A non-stop, action packed adventure from 549 AD spanning the fascinating Roman and Chinese empires. Nicander and Marius are unlikely companions and after the Ostrogoths have sacked Rome, find themselves on the road together, in an attempt to change their fortunes. The pair suffer setback after farcical setback and initially are most certainly not masters of their own destiny. The simple descriptive detailing eloquently brings the background to life; Julian Stockwin has the gift of allowing the reader to see lands for the first time through the eyes of Nicander and Marius. ‘The Silk Tree’ is an entertaining, enjoyable read and one you can gallop through in an easy sitting. ~ Liz Robinson
Forced to flee Rome from the barbaric rampages of the Ostrogoths, merchant Nicander meets an unlikely ally in the form of Marius, a fierce Roman legionary. Escaping to a new life in Constantinople, the two land upon its shores lonely and penniless. Needing to make money fast, they plot and plan a number of outrageous money-making schemes, until they chance upon their greatest idea yet.Armed with a wicked plan to steal precious silk seeds from the faraway land of Seres, Nicander and Marius must embark upon a terrifyingly treacherous journey across unknown lands, never before completed. But first they must deceive the powerful emperor Justinian and the rest of his formidable Byzantine Empire in order to begin their journey into the unknown...An adventurous tale of mischief, humour and deception, Nicander and Marius face danger of the highest order, where nothing in the land of the Roman Empire is quite what it seems.
'Stockwin's page-turning prose, vividly drawn characters and ability to draw the reader right into these ancient times create a grand and compelling historical epic'. George Jepson, Quarterdeck Magazine 'A gripping story... showing the familiar style of the author and demonstrating careful research that produces an entirely believable historical novel' Fire Project Online
'This page-turning historical fiction of the first order written with great brio and opening the reader's eyes to a world that, as the author says, 'we in the 21st century can only wonder at' THE GOOD BOOK GUIDE
Author
About Julian Stockwin
Julian Stockwin was sent at the age of fourteen to Indefatigable, a tough sea-training school. He joined the Royal Navy at fifteen before transferring to the Royal Australian Navy, where he served for eight years in the Far East, Antarctic waters and the South Seas. In Vietnam he saw active service in a carrier task force. After leaving the Navy (rated Petty Officer), Julian practised as an educational psychologist. He lived for some time in Hong Kong, where he was commissioned into the Royal Naval Reserve. He was awarded the MBE and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He now lives in Devon with his wife Kathy.
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