Review
------
Slave girl Cassia escapes her master and sets out on a
perilous journey north to Hadrian's Wall, and the freedom that
lies beyond. I'm 100 pages in and captivated by Cassia's voice. *
The Bookseller * The writing is crisply vivid, and packs a
powerful visual punch, and I loved how Boudica's spirit of
resistance and rebellion permeated the book through Cassia's
indomitable strength. She's an extraordinarily memorable heroine,
and this is an extraordinary novel - historical YA at its best,
no less. * LoveReading, Joanne Owen * This gripping tale, ed
at a mature reader, of the captives' rebellion that frayed the
edges of the Roman empire in AD4 [...] Cassia and Marcus have a
modern sensibility while credibly belonging to their ancient
world, which fosters our connection to the deep past. But her
skill is that of the novelist, rather than the historian. As with
Rosemary Sutcliff's classic children's novel The Eagle of the
Ninth, Landman is particularly good on the domestic nitty-gritty
of Roman Britain. Dates and timelines are swiftly dispensed
("This was Britannia... occupied by enemy forces these last 300
years") but, when it comes to the hue of a mosaic or what's in a
cooking pot, her eye never blinks and the pace of her story never
slackens. "I have played fast and loose with strict historical
accuracy," she explains in an afterword. And, like any of the
best historical novelists, she gets away with it. * The
Telegraph, Children's Book of the Week * "[...] gripping [...]
Landman is an accomplished storyteller who finds footnotes from
history and turns them into heavy-breathing tales of human
perseverance. Her research is thorough, but she doesn't let what
she doesn't know slow her down. A lesson in how to conquer
historical young adult fiction, brick by brick." * The Times,
Children's Book of the Week * "This gripping tale, ed at a
mature reader, of the captives' rebellion that frayed the edges
of the Roman empire in AD4, investigates the perilous position of
women at every level of society, with frankness about sexual
abuse and violence." * The Observer * This is quite simply an
excellent story! A gripping, full on adventure, rich in
historical detail, Beyond the Wall is a book which you can't put
down! [...] Whether the events in this story would have been
possible or not, this is an amazing tale of courage, passion and
the desire for freedom, vividly brought to life by a master
storyteller. * Reading Zone * "[...] the power and beauty of the
text is clear, sharp and fierce [...]" * The Literary Review *
[...] the Carnegie-winning Landman has created her best heroine
yet in a historical thriller that never releases its ferocious
grip. * New Statesman * "The pace never lets up and a sense of
danger is ever present. The book draws a harsh picture of
Britannia in the late Empire and the subject matter-slavery,
foreign occupation and materialism-is very topical. This is an
engrossing and enjoyable read for older teenagers." * Historical
Novel Society * "[...] excellent YA novel [...] Beyond the Wall
is a great read, the scenes rattling by in a succession of
suspense-filled chases and escapes with plenty of cliffhangers
and surprises. The characters are strong, with both Cassia and
Marcus very believable as young people in impossible situations."
* The Guardian, Tony Bradman * "I found this book delightful. It
has an air of easy historical accuracy. It is also very evocative
of the time of its setting and gives a strong feeling of a
country that has been occupied for too long by a country whose
grip is now weakening. Tanya Landman's ability to set this strong
sense of history against a context of emotion and place that can
be identified with by the reader makes both the plot and the
setting very accessible. This book is ed at the teen/young
adult audience and deserves to be very successful." * Crime
Review *
About the Author
----------------
Tanya Landman has written numerous books for children
and young people, including Buffalo Soldier, winner of the
Carnegie Medal, Apache, shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and
the Booktrust Teenage Prize, The Goldsmith's Daughter and Hell
and High Water, shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction
Prize, the Sam Swann and Poppy Fields mystery series and the
beautiful picture book Mary's Penny. Tanya lives in Bideford,
Devon, with her husband and their two sons. Visit Tanya at
www.tanyalandman.com.
