Britain at the time of the Roman Conquest is a new time period for author Linda Proud, whose previous novels were set in Renaissance Italy. I'm happy to say she makes the transition brilliantly. Togidubnus makes a wonderful, thoughtful central character. Sent to Rome as a child to grow up in the same household as the future Emperor Claudius, he becomes an exile from both lands, straddling cultures as so many people do today. His philosophical training under Seneca and his later exploration of the mystical traditions of his British homeland make the novel reminiscent of Mary Renault's novels of Ancient Greece, with a similarly realistic approach that respectfully incorporates the authentic belief systems of the time, immersing readers in a well-researched portrayal of a changing world. As Britain begins the shift toward Romanization and rationalism, Togodumnus makes a reverse shift away from his Romanized upbringing to a psychologically healing embrace of mysticism. This is a lovely, thoughtful novel. For more about the history and storyline, see my review at http://www.historicalnovels.info/Chariot-of-the-Soul.html. ( )

Some of you will remember how much I enjoyed Linda Proud’s Botticelli Trilogy and her prequel A Gift for the Magus. I’ve been intrigued ever since I heard that her new book would take her into unfamiliar territory, in the mysterious and dark days of early Roman Britain. Now at last I had the chance to curl up with Chariot of the Soul, and it was everything I’d hoped it would be: a sensitive, thoughtful book that looks at our small island and touches on very timely themes about identity, assimilation, compromise and confrontation with a great pan-European power...

For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2018/10/08/chariot-of-the-soul-linda-proud ( )