The Alba Mysteries Returns With 1st Century Roman Britain Fantasy, A Shroud Of Sorcery By David Griffiths

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, A Shroud of Sorcery, the thrilling second book in David Griffiths’ Alba Mysteries, weaves dark magic and imperial intrigue in 1st-century Roman Britain, where warrior-mage Alba battles a mysterious foe wielding illusion to shape the fate of a nation.

A Shroud Of Sorcery

In A Shroud of Sorcery, the second installment of David Griffiths’ gripping Alba Mysteries series, readers are thrust back into the shadowed, mist-laden hills of 1st-century Roman Britain. Following the events of The Cornovii Mystery, this novel deepens the saga of Cornovii warrior-mage Alba, who now faces an enigmatic enemy wielding illusion as a deadly weapon. With a masterful blend of historical authenticity and unsettling magical realism, Griffiths crafts a fantasy that feels ancient, raw, and hauntingly original.

Set against the tense backdrop of Provincia Britannia, where Rome’s imperial ambitions clash with the defiant spirit of tribal peoples, A Shroud of Sorcery eschews the tropes of fantastical kingdoms and mythical creatures. Instead, Griffiths roots his magic in the weathered stones, hillforts, and haunted caves of ancient Britain. Every shadow, every stone circle, pulses with latent power, drawing readers into a world where ancestral lore and dark magick shape reality itself. This is not a tale of dragons or distant realms but a visceral journey into a land teetering on the brink of conquest—and collapse.

The story centers on Alba, a warrior-mage of the Cornovii tribe, as he confronts a mysterious adversary whose command of the dark arts may surpass his own. The Organisation, a shadowy force behind Rome’s imperial rule, deploys a new asset to manipulate the Cornovii into submission. What follows is a chilling wave of ritualistic murders, each steeped in sorcery and illusion. Victims fall prey to hexes, elemental entities, and traps woven into the dreamworld, leaving Alba to unravel a mystery that stretches into the deepest myths of his people’s craft. As Griffiths writes, “In all the legends the child is taken and trained in the magickal arts. Seldom do they return.” This ominous thread underscores the psychological tension that permeates the novel, where illusion becomes a weapon of warfare and truth is as elusive as the mists of Britannia.

What sets A Shroud of Sorcery apart is its grounding in historical and cultural detail. Drawing on the real tensions between Rome and Britannia’s tribes, Griffiths infuses his narrative with a palpable sense of place and time. The rugged landscapes of hillforts and stone circles are not mere settings but active forces in the story, imbued with the weight of ancestral memory. This fusion of history and fantasy creates a world that feels older, darker, and more authentic than traditional genre fare, offering readers a fresh and immersive experience.

Griffiths’ prose is both evocative and precise, capturing the eerie beauty of ancient Britain while delving into the psychological toll of Alba’s battle against an unseen foe. The novel’s focus on illusion, ritual, and the power of handed-down lore makes it a haunting exploration of identity, power, and survival. As Alba navigates a web of imperial intrigue, dark magick, and his own inner doubts, readers are drawn into a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling.

A Shroud of Sorcery is a testament to Griffiths’ singular vision, expanding the boundaries of fantasy with a story that feels both timeless and boldly original. For readers craving a tale where history meets magick, where every shadow holds a secret, this second chapter of The Alba Mysteries is an unforgettable journey into the heart of ancient Britain’s mysteries. As the fate of a tribe—and an entire land—hangs in the balance, Griffiths leaves us eagerly awaiting the next chapter of Alba’s saga.

David Griffiths

David Griffiths, a 59-year-old author based in Wolverhampton, embarked on his writing journey in 2021 with his debut novel, Pompeii: A Man Out of Time, published by Ravenwood Publishing. Since then, he has captivated readers with The Cornovii Mystery, the first book in his acclaimed Alba Mysteries trilogy, which blends the rich tapestry of 1st-century Roman Britain with the evocative power of traditional magick and folklore. Griffiths’ passion for ancient history, particularly the cultural and mystical heritage of Britain, shines through in his work, where stone circles, Iron Age hillforts, and haunted landscapes become vivid backdrops to his storytelling.

A frequent visitor to ancient sites across Shropshire with his family, Griffiths draws inspiration from the rugged beauty and historical weight of these locations, infusing his novels with a deep sense of place. His love for traditional magick and folklore adds an authentic, otherworldly layer to his narratives, setting his fantasy apart in a genre often dominated by mythical beasts and far-flung realms.

Beyond writing, Griffiths is an avid archer, skilled with both the modern recurve bow and the traditional English longbow, a passion he weaves into the action and authenticity of his books. He also enjoys horse riding and cruising in his MG roadster, often attending car shows throughout the year. With his unique blend of historical insight, mystical intrigue, and personal passions, David Griffiths continues to craft stories that transport readers to the shadowed, enchanted edges of ancient Britain.

Find more from David Griffiths now:

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