Invader

Roman Britain, AD 44. General Plautius' hard-won defeat of Caratacus should have brought peace. But though the land is conquered, it is far from tamed. A puppet king is doing little to calm the hatred of the tribes and bring them under Roman rule. Fighting is in Optio Horatius Figulus' blood. His Celtic ancestry is mocked by his fellow soldiers, but it gives him the toughness essential for survival.

The invasion of Britannia has been bloody and relentless, and still the barbaric islanders have not been fully conquered. With winter fast approaching, they face a new threat: ferocious native warriors launching coordinated attacks from their secret base on the Isle of Vectis. In response, the new legate announces a plan to invade Vectis and rout the enemy in what he expects to be a speedy and successful mission. But Horatius Figulus, a junior officer with local knowledge of the enemy, doubts the invasion will be so straightforward.

Britannia is a nightmare campaign setting for the brave soldiers of the Second Legion. Horatius Figulus, a junior officer, has been rewarded for bravery and skill against the island's rebel forces with a mission that could bring him prestige and position. He and his most trusted comrades are to help install a new king in a hostile area. Succeed, and they'll establish an imperative Roman stronghold. Fail, and the whole invasion will be jeopardised.

Despite defeat in battle, Britannia's natives continue to resist their Roman conquerors. All attempts to impose Roman rule have failed. A new king has been installed among the Durotriges to bring them into line, and Optio Horatius Figulus of the Second Legion is charged with protecting him. It's a thankless task, and, worse still, the Druids are rumoured to be plotting to assassinate the king. The king begins a devastating campaign of reprisals against his political rivals. Whole families are murdered, weapons are confiscated and the old gods are denounced.

In the winter of AD 44, Rome's plan to install a friendly king in the most hostile area of Britannia is facing a new threat. There are rumours of a traitor close to the new king, and a new enemy is gathering strength beyond the marshes. As the king continues with his plans to Romanise his subjects, Horatius Figulus, a junior officer in the Second Legion, is charged with training up the new royal bodyguard. But when a trap is sprung on the Roman army, a secretive Druid sect seizes power and takes the king hostage. Now Figulus must infiltrate the enemy ranks, release the king and track down the elusive leader of the Druids - before the whole of Britannia descends into bloody chaos....

Britannia, AD 45. Rome's plan to establish a new friendly king over a hostile native tribe is in grave danger. A sinister new Druid sect, led by a charismatic priest, is threatening to destabilise the province and has taken several Roman soldiers prisoner. Now Optio Horatius Figulus faces his most dangerous mission yet. He must venture deep behind enemy lines in search of his captured comrades and the Druids' secret fortress.