disclosure: this book was sent for the purpose of review

Today I’m taking part in a blog tour to promote the publication of The Hollow Throne by Tim  Leach, which is the final novel in The Sarmatian Trilogy. I haven’t read the first two books in the series as yet, but that hasn’t hindered my understanding of the plot or from enjoying The Hollow Throne in its own right.  I do now want to read A Winter War and The Iron Way too.

The Year is AD 180 and The Hollow Throne is set in Vindolanda, Britannia in a divided land ruled by the Roman Empire.  The central character Kai, is a Sarmatian warrior, who turned his back on his Roman masters and has for some years lived with his adopted tribe, the Votadini.  His battle hard sister Laimei also lives with the tribe who are led by Mor.  The Votadini numbers have dwindled and they roam across the unfamiliar northlands with nowhere to call home.

The Painted People have captured and recruited members from a number of tribes and are led by The Maimed King, Corvus.  They are much feared as ruthless murderers with a lust for blood and destruction. Kai hopes to head south to gain an ally in the Romans, led by the  Legate, Lucius but Corvus has already convinced him that Kai and the Votadini want to kill Lucius and his troops.

Will Kai survive and be able to convince Lucius that they need to forget their differences and work together to defeat The Painted People once and for all?

The Hollow Throne is set in with a backdrop of a bleak, lawless Britannia, with tribal factions unable to live in harmony.  In a time where gods, rituals and myths are very much in play.  I don’t want to ruin the plot for you, but it’s a captivating read.  Yes, it would have been helpful to have read the previous two novels to have a better understanding of the various characters, their combined histories and what had led them all to this point in time, but The Hollow Throne still stands up well in its own right as I mentioned at the start of this post.  I found it very atmospheric, with solid, believable characters and it gave me a real feel for how different life was in that time period. It’s a tale of love, friendship, loyalty and hope against all odds.  I love historical fiction and this era isn’t one I’ve read about before, so it was fascinating.  I’ll definitely be wanting to catch up with the preceding novels in the series now.

You can also find out more about The Hollow Throne by following this blog tour – social links below: