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Abandoned (A Light in the Dark Ages Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Tim Walker (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 227 ratings
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ABANDONED BY ROME, INVADED BY BARBARIANS
In the year 410 the last Roman Governor of Britannia, Lucius, departed from the port of Londinium, never to return. Bishop Guithelin’s hopes for a smooth transition in authority to tribal chief Mandubracius leads only to disappointment. Guided by prayers and visions, Guithelin undertakes a hazardous journey to a neighbouring country to seek assistance from a noble and Christian ruler.
Abandoned is the starting point for an adventure that sets Briton nobles against each other and a foreign prince, whilst keeping an eye on raiders who spill onto the shores and over Hadrian’s Wall. Britannia’s abandonment by Rome presents opportunity for some and anguish and misery for others, as the island slowly adjusts to self-rule. Through the chaos, heroes emerge, including half-Roman auxiliary commander, Marcus Pendragon, who organises the defence of his town from deadly raiders intent on murder and plunder. Guithelin does his best at diplomacy, never giving up hope of a stable and Godly leader to rule over the tribal chiefs and provide a protective shield for the fearful people of Britannia. But is the preening Prince Constantine the right man? Marcus fights to protect his family from a range of opportunistic enemies, and by doing so establishes a legacy that will lead to his son, Uther, and grandson, Arthur, becoming kings of Britannia.

Abandoned is book one in a thrilling, action-packed series – A LIGHT IN THE DARK AGES – and is followed by Ambrosius: Last of the Romans; Uther’s Destiny; Arthur Dux Bellorum and the final part - Arthur Rex Brittonum.
As the light of learning and the influence of the early Christian Church is slowly dimmed in the years after the Roman evacuation, who will the desperate and hard-pressed Britons look to as a beacon of hope?

Fans of Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden and Mathew Harffy will enjoy this gripping book series.

*Please note that negative review comments and ratings dated between 2015-2018 relate to the first edition - a slim, 20,000 word novella. As a consequence, Abandoned was re-written and extended in 2018 with new material, and this second edition is considerably longer at 55,000 words.
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  1. Book 1 of 7
    A Light in the Dark Ages
  2. Print length
    198 pages
  3. Language
    English
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    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    July 12, 2018
  6. File size
    3603 KB
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07FKT7W8J
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 12, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3603 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 198 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1717758517
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 227 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 November 2023 Tim published his second book of short stories, London Tales. This 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 March 2023. Also in March, Tim released his first audiobook of Thames Valley Tales, narrated and produced by actor Richard James. These stories cut across a range of genres - historical fiction, crime thriller, contemporary drama and comedy. The rationalisation of Tim's Thames stories into these two volumes marks a personally satisfying conclusion to what had been a dragging conundrum. Now it all makes sense.

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). 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).

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
227 global ratings

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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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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