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Embers of Empire #3
The Back Gate to Hell
Roman intelligence agent Numidianus' secret assignment, to spy on the Caesar Gallus and his vicious consort Constantia, tosses him into the court of Antioch's cesspool of corruption and violence. Should he risk his career by betraying the unstable Gallus to his cousin, the Emperor Constantius II, or play it safe and let the Eastern Empire fester? More urgently, can he rescue his own son Leo from mutilation into a eunuch by the powerful Lord Chamberlain Eusebius? A thrilling espionage adventure set in the fourth-century Roman Empire, The Back Gate to Hell pits Marcus against the warring heirs to the Constantine dynasty and the eunuchs who rule them--all of them embers of a empire blindly smoldering towards extinction. Packed with action and intrigue, the Embers of Empire series will delight fans of Bernard Cornwall, Steven Saylor, and Robert Harris.
- GenresRoman
381 pages, Paperback
First published October 25, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 17, 2016
Another pulse-pounding installment in the ancient Roman espionage series of the 4th century AD, Embers of Empire. Marcus is tasked to travel to the Eastern empire to investigate the person and court of the Caesar Gallus. Marcus faces down his old nemesis Eusebius, the venal eunuch and his archenemy, the sadistic Paul the Chain. Marcus deals with the unbalanced and cruel Gallus and his evil wife, Constantia. Marcus is entangled in the web of court intrigue. A subplot involves Marcus and the affairs of the Manlius household, which has fallen on bad times; he feels loyalty towards the family.
This was another worthy entry in this series. The author seems to have stuck pretty close to the writings of the historian of that period, Ammianus Marcellinus--with some dramatic license that the author explains in his note. The story was paced well. I do get a bit tired of the author's so much summation of events in previous episodes in each volume, but I suppose each is valuable if one has read the novels out of series order. There was no climactic battle, but the novel was packed with enough intrigue, double-crossing and treachery to satisfy any espionage fan. I like that this author has chosen an usual period to write about. The "back gate to hell" refers to the secret entrance to the palace, used by intriguers and plotters.
Highly recommended.
This was another worthy entry in this series. The author seems to have stuck pretty close to the writings of the historian of that period, Ammianus Marcellinus--with some dramatic license that the author explains in his note. The story was paced well. I do get a bit tired of the author's so much summation of events in previous episodes in each volume, but I suppose each is valuable if one has read the novels out of series order. There was no climactic battle, but the novel was packed with enough intrigue, double-crossing and treachery to satisfy any espionage fan. I like that this author has chosen an usual period to write about. The "back gate to hell" refers to the secret entrance to the palace, used by intriguers and plotters.
Highly recommended.
April 20, 2014
I really, really hope this is not the last by this author. Some readers are assuming it's a trilogy, but on Amazon, there's a cover of a fourth upcoming book. I'm enjoying this new series, partly because it's set in the mid-4th century, which is not an over-trammelled territory for historical fiction, not by a long shot. We're talking about the period after the death of Constantine the Great and during the reign of Constantius II, a time of political intrigue, military mayhem, and intense competition for control of the Late Roman Empire at the very top.
But Hunter gives us a sympathetic protagonist who is not at the top, but rising up from the bottom, a North African freedman with a classical education, thanks to a childhood of reading out loud to a blind Roman senator. Hunter also adds dollops of humor, as well as a tiny bit of mashup, including some familiar spy novel tropes with a clever touch.
By book three, I think we've got a good idea of the scope of the agentes in rebus as the Late Roman equivalent of MI5 and MI6 combined with a humorous touch of the British postal service thrown in. There are a few strong women characters in addition to a spy chief in a cluttered office, "M" style, which I don't find anachronistic, given that woman were running businesses and estates by this time.
A very original timeframe, interesting settings and vivid storylines based on 4th century accounts, including the histories of Ammianus Marcellinus. Hunter's historical notes are really good, e.g. he admits moving up the deaths of two key characters for the sake of narrative pace, but also includes a generous bibliography for readers wanting to move from fiction to history.
But Hunter gives us a sympathetic protagonist who is not at the top, but rising up from the bottom, a North African freedman with a classical education, thanks to a childhood of reading out loud to a blind Roman senator. Hunter also adds dollops of humor, as well as a tiny bit of mashup, including some familiar spy novel tropes with a clever touch.
By book three, I think we've got a good idea of the scope of the agentes in rebus as the Late Roman equivalent of MI5 and MI6 combined with a humorous touch of the British postal service thrown in. There are a few strong women characters in addition to a spy chief in a cluttered office, "M" style, which I don't find anachronistic, given that woman were running businesses and estates by this time.
A very original timeframe, interesting settings and vivid storylines based on 4th century accounts, including the histories of Ammianus Marcellinus. Hunter's historical notes are really good, e.g. he admits moving up the deaths of two key characters for the sake of narrative pace, but also includes a generous bibliography for readers wanting to move from fiction to history.
June 13, 2021
Watch Out for the Gate
This is book 3 in the series. I wish this was a happier period for the Roman Empire, but it wasn't. This period is when the Constantines ruled, in all their decadent, incestuous, murderous glory with the assistance of that secret back gate. However, their network of roads and way stations, their messenger system so like our pony express...it's amazing how many of "our" concepts were theirs already, so long ago.
This is book 3 in the series. I wish this was a happier period for the Roman Empire, but it wasn't. This period is when the Constantines ruled, in all their decadent, incestuous, murderous glory with the assistance of that secret back gate. However, their network of roads and way stations, their messenger system so like our pony express...it's amazing how many of "our" concepts were theirs already, so long ago.
September 3, 2014
I'm hoping the author can keep this series going. This is the only book I've seen among hundreds in this genre that deals with the brief and scandal-soaked reign of Caesar Gallus. More original than most.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews