Two independent stories set in the same universe, a historical fantasy version of ancient Rome brimming with mythological creatures, danger and adventure.

Scipio the Sciapod: In the Shade of a Foot by Axel Kamne

Scipio is a sciapod, a very long-lived mythological creature with one leg and one big foot. He hates all Romans, including himself, and he hates humans more than anything else, a fitting trait for his profession, as Scipio is an assassin, killing Roman humans for a living.

Fun and fantastical, this very short story blends mythology and historical fiction with humour, suspense and descriptive prose, managing to create an interesting world and fascinating main character in the span of just a few pages. It is a very intriguing introduction to Axel Kamne’s writing, and well worth the quick read for anyone interested in historical fiction featuring mythological creatures in the ancient Roman era. The short story is available for free by signing up for Axel Kamne’s newsletter.

Historical fantasy – Historical fiction

The Treasure of Juno Moneta by Axel Kamne

A daring heist to steal a fortune. A ragtag crew of humans and mythological creatures, all dreaming of fortune and freedom, team up to tackle the heist of the century. Meanwhile, powerful forces in the city are eyeing the crazed emperor Caligula who is planning to promote his favourite racehorse to senator.

Lucius is a thief with many bad habits. One of them is losing money in the great Roman lottery held in the circus as a part of the entertainment before gladiators, beasts and mythological creatures tear each other apart to amuse the crowd.

Appia is a chariot driver for the whites, owned by a slavemaster and forced to risk her life in the violent races in the circus. Kezekem is a sciapod, a mythological creature with only one leg and one oversized foot, famed for their speed and long lifespan, both of which far exceed that of humans.

Flamma is a half-cyclops gladiator, enormous in size and power with only one eye and accompanied by Bronte, a fierce lizardwolf. Pollio is the son of a senator and long-time friend of Lucius, constantly and easily convinced to join Lucius’ latest scheme despite his better judgement.

Together this crew are hoping to pull off the heist of the century, but can anyone really be trusted in an ancient city filled with politics, schemes, backstabbing and greed? A fun, fantastical tale in a unique setting, and a romp of a heist story with fun and clever twists and turns.

Thank you to StoryOrigin for the review copy of this book.

Historical fantasy – Historical fiction