(Curse of Clansmen and Kings, Book 4)
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Skull’s Vengeance
Series: Curse of Clansmen and Kings
Author: Linnea Tanner
Publication Date: 18 October 2022
Publisher: Apollo Raven Publisher, LLC
Page Length: 402 pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance
A Celtic warrior queen must do the impossible—defeat her sorcerer half-brother and claim the throne. But to do so, she must learn how to strike vengeance from her father’s skull.
AS FORETOLD BY HER FATHER in a vision, Catrin has become a battle-hardened warrior after her trials in the Roman legion and gladiatorial games. She must return to Britannia and pull the cursed dagger out of the serpent's stone to fulfill her destiny. Only then can she unleash the vengeance from the ancient druids to destroy her evil half-brother, the powerful sorcerer, King Marrock. Always two steps ahead and seemingly unstoppable, Marrock can summon destructive natural forces to crush any rival trying to stop him and has charged his deadliest assassin to bring back Catrin's head.
To have the slightest chance of beating Marrock, Catrin must forge alliances with former enemies, but she needs someone she can trust. Her only option is to seek military aid from Marcellus—her secret Roman husband. They rekindle their burning passion, but he is playing a deadly game in the political firestorm of the Julio-Claudian dynasty to support Catrin's cause.
Ultimately, in order to defeat Marrock, Catrin must align herself with a dark druidess and learn how to summon forces from skulls to exact vengeance. But can she and Marcellus outmaneuver political enemies from Rome and Britannia in their quest to vanquish Marrock?
AUTHOR INTERVIEW:
What is your inspiration for writing Skull’s Vengeance (Book 4) in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series?
The first time I saw the statue of a warrior queen, Boudicca, and her daughters in a chariot, alongside the Thames River in London, I was intrigued that she united the Britons in a rebellion against the Romans in AD 61 and almost expelled them.
Roman historians describe her as a powerful druidess who sacrificed some of her victims to the war goddess, Andraste. Although the Celtic society was becoming more paternalistic, women were still held in high regard and could rule. The legacy of warrior queens in ancient Britannia and in Irish mythology inspired the primary protagonist of Catrin in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series.
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| © the author |
The first three books in the series describe the trials Catrin has overcome to prepare her to be a warrior queen and overthrow her evil half-brother, Marrock. In Skull’s Vengeance she takes the next step in her journey—embracing the mantle of a warrior queen and gathering an army. Further, I expand on the fantastical element of summoning dark forces from souls trapped in their severed heads to wield as a weapon. During my research, I discovered there was a mystical significance of a Celtic warrior striking off an opponent’s head in battle, particularly in single combat. To possess an enemy’s head was to possess his or her powers. The druids believed the soul does not perish but instead passes from one body to another. The skull was the temple of the immortal soul.
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| Bust of Mark Antony (Vatican Museum) |
The legacy of Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) and his tragic downfall with Cleopatra also inspired me. Mark Antony’s son (Iullus Antonius) suffered a similar fate. He fell on his sword in disgrace for his scandalous affair with Augustus Caesar’s only daughter, Julia. Little is known about Iullus’s son, Lucius, except that he was exiled to Gaul as a young man, most likely as a condition to escape his father’s fate.
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| Marcellus (Shutterstock) |
During the time period in my series, the Antonius family legacy was cursed by the act of damnatio memoriae (condemnation of memory) that erased public records of Mark Antony and Iullus Antonius. A burning question that I wanted to answer in Skull’s Vengeance is how the tragic family legacy would impact Lucius Antonius. How would he react if his son, Marcellus, went down the same fateful path as his forefathers?
Unlike the previous books in the series, the story delves into the political firestorm of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. As I researched the Roman political backdrop during the time period when Skull’s Vengeance takes place (27 – 28 A.D.), I became fascinated with the historical figure, Lucius Aelius Sejanus, head of the Praetorian Guard who over-reached to gain power from Emperor Tiberius through murder, conspiracy, and betrayal.
Though Tiberius had been an able general and diplomat, his final years as emperor were tyrannical. Roman historians wrote about his sexual perversity and child molestation. At the height of Sejanus’s political power as a consul in 31 A.D., Tiberius unexpectedly had him arrested and mercilessly executed.
Antonia Minor, who is introduced in Skull’s Vengeance, is also inspired by my research. She was the youngest daughter of Mark Antony and Octavia, sister-in-law of Tiberius, and half-sister to Iullus Antonius. As a confidant to Tiberius, Antonia Minor had a role in the downfall of Sejanus. She feared her grandson, Caligula, would meet the fate as his older brothers whom Sejanus had imprisoned. Antonia Minor helps Marcellus navigate the political waters to meet directly with Tiberius.
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| Bust of Antonia Minor (Wikipedia) |
I was tempted to expand on the Julio-Claudian family discord, but the story needed to revolve around Catrin. Thus, I may write another standalone historical fiction novel outside the series about the fall of Sejanus from Marcellus’s perspective.
Trigger warnings:
Sex, Slave trafficking and abuse, Violence, Childbirth
Acclaim for other books in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series:
"[An] epic tale of love, betrayal and political intrigue." —InD'tale Magazine
"The requisite fantasy elements of magic and mystery abound...Tanner also does an admirable job weaving in the politics and mythology of a bygone people." —Kirkus
"Part fantasy, part historical fiction, Linnea Tanner has woven together a wonderful tale of romance, intrigue, mystery, and legend to create an entertaining and complex story." —The International Review of Books
"[A] captivating tale of triangles; love, lust and espionage; friend, foe, and spies; barbarians, civilized Rome and spiritual-supernatural beings." —2019 Pencraft Book of the Year Award
Buy Links Skull’s Vengeance:
Universal: https://books2read.com/u/bao09y
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Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/skull-s-vengeance
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Buy Links for Books from Curse of Clansmen and Kings series:
Apollo’s Raven:
Dagger’s Destiny:
Amulet’s Rapture:
Skull’s Vengeance:
About the Author
Linnea Tanner
Award-winning author, Linnea Tanner, weaves Celtic tales of love, magical adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. Since childhood, she has passionately read about ancient civilizations and mythology. Of particular interest are the enigmatic Celts, who were reputed as fierce warriors and mystical druids.
Linnea has extensively researched ancient and medieval history, mythology, and archaeology and has traveled to sites described within each of her books in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series. Books released in her series include Apollo’s Raven (Book 1), Dagger’s Destiny (Book 2), Amulet’s Rapture (Book 3), and Skull’s Vengeance (Book 4).
A Colorado native, Linnea attended the University of Colorado and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry. She lives in Fort Collins with her husband and has two children and six grandchildren.
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Twitter Handle: @linneatanner @maryanneyarde
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#AncientRome #AncientBritannia #SkullsVengeance
note: Helen has not yet read this title - it is on her TBR list!
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Thank you so much for hosting today's tour stop for Skull’s Vengeance.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Mary Anne
The Coffee Pot Book Club
Thank you, Hellen, for interviewing me and hosting Skull's Vengeance in the Coffee Pot Book Club blog tour.
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