Book Title: Skull’s Vengeance
Series: Curse of Clansmen and Kings
Author: Linnea Tanner
Publication Date: 18 October 2022
Publisher: Apollo Raven Publisher, LLC
Page Length: 402 pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance
Blurb
A Celtic warrior queen must do the impossible—defeat her sorcerer half-brother and
claim the throne. But to do so, she must learn how to strike vengeance from her father’s
skull.
AS FORETOLD BY HER FATHER in a vision, Catrin has become a battle-hardened warrior
after her trials in the Roman legion and gladiatorial games. She must return to Britannia and
pull the cursed dagger out of the serpent's stone to fulfill her destiny. Only then can she
unleash the vengeance from the ancient druids to destroy her evil half-brother, the powerful
sorcerer, King Marrock. Always two steps ahead and seemingly unstoppable, Marrock can
summon destructive natural forces to crush any rival trying to stop him and has charged his
deadliest assassin to bring back Catrin's head.
To have the slightest chance of beating Marrock, Catrin must forge alliances with former
enemies, but she needs someone she can trust. Her only option is to seek military aid from
Marcellus—her secret Roman husband. They rekindle their burning passion, but he is playing
a deadly game in the political firestorm of the Julio-Claudian dynasty to support Catrin's
cause.
Ultimately, in order to defeat Marrock, Catrin must align herself with a dark druidess and
learn how to summon forces from skulls to exact vengeance. But can she and Marcellus
outmaneuver political enemies from Rome and Britannia in their quest to vanquish Marrock?
Trigger warnings:
Sex, Slave trafficking and abuse, Violence, Childbirth
Praise
Acclaim for other books in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series:
"[An] epic tale of love, betrayal and political intrigue." —InD'tale Magazine
"The requisite fantasy elements of magic and mystery abound...Tanner also does an
admirable job weaving in the politics and mythology of a bygone people." —Kirkus
"Part fantasy, part historical fiction, Linnea Tanner has woven together a wonderful tale of
romance, intrigue, mystery, and legend to create an entertaining and complex story." —The
International Review of Books
"[A] captivating tale of triangles; love, lust and espionage; friend, foe, and spies; barbarians,
civilized Rome and spiritual-supernatural beings." —2019 Pencraft Book of the Year Award
Buy Links Skull’s Vengeance:
Universal: https://books2read.com/u/bao09y
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barn esandnoble.com/w/skulls-vengeance-linnea-
Buy Links for Books from Curse of Clansmen and Kings series:
Apollo’s Raven: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0848QHHK4/
Dagger’s Destiny: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G3G4G55/
Amulet’s Rapture: ht tps://www.amazon.com/Amulets-Rapture-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-
Skull’s Vengeance: ht tps://www.amazon.com/Skulls-Vengeance-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-
Author Bio
Linnea Tanner
Award-winning author, Linnea Tanner, weaves Celtic tales of love, magical adventure, and
political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. Since childhood, she has passionately read
about ancient civilizations and mythology. Of particular interest are the enigmatic Celts, who
were reputed as fierce warriors and mystical druids.
Linnea has extensively researched ancient and medieval history, mythology, and archaeology
and has traveled to sites described within each of her books in the Curse of Clansmen and
Kings series. Books released in her series include Apollo’s Raven (Book 1), Dagger’s Destiny
(Book 2), Amulet’s Rapture (Book 3), and Skull’s Vengeance (Book 4).
A Colorado native, Linnea attended the University of Colorado and earned both her
bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry. She lives in Fort Collins with her husband and
has two children and six grandchildren.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.linneatanner.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/linneatanner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linneatanner/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Linnea-Tanner/e/B01N6YEM04
Book Excerpt:
Chapter 1 Portals to the Otherworld
Antonii Villa in Gaul, Eve of Samhain, 31 October, 27 AD
Exasperated, Catrin drew in a sharp breath. Then, she considered Trystan’s impassioned plea to meet with two of her most hated enemies. Recalling how her father had respected his second-in- command’s advice, she reluctantly conceded and squeezed her legs against her horse’s flanks to move toward the campfire’s glow.
The night’s chill mysteriously transformed into an embracing warmth as they neared a roaring
fire with a black cauldron hanging over it. Sitting behind the crimson flames were two obscured figures.
“Welcome, Apollo’s Raven,” a woman’s deep voice intoned. “Come to our fire. Join us in the
dance of souls.”
Though Catrin hesitated to join them, the fire’s radiance mesmerized her, luring her closer to the orange flames. She dismounted and handed the reins to Trystan, who quietly remained with the horses as she sat down on a fallen log near the roaring campfire.
“Drink the magic from the cauldron,” the woman offered. “It empowers all who partake with the knowledge of mystical mysteries from the ancient druids.”
“I already have that power,” Catrin proclaimed, trepidatious that perhaps Rhan had dropped
hallucinogenic ingredients into the bubbling mixture. Thick steam flowed over the cauldron’s
edge and down its metal surface in a thick, greenish fog.
“We know, my love, but you have only had a taste,” Rhan replied in a hypnotic voice. “You do
not know how to control this dark magic. But we do.”
Suddenly light-headed from the smoky fumes emanating from the cauldron, Catrin struggled to
maintain her wits. “Once before you said this, when you tried to trick me into revealing how I
can travel to the Otherworld.”
“Believe me, this is no trick,” Rhan said soothingly. “I’ve seen your father’s spirit wander the
top of cliffs, near a dagger embedded in a serpent stone. It is the blade on which my curse was etched.”
“I sense the curse has altered again, but I can’t see how the etched wording has changed on the blade,” Myrddin interjected. “You must help us solve the riddle of how the dagger got there.”
Catrin inhaled sharply, realizing Myrddin and Rhan had discovered the location of the dagger
she had thrust into the stone. The image of her running away from the Romans played in her
mind, and her thoughts transformed into words.
“After the final battle, I tried to escape the Romans, but…but there was nowhere to go, except
jump off the white cliffs. At that moment, I chose to die rather than be captured.”
Rhan rose to her feet, walked around the fire, and sat next to Catrin. “But you didn’t die, did
you?” she said, touching Catrin’s arm.
“No. A riderless horse galloped to me, stopping in front of me. My father suddenly appeared and told me not to jump,” Catrin disclosed, reliving the supernatural moment in her mind. “I couldn’t believe my eyes that Father was there. I knew Marrock had beheaded him. Yet, I felt his essence and his love radiate into me.”
Tears swelled in Catrin’s eyes as remorse that she had been unable to save her family from
Marrock’s brutality overwhelmed her. She swallowed down a sob before continuing her story.
“Father told me to lift the cursed dagger toward the sky. To my amazement, sunlight flashed
through the dark clouds, almost blinding me. He then ordered, ‘Thrust the dagger into the serpent stone that I create.’ What I saw next was not a vision. It was real.”
Catrin grimaced as she recalled the burning pain she’d felt as she’d held the hilt of the dagger.
“The blade turned orange, as if it had been taken out of a furnace. Father’s spirit burst apart into gold dust and melted into the blade’s etching. Serpents massed together on the ground. The venom dripping from their fangs hardened into stone. Somehow, I was able to push the dagger into the hard rock, like it was butter. And, and…”
“And what, my dear?” Rhan pressed.
Catrin’s voice cracked. “I was collared by the Romans and put on a warship.”
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