Between the Forest and the Hills Paperback – April 1, 1999

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The times are changing fast in Roman Britain. With the Western Empire collapsing, the legions have been withdrawn and the British have been told that they're on their own. Saxons encroachments have disrupted ancient lines of communication leaving many towns isolated and at the mercy of the barbarians. But some towns, like Iscium, are remote enough to remain at peace--for a while, anyway.This character-driven tale is called "A Historical Fantasy" but that term is somewhat misleading. While there are surely a few fanciful elements, there are no goblins or trolls. The town of Iscium is, as far as I can tell, a product of the author's imagination (though the city of Caerleon in Wales was once called Iscia Augusta). The characters too appear to be completely fictional. The setting, however, is quite historical and the reader is lightly transported back to that era of change and transition--when Rome receded and medieval Christendom emerged.The author's excellent true-to-life depictions of the characters are what really make this book tick. Falx, a Roman boy, displays all the foolish courage and reluctant care of a virtuous lad his age. Malleus the bishop and his pagan friend Frontalis are endearing grumbly old men while Ulna is a wide-eyed barbarian girl, wise in her innocence. Axon and Thena, a young married couple, are forever optimistic despite the often dire circumstances. The Saxon chieftain Torcula is fierce yet reasonable, while the mysterious Teres, like Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, seems to turn up whenever he is most needed. But the most endearing characters of all may be Hrudin and Concha, the loquacious ravens.Between the Forest and the Hills is a tremendously charming and well-conceived tale. It is enjoyable reading for young folks (ages 12 and up) and for old folks, too, and I plan to re-read it with my kids in the not-too-distant future. If you liked this book, I would heartily recommend  Centurion's Daughter  which tells a similar tale of the end of Roman Gaul and the beginning of the kingdom of the Franks.

We read this book together as a family and enjoyed it very much. Ann Lawrence brings the citizens of the small Roman settlement in Britain to life in often amusing ways. The talking crows were a highlight. The ending was unexpected, but tied together many of the unusual happenings. We thouroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

This charming story is set in Isicum, a Romano-British city in the remote west of Britain, forgotten as the Romans depart Britain and the inhabitants of Iscium feel increasinlgy isolated, with Saxons appearing over the horizon. A Romano-British boy, Falx, find a litle lost Saxon girl, ulna, in the woods and brings her home to Iscium. The book is full of delightful characters, like Bishop Malleus, with a passion for beekeeping, and Teres, the mysterious one-eyed man with ravens on his shoulders, who keeps quoting from books that haven't been written yet. An entertaining and unusual historical fantasy. P.S. The Ann Lawrence who wrote this is not the same Ann Lawrence who writes the books with naked men on the covers, sorry.

A beautiful story introducing children to the fall of Rome and introducing them to the Middle Ages.

One of my favourite books - good story, lots of background, good characterisation, witty, historical; what's not to like? And a happy ending too.