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The Wolves of Ambition, a Novel of the Late Roman Empire
The Wolves of Ambition, a Novel of the Late Roman Empire
The Wolves of Ambition, a Novel of the Late Roman Empire
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The Wolves of Ambition, a Novel of the Late Roman Empire

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Freshly stained with the blood of Caesar Gallus, Agent Numidianus must spy on a rising Franco-Roman hero rescuing Roman Gaul from Alemannic raiders.
The dashing General Claudius Silvanus once betrayed Marcus’ father but later saved Marcus himself from execution. Is Silvanus now the man to save the Roman Empire of the West—or destroy it? Should Marcus warn him of treachery in Emperor Constantius II’s court or let the Fates exact revenge on his behalf?

The Wolves of Ambition is the fourth in a thrilling espionage adventure series set in the post-Constantine era. It plunges Marcus Gregorianus Numidianus into a contest between military heroes versus intrigant courtiers for influence over the paranoid Constantius—all of them embers of an empire blindly smoldering toward extinction.
Packed with action and suspense, the Embers of Empire series is delighting fans of Bernard Cornwell, Steven Saylor, and Robert Harris.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 4, 2015
ISBN9782970088974
The Wolves of Ambition, a Novel of the Late Roman Empire
Author

Q. V. Hunter

Q. V. Hunter is the author of eleven best-selling Embers of Empire novels, the richly-researched espionage-adventure series set among the 'agentes in rebus,' the imperial intelligence agents of the 4th century Late Roman Empire. CONTACT the Castra Peregrina for free chapters, e-book coupons, and intelligence leaks at www.qvhunter.com or follow the author on Twitter @qv_hunter. Don't miss out! The final full-length adventure for Marcus Numidianus is heading up the Cursus Publicus in 2024.

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Trust Amazon's algorithms to know what I might like. Roman history? Check. Espionage? Check. We'll see...(later)
    I enjoyed this very much indeed and continued on through the next two books in the series. Highly recommend this one to fans of 'Roman' fiction, especially as Hunter sets his stories in the mid 4th century, the "Dominate" period, an unusual timeframe, and refreshing after so many Republic and Imperial settings.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked this for its unusual setting--post-Constantinian Roman Empire in North Africa in ca. 374 A.D. with an engaging protagonist. Marcus. He is a voluntarius [a slave volunteering as a soldier] and bodyguard and is sent to infiltrate Circumcellions--an extremist Christian heretical sect among the Berbers, similar to Donatists. Leo, his master's friend from boyhood, has seen something unique in the young man, so convinces his master, the army commander Gregorius, to send him to penetrate this group and to discover the mastermind with an eye to destroying him, if not the whole movement. If Marcus succeeds, he will be manumitted. With that inducement, Marcus enters into situations fraught with danger among a band of these schismatics. We follow Marcus through his discovering and dealing with the shadowy leader, always living by his wits and trying to maintain his cover.From the first chapter--a botched assassination of the commander, I was caught up in the excitement of whirlwind of action. I was breathless after the fight between Circumcellions and Leo with his men and the final Battle of Bagae. The novel is filled with treachery, betrayal on several levels and even love. The mysterious Apodemius reminds Marcus of the story of Achilles; remembering Homer--"Either, if I stay here and fight beside the city of the Trojans, my return home is gone, but my glory is everlasting. But if I return home to the beloved land of my fathers, my glory is gone, but there will be a long life left for me..." He offers Marcus two possible destinies: will Marcus still remain in Gregorius's household or will Marcus choose a new, possibly dangerous life?I would not be surprised, although the Circumcellions really existed, if the author had in mind the religious fanatics of our day, willing to kill and be killed. I did feel Marcus was a bit young [19] to have been a bodyguard for several years already and a bit young as a candidate for manumission. I would have preferred the author make him a bit older--say, 24 or 25.Very highly recommended.

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The Wolves of Ambition, a Novel of the Late Roman Empire - Q. V. Hunter

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