AD 400. Rome and its Empire are failing . . .
Veteran cavalry commander Marcus Flavius Victor sets out with his
regiment to make what may be his final tour of the forts along Hadrian's
Wall.
Through a combination of military prowess, brutality and bribery, Marcus
has spent twenty years keeping the savage Picts at bay. Feared by his
enemies and hated by his superiors, his strength of will is the only
thing that has held the disgruntled, poorly paid garrisons of the Wall
in place as the failing Roman Empire's grip on Britannia weakened.
Yet as this tour of the wall progresses, it becomes increasingly clear
that this is more than a routine inspection. Why is Marcus stripping the
defences of cavalry to strengthen his own force? Is he negotiating with
the Picts - or conspiring with them? And who is the mysterious figure
who follows Marcus' every move and yet hides in the shadows?
Segeduno, Cilurno, Brocolitia, Vindolanda: each fort holds memories and
friendships, hides rivals, or conceals enemies. But what exactly is
Marcus Flavius Victor's ultimate objective? It would appear he is
willing to risk bloody civil war in a bid to seize Britannia for
himself? 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 . . .
