The Echoes of Germania by H.B. Ashman | Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A bloody massacre. An ancient curse. One young German holds the course of history in her hands.

Engineering student Amalia Weber is only training in Olympic judo to please her overbearing father. Caught in a storm on her daily run, the screams of a drowning woman draw her to a lake deep within the mystic Teutoburg forest. But when she jumps in to attempt a rescue, she’s pulled under herself… and somehow awakens alive two thousand years in the past.

Now, enslaved by Roman soldiers—including the legendary Germanic-prince-turned-Roman-officer Arminius—Amalia struggles to survive in a world where her life means nothing. And when her twenty-first-century knowledge is discovered, returning to her own time becomes the least of her worries.

Caught between the merciless forces of Rome and the wild Germanic tribes who dare to defy them, can a modern woman forge history as we know it?

Echoes of Germania is the first book in the riveting Tales of Ancient Worlds series. A mix between Vikings, Rome, A Games of Thrones, and Outlander, H.B. Ashman’s new novel is a stay-up-all-night nail-biter.”

Some things just damn well intrigue me.  History being one of them.  The Roman Empire was always a dynasty that just got those creative juices flowing.  The riches, the military prowess and the fantastical world of Ancient Rome.  Echoes of Germania is that perfect blend of fiction and history.  This book blew every expectation or preconceived idea I had clean out the water.  The prose and the dialogue were swift and laser precise, it didn’t take any time at all to fall hard for this superbly ambitious tale of love and mythology.  The novel has the beating heart of a warrior.

Picking up Echoes of Germania was a gamble as typically I struggle with historical fiction.  The chance paid off and instantly you get a sense of the labour of love this story was for the author…research and passion surely screamed to me as much as a baby calls for its mother in the middle of the night.  From this point forward I will trust Ashman with my heart and my imagination.  One thing is for certain – you are in good hands.  Every second spent in this world is never a wasted moment.  Time is a fragile construct whilst reading this story.

The prologue really sets the scene.  We are transported back to around 9 BC with the celebrated General Drusus reaping the benefits of a victory against the Germanic Suebi tribe.  After a brutal act of killing the tribes Seer’ daughters he is cursed from that moment on, a moment that will have significance when he falls from his horse and becomes crushed, he perishes from his injuries.  Just as easy as these characters live and breathe, I could feel myself in that moment and Ashman could bring any scene to life with a mere sentence, a fleeting moment captured for all of time to witness. 

The Echoes of Germanica is centred around the main protagonist, a nineteen-year-old girl living in the present day.  Her life is plagued by wanting to be in another place, her father is extremely archaic and is living vicariously through her talent as a Judo competitor, her love however, lies in becoming an engineer.  Amalia has been given more than she bargained for however, when she is transported back in time after trying to save an apparent drowning woman in a lake.  She slips under and awakes in 1 AD a world that is ruled by Emperor Augustus.

The Echoes of Germania was seamless – the transition from twenty first century to 1 AD was flawless.  The detailed descriptions and action-packed battles had me racing on to find out what would happen.  I could smell the countryside, imagine the putrid scent of decaying bodies, blood-soaked tunics and battle cries.  The political intrigue felt very real for the times and the backstabbing and personal agendas again breathed life into the story. 

The Echoes of Germania is delightfully dark and historically brilliant.  You can really feel the drive to it, the gearstick is put into high and you immediately just want to go with it.  Its not a flowery tale but one with brutality and heart.  I’m going to struggle to wait for book two!  

ABOUT H.B. ASHMAN

Ashman’s passion for history and mythology can be traced to her childhood. A vibrant, young girl of seven, Ashman remembers playing in the ancient Roman ruins at the roadside of a rural area in Turkey, faintly sensing the historical significance of the place, but absolutely oblivious of the important role the ruins would play in her future. 
Whenever Ashman is not typing away on one of her books, you can find her playing with her son, binging Netflix with her beloved husband, or chasing after her puppy (who should technically be an adult dog by now)

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