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The Eunuch’s Ring
Benevento, AD 619: A Spy’s Game in a Losing Empire
Who butchered Tubby Quintus in Rodi’s bed?
Not Rodi himself – the Byzantine Empire’s youngest spy in the West was in another bed when it happened.
Was it Aripert, the vicious and expendable brother of the Lombard King?
Was it Gisulf, the Duke’s pretty but manipulative and no less expendable nephew?
Was it the Duchess – half-drunken, half-shifty regent of Benevento in her husband’s unexplained absence?
Or Clementian, her cadaverous steward and trusted “adviser”?
So long as he can avoid being hanged at the demand of everyone who matters, none of this, strictly speaking, is Rodi’s concern.
But murder after murder follows inside the palace. Beyond the crumbling city walls, an army of unknown provenance is burning and slaughtering its way through central Italy – headed for Benevento. Assassins are on the prowl for Rodi. A signet ring has vanished from the Exarch of Ravenna’s hand.
Since all these facts may be connected, Rodi has no choice but to stay put and investigate.
The Eunuch’s Ring is a taut historical thriller set in an Italy still hovering between imperial grandeur and medieval fragmentation – a world where Latins, Greeks, and Lombards share an uneasy peace, and one young spy must survive them all.
Praise for the Novels of Richard Blake
‘Fascinating to read, very well written, an intriguing plot and I enjoyed it very much.’ – Derek Jacobi, star of I, Claudius and Gladiator
‘Vivid characters, devious plotting and buckets of gore are enhanced by his unfamiliar choice of period…. Nasty, fun and educational.’ – The Daily Telegraph
‘He knows how to deliver a fast-paced story and his grasp of the period is impressively detailed.’ – The Mail on Sunday
‘A rollicking and raunchy read... Anyone who enjoys their history with large dollops of action, sex, intrigue and, above all, fun will absolutely love this novel.’ – Historical Novels Review
‘It would be hard to over-praise this extraordinary series, a near-perfect blend of historical detail and atmosphere with the plot of a conspiracy thriller, vivid characters, high philosophy and vulgar comedy.’ – The Morning Star
Richard Blake is a pseudonym for Sean Gabb, who is an historian, writer and university lecturer. He lives in Kent with his wife and daughter.
Who butchered Tubby Quintus in Rodi’s bed?
Not Rodi himself – the Byzantine Empire’s youngest spy in the West was in another bed when it happened.
Was it Aripert, the vicious and expendable brother of the Lombard King?
Was it Gisulf, the Duke’s pretty but manipulative and no less expendable nephew?
Was it the Duchess – half-drunken, half-shifty regent of Benevento in her husband’s unexplained absence?
Or Clementian, her cadaverous steward and trusted “adviser”?
So long as he can avoid being hanged at the demand of everyone who matters, none of this, strictly speaking, is Rodi’s concern.
But murder after murder follows inside the palace. Beyond the crumbling city walls, an army of unknown provenance is burning and slaughtering its way through central Italy – headed for Benevento. Assassins are on the prowl for Rodi. A signet ring has vanished from the Exarch of Ravenna’s hand.
Since all these facts may be connected, Rodi has no choice but to stay put and investigate.
The Eunuch’s Ring is a taut historical thriller set in an Italy still hovering between imperial grandeur and medieval fragmentation – a world where Latins, Greeks, and Lombards share an uneasy peace, and one young spy must survive them all.
Praise for the Novels of Richard Blake
‘Fascinating to read, very well written, an intriguing plot and I enjoyed it very much.’ – Derek Jacobi, star of I, Claudius and Gladiator
‘Vivid characters, devious plotting and buckets of gore are enhanced by his unfamiliar choice of period…. Nasty, fun and educational.’ – The Daily Telegraph
‘He knows how to deliver a fast-paced story and his grasp of the period is impressively detailed.’ – The Mail on Sunday
‘A rollicking and raunchy read... Anyone who enjoys their history with large dollops of action, sex, intrigue and, above all, fun will absolutely love this novel.’ – Historical Novels Review
‘It would be hard to over-praise this extraordinary series, a near-perfect blend of historical detail and atmosphere with the plot of a conspiracy thriller, vivid characters, high philosophy and vulgar comedy.’ – The Morning Star
Richard Blake is a pseudonym for Sean Gabb, who is an historian, writer and university lecturer. He lives in Kent with his wife and daughter.
534 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 17, 2025
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1 person want to read
About the author
Richard Blake
79 books68 followersA pseudonym of Dr Sean Gabb.
Richard Blake is a writer, broadcaster and teacher. He lives in Kent with his wife and daughter.
For Hodder & Stoughton, he has written the following six historical novels: "Conspiracies of Rome" (2008), "Terror of Constantinople" (2009), "Blood of Alexandria" (2010), "Sword of Damascus" (2011), "Ghosts of Athens" (2012), "Curse of Babylon" (2013). These have been translated into Spanish, Italian, Greek, Slovak, Hungarian, Indonesian, and Chinese.
In 2015, Hodder & Stoughton republished all six novels in two omnibus volumes: "Death of Rome Saga 1" and "Death of Rome Saga 2."
As Sean Gabb, he has written these novels: "The Column of Phocas" (2006 - historical), "The Churchill Memorandum" (2011 - alternate history thriller), and "The Break" (post-apocalyptic science fiction). This novel was published in 2014, and nominated for the Prometheus Award, but has now been acquired by Caffeine Nights and withdrawn for republication in 2016 under the name Richard Blake. A further novel, "The York Deviation" (alternate history fantasy), is awaiting publication.
He also writes for Endeavour Press. His first historical novel for Endeavour, "Game of Empires," was published in May 2015. His next in this series, "Death in Ravenna," was published in August 2016. Hist next, "Crown of Empire," will be published in April 2016.
You can follow him on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/richard.blak...
You can also follow him on Twitter - https://twitter.com/BlakeTheWriter
His personal website is - http://www.richardblake.me.uk/
Richard Blake is a writer, broadcaster and teacher. He lives in Kent with his wife and daughter.
For Hodder & Stoughton, he has written the following six historical novels: "Conspiracies of Rome" (2008), "Terror of Constantinople" (2009), "Blood of Alexandria" (2010), "Sword of Damascus" (2011), "Ghosts of Athens" (2012), "Curse of Babylon" (2013). These have been translated into Spanish, Italian, Greek, Slovak, Hungarian, Indonesian, and Chinese.
In 2015, Hodder & Stoughton republished all six novels in two omnibus volumes: "Death of Rome Saga 1" and "Death of Rome Saga 2."
As Sean Gabb, he has written these novels: "The Column of Phocas" (2006 - historical), "The Churchill Memorandum" (2011 - alternate history thriller), and "The Break" (post-apocalyptic science fiction). This novel was published in 2014, and nominated for the Prometheus Award, but has now been acquired by Caffeine Nights and withdrawn for republication in 2016 under the name Richard Blake. A further novel, "The York Deviation" (alternate history fantasy), is awaiting publication.
He also writes for Endeavour Press. His first historical novel for Endeavour, "Game of Empires," was published in May 2015. His next in this series, "Death in Ravenna," was published in August 2016. Hist next, "Crown of Empire," will be published in April 2016.
You can follow him on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/richard.blak...
You can also follow him on Twitter - https://twitter.com/BlakeTheWriter
His personal website is - http://www.richardblake.me.uk/
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