Roman Ice

An Archaeological Thriller

By: Dave Bartell

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Buried scrolls. Cutthroat rivals.
A discovery that rewrites history and...sparks a saga readers never want to end.

History isn’t the only thing on the line—so are the people you’ll follow for nine books and counting.

Darwin Lacroix has one shot to clear his family’s name. For decades, academia mocked the idea that a Roman treasure convoy vanished in the far north—right up until a scroll recovered from beneath Vesuvius hinted otherwise.
When a diamond cache surfaces in Iceland, Darwin jumps on the first flight to Reykjavik, determined to finish what his ancestors started. But he’s not the only one chasing the treasure.

A ruthless cartel wants it first, and they play for keeps.

Forced into an alliance with Eyrún Stefansdottír—a fearless volcanologist with her own ghosts—and a diamond expert who thinks “ethics” is a type of pasta, Darwin plunges into Iceland’s fire-scarred underworld. Beneath glaciers and hardened lava, a maze of tubes hides the prize.

As rivals close in, trust frays, and every choice becomes a gamble with no do-overs. Down in the dark, Darwin discovers that survival isn’t just about the treasure—it’s about the people you’d risk everything to protect.

ROMAN ICE launches an archaeological thriller series praised for its relentless pace, vivid detail, and surprising heart. Perfect for fans of Steve Berry, Clive Cussler, Daniel Silva, and Ernest Dempsey.

What readers say:

• “Fast-paced from beginning to end… simply grabs hold of the reader and won’t let go.”
• “Vivid imagery, rich characters… I cared more about the people than the treasure.”
• “More twists and turns than the lava tubes!!”
• “Pure magic. Believable characters. I want to take up caving now.”
• “Great mix of real history, sharp science, survival mode, and humor.”
• “The writing is concise. The science is real. The characters feel alive.”
• “Couldn’t put it down. And the lava-tube idea? Genius.”
• “Hooked from Iceland to the last page. This could be the next Indiana Jones.”

Love a good What-If kind of story

Utterly incredible and what intrigue! A story where explorers and experts act upon the possibility that the Roman Empire used a lava tube as an underground roadway system - as a Roman history lover and historical fiction writer, this story had my attention and was listened to in two days.

The only drawback is that the narration was done with virtual voice; it somewhat dulled the story, unfortunately.

The story itself is good, I like historical fiction but couldn't fully get into the artifical reading of the book.

I don't care for "virtual voice", I'm old fashioned in that I like to hear the human inflections and emotions while listening to a story.

Spoiler Alert

Too many characters with foreign names that were hard to remember. Also, the author never resolved the question of whose few-hundred year old male body they found early on in the tube. The end left me with unanswered questions about Agrippa and the tube that led to Rome.

Excellent story with educational descriptions

Excellent story and writing if it had been a real person performing the narrative, I would buy it. The robot voice narration was off putting

Not a fan of the virtual voice

Pay your actors/voice tallent and stop wasting your money on the AI crap. You need a better agent as an author if this is the best you're getting at the moment.