long time (more on that later) and this means their communication is limited to body language, facial expressions, pantomimes and using the very limited vocabulary Gwen manages to pick up. I really liked how Markus quickly understands how to phrase things so Gwen has the best chance of understanding him. This is something native speakers of any language tend to really struggle with so I liked how Markus learned how to do it properly.
While all of these various pieces of the story were great, the actual execution wasn’t.
Lack Of Plot
The author says in the summary that ‘outside of the romance, not a whole lot happens’. This is what excited me because I wanted a wonderful slow burn enemies-to-lovers plot that focused heavily on the MCs and their relationship. Unfortunately, the author seemed to think that ‘romance = lots of sex and lots of repetitive angsting’. Despite the amazing setup, the vast majority of this story consisted of two things: the characters having sex or Markus angsting over his guilt. That guilt is connected to .
There were some promising plotlines that popped up here and there. For example, . Unfortunately, all of these plotlines were either done through telling instead of showing or they were resolved very quickly with no lasting impact on the narrative. There was one chapter in particular where the MCs had sex three separate times and each sex scene was separated by one of those angsty-non-conversations between them. What a waste of a really interesting premise!
Language / POV Issues
While I started out liking that Gwen and Markus had to work at their communication due to not being able to speak each other’s languages, this eventually got annoying. Even after Gwen has been with Markus for an entire year, he still only knows a handful of useful words (the names for Markus’ armor pieces don’t count) and their conversations still consist of sentences like ‘Markus go, Gwen stay’. Eventually, this got old. In addition, when Markus and Gwen start having more complex conversations but their vocabularies are still really limited, they ended up having conversations that I couldn’t understand. I could understand the individual words they were using but because of the extremely primitive way things were phrased, I had no idea what the author was trying to make the characters say.
This wouldn’t have been such a problem if one of my other issues hadn’t taken place: not having Gwen’s POV in the story. While it was interesting at first being in Markus’ shoes and having to guess Gwen’s emotional state and requests using his limited conversation skills, Gwen’s constant use of very basic conversation meant I didn’t fully connect with him. We never learn more than a basic rundown of his history and we aren’t privy to his thoughts regarding Markus, his captivity, his druid beliefs or his role as a middle man between the newly conquered people and the Romans. There are so many things about Gwen that I wanted to know and I kept assuming that the author would fast forward to a time when Gwen could speak Latin fluently so I could finally learn more about him and properly enjoy his romance with Markus, but it never happens.
Not getting Gwen’s POV also meant the presence of the two little servant girls was pointless. One of them is an orphan who had been a beginner-level Druid apprentice, who Gwen unofficially adopts. Later, there’s an even younger girl who Markus also agrees to keep around because she speaks both Gwen’s language and Latin so she can help Gwen’s language learning. The problem is that Markus has to keep both girls at arms length and treat them as nothing more than regular servants or people would get suspicious. The girls spend all their time with Gwen but because Markus isn’t part of that dynamic, it means we don’t get to know the girls very well and honestly, their presence in the story was pointless. Speaking of the girls...
A Strange Epilogue
The author made the really cool choice of having the epilogue take place hundreds of years later, long after Gwen and Markus had passed away. I loved the idea of this because I thought the author would reference something that had survived through time, which is strongly connected to Markus and Gwen but maybe future generations don’t realize the connection. I thought maybe archaeologists would find Gwen’s old stone circle and maybe Gwen’s magic is still doing something cool there, like growing flowers that are the color of Gwen’s eyes (which was one of Markus’ favorite things about him). The possibilities were endless and I was so excited about it! Anyway...the author clearly had other plans.
The epilogue takes place 300 years after the story ends, which is already a random choice. But even stranger is that the epilogue focuses on a random powerful female leader who has some magical abilities (I didn’t track the details because I didn’t care). Well, it turns out that the young Druid apprentice girl is her ancestor. Yay....??
I didn’t get it. Why would I care about this? The girl was a minor character in the story and barely did anything important. But even more importantly – I wanted the epilogue the focus on Gwen and Markus, not this random girl. What a strange choice.
