Aurelia (Roma Nova, #4)
by Alison Morton
Late 1960s Roma Nova, the last Roman colony that has survived into the 21st century. Aurelia Mitela is alone – her partner gone, her child sickly and her mother dead. Forced in her mid-twenties to give up her beloved career as a Praetorian officer, she is struggling to manage an extended family tribe, businesses and senatorial political life.
But her country needs her unique skills. Somebody is smuggling silver – Roma Nova’s lifeblood – on an industrial scale. Sent to Berlin to investigate, she encounters the mysterious and attractive Miklós, a suspected smuggler, and Caius Tellus, a Roma Novan she has despised, and feared, since childhood.
Aurelia suspects that the silver smuggling hides a deeper conspiracy and follows a lead into the Berlin criminal underworld. Barely escaping a trap set by a gang boss intent on terminating her, she realises that her old enemy is at the heart of all her troubles and pursues him back home to Roma Nova…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Even before she pulled on her first set of combats, Alison Morton was fascinated by the idea of women soldiers. Brought up by a feminist mother and an ex-military father, it never occurred to her that women couldn’t serve their country in the armed forces. Everybody in her family had done time in uniform and in theatre – regular and reserve Army, RAF, WRNS, WRAF – all over the globe.
So busy in her day job, Alison joined the Territorial Army in a special communications regiment and left as a captain, having done all sorts of interesting and exciting things no civilian would ever know or see. Or that she can talk about, even now…
But something else fuels her writing… Fascinated by the mosaics at Ampurias (Spain), at their creation by the complex, power and value-driven Roman civilisation started her wondering what a modern Roman society would be like if run by strong women…
Now, she lives in France and writes Roman-themed alternate history thrillers with tough heroines:
INCEPTIO, the first in the Roma Nova series
– shortlisted for the 2013 International Rubery Book Award
– B.R.A.G. Medallion
– finalist in 2014 Writing Magazine Self-Published Book of the Year
PERFIDITAS, second in series
– B.R.A.G. Medallion
– finalist in 2014 Writing Magazine Self-Published Book of the Year
SUCCESSIO, third in series
– Historical Novel Society’s indie Editor’s Choice for Autumn 2014
– B.R.A.G. Medallion
– Editor’s choice, The Bookseller’s inaugural Indie Preview, December 2014
Fact file
Education: BA French, German & Economics, MA History
Memberships: International Thriller Writers, Historical Novel Society, Alliance of Independent Authors, Society of Authors
Represented by Annette Crossland of A for Authors Literary Agency for subsidiary and foreign rights.
GIVEAWAY
To win a signed paperback of Aurelia by Alison Morton please enter the giveaway via the GLEAM form below.
Rules
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Review
Series: Roma Nova #4
Release Date: May 5th, 2015
Publisher: SilverWood Books
Genre: Alternative Historical Fiction
ASIN: B00WIQL08A
Edition: eBook
Rating: ★★★★★
Review Written: 5 November, 2015
I must admit when this book tour came up, I jumped on it quickly. Having read the other books in the series, I was eager for another book in the history of Roma Nova and all the lovely characters from Ms. Morton's novels.
Set in the 1960s, Aurelia offers a fresh look into the Roma Nova culture with Aurelia Mitela, a familiar character from the past novels of the series. Here we're given a younger version of Aurelia Mitela, one who is still very active in the military corps, involved with covert missions, and not quite in charge of her family yet. This quickly changes after a terrible accident, leaving Aurelia in charge of a family of 300 (if you count cousins to the 3rd degree) and being pressured from all sides to find another partner in order to have a second heir due to the sickly nature of her daughter. Alone and struggling to find a balance between the tedious life of a head of household and needing something to do to fight the growing boredom, Aurelia finds herself called back into active duty for the Legion.
Sent on a mission into Germany, Aurelia has to figure out who is smuggling silver, and keep a hold of her family. Morton's world grows richer with this installment of the Roma Nova series, and offers twists that readers won't expect with every turn of a page. Definitely looking forward to see what's next for the Roma Nova world.
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