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Imperial Assassin #3
Die Axt des Kaisers
Das Schicksal Roms ruht auf den Schultern eines Mannes
Rom, 211 n. Nachdem Caracalla seinen Bruder Geta ermordet und die Kaiserwürde an sich gerissen hat, ordnet er eine brutale Säuberungsaktion unter Getas Anhängern. Währenddessen wird der Sohn von Caracallas Verbündetem Marcellus nach Ägypten entführt. Aber warum? Der kaiserliche Assassine Silus erhält den Auftrag, den Jungen aufzuspüren und zu retten, von dem man behauptet, er sei in Wahrheit Caracallas Kind. Während Rom unter der Last des Gemetzels zusammenbricht, reist Silus nach Alexandria. Dort muss er alles riskieren, um den Jungen, das Reich und letztendlich sein eigenes Leben zu retten ...
Rom, 211 n. Nachdem Caracalla seinen Bruder Geta ermordet und die Kaiserwürde an sich gerissen hat, ordnet er eine brutale Säuberungsaktion unter Getas Anhängern. Währenddessen wird der Sohn von Caracallas Verbündetem Marcellus nach Ägypten entführt. Aber warum? Der kaiserliche Assassine Silus erhält den Auftrag, den Jungen aufzuspüren und zu retten, von dem man behauptet, er sei in Wahrheit Caracallas Kind. Während Rom unter der Last des Gemetzels zusammenbricht, reist Silus nach Alexandria. Dort muss er alles riskieren, um den Jungen, das Reich und letztendlich sein eigenes Leben zu retten ...
- GenresHistorical FictionRoman
417 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 18, 2024
173 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
Alex Gough
36 books111 followers Avid reader of multiple genres, including thriller, sci-fi and fantasy, but particularly interested in historical fiction. Author of Roman historical fiction, and owner of the romanfiction.com blog.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 17, 2025
Silus on a new continent
Emperor's Axe is the third novel in Alex Gough's Imperial Assassin series. We ended novel 2, Emperor's Knife with Caracalla killing his co-emperor and brother Geta to become sole emperor of the Roman Empire. Caracalla consolidates his power by the time-honored method: shedding a whole lot of blood. Essentially everyone who has any power at all in whose loyalty Caraclla doesn't have absolute faith, or any who might have a claim on the Emperor's throne, no matter how oblique or distant, is killed.
Since the Arcani are the Emperor's assassins Silus is of course called into service. The title of this novel seems to come from a sentence Dio Cassius wrote about this period, "He [Caracalla] rebuked the slayer of Papinianus for using an axe instead of a sword to kill him."
Exhausted by their exertions, Silus and his associate Atius ask for an assignment outside the city of Rome itself. Their boss Oclatinius accedes, so Silus and Atius are attached to Marcellus, the new governor of Numidia and head off to Africa. Complications arise and they end up in Alexandria, the capital of Egypt, a city as historically significant in its own way as Rome itself.
The plot is designed to make sure Silus has adventures at Alexandria's best-known landmarks, and also to introduce the reader to the many complexities of Alexandrian society. Silus navigates these with the combination of cleverness and historically realistic violence we have come to expect of him. Although Silus occasionally shows a tender side, it is not his most prominent trait.
I enjoyed this installment.
Blog review.
Emperor's Axe is the third novel in Alex Gough's Imperial Assassin series. We ended novel 2, Emperor's Knife with Caracalla killing his co-emperor and brother Geta to become sole emperor of the Roman Empire. Caracalla consolidates his power by the time-honored method: shedding a whole lot of blood. Essentially everyone who has any power at all in whose loyalty Caraclla doesn't have absolute faith, or any who might have a claim on the Emperor's throne, no matter how oblique or distant, is killed.
Since the Arcani are the Emperor's assassins Silus is of course called into service. The title of this novel seems to come from a sentence Dio Cassius wrote about this period, "He [Caracalla] rebuked the slayer of Papinianus for using an axe instead of a sword to kill him."
