EXSILIUM: A Roma Nova Foundation Story (Roma Nova Thriller Series)
Alison Morton is the author of the Roma Nova series of thrillers, in which a fragment of the Roman Empire survives to the present day in a small Alpine country. Exsilium tells the story of how that nation came to be. In the late 4th century, people who worship the Roman gods face persecution by the Christian emperors. Maelia Mitela, whose husband died fighting for a more tolerant emperor, is threatened with the confiscation of her estate and wants to secure her children’s future, but she hesitates to make a second marriage to lawyer Marcellus Varus. Lucius Apulius, a senator and ex-military tribune, is devastated by the death of his wife in childbirth. He is determined to lead a group of twelve families to his late wife’s homeland, where they will be free to worship the ancient religion. Lucius’ daughter Galla demands a divorce from her unfaithful husband and escapes Rome along with her father, Maelia, and the others. A natural leader, she becomes her father’s confidante and the chronicler of the journey to the group’s new home.
Exsilium is an extraordinary novel, and Morton’s knowledge of the late Roman Empire is amazing. She draws the reader into this largely unfamiliar world and makes it come alive. The three protagonists are all strong characters who the reader cares about, and there are wonderful secondary characters as well. I especially enjoyed reading about Galla’s warrior sister Lucilla, and I hope she will get her own novel someday. The journey is told in incredible detail, and you fear for the characters as they try to avoid Germanic tribes and imperial recruiters. The main Roma Nova series is alternate history, but Exsilium takes place within the “real” timeline until the last chapter. I am now looking forward to reading about these characters’ present-day descendants.
