The Warrior from the Tin Islands was self-published in 2017. The novel has since been extensively revised, expanded and restructured as two completed historical novels, Chains of the Gods and The Sea Turned Red.
The two new novels retain the central characters and historical setting of the original book, but develop the story, characters and historical background much more fully. They are set against Xerxes' invasion of Greece in 480 BC and the events leading to the battles of Thermopylae, Artemisium and Salamis.
The Warrior from the Tin Islands is a historical novel set in the Mediterranean world of the fifth century BC, which was dominated by the superpower of the time, the Persian Empire. In 480 BC its emperor, Xerxes, launched an immense invasion of Greece. In the novel, conquest of Greece is presented not simply as an end in itself, but as a means of extending Persian power and control of commerce throughout the Mediterranean and providing a strategic base for further expansion.
The Greek speaking cities on the Eastern coast of the Aegean sea had revolted against the Empire. The Empire's provincial capital had been plundered and burnt. The revolt had been put down, and the Emperor had sworn to take his revenge. The Empire is poised to achieve world conquest. The only challenge to stand between the Empire and world domination is a proud independent and free people led by a bullying Spartan king and a bent small-city boss.
Bran, the son of a Celtic warrior chief, is cursed to be a slave for the rest of his life.
Corinna is the daughter of a rich and powerful Athenian city official.
As the Persian invasion approaches, a secret relationship develops between them. Can it survive the onslaught of the Empire's armies and overcome the rigid social barriers between citizen and slave, Greek and barbarian?
REVIEWS of the original novel:
Bill, a friend, says: "I enjoyed the book - easily as good as many 'officially' published novels .................it taught me things about the classical world".
Katrina, another reader says: "Just to say how much I enjoyed reading The Warrior from the Tin Islands, which I finished this morning. I thought you crafted Bran’s personal odyssey brilliantly and the oracle was such a great premise to mean that we could follow him to Carthage, to the Scythian police and to then fighting at Thermopylae, whilst also getting glimpses of Susa and Athens simultaneously via Yitsok. What a cast list! I especially enjoyed the Aeschylus section (and his reappearance at Salamis of course) and the fact we were able to spend time hearing from Themistocles, Artemisia, Leonidas, Hasdrubal and so many others, with the history and narrative seamlessly woven in, as well as your own creations."
Revd. Canon John Manchester, a local retired vicar says: "If you like history, you'll like this book. A wonderful adventure story and well worth reading".
Tim Coates says:
“This is a unique and special book. It is beautifully written and has excellent and fascinating research. The stories are part of Ancient Greek history and have a universal attraction. It is the kind of long saga which gave rise to ‘A Game of Thrones’ or ‘The Lord of the Rings’. It also leads us to the conclusion that, as current geopoliticals show, small states standing up to the aggression of larger ones is not a new phenomenon. It will be a publisher’s delight with a truly international audience.”
Tim Coates is a well-known best-selling author, and is a former managing Director of Waterstones and several other UK and US book companies.
Nigel Brotherton says:
“It, for me, was a compelling read which moulded together a number of Ancient Greek events, which up to that point had been only individual events on a long period of history. I certainly had not even suspected that there could have been links between Cornwall and Ancient Greek history.”
Nigel is a friend who lives locally and is a former distribution manager of WH Smith.
Peter Addyman says: “Thanks so much for your amazing book. Quite a page turner and always full of fascinating references”
Peter Addyman was director of the York Archaeological Trust 1972 - 2002 and oversaw the construction of the York Jorvik Viking centre. I knew him for a short while when he was chair of Malton Museum.