Conclusion
Overall, despite the building blocks of this story being really great, the execution left a lot to be desired. I loved the setup and the characters but they deserved a much better and more interesting story than this.
Want to read
February 13, 20192/13/19 Currently FREE via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BCQK617/...
January 11, 2020
One of my top three favorite m/m gladiator stories. Loved that it's low angst.
October 16, 2023
2/5
for a while now, i've been waiting for a story where the two MCs struggle to communicate due to a language barrier. so, imagine my delight when i discovered within the first chapter or so of reading this story that it has exactly that!
fast forward to me approximately six chapters in learning the very important lesson of be careful what you wish for:
how do i put this nicely? there was only so much toddler talk i could take before i literally wanted to rip the hair follicles from my scalp.
here is just a small taste to give an idea of how the MCs speak to one another the majority of the story (this is 64% in, mind you):
and that's just a small snippet. trust me when i say there's plenty more where that came from.
on a serious note... the story wasn't completely terrible, but overall i found it pretty boring and a chore to finish. i felt like i had to push through and the story wasn't even very long. half of it is ...and the other half is them having sex, which i mostly skimmed ngl.
for a while now, i've been waiting for a story where the two MCs struggle to communicate due to a language barrier. so, imagine my delight when i discovered within the first chapter or so of reading this story that it has exactly that!
fast forward to me approximately six chapters in learning the very important lesson of be careful what you wish for:
how do i put this nicely? there was only so much toddler talk i could take before i literally wanted to rip the hair follicles from my scalp.
here is just a small taste to give an idea of how the MCs speak to one another the majority of the story (this is 64% in, mind you):
“A-pol-o-gize,” Marcus repeated slowly, articulating each syllable.
“Ahpologise,” Gwen tried, and Marcus nodded, feeling himself begin to smile. Then he frowned again.
“Why apologize?”
Gwen pointed to himself. “Druid. Ahpologise. Marcus say no magic. Gwen ahpologise magic.”
His expression dimmed. “If you are going to apologize, do not do it in the first place.” Gwen shrugged, and Marcus sighed harshly. “No apologize magic. No magic. Druid—”
“—Die,” Gwen finished for him, nodding. “Druid die. Understand.”
His frown deepening, Marcus stared into Gwen’s eyes. “Druid magic bad.”
But his urgent words only prompted another smile as Gwen gently shook his head. “No bad. Magic good. Help.”
With a grunt, Marcus looked away again, back at the hilltop before them. “No want your help.”
and that's just a small snippet. trust me when i say there's plenty more where that came from.
on a serious note... the story wasn't completely terrible, but overall i found it pretty boring and a chore to finish. i felt like i had to push through and the story wasn't even very long. half of it is ...and the other half is them having sex, which i mostly skimmed ngl.
November 17, 2019
Libros como éste me recuerdan por qué me gusta tanto la ficción histórica, y además la época romana es mi "talón de Aquiles"
Un historia muy bonita con unos personajes inolvidables.
Un historia muy bonita con unos personajes inolvidables.
January 21, 2019
My Advice: Ignore the first Chapter.
Skip it? Maybe simply skim it? Or maybe just ignore what happens there.
The moment I get That Scene, I immediately wanted to reach for the Delete button. But something held me back. Despite two major problems I saw already in the first chapter, it was a good premise, there was something about the story that still kept me curious.
I was unsure how many stars to give but eventually, I remembered how the book pulled me in and I read into the night. How I was crying when... something happened.
And anyway - a Roman soldier and a druid? Gimme!
It was a type of relationship not everyone might find as interesting. Gwen, as he calls him, is the sweetest, kindest person and he only slowly asserts some rights (even if Marcus is prepared to give him basically anything he asks for). He is not weak and he turns out he can very well "disobey" the orders.
One of the selling points for me was communication. Marcus could not learn a single word Gwen spoke, he could not pronounce it nor remember it. Gwen learned but slowly. At first, he could not even teach him anything that he could not point out in his house. Only later he found someone he could ask to talk with him and even that it was a risk.