Exhausted by their exertions, Silus and his associate Atius ask for an assignment outside the city of Rome itself. Their boss Oclatinius accedes, so Silus and Atius are attached to Marcellus, the new governor of Numidia and head off to Africa. Complications arise and they end up in Alexandria, the capital of Egypt, a city as historically significant in its own way as Rome itself.
The plot is designed to make sure Silus has adventures at Alexandria's best-known landmarks, and also to introduce the reader to the many complexities of Alexandrian society. Silus navigates these with the combination of cleverness and historically realistic violence we have come to expect of him. Although Silus occasionally shows a tender side, it is not his most prominent trait.
I enjoyed this installment.
Blog review.
February 2, 2021
3.5 raised to 4. The start of the reign of Emperor Antoninus [i.e., Caracalla], early 3d century AD. The paranoid emperor starts off ordering a bloodbath of his real and perceived enemies, amid thoughts of finishing the elaborate baths that will eventually bear his name and one of making every freeborn male in the Roman Empire citizens automatically; these both did happen. The ruins of that Baths of Caracalla can be seen today. Silus doesn't want to murder indiscriminately after he botched a killing with the only weapon he had at the time, the axe of a vigile, so he and Atius are sent to Africa to guard the family of Marcellus, sent there as propraetor with Senatorial rank. Avitus, Marcellus' precocious 8-year-old son, is high priest of an eastern god, Elagabalus, and a cross-dresser. The boy is kidnapped and the last half or so of the novel concerns attempts by the two Arcani to rescue him and everything connected to that aim. Motivation for the abduction is to set the boy up as a puppet emperor in the East and to advance the worship of Elagabalus. My heart was in my mouth at the denouement. I had the same complaint about profanity as with the other novels in the series, but the exciting story kept me interested. How would the two men pull off the rescue?
Recommended.
Recommended.
March 16, 2020
This book was received as an ARC from Canelo in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
When reading Emporer's Knife and now Emporer's Axe, I could not help but to picture a modern version of the movie Ben Hur. This book had it all with the drama of the former ally to the enemy turned hero and learning a long kept secret of Allius being the child of Caracalla and the fate of Rome resting in their hands. My heart at times literally stopped and I could not get out of the state of shock when all of these twists and turns were happening throughout the book. I know a lot of our community will be ranting and raving about this book and I know it will be a book to keep them invested for a long while.
We will consider adding this title to our Adult Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
When reading Emporer's Knife and now Emporer's Axe, I could not help but to picture a modern version of the movie Ben Hur. This book had it all with the drama of the former ally to the enemy turned hero and learning a long kept secret of Allius being the child of Caracalla and the fate of Rome resting in their hands. My heart at times literally stopped and I could not get out of the state of shock when all of these twists and turns were happening throughout the book. I know a lot of our community will be ranting and raving about this book and I know it will be a book to keep them invested for a long while.
We will consider adding this title to our Adult Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
February 24, 2025
This series packs a punch. I appreciate the gallows humour. Highly recommended. 5⭐️
August 22, 2020
BLURB
The fate of Rome, and thousands of lives, rests on the shoulders of one man.
After murdering his brother, and taking the position of Emperor for himself, Caracalla orders a brutal purge of the supporters of Geta.
Meanwhile, Caracalla’s ally Marcellus, along with his family, is captured by Syrian warriors. They wish to use his son, Avitus, as a puppet emperor to affirm a new Eastern Empire.
Caracalla orders Silus to track down and rescue Avitus, rumoured to be Caracalla’s child. As Rome buckles beneath the weight of internal slaughter and external threat, only Silus stands in the way of death and destruction on an incomparable scale.
REVIEW
Another gritty tale … more unpleasant duties … though with some increased soul searching. Indeed, the character development in this edition has been taken to a new level. Silus is still a brutal killer when tasked to do the Emperor’s bidding, but he is now a bit more lenient when the duty goes beyond what he considers unnecessary cruelty. Couple this with Atius’ growing faith in Christos, and you have a drama filled tale full of irony, and religious fervor.
