Skull’s Vengeance by Linnea Tanner

My book review of Skull’s Vengeance by Linnea Tanner

We follow the life of Catrin, the true heir to the Cantiaci tribe, and her love for Marcellus, a Roman aristocrat and commander of a Roman legion. Their love for each is strong but can it overcome the battle of their familial destinies, that are set to drive them apart?

The love between the two main characters is evident on every page, yet there is the underlying threat of Marrock, Catrin’s half-brother, who tried to rape her when she was a young girl, and Marcellus’s father, who is determined to expunge the taint of Marc Antony’s legacy and romance with Cleopatra, and in his mind who ruined the family’s reputation. Catrin is determined to unite the Cantiaci tribe but her brother has the backing of Roman forces, who is intent on becoming the king of all the Celts, and uses dark magic to destroy his opponents, and eliminate Catrin. From the Roman side, Marcellus’ father Lucius Antonius, has arranged for his son to marry a twelve-year-old girl, daughter of a senator to gain a political stronghold in the Roman senate. Marcellus tries to refuse, but is bound to follow his father’s orders in spite of his devotion and love for Catrin.

The historical backdrop is well-written and woven into the storyline masterfully, creating a dramatic and high-action intrigue to the forbidden romance between ‘a barbarian’ and a Roman citizen. Catrin’s growth into a leader with responsibilities to her tribe come through, yet her love for Marcellus makes her vulnerable and she makes decisions based on those feelings, which may be her undoing. Equally, Marcellus convinces Emperor Tiberius into giving him his own command of a legion in Britain to secretly assist Catrin conquer Marrock, may see him being tried for treason, not to mention what his father would do to him! The tension as opposing forces strengthen, is heightened: Marrock against the other Celtic tribes, Catrin and her devout clansmen with the help of Rhan and Myrddin, druidess and druid (think Merlin) building an army against Marrock and the Romans; and then there’s Marcellus whose memory had been wiped by Rhan in Book 3, and is torn between his duty to his father, Rome legion and Catrin.

What I enjoyed the most about the story was the detail of research that has gone into the story to make the period come alive. It was a visceral and vicarious experience into ancient Britain and the attention to the supernatural elements that stem back to the magic of the druids, a mystical group who haven’t left a great deal of historical information, was exciting to read. The siblings, Catrin and Marrock, who can shape shift into animals, adds to the mystique of the story and adds an extra punch to the storyline. I have to admit I’m feeling a little sorry for Marrock in this book … only a by a smidge.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy ancient historical stories steeped in mythology.

Excerpt

Chapter 8 The Dragon Insignia

Lugdunum, 20 December, 27 AD

On the eve of the winter equinox, the apartment was unbearably cold. To get warm, Catrin wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and closely watched the guard with tattoos of Celtic knots lining his forehead as he filled the brazier with coal. His glacier-blue eyes pierced through her.

Unnerved, she felt a chill slice down her spine.

Studying the various faces of the men in the atrium, she counted ten more guards whom Trystan had invited to sleep inside on the frigid, cloudless night. The image of the raven-black life thread tying a knot around Marcellus’s red strand on the Wall of Lives flashed in her mind. She knew the vision was a glimpse of her future.

She excused herself to the privacy of her bedchamber, drawing the curtain back to enter. There, waiting on the straw mattress bed was the Raven. She fed it some dried meat strips, then blew out the burning candle and lay on her bedding. The Raven’s soft, feathered head nestled against her neck, providing her much-needed warmth and comfort.

Yet, a chill gnawed at her bones. To ward off the air’s frigid nip, she cocooned herself in a woolen blanket. The silvery moonlight filtered through the uneven surface of the gray-smoked window in the curtained-off room, casting shadows on the wall.

Falling into restless sleep, she dreamed of her life thread tying a knot around Marcellus’s red life strand, but then…

Blood unexpectedly spurted out of the knot and splattered all over a blade that was plunging at her throat.

“This is not a dream!” the Raven’s deep voice cried out.

With her warrior’s instincts awakened, she opened her eyes to find a shadow of a man kneeling beside her. Seeing the dagger in his hand, she quickly blocked his arm and discharged sizzling heat from her fingertips. The sparks of energy forced him to dropped the dagger.

She rolled abruptly to her side to escape, but his strong arm pulled her back as his legs coiled around her hips like a snake. As he reached for the dagger, she cried out to awake the others in the main room and poked her fingers into his eyes.

“Wicked witch,” he snarled in Celtic as he wildly thrust his blade at her. Its metal tip bit into her shoulder, shooting sharp pain down her arm. Fighting for her life, she punched him in the throat.

In the blink of an eye, his body fell hard on hers, forcing the air out of her lungs. She gasped and pushed him off her with a burst of strength. Finally freed of his weight, she staggered to her feet and scanned the floor for the loose dagger or another weapon.

Any weapon!

Another strong hand unexpectedly gripped her injured shoulder from the back. A wave of pain flamed across her chest as she quickly turned to defend herself against the next attacker.

To her relief, Cynwrig’s good eye blazed in the silvery illumination of moonlight from the other room.

“Get back! There are two of them!” he roared.

To make room for the ensuing fight, Catrin stepped back into the atrium and watched. The tattooed men swept around Cynwrig in a deadly dance. Each darted back and forth between the silver light of the moon and the darkness.

The assailant, whom Catrin recognized as Gawain, slammed Cynwrig into the wall and wildly thrust his knife. Cynwrig blocked Gawain’s forearm twice, then swiftly shot his other arm under the assassin’s armpit at the next thrust, gripping his upper arm.

With a loud roar, Cynwrig pushed Gawain back while at the same time curling his leg around the assassin’s calf to trip him into the other attacker.

The dagger flew out of Gawain’s hand and landed with a clink on the floor. Catrin swooped the weapon up into her hand and plunged the blade into the other assailant’s lower back. The man tried to reach around with his hand, but then, his body went limp and crumpled to the floor.

Where you can get your copy

Universal: https://www.amazon.com/Skulls-Vengeance-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B0BC2GCFGG/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Skulls-Vengeance-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B0BC2GCFGG/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Skulls-Vengeance-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B0BC2GCFGG/

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Skulls-Vengeance-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B0BC2GCFGG/

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Skulls-Vengeance-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B0BC2GCFGG/

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/skulls-vengeance-linnea-tanner/1142034153?ean=2940185587164

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/skulls-vengeance/id6443334037

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/skull-s-vengeance

GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=CTSDEAAAQBAJ

Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/skull-s-vengeance-linnea-tanner/book/9781733600200.html