Shadow of the Eagle by Charlotte Jardine

If you used to think Visigoths and Huns were the same people, you'll know differently after this book.

So you get to learn about a culture you knew little about, but as they neighbour Rome, the very familiar Roman history ties it into a familiar place.

The Visigoth setting was a great decision as so few books have been set in that area. If a book claims Brutus was the son of Caesar, I'll almost stop reading. Few things annoy me more than historical fiction that gets the history wrong. The final element I really liked was the historical accuracy. It is just there a bit in the background, allowing Gelvira and Adafuns to share a link, despite a physical separation. Jardine, like Martin, doesn't make magic a major plot element, It isn't used like a spell caster in D&D. I guess you can't expect 4th century slave owners to be as benevolent as Thomas Jefferson.Ī very small amount of magic in the book reminded me of the approach George RR Martin took with Games of Thrones. I started off hating Gelvira's parents, but over time they grew on me. But as the book advances, the status changes. The plot is a great variation on the classic love tale - a chief's daughter and a slave. But that is part of what gets you hooked. At times you yell at them for doing stupid things. They are not 'Mary Sue' characters who make no mistakes. The main characters of Gelvira and Adafuns are fleshed out to be three dimensional, not two dimensional. The elements that worked so well in this book were the sympathetic lead characters, a great plot and excellent historical accuracy. This was one of those books that once I started it, I couldn't put it down until I had finished. Buy Shadow of the Eagle to incite the rebellion today!

If you like clever heroines, dedicated heroes, and exciting action, you’ll love Charlotte Jardine’s enthralling series. Shadow of the Eagle is the second thrilling volume in the Visigoth Chronicles historical adventures. Will Adafuns’ men arrive in time, or is his reunion with Gelvira doomed to fail? Outmatched by their Roman captures, the slaves’ odds of victory are slim without outside assistance. But freeing her could cost him everything he’s earned… So when her father arrives to beg the Huns for assistance against the Romans, he immediately volunteers to lead the attack. But without his beloved Gelvira, his success means nothing. But when her pagan magic saves the life of her brutal owner’s kind son, unwanted attention could quash the uprising before it begins…Īdafuns has ascended from slave to warrior. Desperate to liberate her people, she begins orchestrating a rebellion among her fellow slaves. Gelvira never imagined ending up in chains.

Shadow of the Eagle by Charlotte Jardine