Captives

Roman slave trafficking is the focus of this somewhat sluggish sequel to 2009's Druids. Druid Mallec spends most of his life practicing and teaching his religion. His spare time is taken up tracking down the mysterious slave woman he has seen repeatedly in his dreams. The druidess Rhonwen and her uncle Orlan are captives aboard a merchant vessel, and as soon as it lands in Rhodes, the two Iberians will be separated and sold. Rhonwen, a gifted healer, holds fast to her religion and her anger over her son's death at the hands of the vile Roman Perpenna. As Mallec and Rhonwen are drawn together, their travails carry this lackluster historical fantasy forward. Galler-Smith and Langston spice up the setting with plenty of historical fact, but the characterization and plotting are as predictable as the Roman Empire's downfall. (June)