Warrior: The King in Rome

Name: Warrior: The King in Rome
Rating: 4.2 (1593 reviews)

by Simon Scarrow Book 1 in the Warrior series.

First published 2022

Amazon

4.2(1,593)

Rome, AD 61, and Britain, AD 18. The exiled Caratacus tells a young Roman writer about his childhood as a son of Cunobeline after Boudica’s revolt has been defeated. His account begins with rivalry inside the royal family and a decision to send him for Druid instruction among the Silures. The framing story contrasts the celebrated Roman captive with the clever and unformed prince whose education will prepare him to resist the empire.

The retrospective structure allows the older Caratacus to measure Roman assumptions against the world of his youth. Druid instruction, tribal rivalry and the politics of Cunobeline’s household explain why resistance later became possible but also why Britain was difficult to unite. His memories turn the famous captive displayed in Rome back into a prince formed by institutions the conquerors only partly understood.