Legacy of the Ruins

Caerleon and a Roman legion/legionary in AD 80

Here in the UK we are very lucky to have quite a few Roman sites to explore, which is very helpful when writing a story set during that era. The Romans were here for nearly 400 years, so they have left a lot of traces behind. My story SHADOWS IN THE SPRING features a legionary as the villain, so I had to do some research regarding the occupying legions that were present in the Britannia of AD 80. Therefore, it was natural for me to visit the town of Caerleon, which is fairly close to where I live.

Caerleon was called Isca by the Romans after the name of the river that flows through it, which is now the Usk. Around AD 75 they built a fortress there in order to keep the local Silures tribe under control. They’d been difficult to subdue and it needed a strong military presence. The Silures must have been a real thorn in the Romans’ side as Isca was one of only three permanent legionary bases in Britain at the time. (The others were at Chester/Deva and York/Eboracum).

The legion assigned to build it was the Legio II Augusta – or Second Augustan Legion. This legion had formed a part of the force that invaded Britain in AD 43 and they had remained ever since. They were originally stationed at Exeter, but later sent to Isca when the Silures proved troublesome. Part of a legionary’s job was to build forts, ramparts, ditches and roads, and they must have had to work very hard. The outline of the Isca fortress can still be seen in the town today, and it is vast. To begin with, the barracks and other buildings would have been constructed mostly of timber, with the buildings surrounded by a ditch and earth bank topped by a palisade. I would have been impressive and presumably intimidating to the locals. It housed upwards of 5,000 men, quite a sizeable force.

As with other forts, a civilian settlement grew up around it (a so-called vicus) and buildings like a bath complex were added for both legionaries and civilians to enjoy. The legionaries would have enjoyed this ‘taste of home’ as I’m sure life in Wales was very different to what at least some of them were used to. Imagine coming from sunny Italy or Spain to a cold, windy and rainy Britannia – probably a shock to the system! It was also dangerous, what with skirmishes and illnesses making life expectancy short, so to be able to relax and enjoy some leisure time at the baths was greatly appreciated.

SHADOWS IN THE SPRING is set in AD 80, which was ten years before the amphitheatre at Isca was built just outside the fort. It’s still there today, albeit mostly consisting of turf now. It’s an impressive place that would have seated about 6,000 people on wooden tiers built on a stone base. No doubt the spectators enjoyed all sorts of events, like gladiatorial games and executions of criminals. It was also used for military training. I loved standing in the middle of the arena – once covered in sand – and imagining what it must have been like to perform there.

There are two museums in Caerleon – one that shows what’s left of the baths and tells their story, and one with Roman artefacts. Both were very useful to me and I really enjoyed my visit to the picturesque town. It’s a bit off the beaten track, but if you ever find yourself nearby, I would definitely recommend that you take a look – you won’t regret it!

Here’s the blurb

Two souls bound together but lost in time. Until now.

AD 80

Duro of the Iceni tribe escaped life as an enslaved gladiator and is now finally home in Britannia with one thing on his mind: vengeance. For 20 years he has sought the Roman legionary who destroyed his family. What he didn’t expect was Gisel: a fierce Germanic woman with long white-blonde hair, forced into slavery by the Romans. Hypnotised by her spirit and her beauty, Duro frees Gisel and slowly tries to win her trust as they work together to complete his quest.

Present Day

Mackenna Jackson returns to Bath with a broken heart, thanks to rockstar Blue Daniels. Luckily she can still count on Blue’s former bandmate Jonah Miller as a listening ear. But Jonah has secretly been fighting stronger feelings, drawn to Mac’s quiet confidence and gorgeous white-blonde hair. As they explore the area, memories they can’t quite explain flood them both.

Is the spark between Mac and Jonah in fact a sign of something much deeper – a love enduring through millennia – or can it all be an illusion?

Purchase Link

https://geni.us/SITS

Meet the author

Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip/dual time and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a Vice President and former Chair and of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes. SHADOWS IN THE SPRING (dual time historical romance published by Headline Review 24th April 2025) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).

Connect with Christina

Website: http://www.christinacourtenay.com

Check out Christina’s other visit to the blog with Legacy of the Ruins

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I’m delighted to share an excerpt from Legacy of the Ruins

The heroine, Freydis, aged 10, is being sent away to live with relatives against her will and her mother doesn’t seem to care about her wishes:-

Freydis jumped over the gunwale easily and sat down on her chest of belongings, which must have been loaded earlier. She knew it was hers because it had her name carved in runes on the lid. Reading and writing was a skill her late father had taught her, and she was proud of her proficiency. She also knew how to count and haggle for goods to best advantage. Perhaps one day this would come in useful.
She lifted a hand to wave at her mother, schooling her features into an expression of calm acceptance, directly at odds with how she was feeling. ‘Farewell, Mother.’
Dagrun nodded. ‘May the gods go with you.’ Then she turned and walked up the path without waiting for the ship to cast off.
Freydis swallowed hard several times, but turned her head away so that no one would see. It hurt that her mother could dismiss her so easily, but they had never been close. Dagrun had despaired of her unwillingness to learn female tasks, and had often bemoaned the fact that she was allowed to run wild. It was something her parents had never seen eye to eye on, but now it was a moot point. Her hands were shaking and she buried them in the folds of the smokkr her mother had forced her to wear. Underneath, she had on the tunic and trousers she was usually dressed in, which were more practical. As soon as the ship had moved out of sight of the settlement, she pulled the overdress off. She glanced defiantly at Joalf as she began to fold it, then stood up to place it in her kist.
‘You have something against women’s garments?’ the big man asked mildly, one eyebrow quirking up. He looked amused rather than annoyed.
‘Yes. My father raised me to be a fighter, not a girl. I cannot do that in skirts.’
Joalf nodded. ‘Fair enough.’
With those two words, Freydis knew she had found a friend. Perhaps life with her mother’s cousin would not be so bad after all. She would bide her time until she could return. Hopefully that would not be too long.

Here’s the blurb

A bond that even time cannot break

Storm Berger has never forgiven himself for his younger sister Madison’s disappearance. Suspecting she’s travelled back to the ninth century in the footsteps of other family members, Storm can only make sure she’s safe by going after her.

Raised unconventionally as her father’s only child, Freydis has never been content to simply accept her fate. So, when she’s promised in marriage to a tyrant, she’s determined to find a way out of the arrangement. Help comes in the form of a mysterious and attractive stranger stranded on her island’s shores: Storm.

The only way Freydis can truly be free is for Storm to marry her himself. But that would mean entwining lives that, until now, have been separated by centuries. . .

Cover image for Legacy of the Runes by Christina Courtney

Meet the author

Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip/dual time and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a Vice President and former Chair of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes. LEGACY OF THE RUNES (time travel historical romance published by Headline Review 15th August 2024) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).