Yes, my fellow readers, the third installment is an entertaining, page turning entry into a very well done series. 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
About the author:
Vet living in the southwest of England. Avid reader of multiple genres, including thriller, sci-fi and fantasy, but particularly interested in historical fiction. Author of Roman historical fiction, and owner of the romanfiction.com blog.
The fate of Rome, and thousands of lives, rests on the shoulders of one man.
After murdering his brother, and taking the position of Emperor for himself, Caracalla orders a brutal purge of the supporters of Geta.
Meanwhile, Caracalla’s ally Marcellus, along with his family, is captured by Syrian warriors. They wish to use his son, Avitus, as a puppet emperor to affirm a new Eastern Empire.
Caracalla orders Silus to track down and rescue Avitus, rumoured to be Caracalla’s child. As Rome buckles beneath the weight of internal slaughter and external threat, only Silus stands in the way of death and destruction on an incomparable scale.
REVIEW
Another gritty tale … more unpleasant duties … though with some increased soul searching. Indeed, the character development in this edition has been taken to a new level. Silus is still a brutal killer when tasked to do the Emperor’s bidding, but he is now a bit more lenient when the duty goes beyond what he considers unnecessary cruelty. Couple this with Atius’ growing faith in Christos, and you have a drama filled tale full of irony, and religious fervor.
Yes, my fellow readers, the third installment is an entertaining, page turning entry into a very well done series. 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
About the author:
Vet living in the southwest of England. Avid reader of multiple genres, including thriller, sci-fi and fantasy, but particularly interested in historical fiction. Author of Roman historical fiction, and owner of the romanfiction.com blog.
August 16, 2023
Just keeps getting better and better
March 11, 2020
Thank you to Canelo and Sophie for this wonderful and dazzling historical window into the past. This review will contain minor spoilers. I love Roman historical fiction, Egyptian historical fiction, and I love anything about the Ancient World if I am honest. This was a treat to read. This review contains minor spoilers. I will not spoil the plot as it is best you will figure this out.
This adventure is something out of the extraordinary. It feels like I’m in a virtual tour of Assassin’s Creed, except in the historical era. The worldbuilding is some of the best I have seen that makes this world really believable. The descriptions of Alexandria is meticously well researched, meticously well written, and more to the point well done. On this note, if you want to see Alexandria in the Ptolemaic Age, download Assassin Creed Origins, and you can buy the game, or the virtual tour. You can use Xbox 1, Steam, Playstation. Most of the research that Alex has done will show up in the game.
This book also explores the religious conflicts that today will seem as if it is a matter of the past. The religious matters and conflicts of Alexandria are well brought into perspective. I also like that Alex showed that the glorious religions of their time have become corrupted to an extent. Egypt is now full of revolutionaries, scheming priests and who can blame them? At one point, Egypt ruled the world. Egypt was glorious, Egypt was the world. That all fell when the Persians invaded and since then, there was a rebellion by an Egyptian Pharoah in Ptolemaic Egypt before that was also crushed. It is no wonder the Egyptians, an ancient people, feel they too need some of that glory back. And the Greeks still clinging onto their sense of superiority, and the Christians. Alexandria was perhaps a city full of scheming conflict. I mostly think that there were deeper strings being pulled in the background.
And all to get a boy to become a High Priest of a Mountain God, and there’s an interesting hint you should take. There was the discussion between Carcacella and Geta to spilt the Empire a century before Constantine did. Atius and Silus explore this religious conflict that is central to this book. It is an interesting discussion and array of thoughts. One of the scenes I liked was when Silus used his title to grab something. Read onto find out. This is around the early 200s, and this is literally the powder-keg, which at one point, Constantine will begin the new legacy of Christanity that will come to change the Roman Empire forever. It makes me wonder if there was an alternate history of this. What if Christanity had remained where it was, and the Roman religion had instead adopted with other Gods? There’s a lot of debate to this. It does explain how people by the late 200s were beginning to get out of this pluaristic ideal and become more self-isolationist. When you compare the Bronze Age, the Assyrians used to steal statures of Marduk from Babylonian Temples.
