The Soldier of Raetia (Valerian's Legion, #1)

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The Soldier of Raetia (Valerian's Legion, #1)

by Heather Domin (Goodreads Author)

4.14 · rating details · 22 ratings · 15 reviews

Rome, 10BC. Manilus Dardanus, a new soldier from the provinces, applies for sponsorship with the respected general Cassius Valerian. Dardanus has a lot to learn about the life he has chosen, and at first the brusque and reticent Valerian seems the least willing candidate to teach him. But a bond forms between this unlikely pair that neither could have imagined; and as the ...more

Paperback, 348 pages

Published July 23rd 2009 by Lulu

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Jan 30, 2012

Anna Graham rated it

I finished this book in two days. Am I overly fond of historical fiction; no. Do I pine for Roman tales; not really. Am I keen on war stories; not exactly. Do I appreciate well written, unconventional love stories? You bet. But that doesn’t begin to say why I couldn’t tear myself away from The Soldier of Raetia.

Heather Domin sets a reader right in a Roman landscape, the smells, sounds and sights fleshed out as if I was reading in the houses, at the campsites, on the battlefields...more

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May 26, 2011

Dumbledore11214 rated it

Shelves: greek-roman-history, male-male-historical-romance, military-history-adventure

Have you ever read a book which you kept coming back to no matter how many books you have read after, and wanted to read and reread and savor every word and reread again? Have you ever read a book where you wonder how the writer could transport you to another time so flawlessly and make you want to get to know the characters in person because they felt so amazingly real? I am sure we all have such books which we can gush about endlessly, and this is one of those books for me.

This is ...moreHave you ever read a book which you kept coming back to no matter how many books you have read after, and wanted to read and reread and savor every word and reread again? Have you ever read a book where you wonder how the writer could transport you to another time so flawlessly and make you want to get to know the characters in person because they felt so amazingly real? I am sure we all have such books which we can gush about endlessly, and this is one of those books for me.

This is a historical fiction novel with the touch of m/m romance of the kind which I personally do not see nearly enough in the genre, and of the kind which I crave the most. I have read historicals which, as far as I am concerned, really should not classify as such since the settings were badly researched and/or the characters were contemporary-minded (just placed elsewhere in time). Recently, however, I have read several historicals in a row where the settings were well-researched and the characters felt for me…well, let’s just say I felt as if I was reading about aliens from space, so unrelatable the characters felt in the best possible way. And this prompted another reread of this book, where I could not help but hold my breath so badly I wanted my beloved characters to succeed against all odds, survive, and find all the things they are looking for in life.

These characters did not feel as if they have contemporary mentality and were just dressed in Roman costumes. Quite the contrary, in fact. One of the most likeable characters in this story wants to buy his mother ten slaves when he becomes a successful soldier, and no, there is absolutely no chance I could like somebody from my own time wanting to do that. But this author seems to remember that there are at least some character traits that a lot of people could relate to no matter which time we live in, and good guys in this book, while not running to free their slaves or do other anachronistic things, seem to have those traits in abundance — traits like honor, patriotism, courage, and willingness to help their comrades on the battle field.

This is a story which, as blurb tells us, takes place in Rome and one of its provinces. As I said above, this is first and foremost historical fiction about the life in the army of Rome at the time of its glory as much if not more than a m/m romance. The love story between Valerius and Dardanus is definitely there, but it takes a back seat to the rest of the story. This is also a coming of age story for Dardanus, who comes to the home of General Cassius Valerian because his father wants Valerius to take Dardanus under his wing as his ward and maybe later heir.

All of the characters in this book are very well fleshed out, and it was a joy to read about Valerius very reluctantly deciding to be Dardanus’ sponsor for the summer when he starts his military training and slowly, oh so very slowly, coming to realization that he may actually be attracted to young man. Dardanus was so lovely, a twenty-year-old who dreamt about being a soldier and who is blossoming into a real soldier who fights for Rome, and whose admiration of Valerian turns into love. His friends Iocundus, Ellerius, Iallis and couple others were delightful characters as well.

We get treated to very detailed descriptions of Roman army training and battles, but for me it was never boring; in fact, it was so very vivid that I found the pictures the writer painted with words. I was so engrossed, it truly felt as if I was there among the soldiers and was observing the battle field.

