The Edge of Empire
Book One of The Borderlands of Britannia
A mythic historical fantasy of Roman Britain and Celtic gods, by Dana Birkmour
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Author: Dana Birkmour
Series: The Borderlands of Britannia, Book One
Genre: Mythic Historical Fantasy
Setting: Second-century Roman Britain, during the construction of Hadrian’s Wall
Mythology: Celtic, Romano-British and Classical
Publisher: Moontree House Books
History, Myth and the Edge of Empire
The Edge of Empire takes place on Rome’s northern frontier at a moment when Hadrian’s Wall is beginning to impose a physical boundary across a landscape whose peoples, cultures and beliefs do not divide nearly so neatly.
The novel brings Roman religion into contact with the gods and traditions of Britannia, using that meeting of cultures as part of the fantasy itself. Historical places, beliefs and tensions provide the foundations, while figures including Fortuna, Brigantia and Cernunnos become active forces within Lucillia’s world.
At its heart, the story asks what happens when an empire can claim the land beneath your feet, but not necessarily the stories, gods or identities rooted within it.