Synopses & Reviews
In the sixth novel in Harry Sidebottom's acclaimed and bestselling Warrior of Rome historical fiction series, In AD 264, the Roman Empire has been torn in two. The western provinces--Gaul, Spain and Britain--have been seized by Postumus, the pretender to the throne. To the east, on the plains of northern Italy, the armies of the emperor Gallienus muster and he is keen to take his rightful place of power. A war between two emperors is coming and everyone must choose a side. On a mission shrouded in secrecy and suspicion, Ballista is sent by Gallienus back to his original home of Hyperborea, the place of the people of his birth to raise an army against Postumus. This means that Ballista must journey along The Amber Road to the far north. Along the way Ballista meets a fearsome, masked warlord who attacks, bringing fire and sword against Ballista and his men. And in his home of Hyperborea not all welcome Ballista's return. In the battle between Postumus and Gallienus only one can survive and be emperor. Renowned for their skilled blending of action and historical accuracy, Sidebottom's Warrior of Rome novels take the reader from the shouts of the battlefield to the whisperings of the emperor's inner circle. Rich in detail and punctuated by harrowing action, there's no better way to transport yourself back to the days of the Roman Empire.
Review
Praise for the Warrior of Rome series:
“Sidebottoms prose blazes with searing scholarship.” —The Times
“Superior. . . fiction, with depth, authenticity and a sense of place.” —Times Literary Supplement
“A storming Roman epic with explosive action and knuckle-whitening drama.” —The Guardian
“I dont think Ive ever experienced antiquity so directly: the brutality, the directness of expression and feeling, the deep bonds formed amid unmitigated violence.” —David Konstan, Professor of Classics, Brown University
“The best sort of red-blooded historical fiction.” —Andrew Taylor, author of The American Boy
Synopsis
Ballista returns to undertake yet another epic mission--while the Roman Empire reels in chaos around him.
About the Author
Harry Sidebottom is the bestselling author of the Warrior of Rome series of novels, including Fire in the East, King of Kings, Lion of the Sun, The Caspian Gates, and The Wolves of the North, all published by Overlook. He teaches classical history at Oxford University, where he is a Fellow of St. Benets Hall and a Lecturer at Lincoln College. His Warrior of Rome series has sold more than half a million copies worldwide and been translated into 13 languages. Visit harrysidebottom.co.uk and readswordsandsandals.com for more.