Virtual Tales, a privately held publisher of trade paperbacks, eBooks, and eSerials spanning a variety of fiction genres and styles, announced the paperback release of the British historical fantasy novel THE LAST FREE MEN by UK authors Jack Everett and David Coles.

During the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd Century AD, Rome’s Ninth Legion was sent to Hadrian’s Wall in northwest Britain to quell an insurrection that threatened the Empire’s hold on the region. They were never heard from again.  Historians have speculated for centuries about what might have happened to the mighty Ninth Legion—THE LAST FREE MEN presents one intriguing possibility.

The story is told through the eyes of Marcus Gettorix, son of a Roman general and a British woman living in the northwest frontier of Rome’s mighty empire (modern-day Scotland). The Roman Army is determined to consolidate its grip on the British Isles, but the native peoples are rallied into constant rebellion by the Druids. The Romans rely on scouts who dress and speak as the native peoples for intelligence, and Marcus has been trained for this role. While acting undercover he is rendered unconscious during a battle and is captured. His commandant is dead, leaving no one to attest that he is actually a Roman soldier. He is sentenced to work in the mines with the rest of the prisoners.

Quick to take advantage, the Druids use Marcus as a figurehead and fan the flames of resentment into an insurrection that joins British and Scottish tribes against the Romans. Now allied with the Druids, Marcus lures the ambitious Roman general in charge of the Ninth Legion into a deadly trap destined to create one of history’s greatest mysteries.

THE LAST FREE MEN can be purchased at the Virtual Tales website or through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones in the UK and many other outlets. It is also available as an eSerial exclusively through the Virtual Tales website. The first four chapters in the book are also available as a free preview at the Virtual Tales website.

THE LAST FREE MEN
Authors: Jack Everett & David Coles
ISBN-13: 978-1-935460-08-4
ISBN-10: 1-935460-18-8
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Retail Price: $15.95

Available in the USA at: Virtual Tales, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or ask for it at your favorite bookstore.

eBook ISBN-13: 978-1-935460-21-3
eBook ISBN-10: 1-897442-05-X
Retail Price: $6.95

Available in most eBook formats through Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Books on Board, Diesel ebooks, eBookMall, eReader.com, FictionWise, iTunes, Mobipocket, ShortCovers, Sony eStore, Virtual Tales, Waterstones, WHSmith and many other outlets worldwide.

Virtual Tales is a privately held partnership founded in 2006 to publish original works of general and genre fiction in multiple formats, including print, eBooks and eSerials. Trade paperbacks are available through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and other outlets throughout the world. eBooks are offered in a variety of formats, including MobiPocket, Microsoft Reader, Amazon/Kindle, ePub and PDA-formatted Adobe Reader files. eSerials are delivered through email as Adobe Reader files suitable for reading on a PC, Mac, PDA, e-reader, cell phone or other devices. Virtual Tales is based in Vancouver, Washington, just north of Portland, Oregon on the west coast of the United States.

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