The Slaves Of Autumn

A Tale Of Stolen Love in Ancient, Celtic Ireland

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Pub Date 01 Jul 2020 | Archive Date 13 Oct 2020

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Description

In A.D. 408, an Irish king desperate to save his clan raids the Welsh coast for slaves and plunder. But when he steals Anwyn across the sea, a Roman patrician’s son embarks on an impossible quest to bring her back.

Macrath will do anything to save his clan, a people cursed after the red wolf appeared to him three years ago. When he returns from a disastrous raid, he pleads with Athairne, an outcast druid, for help. Athairne receives a vision from the Great Light that conflicts with one from Dagda, the traditional god of their Celtic people. But Macrath rejects the vision. He breaks an age-old taboo. He raids the shores of distant Britannia. 

Anwyn’s a spunky lass looking forward to her marriage with Quintus, a Roman patrician’s son. But when the men of her family’s Welsh villa leave to seek help from the departing Roman legions, Macrath’s raiders steal her into slavery across the sea. Gradually, as Macrath shows her kindness and she realizes she’ll never see home again, she develops feelings for her captor. 

When a distraught Quintus discovers his love has been stolen, he sets sail with men and weapons. He’s a skilled swordsman, but no one has ever returned from Hibernia, a wild and untamed land ruled by treacherous druids, powerful kings, and warring clans. They live and they die by the sword. They kill or enslave foreigners. And they sacrifice to pagan gods. Yet he vows to bring her back. 

From the shadows comes the red wolf. Half again as large as any earthly carnivore, is it a supernatural creature as some claim? Macrath blames it for cursing his clan. Having tasted the blood of men, it now stalks both Macrath and Quintus. 

Against such obstacles, how can Quintus ever find his betrothed? Even then, will he have to win her back? Will the Great Light save Macrath’s clan? Or will the red wolf undo everything? 

The Slaves Of Autumn is not only a love story set in history, but a tense action adventure, an epic saga that will transport the reader from wealthy Roman villas to the thatch-roofed villages of ancient Celtic Ireland, and its world of deceitful druids, sword-wielding warriors, powerful kings, and early Christians.

In A.D. 408, an Irish king desperate to save his clan raids the Welsh coast for slaves and plunder. But when he steals Anwyn across the sea, a Roman patrician’s son embarks on an impossible quest to...


Advance Praise

This is a good adventure read. I was wary about it's description as a Christian novel, when I received this as sn ARC copy, but it's overwhelmingly a historical adventure in the time of Christianity's coming to Ireland. There's a bit of fantasy-like, demonic manifestation in the tale, but even that is more adventure than religion. At each sitting I read much more than I planned to; it's quite a page turner, a really good read that transcends its genre.

This is a good adventure read. I was wary about it's description as a Christian novel, when I received this as sn ARC copy, but it's overwhelmingly a historical adventure in the time of...


Available Editions

ISBN 9781950235087
PRICE $2.99 (USD)

Average rating from 8 members


Featured Reviews

Completely swept me away! Rich with historical details relevant to the time period. Wonderful characters with depth and substance. I was immediately drawn in and held captive from beginning to end.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

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This story took me by surprise. I must admit, I expected it to be a bit dry or stodgy (and I really can’t explain why I thought that…). The Slaves of Autumn was definitely not dry or stodgy. It had a wonderful blend of action, history, and romance that kept me involved in the plot and wanting to read more.

It was easy to see how much research went into the historical setting of this novel. I was fascinated at how the author brought the fifth century to life with all its beauty and heartache. And the touch of the supernatural gave the plot such a richness and gave the characters a terrific depth that swept me away.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I’d most certainly recommend it. I’ve never read anything by Mark E. Fisher before, but I will continue to read his work now.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the digital copy of this book for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own! 🙂

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More historical than romance, The Slaves of Autumn is an immersive story that explores why good people make bad choices, as well as the lengths people will go for those they love. The author, Mark E. Fisher, has a gift for descriptive battle scenes and making an ancient world come alive.

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