I mean, image trying to build a romance when the two people can´t talk t each other?! It was great.
And it was also heavily centred on our two heroes. Barely had any other characters to speak of and they were easily discarded, which was not at all bad.
One thing that should e mentioned also is that there are a few "supernatural" elements. Almost like... magical realism, nothing fantasy-like, just some scenes.
I definitely recommend this book for anyone for whom the blurb sounds even vaguely interesting.
I still want to point out one thing that I really did not like (and I know the author may be aware of it but it still bothered me) - the portrayal of the Roman empire.
I still remember when I heard about Roman empire at one of my courses. It was the first year and it was, in fact, about England. And Roman conquest was at the start of its history. Before England became England, Romans came to conquer and change it - for the better.
By the way, the professor talked about it, you think the Romans were the best nation ever to grace the earth. Seriously. They were the greatest, most modern society. In all aspects.
They had slaves and such but they also afforded for social mobility (I remember him saying a slave became a Cesar and no one minded or thought it strange). Basically, like the American dream, expect real - you work hard - you get as many benefits as you deserve.
They had many modern inventions (I think they even had a fridge!) including, I think, plumbing. They were smart and progressive.
And the conquest? They treated their new vassals fairly. And respected every single culture and religion especially? What the book said about killing druids and destroying their pagan rituals? BS. I remember they respected the hell out of foreign beliefs - they even participated in their rituals, as if they were visiting a whole new world with a new set of gods and they paid their respects the same way natives did. They supported freedom of belief in an almost insane way.
They respected them but also really wanted to improve whatever they took. I doubt Britain was in such a sorry state, but Romans were definitely better off. The building and the roads, among others, are still there, even so many centuries after! They conquered but then tried to shuffle as much as they could back to them so they could rule themselves.
This was not how I pictured Romans - ignorant and blood-thirsty and selfish. In reality, Marcus might have been the one that should have known the language perfectly. He might have invited druids for a chat and participated in the rituals willingly.
But then, none of this could have happened if this was true. There would not be such a conflict of interests, no danger, no story. So I guess it´s okay.
Skip it? Maybe simply skim it? Or maybe just ignore what happens there.
The moment I get That Scene, I immediately wanted to reach for the Delete button. But something held me back. Despite two major problems I saw already in the first chapter, it was a good premise, there was something about the story that still kept me curious.
I was unsure how many stars to give but eventually, I remembered how the book pulled me in and I read into the night. How I was crying when... something happened.
And anyway - a Roman soldier and a druid? Gimme!
It was a type of relationship not everyone might find as interesting. Gwen, as he calls him, is the sweetest, kindest person and he only slowly asserts some rights (even if Marcus is prepared to give him basically anything he asks for). He is not weak and he turns out he can very well "disobey" the orders.
One of the selling points for me was communication. Marcus could not learn a single word Gwen spoke, he could not pronounce it nor remember it. Gwen learned but slowly. At first, he could not even teach him anything that he could not point out in his house. Only later he found someone he could ask to talk with him and even that it was a risk.
I mean, image trying to build a romance when the two people can´t talk t each other?! It was great.
And it was also heavily centred on our two heroes. Barely had any other characters to speak of and they were easily discarded, which was not at all bad.
One thing that should e mentioned also is that there are a few "supernatural" elements. Almost like... magical realism, nothing fantasy-like, just some scenes.
I definitely recommend this book for anyone for whom the blurb sounds even vaguely interesting.
I still want to point out one thing that I really did not like (and I know the author may be aware of it but it still bothered me) - the portrayal of the Roman empire.
I still remember when I heard about Roman empire at one of my courses. It was the first year and it was, in fact, about England. And Roman conquest was at the start of its history. Before England became England, Romans came to conquer and change it - for the better.
By the way, the professor talked about it, you think the Romans were the best nation ever to grace the earth. Seriously. They were the greatest, most modern society. In all aspects.
