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A Light in the Dark Ages: Part One: Ambrosius Hardcover – October 18, 2021

by Tim Walker (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars 231 ratings
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A Light in the Dark Ages is a book series that connects the end of Roman Britain to elements of the Arthurian legend.
This hardback volumes contains books 1-3 in an e-book and paperback series published between 2015-2018.

The Dark Ages was so termed because the light of learning was all but extinguished as ordered and civilised Roman society gave way to less sophisticated tribal ruling and widespread invasion from 'barbarians' with no interest in written records. As such, much of the continuum of written records kept by Christian monks were destroyed in the rebalancing of western European society, causing a paucity of information about the details of who ruled and how societies were ordered.

Book one in this volume, Abandoned, is set in Londinium (London) as the curtain came down on Roman Britain in the year 410 C.E. The story concerns Bishop Guithelin's search for a just and Godly ruler, and is inspired by an account of what may have happened in post-Roman Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 1138 book, The History of the Kings of Britain. Geoffrey's narrative provided an intriguing basis to build this story of the coming of Constantine and the rise of villainous high king, Vortigern, that set the scene for the rise of the heroic figure of Ambrosius Aurelianus, 'the last of the Romans'.

Book two, Ambrosius: Last of the Romans, is the imagined story of perhaps Britain's greatest unsung hero, built on surviving accounts in early Briton and Welsh folk tales and histories. Ambrosius Aurelianus, ('Aurelius the Divine'), called 'the last of the Romans' by monk Gildas, together with King Arthur, are the two most notable Briton leaders of the fifth and early sixth centuries. What really happened, we may never know, but it is reasonable to assume that the Briton tribes offered some resistance to their eventual defeat and the colonisation of their lands by the Anglo-Saxons. This is the author's imagined account of what might have happened, based on the 'histories' of early writers Nennius and Geoffrey of Monmouth, and mentions of Arthur in the Mabinogion and Welsh Annals.

Book three, Uther's Destiny, is loosely based on Geoffrey of Monmouth's account of the father of King Arthur, Uther Pendragon. Geoffrey identifies him as a brother of Ambrosius Aurelianus (despite their names being quite different!), and it is fair to say that historians reject this as history, although others still search for a connection to Uther, perhaps under another name, from surviving accounts of fifth century Britain.
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  1. Book 6 of 7
    A Light in the Dark Ages
  2. Print length
    489 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    October 18, 2021
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.3 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-13
    979-8498564838
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09JRTT6W3
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 18, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 489 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8498564838
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.8 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.3 x 9 inches
  • Book 6 of 7 ‏ : ‎ A Light in the Dark Ages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 231 ratings

About the author

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Tim Walker

Tim Walker

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Tim Walker is an independent author based in the UK.

In 2024 Tim published his second audiobook, London Tales, to add to 2023's Thames Valley Tales. These two audiobooks were produced and narrated by British actor and author, Richard James and are available on Amazon Audible. London Tales is a collection of eleven stories that echo London's past, reflect the present and imagine its future. London Tales is a companion volume to Thames Valley Tales, re-published as a second edition in 2023. Thames Valley Tales is a collection of contemporary stories that draw on current affairs and the rich history associated with England's longest river wholly within the country.

His most recent novel is a thrilling dual timeline, Guardians at the Wall, published in June 2021. Inspired by a visit to Hadrian's Wall in 2020, it tells the story of a team of archaeologists who uncover artefacts that connect them to the life of a Roman centurion who had guarded the wall in second century Roman Britannia. The story of centurion Gaius Atticianus of the VI Legion is told in alternating chapters, shadowing the efforts of student archaeologist, Noah Jessop, to piece together an account of Gaius's life and struggles for his thesis. How close will Noah's assumptions be to Gaius's real fate?

Tim published three books in 2020 - Perverse (April); Arthur Rex Brittonum (June) and Charly in Space (September).

