'Historical settings and characters that leap into life straight off the page' SCOTT MARIANI 'A vivid page-turning epic' ANNE O'BRIEN 'Engaging, immersive, thrilling. Highly recommend for anybody who loves Roman history, written by one of its true masters' PETER GIBBONS For an empress to rise, a city must fall... Rome, 410 AD Half-sister to Emperor Honorius, unmarried and powerless, twenty-year-old Galla Placidia watches from the shadows as imperial policies are made and unmade. Her plans to gain power and influence are halted when the city is besieged and captured by a vast army led by Alaric the Visigoth. Taken hostage, travelling out of Italy, Galla Placidia falls in love and marries a barbarian king. At a time when Rome's power is fast dwindling, its authority diminishing year upon year, she embarks on a dangerous and remarkable journey towards the imperial throne. But what price must a woman pay for power? This is the compelling story of a little-known, remarkable woman whose burning ambition saw her, against all odds, become empress of Rome. What your favourite authors have to say about Ben 'A rip-roaring epic' PAUL FINCH 'A truly vibrant and gripping read' HELENA GUMLEY-MASON 'An epic tale' MATTHEW HARRFY 'Historical fiction has never been more visceral' JAMES ROLLINS 'A tour de force on an epic scale' DOUGLAS JACKSON Readers are loving Ben 'Powerful evocation of our history' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'An engaging and exciting read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Gripped me from start to finish' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Epic tales, gorgeous prose, non-stop action' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Rich in period detail and lively in narrative' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