The second novel in this gripping series, set at the end of the Roman Empire, sees a treasonous conspiracy threatening to bring down the Emperor Constantine.
Rome is in peril. The old order is changing. Centurion Aurelius Castus has been summoned back from Britain to find himself caught up in a treasonous conspiracy threatening to bring down the Emperor Constantine. Rewarded for saving the emperor's life, Castus is promoted to the elite imperial bodyguard: the swords around the throne. But he soon discovers the court to be as dangerous as the battlefield. Behind the gilded facade of empire lurks a nest of traitors and one relentless enemy.
'Hugely enjoyable. The author winds up tension into an explosion of fast-paced events Conn Iggulden.
'Ian Ross blazes in the world of Empire and legions ... This is up there with Harry Sidebottom and Ben Kane' M.C. Scott.
'A thumping good read, well-crafted, atmospheric and throughly enjoyable ... Where's the next volume, please?' Ben Kane
Author
About Ian Ross
Ian Ross was born in England and studied painting before turning to writing fiction. He has travelled widely and worked as a bookseller, tutor and university lecturer while developing his writing abilities. A year in Italy teaching English and exploring the ruins of empire reawakened his early love for ancient history, and he returned to the UK with growing fascination for the period known as late antiquity. He has been researching and writing about the later Roman world and its army for over a decade, and his interests combine an obsessive regard for accuracy and detail with a devotion to the craft of storytelling. He lives in Bath, keeps unsociable hours and has never owned a television or a car.
