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A Light in the Dark Ages Part One: Ambrosius
This hardback volume includes books one, two and three in the A Light in the Dark Ages series.
It includes: Abandoned (second edition, 2018)
Ambrosius: Last of the Romans (2017)
Uther's Destiny (2018)
The narrative is inspired by Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 list of British kings published in his History of the Kings of Britain. Following Rome's exit from their province of Britannia, around the year 410 AD, Briton tribal chiefs and kings elected Constantine as their High King. He was briefly succeeded by his brother Constans, before 'cruel tyrant' Vortigern (so described by Monk Gildas in his 6th century work) seized power. Vortigern ruled until the mid-5th century before being defeated in battle by Constantine's son, Aurelianus, who took the name Ambrosius Aurelianus ('Aurelius the Divine' or 'by divine right'). He reigned for 20-odd years, taking the fight to Anglo-Saxon, Pict and Irish invaders, and was succeeded by his brother, Uther Pendragon ('Uther the Head Dragon'). Geoffrey claimed to have had sight of 'a text in a native language' that guided his 'history' but historians remain sceptical about the factual accuracy of his account, and his exaggerated claims in his life of King Arthur, who followed his father, Uther. Historians continue to search for evidence of what happed in Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries. Until they find hard archaeological or documented evidence, there is only legend.
The life of Arthur follows in hardback Volume Two of A Light in the Dark Ages.
It includes: Abandoned (second edition, 2018)
Ambrosius: Last of the Romans (2017)
Uther's Destiny (2018)
The narrative is inspired by Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 list of British kings published in his History of the Kings of Britain. Following Rome's exit from their province of Britannia, around the year 410 AD, Briton tribal chiefs and kings elected Constantine as their High King. He was briefly succeeded by his brother Constans, before 'cruel tyrant' Vortigern (so described by Monk Gildas in his 6th century work) seized power. Vortigern ruled until the mid-5th century before being defeated in battle by Constantine's son, Aurelianus, who took the name Ambrosius Aurelianus ('Aurelius the Divine' or 'by divine right'). He reigned for 20-odd years, taking the fight to Anglo-Saxon, Pict and Irish invaders, and was succeeded by his brother, Uther Pendragon ('Uther the Head Dragon'). Geoffrey claimed to have had sight of 'a text in a native language' that guided his 'history' but historians remain sceptical about the factual accuracy of his account, and his exaggerated claims in his life of King Arthur, who followed his father, Uther. Historians continue to search for evidence of what happed in Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries. Until they find hard archaeological or documented evidence, there is only legend.
The life of Arthur follows in hardback Volume Two of A Light in the Dark Ages.
486 pages, Hardcover
Published October 19, 2021
About the author
Tim Walker
17 books77 followersWelcome to my Goodreads page.
I'm an independent author living near Windsor in the UK. To date, I have written and self-published fourteen books and two audiobooks. Historical fiction is my main genre for both reading and writing.
In July 2025 I published a novella, The Trials of Arthur Whitty. This follows the fortunes of ordinary Arthur who overcomes many setbacks through a sense of humour and vivid imagination.
In 2024 I re-hired British actor and author, Richard James, to voice London Tales audiobook, available from Amazon Audible and Apple i-Tunes.
In November 2023 I published London Tales, a collection of 11 short stories that echo London's past, reflect the present and imagine its future. Mainly historical fiction shorts, with two contemporary tales and one dystopian story predicting the city's final days as rising sea levels claim it. This is a companion volume to Thames Valley Tales.
In March 2023 my first audiobook, Thames Valley Tales, was published on Amazon Audible and Apple i-Tunes. The audiobook was narrated and produced by actor and author, Richard James. This second, extensively revised edition, is also available in Kindle, paperback and Kindle Unlimited.
My most recent novel is Guardians at the Wall, published in June 2021, an historical dual timeline action and adventure novel set at Hadrian's Wall. It's about archaeologists who uncover artefacts that connect them to the life of a Roman centurion in second century Britannia, and an ensuing search for a missing payroll chest.
In June 2020, Arthur Rex Brittonum, was published - the fifth and final instalment in A Light in the Dark Ages series. This is part two of my re-imagining of King Arthur, and follows on from 2019's Arthur Dux Bellorum.
