Lucy Popescu savours debut novels

13 November 2025, The Tablet

Speed reading

Set in 409, as the Roman Empire crumbles, Mark J.F. Hudson’s Beyond the Black Gate (Conrad Press, £10.99; Tablet price £9.89) follows Nehtan, a young Christian woman rescued in northern Gaul by Fromus, a Patrician travelling as part of a delegation to petition Emperor Honorius. Their bond deepens during the journey, though Nehtan’s freedom is threatened by Messor, a bloodthirsty soldier.

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