My only niggle with the book was the fate of the villain and the villain itself. The villain felt to me more pitiful than villainous, although I totally understand how soldiers of Rome would have felt very differently and had no pity. At the same time, while my little contemporary heart liked how the villain was dealt with, and I do get the explanation of how it would have made sense, it did feel to me a little anachronistic.

Please be warned, there is one m/f sex scene on page, which, while completely making sense in historical context, may turn some readers off.

Highly recommended.

Originally posted at jessewave reviews (my nick is Sirius there)(less)

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May 23, 2011

Gerry Burnie rated it

Gerry B's Book Reviews - http://www.gerrycan.wordpress.com

Although my specialty is Canadian history, I have a great appreciation for all history, and I certainly bow to Heather Domin’s knowledge of Augustinian Rome, as demonstrated in “The Soldier of Raetia: Valarian’s Legion.

I also like her writing style. She provides just the right amount of description to make both characters and settings vivid without slowing the pace. The characters are also well developed and disti...moreGerry B's Book Reviews - http://www.gerrycan.wordpress.com

Although my specialty is Canadian history, I have a great appreciation for all history, and I certainly bow to Heather Domin’s knowledge of Augustinian Rome, as demonstrated in “The Soldier of Raetia: Valarian’s Legion.

I also like her writing style. She provides just the right amount of description to make both characters and settings vivid without slowing the pace. The characters are also well developed and distinctive although I did find Elurius and Pertinax somewhat similar in nature. Thi applies to their respective relationships with Dardanus and Valerian, as well. The author has also made very good use of dialogue (very credible), without being contrived. What I liked most, however was that the story built to a climax gradually—like an orgasm—and the climax was gratifying.

The synopsis of the story is that young Manilus Dardanus has come to Rome at his father’s insisstance. The father has arranged an introduction to the wealthy and illustrious general Marcus Cassius Valerian, who commands Augustus Caesar’s twenty-fourth legion. Crusty General Valerian is hardened by battle and tragedies of the past, and at first assumes that Dardanus is like the other sons of sycophants who have sought his favour—i.e. with the idea of an adoption in mind. Despite these reservations, valerian gives him a place within his household and arranges for him to be trained as a soldier. Theirs is an awkward relationship, but in spite of this they both undergo significant changes; Valarian re-discovers deeply buried emotions within himself, and Dardanus grows from a callow boy to a self-sufficient man. He also discovers friendships bonded from hard work and the heat of battle, as well as loyalty asa soldier and for his idol, Valerian.

Having said all that, I had some minor reservations. I certainly bow to Ms Domin’s knowledge of Roman history, but did they travel in carriages (I mean the four-wheel variety) is 10BC Rome? I don’t know, but it seemed at little ‘modern’ to me. Their were some other anachronisms we well, For example, the phrases “working his ass off,” and “Cut them off at the pass,” also seem a bit modern. However, these certainly didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.

Highly recommended. Four and one-half stars

Gerry Burnie
"Two Irish Lads" & Coming soon "Nor All Thy Tears"(less)

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Oct 11, 2009

Isis rated it

Recommended to Isis by: Stephanie / seenonflickr

Shelves: glbt, historical-fiction

This was an enjoyable and easy read, but not outstanding. The storytelling is straightforward and holds few surprises; the writing is evocative of the period (although some bits of dialogue strike me as quite modern, I can accept that this is, after all, a "translation" of the sense of their speech) and of the life of a Roman soldier on the battlefield.

This book doesn't fall prey to the sometimes ridiculous tropes of the romance genre, which I appreciated. But in a sens...more

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Jun 28, 2011

Boycop rated it

· review of another edition

A nice story of a young man seeking his place in the Roman society and military.

To the contrary of some reviews, the book is quite concise and well written, though it starts slow. So don’t get fooled by the first chapters, they are just drawing up the setting for the rest of the book. The third part of the book is fast paced and entertaining, and it is quite sparse with sex scenes. The dialogue is slight a mixture of modern and ancient, but I believe it is understandable and even des...more

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Jan 06, 2012

C.S. rated it

Shelves: gay, historical-fiction

Three and a half stars. Interesting enough to keep me going until the end, even though the plot is pretty standard. Helped by the feeling of authenticity, which was boosted by the author's research notes. On the whole, well-written, though there were occasional hitches in word usage, the most persistent and annoying one being the use of alright instead of all right.

