The fate of Rome, and thousands of lives, rests on the shoulders of one man.

After murdering his brother, and taking the position of Emperor for himself, Caracalla orders a brutal purge of the supporters of Geta. Meanwhile, Caracalla’s ally Marcellus is captured by Syrian warriors. They wish to use his son, Avitus, as a puppet emperor to affirm a new Eastern Empire. Caracalla orders Silus to track down and rescue Avitus, rumoured to be Caracalla’s child.

As Rome buckles beneath the weight of internal slaughter and external threat, only Silus stands in the way of death and destruction on an incomparable scale.

A brutal and blood-soaked thriller of Ancient Rome, perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow, Conn Iggulden and Ben Kane.

Alex Gough is an author of historical fiction adventures set in Ancient Rome. The Carbo Chronicles, including "Watchmen of Rome" and "Bandits of Rome" are the culmination of a lot of research into the underclasses of the time.