Etched in Starlight by Rosie Chapel

Etched in Starlight is the prequel of Hannah’s Heirloom Historical Romance Trilogy by Rosie Chapel

back cover Etched in Starlight - hannas's Heirloom prequel

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Etched in Starlight

Maxentius
Only eighteen years of age, army recruit Lucius Maxentius Valerius, arrives in Armenia, a world away from the comforts of Rome. Rather than a career in politics, as his family would have preferred, he has chosen a life in the military. Being a soldier in the Roman Army is not for the faint hearted; there is no such thing as an easy campaign and, here in the wilderness of Armenia, they face the Parthians, a formidable enemy, one whom the Romans underestimated once before — to their downfall. This does not deter Maxentius; he has long wanted this life.
It becomes apparent, that Maxentius is a born solider. His uncanny ability to anticipate the actions of the enemy, desire to understand and empathise with the local populace and reasoned perspective on any given strategy, gains the young man the respect of comrades and his superiors and he is promoted with unusual rapidity. A soldier with such instincts is a desirable commodity and, after four years in Armenia, Maxentius is dispatched to Masada, an isolated outpost in the middle of Judaean Desert, taking command of the local garrison. Although a rather mundane assignment, it would be a welcome respite after several years of warfare.

Hannah
Hundreds of miles away in Jerusalem, a city descending into chaos, a young girl is training to be a healer under the watchful eye of her uncle. Not your conventional Hebrew maid, Hannah bat Avigail, forgoes traditional feminine pastimes, spending her days treating all manner of wounds and ailments. Relishing the challenge, Hannah dreams of becoming a physician.
The city is rife with dissent and clashes between advocates and opponents of Roman rule are commonplace. Every day Hannah and her uncle deal with injuries more typical of a battlefield than a civilised society. Worse, her brother and his friends are caught up in the violence and she fears for their lives.
Deprivation and disease add to the increasing instability, inflaming the agitators and encouraging radical groups to join forces hoping to oust the Romans once and for all. In a desperate bid for weapons, a band of rebels venture into the desert, to a fortress guarded by a Roman garrison.
Hannah’s brother refuses to leave his sister alone in an increasingly lawless city and so she travels with him, accepting that, if nothing else, her skills as a healer will probably be required.

Masada
In the aftermath of the attack on Herod’s citadel, Hannah finds and, against her brother’s wishes, treats three badly injured soldiers. Unexpectedly, one of them touches something deep inside her; something that, despite him being an enemy and a captive, she cannot ignore.
Maxentius regains consciousness to the knowledge that this impregnable citadel has fallen and that he is likely one of only three of his garrison to survive the ambush. Uncertain of his future and in a haze of agony, he realises he is in the care of a young woman. A young woman, whose startling green eyes and impish smile, will turn his world upside down
In the days that follow and against impossible odds, they come to realise that they are more than healer and captive, their fate already etched in starlight.

Etched in Starlight is the prequel to the Hannah’s Heirloom Trilogy.

A Word from the Author

The lives of two people from opposite sides of the Roman Empire are on an inexorable path, one that is destined to converge in the most unexpected place.

AD58 ~ Hannah, a young Hebrew girl spends her days learning the art of healing from an indulgent uncle, in a city where rebellion simmers just under the surface. Thousands of miles away a young man, Maxentius, leaves behind the security of his home in the capital of Empire to join an army whose sole intent is to crush anyone who stands in their way.

For both, death and destruction will become the norm.

Jerusalem is sliding irrevocably towards ruin. What began as small pockets of resistance — disenfranchised youths defying the authorities — quickly develops into widespread anarchy, attracting anyone who believes that the Romans have outstayed their welcome. Throughout the following years, Hannah and her uncle, deal with the devastating aftermath of clashes between the two sides.
As the uprising reaches crisis point, a band of rebels, desperate for weapons, risk the dangers of the Judaean desert to raid an isolated outpost guarded by a detachment of Roman soldiers. Persuaded by her brother, Aharon — one of the rebels, who is determined not to abandon his sister to a city descending into chaos — Hannah, fearing her skills may be needed after the ambush, accompanies them.

Hundreds of miles to the north, Armenia, a client kingdom on the edge of Empire, acts as a buffer state between Rome and their long-standing enemy — Parthia. Maxentius, fresh from Rome, is part of a huge military force sent in to ensure that peace and stability is maintained one way or another. His ability, not only to predict the tactics of the enemy, but also to empathise with those subjugated, sees Maxentius rise through the ranks more quickly than most.
Such instincts are coveted and, after four years on the battlefields of Armenia, Maxentius is given command of a remote garrison in the Judaean desert. What begins as a mundane posting ends in an horrific attack, the outcome of which neither Maxentius nor Hannah could, in their wildest dreams, have predicted.

Masada AD66 ~ in the wake of a bloody assault a young woman finds three badly injured Roman soldiers and, unwilling to let the rebels finish them off, begs permission to heal them.
So Hannah and Maxentius meet; their fate already etched in starlight.

(Rosie Chapel, January 2017)