Or is he raising an army to save the province from the darkness that waits on the other side of the Wall?Hailed as one of our very best historical novelists, Douglas Jackson returns to the world of ancient Rome with this epic novel of a failing empire and a world on the brink .
Originally published: London: Bantam Press, an imprint of Transworld Publishers, 2013.
AD 80 Gaius Valerius Verrens is back where he belongs, at the head of a legion. Valerius leads his men to a devastating victory against the recalcitrant Brigantes, infuriating Agricola in the process.
Soon, Valerius finds himself at the centre of a web of intrigue spun by Titus's lover, Queen Berenice of Cilicia, and her sometime ally, the general's turncoat adviser, Flavius Josephus, who have an ulterior motive for ending the siege quickly.
Douglas Jackson confirms his reputation as 'one of the best historical novelists writing today' (Daily Express) with the third action-packed adventure featuring his on-time gladiator hero, Gaius Valerius Verrens... the first two, Hero of Rome and Defender of Rome, are available in paperback and ebook editions.
Set in September 1939 Warsaw amidst Nazi occupation, a former police chief, Jan Kalisz, navigates a treacherous double life, gathering intelligence for the Polish resistance while being perceived as a collaborator. As a serial killer known as The Artist emerges, linked to the murder of a Wehrmacht general's niece, Kalisz races against time to solve the case and save innocent lives. This gripping historical crime novel blends dark themes of war and moral ambiguity, appealing to fans of Philip Kerr and psychological thrillers.
AD 406. Abandoned by his friends and hounded by his enemies, Roman cavalry commander Marcus Flavius Victor is forced to flee an increasingly fractured Britannia with a small band of loyal warriors. His journey takes him north through the stormy, pirate-infested seas of the Mare Germanicum to Saxonia, where his son Brenus has languished as a slave for six long years. Marcus is able to rescue him but at a terrible cost. Further disaster threatens when his escape route is blocked, leaving the Britons trapped in a strange land with enemies seemingly at every turn. Their only salvation seems to lie with Marcus's old comrade, General Stilicho, beyond the far Danuvius, still within the sanctuary of the Empire. To get there will mean a journey of many hundreds of miles through the dark heart of barbarism - and, unknown to Marcus, Stilicho has troubles of his own.
Gaius Valerius Verrens returns to Rome from the successful campaign against Boudicca in Britain. Now hailed a 'Hero of Rome', Valerius is not the man he once was - scarred both physically and emotionally by the battles he has fought, his sister is mortally ill, his father in self-imposed exile.
Summer, AD 69. Rome and its empire are in turmoil, caught in the coils of a desperate and destructive civil war. The emperor Otho is dead by his own hand and his rival, Aulus Vitellius, occupies the imperial throne. However, a new challenge has arisen in the East – the legions of Titus Flavius Vespasian have declared him their Emperor. In the dry heat of an August morning, Gaius Valerius Verrens prepares for his last day on earth. Wrongly accused of deserting his legion on the field of Bedriacum, it seems he is destined to die a coward’s death. Then the executioner’s hand is stayed. Vitellius' enemies will spare the life of the man who was once Hero of Rome if he pledges allegiance to Vespasian and his cause. Valerius – tired of the endless slaughter and hoping that he might be reunited with his lost love – agrees. And so he must battle his way south to Rome in order to persuade his friend Vitellius to stand down for the greater good of the city, its people and the Empire. But this is civil war and this is Rome, and Valerius – his loyalties divided and branded an enemy of the people – is trapped in a maze of distrust, corruption, betrayal and blood-letting.