Arthur, Rex Brittonum, a re-imagining of the King Arthur story, is book five in his historical series, A Light in the Dark Ages, and follows on from 2019's Arthur Dux Bellorum. Book one in the series is Abandoned (second edition 2018), followed by Ambrosius: Last of the Romans (2017); and book three is Uther's Destiny (2018). Series book covers are designed by Canadian graphic artist, Cathy Walker. The series connects the end of Roman Britain to elements of the Arthurian legend, presenting an imagined history (inspired by early historical sources) of Britain in the early Medieval period, once called the Dark Ages.

Tim lives near Windsor - close to the River Thames - the inspiration for his first book of short stories, Thames Valley Tales (2015, revised second edition, 2023). In September 2017 he published a second book of short stories, Postcards from London (unpublished in August 2023 to make way for London Tales, 2023). These stories draw on the local history and current affairs of towns and cities along the course of the Thames where the author has lived and worked. A new collection of poems and short fiction, Perverse, was published in April 2020.

His first novel was a political thriller, Devil Gate Dawn, that received pre-publication exposure on the Kindle Scout programme in March/April 2016. It found a wide readership due to its unnerving predictions of a post-Brexit Britain beset by political turmoil under King Charles III's rule and buckling under attacks from terrorist groups and includes a chapter that anticipated life in Trump America, written a year before his election.

In early 2017 he published his first children's book, co-authored with his daughter, Cathy - The Adventures of Charly Holmes. Another adventure story was published in 2018 - Charly & The Superheroes, followed by Charly in Space (2020).

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3.9 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • kindle reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating dark ages adventure!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2018
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    Post-Roman Britannia in the fifth century. A period between the end of Britain as a Roman province and the establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Abandoned is the start of a three-generation story of a family, much of it centers on the town of Calleva.

    Bishop Guithelin of the Diocese of Londinium is one of four bishops of Britannia, the elderly bishop who tries to bring order to the town of Londinium and outlying areas after the departure of Roman Governor Lucius. Facing tribal conflict and threat of invasion, Bishop Guithelin looks for a new ruler who is of noble birth and a Christian. He travels to plead with King Aldrien to come and claim this land as his kingdom, setting sail for Gaul, the Castle of Light. Father Gaius leads Guithelin and Father Damian to the castle of King Aldrien and Queen Veralia, who through their marriage unites the Armorican and Benoician people. His brother Prince Constantine returns with Bishop Guithelin, leading an army to free the country. After the Romans evacuate to Gaul, Marcus Aquilius is appointed as new Garrison Commander, defending against the Saxon threat.

    The cast of characters include Marcus Aquilius, his mother Morcant who renames him Marcus Pendragon, his pregnant wife Cordelia, his daughter Esther, his baby son Uther, adopted son Brian, Bishop Guithelin, his elderly curate Waylin, Father Damian the youngest priest, Adomarus, Mandubracius, his brother Gwethin, Flavius Vitus garrison commander at Calleva Atrebatum, Drustan, Chief Valorian, his brother Vortigern, Father Andreus, the slaves Polyamis, Camillus, Prisca, and Januarius among the eight that has escaped, deserters released from prison cells Quintus Brutus, Ahmed Salaam, Gerulitis, the Saxon leader Cerdric, Lucius Macarius leader of the retired soldiers’ commune, Prince Constantine’s deputy commander Allectus, David the boy, Queen Nathair of the Regnii, Brock her shaman, Chief Severus Senovara, his wife Octavia, his eldest daughter Justina, baby Julius, baby Aurelius, baby Constans, Adair and her son, King Cunedda, and his son Lucus.

