Eagle in Exile

In Alan Smale's alternate history series set in AD 1218, Praetor Gaius Marcellinus embarks on a mission to conquer North America for the Roman Empire. However, after his legion is annihilated outside Cahokia, he becomes the sole survivor and eventually embraces the culture of the Cahokians, whom he vows to protect from both Roman threats and internal divisions. As he successfully repels an invasion from the Iroqua tribes, Marcellinus recognizes that he must unite Cahokia to defend against the imminent return of the Roman army. His journey challenges his loyalties and redefines his sense of home, pushing him to seek victory for the people he now considers his kin.