Veteran of Rome Books In Order

Publication Order of Veteran Of Rome Books

Chronological Order of Veteran Of Rome Books

Veteran of Rome series by William Kelso

Author William Kelso pens the “Veteran of Rome” series of historical novels. The series began publication in the year 2009, when “Caledona” was released.

The series starts out being set in 83 AD and moves around in time, jumping all the way to 103 AD by the fourth book. The series focuses on the Roman Empire, as it was still expanding.

The series stars Corbulo, a man that was with the Twentieth Legion for twenty-five years before retiring. In some of the books, Corbulo’s son Marcus stars, who was with 2nd Batavian Auxiliary Cohort for twenty-three years. Father and son have not gotten along all that great.

“Caledona” is the first novel in the “Veteran of Rome” series, which was released in the year 2009. 83 A.D., autumn. During the battle of Mons Graupius the Roman army, led by Governor Agricola badly defeats the Caledonian confederation that formed to oppose the Romans invasion. In the aftermath of this battle a Caledonian boy reveals a secret that could change Roman strategy in the north forever.

Marcus, who is an auxiliary Roman cavalry soldier, has orders to investigate and he promptly goes missing into the isolated trackless wastes in the north.

In Rome, Corbulo, Marcus’ estranged dad and a retired Legionary, goes off to locate his only son and bring him back home. It begins an adventure that is going to take Corbulo to the remotest parts in Caledonia and sink him into the low intensity fight that rages between the scattered Caledonian war bands against the garrisons of Agricola’s occupying army and Roman forts. Corbulo is going to need all of his courage, experience, and wits to fend off the proud and hostile Barbarian warriors, a dazzling prize’s lure, and a gang of killer mercenaries.

“Hibernia” is the second novel in the “Veteran of Rome” series, which was released in the year 2014. A.D. 86 in the spring. In Britainnia, all is not well in this Roman province. Swift and fierce moving Hibernian slavers and pirates have been harassing the western coasts of the island province. Within the upper ranks of the Roman military and civilian establishment there have been rumblings of discontent against Domitian the emperor’s tyrannical rule.

Within Londinium, the flourishing Roman settlement, Corbulo, a retired veteran of twenty-five years worth of service with the Twentieth Legion has become a successful small businessman. He has also built a whole new life for himself and his family. His closest friend and a fellow veteran of the Twentieth disappears, and Corbulo winds up getting drawn into a web of danger and conspiracy that makes him a wanted man.

Chased across all of Britannia by a former foe and the authorities, Corbulo must re-enlist into a Roman battle group. One whose commander has just gotten orders to cross the western sea and occupy the capitol of Hibernia, called Tara. While the Roman expedition hits Hibernian land Roman armies are going to be tested to their very limit. Corbulo finds himself traveling to the very edge of the world while moving west, in order to save his own family and clear his name.

“Britannia” is the third novel in the “Veteran of Rome” series, which was released in the year 2015. The year is 89 AD. On Britannia, Rome is making its grip stronger on the fertile and populous south, but in the mountainous-north rebellion has been brewing among the tribes of unhappy and restless people. They are being led by their D
Druids and a high king that claims a proud lineage. Both the Caledonian and Brigantes tribes are willing to risk going to war against the heft of the Legions.

Marcus and the 2nd Batavian Auxiliary Cohort, who are at the Roman outpost out at Carlisle, and are tasked with keeping an eye on all the Britons in their district. They are soon going to find themselves caught in a cunning, bloody, and increasingly ruthless insurgency.

At the same time, in the rapidly Romanizing south, Corbulo has finally been able to retire to a comfortable life in the country. A long forgotten acquaintance re-opens something painful from his past, and it forces Corbulo and his family are forced off onto a journey that is eventually going to lead all of them to disaster.

Enslaved by a merciless merchant and taken up north into the wild trackless wastes in Caledonia, Corbulo has to escape. Then he has to figure out what happened to his missing daughter and wife. While the trail leads him across the southern part of Britannia and to the center of the rebellion, Corbulo is going to quickly find himself forced to make the worst choice a dad has ever had to make.

“Hyperborea” is the fourth novel in the “Veteran of Rome” series, which was released in the year 2016. Winter time in 103 AD. Marcus, who is a veteran of twenty-three years of service in the 2nd Batavian Auxiliary Cohort, has finally gone back home to Britannia from serving in his unit on the Dacian frontier. He finds that a lot has changed on his family’s farm. Fourteen years have gone by since his dad was killed, but the wounds are still painful and deep.

A new copy of his dad’s will surfaces, and Marcus goes on an apparently hopeless quest to fulfill and honor Corbulo’s last wish. It is to be buried with his old Legionary compadres, on the battlefield. The same place they once fought against the barbarian queen, Boudicca.

At every turn, he is dogged by both his own and his dad’s past. He has to go find Emogene, the Druid with all the answers. The trail leads him to the burgeoning city of Londinium, and Marcus makes a surprising discovery that changes everything. Marcus, faced with a Herculean sized challenge, has to figure out just how far he is willing to go for honor. And if he is going to follow Emogene to the mythical and secretive land of Hyperborea. It is an epic sea voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, one that no Roman sailor would dare to make.