Part of Series
The Roman Emperor Aurelian has defeated Queen Zenobia and crushed the Palmyran revolt, but now dark forces threaten a fragile peace, in the sequel to The Siege Faridun's Banner, hallowed battle standard of the Persian Empire, has fallen into Roman hands and is to be returned to the Persians as part of a crucial peace treaty. But on the eve of the signing the banner is stolen. Recalled to Syria, imperial agent Cassius Corbulo is charged with recovering the flag. Accompanied by his faithful servant Simo and ex-gladiator bodyguard Indavara, Cassius must journey across the dangerous Syrian desert to the equally perilous streets of Antioch. He and his companions face ruthless brigands, mysterious cults, merciless assassins, and intrigue at every turn. The hunt is on.
Author
Nick was born in Norwich in 1974. A keen reader from a young age, he graduated from Enid Blyton to Douglas Hill and JRR Tolkien, and from there to Ian Fleming, Michael Crichton and C.J. Sansom. After three years studying in Brighton, he travelled to Nepal where he worked at an orphanage and trekked to Mount Everest. After qualifying as a history teacher in 2000, he worked for five years in England before taking up a post at an international school in Warsaw. Nick had completed a few screenplays and a futuristic thriller before being inspired to try historical fiction after reading C.J. Sansom’s Dissolution: “Researching the Roman army and life in the third century was a fascinating but time-consuming project and the book went through many drafts before arriving at its final form. I had always intended Cassius to be a somewhat atypical protagonist and when I came across the research about the Roman ‘secret service’, I knew I’d found an ideal vocation for my reluctant hero.” If he’s not writing he might be found at the cinema, in a pub or playing football. Nick is represented by the David Grossman Literary Agency (general@dglal.co.uk) Follow Nick on Twitter @randomrome or Agent of Rome on Facebook.