They had slaves and such but they also afforded for social mobility (I remember him saying a slave became a Cesar and no one minded or thought it strange). Basically, like the American dream, expect real - you work hard - you get as many benefits as you deserve.
They had many modern inventions (I think they even had a fridge!) including, I think, plumbing. They were smart and progressive.
And the conquest? They treated their new vassals fairly. And respected every single culture and religion especially? What the book said about killing druids and destroying their pagan rituals? BS. I remember they respected the hell out of foreign beliefs - they even participated in their rituals, as if they were visiting a whole new world with a new set of gods and they paid their respects the same way natives did. They supported freedom of belief in an almost insane way.
They respected them but also really wanted to improve whatever they took. I doubt Britain was in such a sorry state, but Romans were definitely better off. The building and the roads, among others, are still there, even so many centuries after! They conquered but then tried to shuffle as much as they could back to them so they could rule themselves.
This was not how I pictured Romans - ignorant and blood-thirsty and selfish. In reality, Marcus might have been the one that should have known the language perfectly. He might have invited druids for a chat and participated in the rituals willingly.
But then, none of this could have happened if this was true. There would not be such a conflict of interests, no danger, no story. So I guess it´s okay.
April 23, 2020
MY HEART IS CONQUERED...
First review 01/07/2019:
Speechless. I can't stop crying. I wish I can write the review that this book deserves but I can't. I am a crying mess minutes after having read the epilogue of this amazing story....!!!
5 ***** stars to the best story I read this month. You can believe me, I don't rate 5 stars all the books I read, unless they are amazing. And this book is beyond amazing!
Review update 07/14/2019:
I don't seem to have more chosen words to explain how much I am in love with this story after this second read. Despite the slow development, the basic narration and everything that some readers can still find to complain about, it's still one of the best gay historical fictions that I have ever read. I am still totally smitten with the characters. Totally fond of the style, the genre, the epoch, the intrigue... I loved everything, starting from the way the characters are developed, it was slow, parsimoniously slow, but one has to be patient and follow the voluntarily-slow pace of the storyline. It's obvious that it's done on purpose and that's very beautiful, it shows the print of the author on the book and there is nothing more precious than this.
Some readers seem to leave haughty reviews inviting other readers to skip the first chapter. Honestly, people do worse things in their daily lives yet they don't seem to want to skip their wrongdoings, so why should one skip the first chapter that just happens to be THE chapter, the spinal column of the whole story? If one skips it, the whole story would sound meaningless--and, worse, it is disrespectful to ask people to skip or overlook someone's work. The author has spent a lot of time writing it so why should the readers disregard it? Huh? So, no, I will say otherwise. Read the first chapter, people, read it with an open-mind and enjoy every step of the journey with Marcus and Gwen because, believe me, you won't find two characters like them in any other book...
Well, now that I vented my spleen, I will conclude with a sweet note, saying that I will definitely read this book again, that the time I spent reading it twice is not wasted, and also that all the bad ratings that I give everyday to bad books are worth the 5 stars that I give to such beautiful stories, they only make them more precious and unique... what has always been my purpose.
If this author writes another historical fiction set in the same era, I will read it without a second thought and I am absolutely certain that it will be amazing!
First review 01/07/2019:
Speechless. I can't stop crying. I wish I can write the review that this book deserves but I can't. I am a crying mess minutes after having read the epilogue of this amazing story....!!!
5 ***** stars to the best story I read this month. You can believe me, I don't rate 5 stars all the books I read, unless they are amazing. And this book is beyond amazing!
Review update 07/14/2019:
I don't seem to have more chosen words to explain how much I am in love with this story after this second read. Despite the slow development, the basic narration and everything that some readers can still find to complain about, it's still one of the best gay historical fictions that I have ever read. I am still totally smitten with the characters. Totally fond of the style, the genre, the epoch, the intrigue... I loved everything, starting from the way the characters are developed, it was slow, parsimoniously slow, but one has to be patient and follow the voluntarily-slow pace of the storyline. It's obvious that it's done on purpose and that's very beautiful, it shows the print of the author on the book and there is nothing more precious than this.
