Black Country AD80

A Croatian soldier named Marcus who is fighting for Rome in Britain seeks redemption after murdering a young girl he mistook for an older woman when he was extremely drunk. A generous offering from a figure from his past offers him an escape from the loneliness of soldiering in a remote outpost. He escapes down the road to Rome but finds love with a local widow and seeks to escape the sins of his past by first building, then defending the village he comes to define as home.
Marcus's journey highlights the clash of cultures between the indigenous British and the brutality of Roman colonialism. The British find themselves conflicted between the ingenuity and wealth of Rome and the erosion of their culture and identity. They are forced to side with Marcus, however, when the brother of the girl he had murdered leads a vengeful army from the north to attack his village.
Black Country, AD80 is the first in the "Black Country" series, and sets the foundation for the future protagonists in the series, as well as presenting an exciting and illuminating study of the formation of the ruling elite in British society.