The Saxon Wolves by Penny Ingham - Book Tour
The
Saxon Wolves
Britain 455AD.
The Roman Empire has fallen. As the daughter of a king and a priestess of the
sacred grove, Anya's life in Germania is one of wealth and privilege - until
she dares to speak out against the high priest's barbaric human sacrifices. Her
punishment is exile. Forced to leave her homeland, she sails to Britannia, to
an island that is sliding into chaos and war, as rival kingdoms vie for power.
Alone and far from home, Anya must learn to survive amidst the bloodshed,
treachery and intrigue of fifth century Britain. Can she find a place to belong
- a home, a hearth, a welcome?
Excerpt
The
prologue of The Saxon Wolves, by Penny Ingham
Britannia 455AD
The gusting wind was stronger at the cliff-edge.
It tugged their cloaks about them, the driving rain lashing against their
faces. Through the gloom of the starless sky, the fire beacon atop Tintagel’s
fortified walls cast blotches of light across the coal-black sea.
They watched as the ship hit the rocks, creaking
and moaning as if in physical pain. Wood shattered like breaking glass. And
then, above the roar of the waves, they heard the screams, faint like the
ghostly cries of the lost souls who wandered the earth on Samhain Eve. They
climbed slowly down the cliff path, their boots slipping on the mud that
cascaded in torrents down the track. There was no need for haste for it was
unlikely anyone could survive such a storm.
Reaching the base of the cliff they began to
spread out across the beach, and their torches, bobbing like fishing boats upon
the blackness, hissed and crackled in the rain. Waves crashed on the shore
line, throwing spray high into the air as the drowned bodies of raiders and
captured slaves alike washed steadily upon the beach. They moved carefully
along the wet sand, surf swirling around them as they crouched by each body,
searching for signs of life. Suddenly one of the men called through the driving
rain.
‘Silvanus, over here! This one’s alive!’
Further down the shore a man broke into a run,
his cloak flapping behind him in the wind. He was tall and broad shouldered,
his physique honed by the leanness of youth. Rain plastered his short, dark
hair to his face and dripped steadily into intense, hazelnut-brown eyes.
Reaching the crouching man’s side, Silvanus wiped
the rain from his face then looked down at the motionless heap of rags lying
upon the sand.
‘Are you certain she’s alive?’
Evric pressed two fingers to the girl’s throat.
‘Yes, Lord, but barely. She is the only one
saved.’
Silvanus bent down and gently pushed the long, matted
hair from the girl’s face. Her complexion was as white as salt bleached
driftwood apart from the faint smudge of freckles across the bridge of her
nose. Her lips were slightly parted, as if she was about to talk in her sleep.
She reminded him of a sea creature, a mermaid or perhaps a siren, with seaweed
and the remnants of her tattered clothing coiled around her bare arms and legs.
As he looked at her features, Silvanus felt his
breath catch in his throat. There was something strangely familiar about her,
as if he had seen her before. And yet how could that be possible, for hers was
the face of a stranger?
He stood up slowly, deep in thought, before
finally speaking.
‘See what can be done for her.’
Author Bio
Penny’s father, a journalist, instilled her with a
love of history from an early age. Family holidays invariably included an
invigorating walk up an Iron Age hill-fort whilst listening to his stirring
stories of the Roman attack and the valiant defence by the Britons.
Consequently, Penny has a degree in Classics and a passion for history and
archaeology. She has enjoyed a varied career, including BBC production
assistant, theatre PR and journalism, but her ambition was always to write
historical fiction. Her first novel, The King’s Daughter, was awarded Editor’s
Choice by the Historical Novel Society. Penny has worked on many archaeological
excavations, and these ‘digs’ and their evocative finds often provide the
inspiration for her books. Penny’s research also takes her to the many
spectacular historical sites featured in this novel, including Hadrian’s Wall
and Tintagel.”
Twitter - @pennyingham
Website - pennyingham.wordpress.com
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