Some readers seem to leave haughty reviews inviting other readers to skip the first chapter. Honestly, people do worse things in their daily lives yet they don't seem to want to skip their wrongdoings, so why should one skip the first chapter that just happens to be THE chapter, the spinal column of the whole story? If one skips it, the whole story would sound meaningless--and, worse, it is disrespectful to ask people to skip or overlook someone's work. The author has spent a lot of time writing it so why should the readers disregard it? Huh? So, no, I will say otherwise. Read the first chapter, people, read it with an open-mind and enjoy every step of the journey with Marcus and Gwen because, believe me, you won't find two characters like them in any other book...
Well, now that I vented my spleen, I will conclude with a sweet note, saying that I will definitely read this book again, that the time I spent reading it twice is not wasted, and also that all the bad ratings that I give everyday to bad books are worth the 5 stars that I give to such beautiful stories, they only make them more precious and unique... what has always been my purpose.
If this author writes another historical fiction set in the same era, I will read it without a second thought and I am absolutely certain that it will be amazing!
May 21, 2019
3.5/5.
I've always been a sucker for Roman stories, wether they're fiction or not, so this was an easy read for me.
I feel like this could have been more dramatic in some parts, but at the same time, I loved that it was merely focused on Gwen and Marcus' relationship, and not others.
Gwynllyw is a druid whose territory is conquered by the Romans. Marcus is the Roman soldier who spares his life thanks to his beautiful blue gaze, and his courage. Eventually they took off that small village and when they settle, Marcus offers the confort of his life style to Gwen, who gladly accepts it.
I must admit that in the first chapter, there's a scene that I though it could be erased, but then again, we would not have the story if that didn't happened. So I would rather picked another way of violence instead of rape. Maybe Gwen could have taken a couple of hits or something. But when we past through that, it's the kind of story that makes me sigh with love.
Gwen is just too good, too pure. I want to protect him and I found myself thinking the same way Marcus did. I guess their relationship kinda reminded me of someone, but that's another subject.
I would have loved to read Gwen's point of view from time to time, even if the chapters were only like a few pages.
I do think this book has the element of fantasy at a times but it's all good. I mean, I wasn't mad about it, on the contraire. I think they gave them that beautiful yet mystical touch.
Also, the sex scenes were quite well written. I felt like they were truly in love, even before they say it to each other.
And last but not least, I had a great time reading this book. I cannot give it any more stars because it's a short one, but believe me when I tell you that it is a nice choice if you want to read about a lovely romance between supposed enemies.
I've always been a sucker for Roman stories, wether they're fiction or not, so this was an easy read for me.
I feel like this could have been more dramatic in some parts, but at the same time, I loved that it was merely focused on Gwen and Marcus' relationship, and not others.
Gwynllyw is a druid whose territory is conquered by the Romans. Marcus is the Roman soldier who spares his life thanks to his beautiful blue gaze, and his courage. Eventually they took off that small village and when they settle, Marcus offers the confort of his life style to Gwen, who gladly accepts it.
I must admit that in the first chapter, there's a scene that I though it could be erased, but then again, we would not have the story if that didn't happened. So I would rather picked another way of violence instead of rape. Maybe Gwen could have taken a couple of hits or something. But when we past through that, it's the kind of story that makes me sigh with love.
Gwen is just too good, too pure. I want to protect him and I found myself thinking the same way Marcus did. I guess their relationship kinda reminded me of someone, but that's another subject.
I would have loved to read Gwen's point of view from time to time, even if the chapters were only like a few pages.
I do think this book has the element of fantasy at a times but it's all good. I mean, I wasn't mad about it, on the contraire. I think they gave them that beautiful yet mystical touch.
Also, the sex scenes were quite well written. I felt like they were truly in love, even before they say it to each other.
And last but not least, I had a great time reading this book. I cannot give it any more stars because it's a short one, but believe me when I tell you that it is a nice choice if you want to read about a lovely romance between supposed enemies.
