Hard and annoying "ID this Book" request.

[Fenris]

I only remember a tiny fragment of this book. And it wasn’t a particularly important one. I hang my head in shame for this request.

1. Fantasy book. Absolutely no earlier than 2000, probably more like 2005-2009ish.
2. Might be someone like Sanderson.
3. The tiny fragment of a plot I remember:
   a) Vaguely Roman-ish world (legions, olive trees, marble statues, etc)
   b) Young girl (8? 12?) is on her parent’s somewhat run-down estate, alone, maybe in an olive grove or something. She’s maybe sitting on a bench reading a book or something.
   c) Her grandfather? great-uncle? Much older male relative in any case is in charge of a large group of Legionaires…anyway, he comes riding up, Legions behind him.
   d) Something’s happened–invasion? revolt? uprising? I dunno, but he tells the girl to come with him
   e) she does.

I told you this would be annoying. I remember nothing else about the book, but that scene was just so vivid.

Any ideas? Guesses?

[Trinopus]

Desperate longshot: Robert Silverberg’s “Roma Eterna.”

Way beyond desperate Hail Mary longshot: Edgar Rice Burroughs’, “I Am a Barbarian.”

[Andy_L]

@Fenris

I only remember a tiny fragment of this book. And it wasn’t a particularly important one. I hang my head in shame for this request.

1. Fantasy book. Absolutely no earlier than 2000, probably more like 2005-2009ish.
2. Might be someone like Sanderson.
3. The tiny fragment of a plot I remember:
   a) Vaguely Roman-ish world (legions, olive trees, marble statues, etc)
   b) Young girl (8? 12?) is on her parent’s somewhat run-down estate, alone, maybe in an olive grove or something. She’s maybe sitting on a bench reading a book or something.
   c) Her grandfather? great-uncle? Much older male relative in any case is in charge of a large group of Legionaires…anyway, he comes riding up, Legions behind him.
   d) Something’s happened–invasion? revolt? uprising? I dunno, but he tells the girl to come with him
   e) she does.

I told you this would be annoying. I remember nothing else about the book, but that scene was just so vivid.

Any ideas? Guesses?

I think this is Stephen Baxter’s Coalescent (Coalescent - Wikipedia): a big part of the book is the story of a girl born in Roman Britain just as Rome is losing its grip on Britain; she lives on her parent’s estate initially which is falling into disrepair (tiled floors unrepaired, etc.) - and after the estate becomes not safe for her to live in, her grandfather, a Centurion, eventually takes her to the Roman encampments south of Hadrian’s wall. The book is from 2003.

[Fenris]

@Andy_L

I think this is Stephen Baxter’s Coalescent (Coalescent - Wikipedia): a big part of the book is the story of a girl born in Roman Britain just as Rome is losing its grip on Britain; she lives on her parent’s estate initially which is falling into disrepair (tiled floors unrepaired, etc.) - and after the estate becomes not safe for her to live in, her grandfather, a Centurion, eventually takes her to the Roman encampments south of Hadrian’s wall. The book is from 2003.

You are a god among men. That has to be it.

Seriously, I’m pretty good with book IDs, but you’re freakin’ amazing. How do you do it, Holmes?

Thanks!

[Andy_L]

@Fenris

You are a god among men. That has to be it.

Seriously, I’m pretty good with book IDs, but you’re freakin’ amazing. How do you do it, Holmes?

Thanks!

No problem. I don’t know how I do it - something about your description just reminded me of the Baxter book, and as I thought about it, more and more details fit.