The Gates of Rome (Emperor #1)
Rarely, if ever, does a new writer dazzle us
with such a vivid imagination and storytelling, flawlessly capturing the essence
of a land, a people, a legend. Conn Iggulden is just such a writer, bringing to
vivid life one of the most fascinating eras in human history. In a true
masterpiece of historical fiction, Iggulden takes us on a breathtaking journey
through ancient Rome, sweeping us into a realm of tyrants and slaves, of dark
intrigues and seething passions. What emerges is both a grand romantic tale of
coming-of-age in the Roman Empire and a vibrant portrait of the early years of
a man who would become the most powerful ruler on earth: Julius Caesar.
On the lush Italian peninsula, a new empire is
taking shape. At its heart is the city of Rome, a place of glory and decadence,
beauty and bloodshed. Against this vivid backdrop, two boys are growing to
manhood, dreaming of battles, fame, and glory in service of the mightiest
empire the world has ever known. One is the son of a senator, a boy of
privilege and ambition to whom much has been given and from whom much is
expected. The other is a bastard child, a boy of strength and cunning, whose
love for his adoptive family-and his adoptive brother-will be the most powerful
force in his life.
As young Gaius and Marcus are trained in the art
of combat-under the tutelage of one of Rome's most fearsome gladiators-Rome
itself is being rocked by the art of treachery and ambition, caught in a
tug-of-war as two rival generals, Marius and Sulla, push the empire toward
civil war. For Marcus, a bloody campaign in Greece will become a young
soldier's proving ground. For Gaius, the equally deadly infighting of the Roman
Senate will be the battlefield where he hones his courage and skill. And for
both, the love of an extraordinary slave girl will be an honor each will covet
but only one will win.
The two friends are forced to walk different
paths, and by the time they meet again everything will have changed. Both will
have known love, loss, and violence. And the land where they were once innocent
will be thrust into the grip of bitter conflict-a conflict that will set Roman
against Roman...and put their friendship to the ultimate test.
Brilliantly interweaving
history and adventure, Conn Iggulden conjures a stunning array of
contrasts-from the bloody stench of a battlefield to the opulence of the
greatest city in history, from the tenderness of a lover to the treachery of an
assassin. Superbly rendered, grippingly told, Emperor, The Gates of Rome is a
work of vaulting imagination from a powerful new voice in historical fiction.
"From the Hardcover edition."
The Death of Kings (Emperor #2)
The acclaimed author of Emperor: The Gates of
Rome returns to the extraordinary life of Julius Caesar in a new novel that
takes us further down the path to glory . . . as Caesar comes into his own as a
man, warrior, senator, husband, and leader.
In a sparsely settles region of North Africa, a
band of disheveled soldiers turn their eyes toward one man among them: their
leader, Julius Caesar. The soldiers are Roman legionaries. And their quarry is
a band of pirates who dared to kidnap Julius Caesar for ransom. Now, as Caesar
exacts his revenge and builds a legend far from Rome, his friend Marcus Brutus
is fighting battles of another sort, rising to power in the wake of the
assassination of a dictator. Once Brutus and Caesar were as close as brothers,
devoted to the same ideals and attracted to the same forbidden women. Now they
will be united again by a shock wave from the north, where a gladiator named
Spartacus is building an army of seventy thousand slaves—to fight a cataclysmic
battle against Rome itself.
The Field of Swords (Emperor #3)
With his acclaimed Emperor novels, author Conn
Iggulden brings a dazzling world to life–the rich, complex world of ancient
Rome as seen through the eyes of one extraordinary man: Julius Caesar. Now
Iggulden returns to the story of Julius Caesar and a realm that stretches from
the sands of North Africa to the coast of Britain. Against this magnificent
backdrop, Caesar, his first victories under his belt and a series of key
alliances in place, makes his move toward power and glory–and commands his
famous legions on one of history’s bloodiest and most daring military
campaigns.
It is the heart of the first century B.C. For
Julius Caesar, the time has come to enter the treacherous political
battleground that has become Rome. Having proved his valor in the slaves’
revolt, Caesar is strengthened by the love and vision of a beautiful older
woman, and by the sword of his loyal friend, Marcus Brutus. And when he is
appointed to a new position of power, Caesar manages to do what none of the
other great figures of his time could: capture the hearts of the Roman people
themselves. Crushing a rebellion, bringing order to the teeming city, Caesar
then makes the move that will change history. He leaves Rome for the foothills
of the Alps. And with an army made in his own image, he begins a daring charge
through Gaul, across the English Channel, and to the wilds of tribal Britain.
Here, in a series of cataclysmic clashes, the
legend of Julius Caesar will be forged. And while Caesar and Brutus pit their
lives–and those of their men–against the armies of the wilderness, their
political adversaries in Rome grow at once more fearful and more formidable. So
when the fighting at the dominion’s edge is over, the greatest danger to Julius
Caesar will await him on the Tiber–with a man who wants Rome himself.
From the clash of armies to
the heat of a woman’s seduction, from the thunder of battle to the orgies of
pleasure and plunder that follow in a warrior’s wake, Emperor: The Field of
Swords captures in riveting detail a world being shaped by a brilliant
civilization. And in this extraordinary novel, the fate of Rome is being driven
by the ambitions of a single man. A man with an unmatched genius for power.
The Gods of War (Emperor #4)
The year is 53 B.C. Fresh from victory in Gaul,
Julius Caesar leads battle-hardened legions across the Rubicon
river–threatening Rome herself. Even the master strategist Pompey is caught
unprepared by the strike, and forced to abandon his city. The armies of Rome
will face each other at last in civil war, led by the two greatest generals
ever to walk the seven hills. Thus begins Conn Iggulden’s towering saga of
Julius Caesar as he approaches his final destiny—a destiny that will be decided
not by legions but by his friend Brutus and an Egyptian queen named Cleopatra,
who will bear his only son....
For Caesar, the campaign against Pompey will
test his military genius and his appetite for glory to their limits, as the
greatest fighting machine the world has ever seen divides against itself in a
bloody conflict that will set brother against brother until victory or death.
But for Caesar, another kingdom beckons—a world of ancient mysteries and
languid sensuality, where a beautiful, bewitching woman waits to snare his
heart.
The Gods of War follows Julius Caesar through
politics and passion, ruthless ambition and private grief, and into the
corruption of power itself. Those he has loved will play a part in his
triumphs—as will the jealousy and hatred of his enemies.
From the spectacles of the
arena to the whispered lies of conspirators, Conn Iggulden brings to life a
world of monumental drama. And at its heart is one extraordinary
friendship—marked by fierce loyalty and bitter betrayal, with dark events
shrouded in noble ideals.
The Blood of Gods (Emperor #5)
The fifth and final instalment of the Emperor
series.
Julius Caesar has been assassinated. A nation is
in mourning. Revenge will be bloody.
Rome’s great hero Julius Caesar has been
brutally murdered by his most trusted allies. While these self-appointed
Liberatores seek refuge in the senate, they have underestimated one man:
Caesar’s adopted son Octavian, a man whose name will echo through history as
Augustus Caesar.
Uniting with his great rival Mark Antony,
Octavian will stop at nothing to seek retribution from the traitors and avenge
his father’s death. His greatest hatred is reserved for Brutus, Caesar’s
childhood friend and greatest ally, now leader of the conspirators.
As the people take to the
streets of Rome, the Liberatores must face their fate. Some flee the city;
others will not escape mob justice. Not a single one will die a natural death.
And the reckoning will come for Brutus on the sweeping battlefield at Philippi.