There are books that tend to get downgraded because there doesn't seem to be enough "hotness" between the mal...more

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Jan 16, 2012

Sineala rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, kindle, historical-fiction, rome, queer

Much better than I was expecting, although not quite as good as it could have been. Same-sex romance in the Ancient Roman military is more or less guaranteed to interest me, and I was honestly surprised by how well-researched the thing was -- I have only a few accuracy-related quibbles, and for me this is rare. (Mostly I would have liked to have seen more explicit stigmatization of relationships within the chain of command, cf. M. Laetorius Mergus as well as Trebonius aka Plotinus aka the "...moreMuch better than I was expecting, although not quite as good as it could have been. Same-sex romance in the Ancient Roman military is more or less guaranteed to interest me, and I was honestly surprised by how well-researched the thing was -- I have only a few accuracy-related quibbles, and for me this is rare. (Mostly I would have liked to have seen more explicit stigmatization of relationships within the chain of command, cf. M. Laetorius Mergus as well as Trebonius aka Plotinus aka the "Marian soldier.") But this will probably not bother anyone else and I'm willing to put it down to authorial leeway.

The actual book is about the growing relationship between a general, Valerian, and his aide (and possible adoptee and possible broad-striped tribune) Dardanus, set against the backdrop of scheming revolting tribes in Raetia in the time of Augustus. There's alternating POV, and in addition to the Will They Get Together plot you also get Can Valerian Learn To Love Again and Let's Watch Dardanus Grow Up And Experience The Horrors Of War. (And I am a sucker for Roman military fiction, especially ones hitting the group camaraderie aspect, as this does rather well. It makes me want to reread Frontier Wolf, actually.)

There's a whole lot of drama and injury and more drama and more injury, and also some prostitutes, and I found the entire plot actually rather entertaining to read, which I guess is a good thing, right? I also really enjoyed most of the characters, even the villain, though my particular favorite of the secondary characters was Iocundis the optio. (I like optiones. I especially like it when the second-in-command is named a happy thing. It reminds me of Frontier Wolf.) And, yes, the Valerian/Dardanus relationship is certainly compelling; the one thing that makes it a little less so is that Valerian's insistence on not succumbing to his feelings means that he occasionally comes across as a little uninteresting to read on account of the bit where he doesn't show his feelings.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this -- I have recommended it to a bunch of my friends already -- and I find myself looking forward to the sequel. Definitely checking out the author's other work as well.(less)

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Apr 02, 2011

Lisa Yarde rated it

Recommends it for: fans of Roman historicals, military historicals

In the Augustan period, a young man comes of age and learns the ways of Roman military life, in Heather Domin’s The Soldier of Raetia. At twenty years old, Manilus Dardanus has come to Rome, guided by his father’s intentions. He seeks the patronage of the illustrious general Marcus Cassius Valerian, who commands Augustus Caesar twenty-fourth legion. General Valerian, hardened by battle and tragedies of the past, at first assumes that Dardanus is like the sons of so many sycophants who have sough...moreIn the Augustan period, a young man comes of age and learns the ways of Roman military life, in Heather Domin’s The Soldier of Raetia. At twenty years old, Manilus Dardanus has come to Rome, guided by his father’s intentions. He seeks the patronage of the illustrious general Marcus Cassius Valerian, who commands Augustus Caesar twenty-fourth legion. General Valerian, hardened by battle and tragedies of the past, at first assumes that Dardanus is like the sons of so many sycophants who have sought his favor. Despite his own misgivings, Valerian helps mold Dardanus into a warrior and re-discovers deeply buried emotions within himself. Dardanus grows and changes as well, from a reticent young man at the whim of others’ designs to become someone who chooses his own destiny. A confrontation with Germanic barbarians is his first test of all Valerian’s training. Dardanus learns to be a staunch friend, a dedicated soldier and a valiant protector of his general.