    Does Prince Constantine gain the support of the most powerful chiefs of Britannia after the Romans depart? Who becomes the King of Britannia? What is Vortigern’s role? Tim Walker expertly weaves a huge cast in this historical novel. A dark ages adventure preceding the reign of King Author.
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars The bloodline of King Arthur is related in this first of five books about the legend.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2024
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    I enjoy historical fiction, and I am interested in the reality behind the legend of King Arthur, so this was easy for me to get into. It’s evident that a lot of research has gone into this book. I never realized how closely the Arthurian legends were tied to Roman history. Since the whole saga spans 5 books, and this is the first, there is no mention of Arthur. The writer starts his tale out with the withdrawal of Roman forces from Britain, and how much chaos ensued from power struggles among tribes of Britons coming out from under Roman rule, and from Saxon and other barbarian people invading the island. Only toward the end is Arthur’s father, Uther Pendragon, introduced as the son of a half-British, half-Roman officer who doesn’t abandon the island but remains to fight to restore order and repel the invading horde. I found this part of the tale very enlightening. And entertaining. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, and enjoys reading about the Arthurian legend.
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  • PeaceLoveHope
    3.0 out of 5 stars Well researched
    Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2018
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    Abandoned (A Light in the Dark Ages Book 1) is a good start to a historical series. It's obvious the author was involved in intense research to pull together a huge cast of characters and settings. I found the plot interesting, but honestly had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. The book is heavy on the telling which made it slower going for me and when certain characters died, I had no emotional investment, so I had hoped for a little more in that aspect. Overall, I did find it an interesting read and think the author did a good job setting up for the next in the series.
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  • Mary Teresa
    5.0 out of 5 stars Romexit
    Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2018
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    Part 1 in the ‘Light in the Dark Ages’ Series. The author takes an era about which is little known in Britain, the years immediately following the departure of the Romans in the fifth century. He was inspired by a visit to Silchester, then known as Cavella Atrebatum, when he learned of a bronze eagle that was excavated there 150 years ago. Why was this noble insignia not taken with the departing Romans? Who were the people charged with taking it from its mount and wrapping it up for safe journey over the Gaulish Sea? Walker invents the story of why that important object was left behind.
    With sketchy historical information, Walker weaves a very interesting narrative about the struggles between those who jostled for power. Those were raw times – a village could be wiped out overnight by a marauding tribe of Saxons or other aggressor. Concerned about the break-up of law and order, old Bishop Guithelin goes abroad to beg for help. Defying the Saxons is a former Roman officer named Marcus Aquilius, whose mother is a Briton. Marcus leads a ragtag army commanded by a few soldiers with experience of fighting with the legions. They, along with Valorian the young Atrebates tribal chief, defend Calleva Atrebatum against the marauders. Will they succeed, or - will the Saxons prevail?
    The story follows an interesting course, and the characters are strong and believable. Of interest is the warrior Queen Nathair in her cliffside fortress and the love she develops for one of Marcus’ commanders. (Was she real? It doesn’t matter; there were warrior Queens. She is credible.) The story is easy to follow in spite of odd-sounding placenames (there is a map at the beginning I kept going back to) and a largish cast of characters, a few of whom appear in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Annals. I enjoyed this time travel trip, marvelled at the bare conditions of the times even for Royalty and disturbed at the evil ingenuity of flaming artillery and a use for molasses I never knew. It’s a good read and I intend to continue the series.
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  • Jamie van Niekerk
    4.0 out of 5 stars Gripping
    Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2021
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    I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am much obliged to Paul Snart for sharing it with me. A well written and exciting tale bringing post Roman Britain’s history to life and reminding me of the many hours I enjoyed exploring and imagining that time when I was in UK.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Dewi
    5.0 out of 5 stars An illuminating look into the Dark Ages
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 11, 2018
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    This is the first book in a trilogy set during the early Dark Ages immediately after the Romans left Britain.
    As a fan of such TV shows as Vikings which are based on actual historical characters and events, this was an interesting read. The book is divided into the story of four key characters and the unfolding events of society breaking down are seen from their differing points of view.
    The set up for the continuing story with characters from Arthurian tales is cleverly done.
