Synopses & Reviews
It's 270 ADRome has ruled Syria for more than three centuries, but now the weakened empire faces a desperate threat, and a 19-year old officer must do the near-impossible
Queen Zenobia of Palmyra has turned her Roman-trained army against her former masters. Arabia, Palestine, and Egypt have fallen and now Antioch, Syria's capital, stands exposed. A young intelligence agent fresh from officer training, Cassius Corbulo is the only ranking Roman officer left in the line of the Palmyran advance, and he receives orders that he must take command of the fort of Alauran, the last stronghold still in Roman hands, and hold it until reinforcements arrive. What Cassius finds at Alauran would daunt the most seasoned veteran, let alone a 19 year-old with no experience of war. A mere scattering of divided and demoralized legionaries remain, backed up by some fractious Syrian auxiliaries and a drunken Praetorian Guardsman. With the Palmyrans just days away, Cassius must somehow find the discipline, resourcefulness, and courage to organize the garrison, save Alauran, and secure Rome's eastern frontier.
Review
"A masterful debut from a new author completely at home in this era; the writing is deft, the action swift and bloody and the characters believable and engaging. I look forward greatly to the next one." —Manda Scott, author, Dreaming the Eagle
Review
"Once the action kicks off you won't be able to put it down." —Anthony Riches, author, Empire series
About the Author
Nick Brown grew up in Norfolk and later studied history at the University of Sussex. In 2000 he embarked on a PGCE course at the University of Exeter and began a career as a teacher of humanities and English. For the last five years he has been working at an international school in Warsaw. He has been writing since his early twenties, focusing initially on screenplays. He is the author of Agent of Rome.