EMPEROR’S SWORD
The Imperial Assassin Book 1
By Alex Gough
Canelo US
358 pgs
Silus is a half breed Roman scout comfortable in the wild
northern terrain of Caledonia. One fateful
mission ends with his murdering a regional chieftain. This impetuous act in
turn starts a chain of events that has dire consequences for the Empire. The
retaliation for his rash act results in further barbarian raids and in one attack
his wife and daughter are killed. Lost in a sea of grief and despair, Silus
comes to the attention of Caracalla, one of the triumvirate rulers. Seeing
potential in the scout, Caracalla has him assigned to the veteran spymaster
Marcus Oclatinuis; the chief of an elite spy faction known as the Arcani. They
are the assassins of the empire.
What follows is a truly memorable historical action
adventure filled with colorful characters and gut-wrenching battles as two different
cultures vie for supremacy. The prize of their war the island continent of what
would one day be known as Great
Britain. Gough’s history is impeccable and
enriches his tale greatly. The characters come to life as does the savagery of
the times. He brutally displays the insanity of war and the vagaries of the
human experience both in its nobility and its depravity.
This is a remarkable book and only the first in a series. One we are eager to follow.
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