Tabula Rasa cover art

Tabula Rasa

Roman Empire Series, Book 6

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Tabula Rasa

By: Ruth Downie
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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About this listen

The medicus Ruso and his wife, Tilla, are back in the borderlands of Britannia, this time helping to tend the builders of Hadrian's Great Wall. Having been forced to move off their land, the Britons are distinctly on edge. Then Ruso's recently arrived clerk, Candidus, goes missing. A native boy thinks he sees a body being hidden inside the wall's half-finished stonework, and a worrying rumor begins to spread. When soldiers ransack the nearby farms looking for Candidus, Tilla's tentative friendship with a local family turns to anger and disappointment. Tensions only increase when Branan, the family's youngest son, also vanishes. As Ruso and Tilla try to solve the mystery of the two disappearances - while at the same time struggling to keep the peace between the Britons and the Romans - an intricate scheme involving slavery, changed identities, and fur trappers emerges, and it becomes imperative that Ruso find Branan before it's too late.

©2014 Ruth Downie (P)2014 Tantor Genre Fiction Historical Literary Fiction Mystery Fiction

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Critic reviews

"Like the other titles in the series, Downie's latest mixes an engaging story line, provocative characters, and a satisfying evocation of time and place." ( Library Journal)
All stars
Most relevant
I cannot recommend this audio book highly enough. I am a big fan of Ruth Downie and her Ruso series. Thrilled to get this on audio. Thank you Ruth Downie for writing it and Audible for making it available on audio.

Throughly enjoyable

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So far each book in this series has been better than the previous. (and I'm pretty sure I gave the first one a 5 star rating!)
A great way of stepping back into a fictional past and putting a fictional story into history. A great story, kept me looking forward to picking up the story from where I had to leave off.

A great way of enjoying the past

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Russo and Tilla are the odd couple of the Roman era, fun and intriguing, highly recommend.

Fabulous

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Simon Vance wasn't on form for this book. It was like a long running radio drama (e.g. The Archers) with new actors in crucial parts, without efforts towards continuity- Brian Aldridge turns Australian overnight or Joe Grundy becomes Norwegian!- Albanus in particular seems to have developed an accent which could be considered of lower status than in previous books. Tilla too sounds different and overall I feel there's less subtlety in vocal characterisation.
The story is interesting, and having recently repeated that journey "over the top" home out of England I can appreciate the bleak conditions exper

Good story but narration below par

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another ripping yarn about the adventures of Rouso and Tilla. fast paced and engaging, giving a glimpse of what life might have been like in Roman Britain for the Romans and British people alike.

The hapless roman in another adventure

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