Gradarius: Roman Equestrian II
Swink’s Romano-British historical romance, set in AD 59, centres on the dilemma facing the Briton princess Luciana, also called Luigsech. Where should her loyalty lie when she is forced to aid the Romans who threaten to destroy everything she holds dear: her enslaved people, the Cornovii, or the Roman Decimus, whose slave she is and the man she has come to love?
Gradarius is the second novel in Swink’s Roman Equestrian series. Swink has clearly done her homework, and the novel weaves together several ambitious plots and themes. Although the central story focuses on Luciana and Decimus, that narrative includes a complex spy plot reaching back to imperial Rome, and another darker romantic thread entwining Roman, Celtic, and pre-Celtic mythological lore. Swink’s novel also develops a third relationship that explores same-sex love in the Roman army, and a fourth between a naive young slave and a tavern girl. The tragic story of Boudicca and the Iceni also enters the narrative. Maps, a glossary, and other useful sections help the reader imagine the 1st-century world of Roman Britain.
The novel explores relationships that range from innocent and unrequited love to more explicit encounters. However, the numerous romantic threads dilute the emotional focus of the narrative, and several relationships are thinly drawn. There are several graphic and extended sexual episodes—both heterosexual and homosexual. A lighter touch might have served the story better, since implication often surpasses description.
