Terra Incognito - Medicus #2 ~Ruth Downie ~ Cum Laude !

"Army doctor Gaius Petreius Ruso strikes out for the uncivilized borders of Roman Britain..But the edge of the Roman Empire is a volatile place; the independent tribes of the North dwell near its borders. These hinterlands are the homeland of Ruso's slave, Tilla, who has scores of her own to settle "

This book finished the series for me..thanks Ruth Downie for the recent sale! Waiting for the next in the series,hopefully.

I do love the Roman Britain time frame, or really many ancient eras with some known history. I took Latin in HS for 4 years so appreciate what glimpses we do have. The juxtaposition of the Twentieth Legion with the Tenth Batavians, and how little they each knew about the other's culture. is hilarious as well as thought provoking.

Also wonderfully written about is the different tribes who lived in, ,and are the reason for "Hadrian's Wall". This outpost seems to me to have been created as realistically as we have historical evidence to document. As Downie's excellent author's note tells us: There is "serious trouble in Britannia at this time under Hadrian, with little details; The Batavian's and other unit's were heavy consumers of beer and wine; little is known about the cultures of the tribes along that border.

 The characters are quite vivid and move forward in their lives, as evidence by how the relationship between Ruso and Tilla is at the beginning and end of the tale. I should have read in order to understand more about Tilla's capture and becoming a slave, but will reread in the future.

 I just love this series and recommend to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries from ancient times.