In the dry heat of an August morning Gaius Valerius Verrens wakes filthy and bearded and prepares for his last day on earth. Wrongly accused by enemies on his own side, Valerius is destined to die a coward's death for deserting his legion on the field of Bedriacum. It is the summer of AD 69 and after a year of slaughter and turmoil the Empire remains trapped in the coils of a desperate, destructive civil war. Valerius' old friend, Aulus Vitellius, victor in the decisive confrontation that left Otho's armies shattered, sits uneasily on a golden throne in Rome, and his rival is dead by his own hand. But a new challenge arises in the East where Titus Flavius Vespasian has been declared Emperor by his legions. The only way Valerius can survive to reach Rome and be united with his lost love Domitia Longina Corbulo is to ally himself with Vitellius' enemies. On the way he must battle through a maze of distrust, corruption, bloody conflict and betrayal, with as many perils behind as there are in front. A powerful enemy, a burning temple and divided loyalties all stand in his way, but the prize that awaits has never been more worthwhile.

Author Biography

A journalist by profession, Douglas Jackson transformed a lifelong fascination for Rome and the Romans in to his first two novels highly-praised novels, Caligula and Claudius. His third novel, Hero of Rome, introduced readers to his new series hero, Gaius Valerius Verrens. Defender of Rome, Avenger of Rome and Sword of Rome followed, winning critical acclaim and confirming Douglas as one of the UK's foremost historical novelists. An active member of the Historical Writers Association and the Historical Novels Society, He lives near Stirling in Scotland.