SYNOPSIS:
Thracia, AD30: Even after four years military service at the edge of the Roman world, Vespasian can't escape the tumultuous politics of an Empire on the brink of disintegration. His patrons in Rome have charged him with the clandestine extraction of an old enemy from a fortress on the banks of the Danube before it falls to the Roman legion besieging it. Vespasian's mission is the key move in a deadly struggle for the right to rule the Roman Empire. The man he has been ordered to seize could be the witness that will destroy Sejanus, commander of the Praetorian Guard and ruler of the Empire in all but name. Before he completes his mission, Vespasian will face ambush in snowbound mountains, pirates on the high seas, and Sejanus's spies all around him. But by far the greatest danger lies at the rotten heart of the Empire, at the nightmarish court of Tiberius, Emperor of Rome and debauched, paranoid madman.
REVIEW:
Having fallen for Robert’s writing style last year with his debut I was interested to see what would happen with the second title based on the life of one of Rome’s fascinating characters that was one of the earliest recorded self-made men. It’s addictive, it is hard to put down and when you add solid prose, great pace as well as a lead character that is charming, knows how to play the system of politics alongside the battlefield and this book is a real triumph.
Finally add to the whole mix, an addictive series that just goes from good to better, it really announces him as one of the historical fiction authors to not only watch but get in early. Magic.
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