Want to read
February 14, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/14/2019)! 🎁
Blurb:
A Roman centurion. A captured druid. Their worlds, their lives, even their languages were different. They were natural enemies, irresistibly drawn to each other.
Blurb:
A Roman centurion. A captured druid. Their worlds, their lives, even their languages were different. They were natural enemies, irresistibly drawn to each other.
March 25, 2021
Sweet and good!
This is definitely one of the sweetest books I have ever read!! I admit I almost gave it up in the beginning because of the rape scene, but I'm very glad that I stuck with it. The rape was never swept under the rug and it was fully addressed in my opinion. The romance was also so cute and genuine! I recommend it for people who love fluffy, sweet romances, historical fiction novels, slow burns, and unique main characters.
This is definitely one of the sweetest books I have ever read!! I admit I almost gave it up in the beginning because of the rape scene, but I'm very glad that I stuck with it. The rape was never swept under the rug and it was fully addressed in my opinion. The romance was also so cute and genuine! I recommend it for people who love fluffy, sweet romances, historical fiction novels, slow burns, and unique main characters.
September 13, 2018
I really enjoyed The Conqueror. It was the first of Fitzgerald’s books that I read and I immediately fell in love with the author’s style. I’m already planning on reading it again because I loved the story and the characters so much. I would definitely advise to heed the author’s warning at the beginning, but other than that it’s a great story with great writing.
October 15, 2019
There isn't much that happens in this book besides the relationship of these two men. I didn't mind it at all. It was a touching love story. Plenty of hot sex as well, hehe. This book was very pleasant, very well written. It left me smiling, a bit sad that it was over.
I'll definitely be checking out this author's other books.
I'll definitely be checking out this author's other books.
December 31, 2018
I LOVED this, the whole plot and storyline Is totally up my street buttttt the ending was so blurghh and rushed, so 4 not 5, solely based on the like two page summary ending given but other than me wanting a longer ending holy balls this was a good book!!
August 25, 2022
Riveting and mesmerizing. I forgot where I was at times while reading this story of an epic love. Marcus and Gwen were awesome. The sex between them was ‘fervidus’. I enjoyed how the language barrier was dealt with through the growing relationship, even up until the end of the story.
November 20, 2020
A great read.😊
August 8, 2025
Could have been really nice if based on a sensible premise. I understand taking liberties with historical accuracy when writing fiction, but there's liberties and there's bullshit that breaks the laws of verisimilitude and at least for me, kills an historical romance. What am I talking about? I'm talking about this whole Roman army obsession about the gods and defeating the PAGANS (this word is used!) who worship other gods. Everyone with basic knowledge of the Roman Empire would know how absurd this is.
Apart from this, the romance was actually really cute. I liked how the slave-fic rape plot was handled (it was very well done), and I loved how the evolution of Gwen learning to speak Latin was portrayed. All things considered an interesting read, and it could be a good one if you're less inclined than me to be pedantic with regards to ancient history.
so long
Apart from this, the romance was actually really cute. I liked how the slave-fic rape plot was handled (it was very well done), and I loved how the evolution of Gwen learning to speak Latin was portrayed. All things considered an interesting read, and it could be a good one if you're less inclined than me to be pedantic with regards to ancient history.
so long
March 1, 2022
J'ai attendu longtemps avant de lire cette histoire, retenue par la crainte d'une fin aussi violente que l'époque à laquelle elle se déroule, mais finalement, ça aura été une très belle expérience avec une HEA ^^.
C'est une romance enemies to lovers assez particulière. Le début est dur et pas le moins du monde propice à la naissance de sentiments entre les personnages.
Marcus est un centurion romain participant à la conquête de la Grande Bretagne en pacifiant les contrées sauvages et païennes en éliminant les druides. Lors de la mise à sac d'un village, il pénètre dans la tente du premier druide qu'il ne parviendra pas à tuer, Gwen.
