Castor's New Life

In the second book of the Dacian Wildcat Series, Castor's fight is no longer only for survival-it is for identity, family, and belonging.

After the destruction of his Dacian village, ten-year-old Castor is taken to the Roman city of Tomis, where he learns that his mother's family is Roman nobility. His grandfather expects him to become a proper Roman boy. His uncle demands obedience. His mother wants him safe. And Panos, the Roman soldier chosen to become his stepfather, is given the difficult task of guiding a stubborn, grieving child into a world Castor does not want.

Castor refuses to surrender his Dacian heritage. He resists Latin, Roman clothing, Roman customs, and the rigid class system that has turned people he loves into slaves. Yet even as he fights against his new life, he begins to form unexpected bonds-with Panos, with a Roman boy named Pollux, and with others who challenge the way he sees both Dacians and Romans.

From the training grounds of Tomis to the ruins of his mountain village and the crowded streets of Rome, Castor must face painful truths about war, family, loyalty, and change. When an unexpected encounter reopens the deepest wound of his past, Castor's new life becomes even more uncertain.

Castor's New Life is a historical adventure for upper middle grade and young teen readers who enjoy stories of courage, resilience, family bonds, and the clash of cultures in the ancient world.