Part of Series
Rome Burning is the second book of Sophia McDougall's projected trilogy, following her debut novel, Romanitas, set in a world where the Roman Empire has survived to contemporary times. Three years after the events of Romanitas, the Empire is on the brink of war with Nionia (Japan), and plagued by a sequence of mysterious wildfires. Marcus Novius, the young heir to the Roman throne is forced to take charge as Regent when the Emperor Faustus falls suddenly ill. Marcus attempts to recruit Varius as his advisor, but Varius, who is still haunted by the events of the first book (in which he lost his wife and was framed for murder and treason), refuses. While Marcus works to avoid a world war, his lover Una is intent on discovering the truth about his ambitious cousin Drusus' involvement in a conspiracy that almost claimed Marcus' life.
Author
Sophia McDougall (born 1979) is a British novelist, playwright, and poet, who studied at Oxford University in England. She is best known as the author of the alternate history trilogy Romanitas, in which the Roman Empire still exists in contemporary times. She is also the author of Mars Evacuees and Space Hostages - sci-fi adventures for children (and everyone else who likes spaceships.)
