I love this period of history, even though i haven't read many books from the era, strong omission on my part, but the tv shows are always superb. I was a bit hesitant when i found out this was book 8 of a series, but on finishing it i don't think you are missing anything from not reading them in series. It is a period of history that has been so well documented you probably know most of what happened in the previous books too, just not whatever fictional elements Robert Fabbri used to tie them together with our titular hero Vespasian.
This one is in several distinct parts, starting off in Africa with a slave rescue and escape across an unforgiving dessert, before moving back to Rome and the inner circle of probably the craziest emperor of Rome there ever was - Nero. Everyone knows the myth about him fiddling while Rome burned, but i enjoyed the different take on it here where Nero was responsible for the fire starting in the first place - was it true, who knows.
Vespasian is an excellent character and definitely makes me want to check out the earlier books in the series now as it was an excellent adventure in political machinations in ancient Rome and just how fickle Nero was, one minute you are in favour the next he is having you commit suicide as you displeased him in some way.
This one is in several distinct parts, starting off in Africa with a slave rescue and escape across an unforgiving dessert, before moving back to Rome and the inner circle of probably the craziest emperor of Rome there ever was - Nero. Everyone knows the myth about him fiddling while Rome burned, but i enjoyed the different take on it here where Nero was responsible for the fire starting in the first place - was it true, who knows.
Vespasian is an excellent character and definitely makes me want to check out the earlier books in the series now as it was an excellent adventure in political machinations in ancient Rome and just how fickle Nero was, one minute you are in favour the next he is having you commit suicide as you displeased him in some way.