Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion

June Group Read is:-

Rome: The Emperor's Spy

It is the first in this series:-



People may be familiar with Manda Scott through her Boudica series. This was an excellent series and she is a very good and highly acclaimed author.
An example of her Boudica series...
Dreaming the Eagle

This book Rome: The Emperor's Spy is a new series of hers and therefore this may be an excellent opportunity for members of Ancient & Medieval to try something new by a well known author that appeals to men and women.

Here is her website.
http://www.mandascott.co.uk/default.aspx
_________________________________________________
The book details;

From the bestselling author of the Boudica novels, Rome is a gripping race-against-time historical adventure in the bestselling tradition of Robert Harris’s Pompeii.

AD 34: Sebastos Pantera is twelve. Training for the time when he too will be a soldier of Rome, he follows his father to a garden tomb on the outskirts of Jerusalem where he watches him greet two men and a heavily pregnant woman. In a moment that changes his life forever, he sees a wounded revolutionary being brought out of the tomb alive . . .

Twenty years later, Pantera returns from five years undercover in Britannia as assassin and spy for the Legions. He is sick of spying, but a deadly combination of old loyalties and a sense of unfinished business combine to lure him homeward to the city of Rome where, his former mentor and spymaster, the Machiavellian Seneca the Younger, charges him with rooting out the revolutionaries responsible for the city’s seething unrest. Pantera discovers that the main troublemaker is none other than his closest friend, Saulos, a recent convert to the new religion of Christianity, and Saulos is planning the biggest single act of terrorism the Roman Empire has known.

Spying, forbidden secrets, an ancient manuscript and an apocalyptic fire combine in a gripping thriller that will change the way we think about the ancient world.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

I have added the book Trailer for this book to the groups Videos;
http://www.goodreads.com/videos/24010...

Passing-Read it

I saw that. That's a shame.

If people don't think they want to read this book there is a second option now.
We're doing two Group Read books this month.
Read one, or read both (I'll be reading both).
The other book is:-

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8...

Everywhere I have tried to find Scott's book, it is sold out.

Oh, that is disappointing. :(

Looks interesting! I'll have to work on getting it. Looks like my library has all her Boudica books, but none of these.

That will be great, Megan. I read most of her Boudica series and liked them. I am hoping this one is even better than them.

I'll wish everyone 'good reading'. I have to sit this one (both of them) out. I have a project I absolutely want to finish by the first of July. I need to buckle down.

So I'll stick my head in these boards, but will not be participating in the group reads.

Tough love. *sigh*

Oh. :(
Deadlines.
Happy writing though! :)

(fingertip to chin; head tilted to side, batting eyes), Why, Terri... What makes you think it's writing?

World Wrestling Federation tapped you on the shoulder for another season did they?

By the way..I am joking people...as far as I know, Diana doesn't moonlight as a WWF wrestler...:D

Oh I am really excited to read this book but it's not available at any of the libraries around here. I'll see if I can find it in a used book store...

Hope you can find it. If you can't it is fairly cheap through The Book Depository...they are free international shipping...and no, I am not affiliated with them. Lol. I just use them instead of Amazon because of the free shipping. No minimum spend. Amazon actualky own them.

I'll try to get to both of them.

Excellent, Bobby! Fingers crossed, mate.

Thank you, Terri, for helping me maintain my persona.

Now I must go mend my cape and find my greaves...

Lol. :-)

Both books are unavailable at The Book Depository right now.

I found some used copies on amazon of both books.

Tasha wrote: "Both books are unavailable at The Book Depository right now."

I wonder....perhaps they have an export restriction on them currently.
As they are both available from The Book Depository for me to buy.
I hate those darn restrictions.

I see Abebooks has HEAPS of secondhand copies of this books. Members could try them.
Just punch in m.c. scott (make sure you put in 2 fullstops) and scroll down for Rome: Emperor's Spy.
For some reason if I search the book title, nothing comes up.
http://www.abebooks.com/

Terri wrote: "I see Abebooks has HEAPS of secondhand copies of this books. Members could try them.
Just punch in m.c. scott (make sure you put in 2 fullstops) and scroll down for Rome: Emperor's Spy.
For some re..."

WOW! Those are actually really good prices on the books. Thanks for that link ;)

I have never bought from Abebooks, but they always seem so cheap.

