It is easy to think of the Celts as savages and the Romans as the bringers of civilisation when in fact Celtic society was complex and well-structured. Skin captures the flavour of that ancient time beautifully. The people feel a strong connection to nature and magic is everywhere. Within this ordered society Ailia is a misfit. A wonderful narrator full of youthful fire, fear, confusion and joy. Her journey is strange and compelling, for her and the reader, as she is torn between loves and duties in two different worlds. It’s an extremely enjoyable historical fantasy and I look forward to the next one which will finish the story.
Imagine a world where everyone is born with a 'skin' name. Without skin you cannot learn, you are not permitted to marry, and you grow up an outsider amongst your own people. This is no future dystopia. This is Celtic Britain. It is AD 43. For the Caer Cad, 'skin' name determines lineage and identity. Ailia does not have skin; despite this, she is a remarkable young woman, intelligent, curious and brave. As a dark threat grows on the horizon - the aggressive expansion of the Roman Empire - Ailia must embark on an unsanctioned journey to attain the knowledge that will protect her people, and their pagan way of life, from the most terrifying invaders they have ever faced...and it is this unskinned girl who will come to hold the fate of her people in her hands. SKIN is a full-blooded debut which invokes the epic storytelling of George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones, the rich historical detail of Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles, and the genre-transcending magic of Jean M. Auel's Clan of the Cavebear. 'Those who root for Game of Thrones' Daenerys Targaryen will find much to love in Ailia's personal quest' - New Daily Australia
'I loved the depth, sincerity and beauty of Skin. It gives a name and a shape to our capacity for yearning.' -- Isobelle Carmody, author of the Obernewtyn Chronicles
'This book gripped me from the first, with a haunting scene of spirit and sacrifice in the opening pages that left me horrified and intrigued; from there I could barely pull myself away from the book and Ailia's journey' -- Alphareader.com
Author
About Ilka Tampke
Ilka Tampke was awarded a Glenfern Fellowship in 2012. Her short stories and articles have been published in several anthologies. She lives in Woodend, Australia. Skin is her first novel.
