The Ultimate Adventure from Sunday Times Bestseller, CONN IGGULDEN

Can a slave . . . become a master?

In the year 37 AD, the Roman Republic has become a true empire, extending its power from Egypt to the coast of France. Forty million people live under its rule.

An accountant in an aristocratic family on the outskirts of the empire's biggest city, a young man with no memory of his past or family. Where freedom exists only for the privileged, he has known only a life of slavery. His name is Cormac.

When his master suddenly dies under suspicious circumstances, he finds documents that release him from slavery. Surviving somewhere between a slave and a citizen, he quickly discovers the dangers that freedom hides. The city is a relentless place for those who have no allies.

But the winds of fate begin to change. Cormac's abilities – his valuable skill of reading and writing – will lead him from the alleyways of the city to the mining regions of France, to the British Isles, and back to the hills of Rome.

Slave, secretary, soldier – Cormac will have to play the most dangerous game of Rome if he wishes to secure wealth and power. Because in this city, with skill, ambition, and luck, such things might be possible to win . . .

Pages: 432, Dimensions: 16.3x16.3cm