Added a fabulously appropriate video to the groups videos titled: Roman Military Machine.

A short documentary style video which touches briefly on many things such as uniform and weaponry, and it should help our members 'get in the mood' for our June Group Read of this book.
Plus, (even though it has been in the videos for a couple weeks), the book trailer for this book is also in the groups videos.

See the two videos on the Group Home Page. Currently position at the top of the main page above the 'currently reading' section...then may be moved back down to the bottom of the main page at some stage.

If you look for the book under the name Manda Scott at Book Depository it will state there aren't any, but if you look under M.C. Scott there should be some available. At least there were some two days ago.

I found that myself with the name. If I searched Manda Scott on book sites the series didn't even come up.

If I searched her M.C Scott name I got hits.

LOVING the bookworm avi, D. :) lol

My copy has been mailed!!

Whoop!! :D
Mine should be due any day now. This week sometime. usually takes about 10 working days to come here from the UK.

I've been having trouble accessing the groups videos so I couldn't get the page link for that Roman Military Machine. I have it now. You can view it via this link...or simply scroll to the top of the Groups Main Page.
http://www.goodreads.com/videos/24520...

Hmm, I'm having a good bit of trouble getting this book. My library doesn't order internationally and it looks like this book is only owned by one library in the United States. I'll keep you updated, but I may have to just stick with the other group read, which I believe they already have on order.

Terri wrote: "LOVING the bookworm avi, D. :) lol"

Thanks! I had to find something, the misty field didn't really say "books" in any way heh.

Megan wrote: "Hmm, I'm having a good bit of trouble getting this book. My library doesn't order internationally and it looks like this book is only owned by one library in the United States. I'll keep you update..."

Oh that is a disappointment. :(

D wrote: "

Thanks! I had to find something, the misty field didn't really say "books" in any way heh."

Well you found well. He cracks me up. :D

I have ordered my copy of this book from the library so I will be ready to start in June. Along with two other books I've ordered:

Paris to the Past: Traveling Through French History by Train

and

The Adventures of Johnny Vermillion

Wouldn't want to make it an easy month of reading. :)

I am in the same position. :)
I have the two group reads, along with


I don't know if I'll get them all read, but I will definitely be reading the two group reads. Come hell or highwater.

Hey dawn, I mentioned that Johnny Vermilion book in the Wild West folder a couple days back. Had you already heard of it?
I am trying to remember if you ahd mentioned it in the past. Because it looked familiar when I thought I found it and posted about it.

Don't worry. I just saw your post in the Wild West Thread. That's where you found it. :)

:) Sure is.....

:)

Blast! I am going to have to read the other group read first instead of this one.

I just got notification from The Book Depository that my 'pre order has been released from the publisher'.
When I bought it, I must have clicked on the cheaper pre order instead of the one that was currently available.
I bought Book #2 in the series at the same time and remember getting that one as pre order, but I meant to buy the currently available of Book #1: The Emperor's Spy. :(
Looks like I stuffed up and bought the wrong one.

So it will be another 14 days before The Emperor's Spy arrives. Give or take a day, I will be able to start it second week of June.

I'll start Inquisition June 1.

My copy of Rome: The Emperor's Spy has arrived at the library. I'm not picking it up until June 1st so I won't be tempted to start it early.

Lucky me......three other books I've ordered are also in so I'm gonna be a busy reader in order to fit these and the second group read in this month..... :)

I absolutely loved the Boudica series so I'm going to have to find this somewhere!

C.M. wrote: "I absolutely loved the Boudica series so I'm going to have to find this somewhere!"

Hope you can source it, C.M. I also really enjoyed the Boudica series and it will be good to have another person on this group read that knows that series.

For those unfamiliar with it, you can see it on her author page.
Manda Scott

Just ordered from the book depository, available with free delivery!
Along with Bernard Cornwall, Manda Scott is one of the reasons I started writing, can't wait to receive this!

I love free delivery too.

Glad you found the book and I look forward to hearing what you think about it, especially as you already know the authors work.

C.M. wrote: "Just ordered from the book depository, available with free delivery!
Along with Bernard Cornwall, Manda Scott is one of the reasons I started writing, can't wait to receive this!"

Outstanding, mate! My edition is coming from The Book Depository too. Mine should arrive around the second week of June. It is slow posting from the UK to Australia. :( Roughly two weeks.