The Deadly Caesar

Embers of Empire #5

by Q.V. Hunter

Imperial agent Numidianus gets more trouble than he can handle when recruiting barbarian informers. The fiery Alemanna Gunda agrees to testify before an imperial hearing pitting the bookish Caesar Julian against his resentful general. But is Gunda’s evidence backing Julian only a self-serving lie? And when Julian’s campaign to cleanse Gaul of Alemanni settlers endangers Gunda’s chieftain father, Marcus must use all his wits to manage the volatile beauty who holds the key that may save Numidianus' entire service. A thrilling espionage adventure set in the post-Constantine era, "The Deadly Caesar" plunges Marcus Gregorianus Numidianus deeper into the tensions between the heirs to an overstretched Roman Empire and encroaching border peoples—all of them embers of an empire blindly smoldering toward extinction. Packed with action and intrigue, the Embers of Empire series is delighting fans of Bernard Cornwell, Steven Saylor, and Robert Harris.

375 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 2, 2015

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3.5/5. 357 AD. Numidianus is sent to Gallia with an Alemanna, chieftain's daughter, Gunda, who it is thought will be helpful in untangling tribal politics. He also is to keep an eye on the caesar Julian, and to "save him from himself" in the words of Numidianus's superior. He is caught up in intrigue, discovers Julian's personality now revealing itself, and is at the Battle of Argentoratum [Strasbourg] between Romans and tribes.

The battle is exciting and well described. There is also a horrible massacre of Alemanni, ordered by Julian, but carried out by the disgraced Tribune Bainobaudes. The temperamental Gunda reveals herself to be deceitful and untrustworthy. Can the Romans trust her intelligence about the enemy forces at the battle? Can victory be snatched from impending defeat?

I didn't think this installment as gripping as the others in the series but for the incidents I mentioned. I still think there is too much repetition of past events and the story dragged at times. Someone should have picked up this error: "Aurelian's Wall in Britannia" on p. 207. It should be "Hadrian's Wall in Britannia". Numidianus's moaning about his parentage so much has become annoying. I take it now as self-pity. I do not mind his reading to the old senator, for example, and other facets of his life in the Commander's family and on campaign.

Highly recommended.

[Hero · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, well-paced action series about the Roman Dominate years leading up to the reign of Julian the Apostate with an especially intriguing female character in this volume.

Once again, a very rounded human story from Hunter, this time set against the tensions between the Romans and the Alamannic Germanic border tribes. In this case, there are a number of intriguing questions still left to historians about the events of the year 357 AD, so do read the author's historical notes. Though the background is drawn on the contemporary historian Ammianus Marcellinus, the story never gets bogged down.

Until Julian's troops hit a swamp in Argentoratum, that is—but you have to read it for yourself.

[Milo · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite in this series so far, with each volume better than the last.

Hunter gives us a real kicker at the end of this story carrying an unexpected perspective on the life of the Rhine and relationships between Roman prisoners, the Alamanni and the Franco-Romans of the mid-4th century.

This excellent series is flying under US radar for now, but has been running much higher in the genre rankings of the British amazon site.