I find Roman military history and the Augustan period extremely fascinating. Ms. Domin gives the sense of a Roman legion as a unit, truly fighting as one. With myriad details of training, camp life and fighting scenes, her work blossoms as an example of an authentic historical. Ms. Domin has a skill for painting worlds where visuals unfold on the page as if the reader is standing right there within a scene. What I enjoyed the most must be the characters, even more so than the descriptions of Roman legionary life. Dardanus and Valerian are the heroes of this story, but equally evident is the bond each has formed with his comrades. Valerian treats his tribunes, particularly Pertinax, his doctor Salvio, even his slave Tacitus with respect and tolerance, even when they overstep their bounds. His love for Dardanus is unlike anything he has ever experienced. It leaves him unprepared for the magnitude of his feelings. Dardanus finds his purpose as part of the whole and makes what seem to be friendships with his units, particularly Iocundus and Elerius. Those connections make this a strong, emotional piece of writing. The companionship between brothers forged by adversity and endurance, in tests of arms and by the spilling of blood had me cheering every victory. The relationships were just as believable as Ms. Domin’s descriptions.

Two concerns I did have were about the portrayal of Dardanus and his fellow soldier Elerius. There was personal and professional risk to Dardanus throughout the story, and he warred against himself with every decision. Still, I felt he did have any significant adversity to overcome. Living beyond the last battle provided him courage and made him a man. Keeping his wits about him in his interactions with Valerian brought out an inner strength he never knew he possessed. It would have been interesting to see him thrown into a situation where other emotions bubbled to the surface, instead of his usual acceptance and sometimes, resignation. Without spoiling anything for other readers, I also found Elerius’ grasping nature and the consequences of it predictable. For me, he was a less nuanced character and compelling character than the others Ms. Domin brought to life so vividly. While some of his actions are villainous, he does not come across as anything more than misguided and ambitious, yet not dangerously so. Still, I hope Ms. Domin may revisit his final fate in the future. She has told me there is a sequel to The Soldier of Raetia and I look forward to reading it.
(less)

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Sep 03, 2009

Evamaria rated it

Shelves: 2009

Heather Domin self-published this historical novel. First in her Livejournal, then on Lulu.com. I found it by accident and got instantly pulled in, reading every update breathlessly. The characters feel real, the descriptions paint a vivid picture of military life under Augustus, and Heather builds a great story arc.

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Jan 23, 2010

Dennis rated it

This book was pretty hum drum, and even childish in places, so maybe this author would be better turning to that particular Genre. having said that, it's only her first novel, and maybe through time...
Enough said, Big D The Dark reviewer.

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Jan 25, 2011

Stephanie / seenonflickr rated it

I read this online as it was posted chapter by chapter, then started again and read to the end while home recovering from surgery. What a great read! The characters and situations are well-written, the dialogue is fresh and fun, and the plot just races along.

The book is set in a Roman legion in 10BC; I know next to nothing about the period, and I was educated and entertained at the same time. This book is historical adventure, military fiction, and m/m romance all rolled up in one, a...more

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Sep 27, 2009

Julie Rose rated it

I loved this book. Domin has a real talent for not only setting a scene, but transporting you there - that immersion is one of the great joys of reading historical fiction. Her characters are rounded and believable, the battle scenes detailed and shocking, and the storyline involving and moving. I had never really been terribly interested in the history of Rome before this, and now I'm hooked: I think that says it all.

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Apr 20, 2010

Cindy rated it

What a treat...I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Heather is a terrific writer, and her highly descriptive battle scenes made me feel as if I were in the phalanx. I was a bit surprised at the detailed sex scenes, but they weren't jarring--they were in line with the overall keen eye and detailed writing throughout the book.

I'm eager to read the sequel!

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Aug 17, 2009

Judy rated it

I love this book. Since I bought it nearly 2 years ago, I think I've read it at least 4-5 times...it's one of my 'go to' books when I don't have a library book at hand. The descriptions are so rich and the amount of research Domin put into this book is astounding. Dardanus and Valerian are two of my favorite fictional characters.

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Aug 24, 2009

Kim rated it

A good balance of exciting battle and well-developed characters.

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