At one point, ancient religions have had their ancestral golden age. Then after that age is over, its gone. It’s common in Hindusim since we’re in age of Kali-Yuga. The very name itself gives you that indication. There was the Hermetic prophecies where Thoth, the Egyptian God of Writing and Knowledge, wrote that one day the Gods would leave Egypt. The Egyptians did not belong to the land of the Nile. They were descendents of the Altanteans before them. If you read about Altantis and Thoth there is some theory regarding this. It’s just a fun little tid-bit of a theory. But do you see the point I am making? This book really gives you an idea of all the religious conflicts, and Alex has written very well on the descriptions of the religions.
Caracella was really a ruthless man. He was like what if Nero was actually even more competent? His father Septimus Servus had done a lot of work of keeping the Empire stable. Caracella was a bit like Caligua, that he undid all of that work which would then also lead into the events of the Crisis of the Third Century, which suffice to say brought the Empire to its knees. Some will disagree with me, but Rome after that could not really maintain such a large power-status as it once did. The Franks, the Alemmani, the Goths, all knew that the Romans could be provoked and they would be circled. Of course there’s a lot of debate into this.
Alex really has a wonderful way of writing the Egyptians. I loved his description style and wished he would write a series on Egypt, at the height of its power during the Napoleon of Egypt’s reign. Thutmose III: The Napoleon of Ancient Egypt that ruled from 1479 – 1425 BC. I think Alex would do so well in writing a series of this era.
This book is great, not only because of Silus’s fortiude, but because of his skill and cunning. I like the Egyptian Priestress and wished there was more. Silus has a remarkable knack of tolerance, and he’s a good man. And Atius, at times he also brings himself to question a lot. Read onto find out more.
This book has dazzling writing, amazing prose, breath-taking dialogue, and Avtius and Issa are the best characters ever. For Marcellus, he’s a bit of a man that follows orders but doesn’t see what’s around him. Ganny is like that cunning tutor that manipulates from behind and Marcellus’s wife is crazy and delusional with splendour of power.
Fantastic Book, Fantastic work, I LOVED THIS! Honestly books in this world are the next best thing.
10/10
This adventure is something out of the extraordinary. It feels like I’m in a virtual tour of Assassin’s Creed, except in the historical era. The worldbuilding is some of the best I have seen that makes this world really believable. The descriptions of Alexandria is meticously well researched, meticously well written, and more to the point well done. On this note, if you want to see Alexandria in the Ptolemaic Age, download Assassin Creed Origins, and you can buy the game, or the virtual tour. You can use Xbox 1, Steam, Playstation. Most of the research that Alex has done will show up in the game.
This book also explores the religious conflicts that today will seem as if it is a matter of the past. The religious matters and conflicts of Alexandria are well brought into perspective. I also like that Alex showed that the glorious religions of their time have become corrupted to an extent. Egypt is now full of revolutionaries, scheming priests and who can blame them? At one point, Egypt ruled the world. Egypt was glorious, Egypt was the world. That all fell when the Persians invaded and since then, there was a rebellion by an Egyptian Pharoah in Ptolemaic Egypt before that was also crushed. It is no wonder the Egyptians, an ancient people, feel they too need some of that glory back. And the Greeks still clinging onto their sense of superiority, and the Christians. Alexandria was perhaps a city full of scheming conflict. I mostly think that there were deeper strings being pulled in the background.
