SKULL'S VENGEANCE

The fourth volume in a series of fantasy novels set in Roman-era Britain.

Tanner continues her Curse of Clansmen and Kings saga, following the adventures of Celtic warrior Catrin as she deals with friends, allies, and foes on the frontiers of the Roman Empire during the reign of Tiberius and his scheming mastermind Sejanus. Catrin’s secret Roman husband Marcellus’ political dealings with his rivals (and hers) offer readers a neat emotional counterbalance to Catrin’s own more exotic adventures; one of those political enemies passionately refers to her as a “murderer who hacked my guards to pieces like swine.” Her adventures largely detail Catrin’s ongoing war against her half-brother, Marrock, a sorcerer who’s usurped their father’s throne in Britannia. In order to overthrow him, Catrin must once again seek the guidance of the mystic Merlin-like figure Myrddin, a centuries-old druid—and, in addition, risk the help of far more ambivalent figures who can tap her into the mystical capacities of skulls, including her father’s, and give her the edge she needs to defeat Marrock. The result is a novel that fails in only one significant way: It’s almost entirely dependent on the three books that precede it and can’t really stand on its own for readers encountering this series for the first time. Avid readers of the series, however, will find this to be an exciting and well-wrought installment. Catrin remains a compelling, well-developed character, as does her nemesis Marrock, who’s a wonderfully satisfying and deeply unlikable villain. There are occasional lapses into slightly purple prose (“A foreboding sense of doom loomed over her as she tethered [her horse] to a beech tree”), but this new chapter generally makes for an engaging read.

A multifaceted and often gripping continuation of the adventures of a vengeful warrior.