    The major strength of the book is the research which Tim Walker has done. It is woven into the story, informative and in the service of the story. As a period where there is surely not a huge amount of information to draw on, I highly commend the author for bringing so much detail to the story, characters and politics of the situation they find themselves - the end of centuries of civilization, and a descent into potential barbarism.
    A slight critique is that we don't get enough time in the characters heads, their motivations, and points of view; but this is balanced with the characters' thoughts and ideas manifested in their words and deeds in the course of the story.
    Very much looking forward to reading the next part of the trilogy. Recommended!
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  • Peaceseeker
    4.0 out of 5 stars A promising start to what should be an engrossing series
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2017
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    Those who enjoy dramatizations of history, especially those with a particular interest in the turbulent fifth-century history of a pretty far-flung Northern outpost of the Roman Empire en route to becoming The British Isles, will find much to hold their interest in this short first novel in the Light in the Dark Ages series.
    When the Roman garrisons made an orderly withdrawal from their province of ‘Britannia’ in 409-410 to help defend Rome against marauding armies of Goths getting ever nearer to the gates of Rome, the island was beset by invaders from the northern fringes of what we now know as Europe, while warring tribes of Britons struggled either to protect or to expand their borders. Tim Walker has ably researched the period, and his story is full of convincing incidental detail.
    His intention is that the series will cover three generations of a family that must use its wit and skills to survive such a precarious and violent period of British history. Of course, he has only just begun to create his cast of characters, and is in the early stages of honing his craft as a writer who, like Hilary Mantel, is capable of bringing his landscapes to life, peopling them with believable, complex human beings struggling with occasionally divided loyalties and with different tribal and cultural affiliations, and making them speak dialogue the reader always finds convincing.
    The author has recently addressed the issues highlighted by one reviewer about the length and structure of some of the sentences in his first edition, the occasional difficulty a reader might have experienced when coming across the same pronoun more than once in a particular paragraph referring to different people, and the very occasional use or non-use of punctuation leading to unintended ambiguity. He has now uploaded a revised version, and there is plenty of evidence that his writing style will only become more assured and polished as the series progresses.
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  • Ronnie
    3.0 out of 5 stars An ok read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 23, 2018
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    Not too bad a story but regrettably, the author falls short when compared to other tales of the Roman Empire I have read over some years.(Wallace Breem, Rosemary Sutcliff, Adrian Goldsworthy, B. Cornwell,Massimo Manfredi). It lacks conviction in parts, and fails to hold my attention. Ok for a long journey or on a wet Sunday with nothing else to read or do in one's spare time. Certainly not a book I shall keep, but more than likely drop into my local charity shop. In a word, a lightweight.
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  • maureen turner-books by maureen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Marcus - a great Romano/British hero.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2016
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    I really enjoyed this novella by Tim Walker. There are plenty of books out there that cover the Roman occupation of Britain and it's a period of our history that interests me. This book was somewhat different from the norm in that it tells the story of the next invasion of our country. That of the Saxon hordes that spotted their chances following Rome's withdrawal to deal with more pressing problems nearer to home. Tim Walker has clearly done his homework and the result is a jolly good read covering an attack by a band of Saxons on a small post Roman garrison now left to defend itself. His characters are well drawn and most believable. I could almost imagine myself there amidst the Romano British trying to defend their small community.
    A book well worth 5 stars. I loved it.
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  • nanjar
    4.0 out of 5 stars From one conquest to another...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 21, 2017
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    This was an interesting interpretation of what might have happened in the aftermath of the Roman occupation of Britannia. I love novels set in the era and looked forward to reading this one. I’m sure there would have been some chaos and a lot of societal breakdown after the structure, and strictures, of Roman rule broke down. I can easily imagine scenes where the inhabitants of what would have been a well run fortress were in a state of limbo after the withdrawal of the Roman troops. After some 300 years of Roman rule, those who regarded themselves as natives (non-military) were probably very well integrated with the Roman way of life, especially with the fortress being in southern Britannia. However, the question of how quickly those locals shed off any Romanisation and reverted back to their Celtic inheritance is one that might never be resolved. The lack of Roman routine in ‘Abandoned’ opens the doors for new invaders and those settler survivors really needed a strong leader like Marcus Aquilius to marshal them into as credible a fighting force as possible
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