And all to get a boy to become a High Priest of a Mountain God, and there’s an interesting hint you should take. There was the discussion between Carcacella and Geta to spilt the Empire a century before Constantine did. Atius and Silus explore this religious conflict that is central to this book. It is an interesting discussion and array of thoughts. One of the scenes I liked was when Silus used his title to grab something. Read onto find out. This is around the early 200s, and this is literally the powder-keg, which at one point, Constantine will begin the new legacy of Christanity that will come to change the Roman Empire forever. It makes me wonder if there was an alternate history of this. What if Christanity had remained where it was, and the Roman religion had instead adopted with other Gods? There’s a lot of debate to this. It does explain how people by the late 200s were beginning to get out of this pluaristic ideal and become more self-isolationist. When you compare the Bronze Age, the Assyrians used to steal statures of Marduk from Babylonian Temples.
At one point, ancient religions have had their ancestral golden age. Then after that age is over, its gone. It’s common in Hindusim since we’re in age of Kali-Yuga. The very name itself gives you that indication. There was the Hermetic prophecies where Thoth, the Egyptian God of Writing and Knowledge, wrote that one day the Gods would leave Egypt. The Egyptians did not belong to the land of the Nile. They were descendents of the Altanteans before them. If you read about Altantis and Thoth there is some theory regarding this. It’s just a fun little tid-bit of a theory. But do you see the point I am making? This book really gives you an idea of all the religious conflicts, and Alex has written very well on the descriptions of the religions.
Caracella was really a ruthless man. He was like what if Nero was actually even more competent? His father Septimus Servus had done a lot of work of keeping the Empire stable. Caracella was a bit like Caligua, that he undid all of that work which would then also lead into the events of the Crisis of the Third Century, which suffice to say brought the Empire to its knees. Some will disagree with me, but Rome after that could not really maintain such a large power-status as it once did. The Franks, the Alemmani, the Goths, all knew that the Romans could be provoked and they would be circled. Of course there’s a lot of debate into this.
Alex really has a wonderful way of writing the Egyptians. I loved his description style and wished he would write a series on Egypt, at the height of its power during the Napoleon of Egypt’s reign. Thutmose III: The Napoleon of Ancient Egypt that ruled from 1479 – 1425 BC. I think Alex would do so well in writing a series of this era.
This book is great, not only because of Silus’s fortiude, but because of his skill and cunning. I like the Egyptian Priestress and wished there was more. Silus has a remarkable knack of tolerance, and he’s a good man. And Atius, at times he also brings himself to question a lot. Read onto find out more.
This book has dazzling writing, amazing prose, breath-taking dialogue, and Avtius and Issa are the best characters ever. For Marcellus, he’s a bit of a man that follows orders but doesn’t see what’s around him. Ganny is like that cunning tutor that manipulates from behind and Marcellus’s wife is crazy and delusional with splendour of power.
Fantastic Book, Fantastic work, I LOVED THIS! Honestly books in this world are the next best thing.
10/10
February 5, 2021
Excellent third adventure for Silus, one of the Emperor Caracalla’s secret service, the Arcani.
Silus is sent from Rome to protect the new Governor of Numidia. However, on the way they are attacked by pirates and it becomes clear the Governor’s son is the focus of a plot. The main events of the over take place in Alexandria, a city of complex tensions between different factions, religions and races. Silus has to negotiate the this complex environment to rescue the Governor’s son and defeat the plot to make him emperor.
The setting is fascinating and Gough’s knowledge is evident in the details he brings to the setting and characters.
Silus is sent from Rome to protect the new Governor of Numidia. However, on the way they are attacked by pirates and it becomes clear the Governor’s son is the focus of a plot. The main events of the over take place in Alexandria, a city of complex tensions between different factions, religions and races. Silus has to negotiate the this complex environment to rescue the Governor’s son and defeat the plot to make him emperor.
The setting is fascinating and Gough’s knowledge is evident in the details he brings to the setting and characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2022
L’autore mi aveva abituato a delle trame intriganti, ma in questo “episodio” della saga di Silus invece la trama fa causa, è troppo banalizzata e a tratti surreale. Direi che dei tre libri della serie questo sembra forzato giusto per scrivere qualcosa.