Gwen (Gwynllyw) est un homme d'une tendresse et d'une douceur au complet opposé de l'image de l'être abjecte servant des dieux maléfiques que se représentait Marcus. Son entrainement et son bon sens de romain lui disent de le tuer, en particulier lorsque son captif entreprend des rituels qui sont la raison pour laquelle Rome veut voir les druides morts. Mais malgré cela et la barrière de la langue (qui était autant frustrante qu'amusante), Marcus et Gwen apprennent à se connaitre, à comprendre leurs motivations et à devenir amis.
J'ai apprécié que l'auteure développe les liens entre personnages comme elle l'a fait. J'ai lu la fin avec beaucoup d'appréhension (parce que je sentais que tout ne pouvait pas si bien se terminer) et finalement toutes mes questions ont trouvé leurs réponses, certains éclaircissements même sont venus apporter la lumière sur des aspects de l'histoire qui l'ont rendu encore meilleure.
Une très bonne lecture, avec des personnages et un contexte historique qui, s'ils ne sont pas parfaits, apparaissent comme tels grâce à l'auteure.
C'est une romance enemies to lovers assez particulière. Le début est dur et pas le moins du monde propice à la naissance de sentiments entre les personnages.
Marcus est un centurion romain participant à la conquête de la Grande Bretagne en pacifiant les contrées sauvages et païennes en éliminant les druides. Lors de la mise à sac d'un village, il pénètre dans la tente du premier druide qu'il ne parviendra pas à tuer, Gwen.
Gwen (Gwynllyw) est un homme d'une tendresse et d'une douceur au complet opposé de l'image de l'être abjecte servant des dieux maléfiques que se représentait Marcus. Son entrainement et son bon sens de romain lui disent de le tuer, en particulier lorsque son captif entreprend des rituels qui sont la raison pour laquelle Rome veut voir les druides morts. Mais malgré cela et la barrière de la langue (qui était autant frustrante qu'amusante), Marcus et Gwen apprennent à se connaitre, à comprendre leurs motivations et à devenir amis.
J'ai apprécié que l'auteure développe les liens entre personnages comme elle l'a fait. J'ai lu la fin avec beaucoup d'appréhension (parce que je sentais que tout ne pouvait pas si bien se terminer) et finalement toutes mes questions ont trouvé leurs réponses, certains éclaircissements même sont venus apporter la lumière sur des aspects de l'histoire qui l'ont rendu encore meilleure.
Une très bonne lecture, avec des personnages et un contexte historique qui, s'ils ne sont pas parfaits, apparaissent comme tels grâce à l'auteure.
August 17, 2019
Much better than the first book by the author.
It seems Salem Fitzgerald has a hand for writing compelling gay couples in fictionalized low fantasy societies. The couple in "In Pursuit of the Crown" was that books only saving grace and I'm pleased to announce that this book does much better.
The book tells the story of a centurion and a druid and who fall in love despite technically being mortal enemies. The romance has a slow start (emotionally, the physical part... well.) due to the language problems, which are depicted realistically. The centurion needs a translator to convey anything more complicated than stay, follow, drink.
It also has a rape scene between our protagonists. Yes, our centurion Marcus is thoughtful enough to stop and get some lubricant when asked to by Gwen, but it's still rather apparent that "No." is not an acceptable answer.
There is some more to the situation than this description but it was surprisingly well handled. The book has a rather happy and tranquil ending which suits the general tone well.
It seems Salem Fitzgerald has a hand for writing compelling gay couples in fictionalized low fantasy societies. The couple in "In Pursuit of the Crown" was that books only saving grace and I'm pleased to announce that this book does much better.
The book tells the story of a centurion and a druid and who fall in love despite technically being mortal enemies. The romance has a slow start (emotionally, the physical part... well.) due to the language problems, which are depicted realistically. The centurion needs a translator to convey anything more complicated than stay, follow, drink.
It also has a rape scene between our protagonists. Yes, our centurion Marcus is thoughtful enough to stop and get some lubricant when asked to by Gwen, but it's still rather apparent that "No." is not an acceptable answer.
There is some more to the situation than this description but it was surprisingly well handled. The book has a rather happy and tranquil ending which suits the general tone well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews