Empire's End: A Roman Story
Publisher: Scholastic
Camilla has lived happily with her parents in Leptis Magna, on the North coast of Africa, but, when her father is recalled to Rome, she cannot hide her excitement. After all, Rome is the centre of the world!
Her excitement is short-lived as the Emperor demands that the family accompany him to the furthest corner of the Empire, Britannica. After a traumatic journey, Camilla finds herself navigating life in a cold and dangerous land at the mercy of a capricious Empress whose status thrives on brutality and subjugation.
Camilla’s story is presented as part of Scholastic's exciting Voices series, which explores the lives of the myriad, multicultural contributors to British history who can often be overlooked. Roman Britain in 207 AD was a cultural ‘melting pot’ with a mix of ethnicities and religions and it is refreshing to see that a girl of North African origin is not depicted as a slave but as the daughter of a valued member of the Emperor’s entourage.
The inclusion of real characters, places and events make Empire’s End all the more tense and thrilling and it is easy to believe that a historical equivalent of Camilla could really have lived through her experiences.