In March 2015, whilst visiting the site of a former Roman town, I pondered the question, 'what would life have been like for the native Britons after the end of the Roman occupation?' This kindled an interest that led to extensive research and my first book, Abandoned (2015 novella/2018 novel 2nd edition) that became the first book in what was to become a series.
Abandoned was followed by Ambrosius: Last of the Romans (2017); Uther's Destiny (2018); Arthur Dux Bellorum (2019) and Arthur Rex Brittonum (2020).
My first novel, Devil Gate Dawn, released in April 2016, is a thriller set in 2026 that predicted political chaos in a divided post-Brexit UK, and a dystopian Trump America (way back in 2015 I figured Trump had a chance of winning, and if he did, he would behave like a Third World dictator and re-write the constitution to make himself President for Life - OK we were spared that... although there's always next time - that's the magic of fiction, folks!).
Postcards from London, published in September 2017, was unpublished and delisted in August 2023 to make way for London Tales. Some stories were retained in updated versions, supplemented by new stories set in London. Similarly, Thames Valley Tales, first published in 2015, was relaunched as an extensively revised second edition in March 2023. Perverse, a book of short fiction and verse, came out in April 2020.
In 2017 I published my first children's book, The Adventures of Charly Holmes, co-authored with my daughter, Cathy. This was followed in 2018 by book two, Charly & the Superheroes, and in 2020 by Charly in Space.
I'm an independent author living near Windsor in the UK. To date, I have written and self-published fourteen books and two audiobooks. Historical fiction is my main genre for both reading and writing.
In July 2025 I published a novella, The Trials of Arthur Whitty. This follows the fortunes of ordinary Arthur who overcomes many setbacks through a sense of humour and vivid imagination.
In 2024 I re-hired British actor and author, Richard James, to voice London Tales audiobook, available from Amazon Audible and Apple i-Tunes.
In November 2023 I published London Tales, a collection of 11 short stories that echo London's past, reflect the present and imagine its future. Mainly historical fiction shorts, with two contemporary tales and one dystopian story predicting the city's final days as rising sea levels claim it. This is a companion volume to Thames Valley Tales.
In March 2023 my first audiobook, Thames Valley Tales, was published on Amazon Audible and Apple i-Tunes. The audiobook was narrated and produced by actor and author, Richard James. This second, extensively revised edition, is also available in Kindle, paperback and Kindle Unlimited.
My most recent novel is Guardians at the Wall, published in June 2021, an historical dual timeline action and adventure novel set at Hadrian's Wall. It's about archaeologists who uncover artefacts that connect them to the life of a Roman centurion in second century Britannia, and an ensuing search for a missing payroll chest.
In June 2020, Arthur Rex Brittonum, was published - the fifth and final instalment in A Light in the Dark Ages series. This is part two of my re-imagining of King Arthur, and follows on from 2019's Arthur Dux Bellorum.
In March 2015, whilst visiting the site of a former Roman town, I pondered the question, 'what would life have been like for the native Britons after the end of the Roman occupation?' This kindled an interest that led to extensive research and my first book, Abandoned (2015 novella/2018 novel 2nd edition) that became the first book in what was to become a series.
Abandoned was followed by Ambrosius: Last of the Romans (2017); Uther's Destiny (2018); Arthur Dux Bellorum (2019) and Arthur Rex Brittonum (2020).
My first novel, Devil Gate Dawn, released in April 2016, is a thriller set in 2026 that predicted political chaos in a divided post-Brexit UK, and a dystopian Trump America (way back in 2015 I figured Trump had a chance of winning, and if he did, he would behave like a Third World dictator and re-write the constitution to make himself President for Life - OK we were spared that... although there's always next time - that's the magic of fiction, folks!).
Postcards from London, published in September 2017, was unpublished and delisted in August 2023 to make way for London Tales. Some stories were retained in updated versions, supplemented by new stories set in London. Similarly, Thames Valley Tales, first published in 2015, was relaunched as an extensively revised second edition in March 2023. Perverse, a book of short fiction and verse, came out in April 2020.
In 2017 I published my first children's book, The Adventures of Charly Holmes, co-authored with my daughter, Cathy. This was followed in 2018 by book two, Charly & the Superheroes, and in 2020 by Charly in Space.
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