Point trovato aberrante e completamente decontestualizzato dal periodo storico la presenza di un “ok” (si avete letto bene: ok!) in una battuta di dialogo. Caro autore, l’acronimo ok (0 killed) viene usato per la prima volta dagli americani...più di 1000 anni dopo gli eventi narrati in questo libro. Ho ancora i brividi al pensiero!
Point trovato aberrante e completamente decontestualizzato dal periodo storico la presenza di un “ok” (si avete letto bene: ok!) in una battuta di dialogo. Caro autore, l’acronimo ok (0 killed) viene usato per la prima volta dagli americani...più di 1000 anni dopo gli eventi narrati in questo libro. Ho ancora i brividi al pensiero!
March 9, 2021
Im about 63 percent done with this book. Read 63 percent and one sitting so it isnt a bad read. But at 63 percent nothing has happened the love story devolops way to quick. And the author plays around with religion way to much even praisin devil Gods with the main character. Only a fool doesnt understand there has to be one creator and thats it paganism and greek mythology even understood that back in ancient times but were edited much and then twisted into 3 way formed religions of a creator. I would read this book just to get to the 4th book.
August 9, 2020
Not much of a story!!!
Not as good as thought it would be. The author left you hanging at the end. It was like where is the rest of the story, did I miss something? Silus an Atius run around Alexandria looking for a child named Avitus that belongs to Marcellus a governor to be. Come to find out his mother Soaemias had him kidnapped. The end!!!!
Not as good as thought it would be. The author left you hanging at the end. It was like where is the rest of the story, did I miss something? Silus an Atius run around Alexandria looking for a child named Avitus that belongs to Marcellus a governor to be. Come to find out his mother Soaemias had him kidnapped. The end!!!!
April 7, 2020
I love this series and I think it's an excellent historical fiction.
It's a gripping and entertaining read, the characters and the plot are well developed and the historical background is vivid.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It's a gripping and entertaining read, the characters and the plot are well developed and the historical background is vivid.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
June 15, 2020
Chase plot set in Roman times
Almost a masquerade of a Roman era kidnapping crime with evangelical overtones. A disappointing read. Not up to the standards expected of this genre of novel.
Almost a masquerade of a Roman era kidnapping crime with evangelical overtones. A disappointing read. Not up to the standards expected of this genre of novel.
April 11, 2021
A good story plenty of intrigue and some very interesting history.sone sections were very heavy with extracts from the bible which I suspect were just padding it out. I found myself just flicking page after page to get back to the main story.
Nonetheless a very enjoyable book .
Nonetheless a very enjoyable book .
March 24, 2025
How trouble finds the troubled
I needed to get into book three as after enjoying one and two, I wasn't sure how these stories could pan out, but impressed with the writers ideals of keeping two active killers busy, never a dull moment as they say
I needed to get into book three as after enjoying one and two, I wasn't sure how these stories could pan out, but impressed with the writers ideals of keeping two active killers busy, never a dull moment as they say
November 3, 2020
Good read a couple of boring bits about religion and stuff
March 21, 2021
Another great read
Well they just get better and better 😀 can not wait to get on to book #4. And #5 & 6 lol.
Well they just get better and better 😀 can not wait to get on to book #4. And #5 & 6 lol.
July 13, 2021
Good read
Written in a easy to read way with a good story based around fact. A real page turner... great for lockdown!
Written in a easy to read way with a good story based around fact. A real page turner... great for lockdown!
September 23, 2022
Easily the best in the series.
February 23, 2024
The third book in the Roman Assassin series continues with the action moving to Rome and Egypt. Based around factual historical events, it is another good romp within the confines of roman society
April 28, 2024
Nicht ganz so humorig wie die ersten beiden Bände, aber keineswegs schlechter!
June 6, 2024
Great follow on in the series , characters development is great
November 12, 2024
All great and stuff but why does every women Silus slept with died 😭 (In Emperor's sword his wife, in emperor's knife Days and here Tekosis)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2025
Another brilliant instalment in the series, superb.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews