Cast Not the Day (Drusus #1) by Paul Waters

‘It is by our tasks that we come to know our powers.’

The central character of this novel, set in the middle of the 4^th century CE, is Drusus. Drusus is a young British nobleman of Roman birth whose mother died when he was born. As the novel opens, Drusus is fourteen years old, and his father, Appius, has been summoned to the emperor’s court at Trier ‘to answer certain … questions.’ Drusus is sent to his great uncle in London, Lucius Balbus. He will never see his father again.

By this period, Britain and the Roman Empire have been ruled by Christian emperors for a generation. The Christian church continues to grow in strength and has suppressed most of its opposition. And, while much of the population in Britain worships the old gods, the Christian church, with the support of the emperor, is now attempting to destroy the old beliefs by force. As the story unfolds, Drusus finds himself involved in both religious and civil conflict. He becomes a soldier, finds love, and comes under suspicion.

The Western Roman Empire is beginning to crumble. There is civil war within the empire after the death of Constantine in 337 CE and Drusus and his lover Marcellus become caught up in the political intrigue and the fighting.

I enjoyed this novel. I do not know much of the history of this period, and Mr Waters has me wanting to know more about the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Drusus himself is an interesting character, as is Marcellus’s grandfather Aquinus.

And now I need to read the second novel in the duology to see how it ends.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith