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Imperial Assassin #6
Emperor's Fate
Massacres, invasions, plots. An Emperor on the edge. An Empire in peril.
Caracalla is on the warpath. Time, he has decided, to put his enemies in their place. To invade the Parthians at the edge of the Empire. To destroy everything in his way.
For Imperial Assassin Silus, this is a time of crisis. Forced to guard the Emperor as part of his elite bodyguard, Silus knows that the situation is untenable. As everything threatens to crumble, Silus must make the ultimate choice… and face the ultimate sacrifice.
The question is simple: will he turn traitor, for the sake of the Empire and the sake of his conscience? Or is loyalty, and the life of his charge Tituria, more important? As innocents die, as blood flows, as the Roman legions march on an epic scale, one thing is clear.
It’s decision time.
The thrilling climax to Alex Gough’s bestselling series, perfect for fans of Anthony Riches, Ben Kane and Bernard Cornwell.
Caracalla is on the warpath. Time, he has decided, to put his enemies in their place. To invade the Parthians at the edge of the Empire. To destroy everything in his way.
For Imperial Assassin Silus, this is a time of crisis. Forced to guard the Emperor as part of his elite bodyguard, Silus knows that the situation is untenable. As everything threatens to crumble, Silus must make the ultimate choice… and face the ultimate sacrifice.
The question is simple: will he turn traitor, for the sake of the Empire and the sake of his conscience? Or is loyalty, and the life of his charge Tituria, more important? As innocents die, as blood flows, as the Roman legions march on an epic scale, one thing is clear.
It’s decision time.
The thrilling climax to Alex Gough’s bestselling series, perfect for fans of Anthony Riches, Ben Kane and Bernard Cornwell.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 24, 2022
32 people are currently reading
75 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 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 18, 2025
7 works. 35⭐️s. Get it??
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August 16, 2025
The end of Caracalla
Emperor's Fate is the conclusion of Alex Gough's Imperial Assassin series, and it's a banger. I marked this review a spoiler, so that I can mention that this novel sees the end of Emperor Caracalla. That won't be a surprise if you're familiar with the history of the Roman Empire. It also won't be a surprise after Emperor's Lion. It's been pretty obvious that Caracalla was rapidly losing control of his sanity. That, of course, is bad not just for him, but also for Rome. Rule by a mad king is never happy for anyone.
Caracalla has survived this long in part thanks to the efforts of our faithful hero, Silus. Silus's faithfulness is wearing thin, though. Caracalla visits Alexandria, the second city of the Western world (exceeded only by Rome itself). He is not loved by the citizens of Alexandria -- rather the opposite. He goes bonkers and puts Alexandria to the sword. (That's another event that those familiar with the history of the Severan Dynasty already know about.) It's bloody awful -- bloody and awful both, and Silus is not OK with it.
Imperial Rome didn't have much in the way of checks and balances to restrain a mad emperor. One institution that occasionally played that role (very poorly) was the Praetorian Guard. The Praetorian Guard consisted of elite soldiers who were supposed to guard the person of the Emperor. But more than once the Praetorian Guard decided that they could do a better job of choosing an emperor than the Emperor himself, whom they accordingly murdered. (That really gives them too much credit, because it wasn't especially for the good of Rome that they acted, but also for their own.)
So that all happens. You'll notice that I haven't said anything of Silus's role in these historical events. Although I marked this review a spoiler, I'm not gonna spoil that! It's a good story and an excellent culmination to the series. In fact, I would judge it the best book of the series.
That's unusual in my experience. Most often the best book of a series is near the beginning. Many authors, I think, lose their vision as a series gets long, or maybe they just get tired. Gough, in contrast, grew into the Imperial Assassin. You can observe him becoming a better story-teller and really getting to know his characters as the series progresses.
Blog review.
Emperor's Fate is the conclusion of Alex Gough's Imperial Assassin series, and it's a banger. I marked this review a spoiler, so that I can mention that this novel sees the end of Emperor Caracalla. That won't be a surprise if you're familiar with the history of the Roman Empire. It also won't be a surprise after Emperor's Lion. It's been pretty obvious that Caracalla was rapidly losing control of his sanity. That, of course, is bad not just for him, but also for Rome. Rule by a mad king is never happy for anyone.
Caracalla has survived this long in part thanks to the efforts of our faithful hero, Silus. Silus's faithfulness is wearing thin, though. Caracalla visits Alexandria, the second city of the Western world (exceeded only by Rome itself). He is not loved by the citizens of Alexandria -- rather the opposite. He goes bonkers and puts Alexandria to the sword. (That's another event that those familiar with the history of the Severan Dynasty already know about.) It's bloody awful -- bloody and awful both, and Silus is not OK with it.
Imperial Rome didn't have much in the way of checks and balances to restrain a mad emperor. One institution that occasionally played that role (very poorly) was the Praetorian Guard. The Praetorian Guard consisted of elite soldiers who were supposed to guard the person of the Emperor. But more than once the Praetorian Guard decided that they could do a better job of choosing an emperor than the Emperor himself, whom they accordingly murdered. (That really gives them too much credit, because it wasn't especially for the good of Rome that they acted, but also for their own.)
So that all happens. You'll notice that I haven't said anything of Silus's role in these historical events. Although I marked this review a spoiler, I'm not gonna spoil that! It's a good story and an excellent culmination to the series. In fact, I would judge it the best book of the series.
That's unusual in my experience. Most often the best book of a series is near the beginning. Many authors, I think, lose their vision as a series gets long, or maybe they just get tired. Gough, in contrast, grew into the Imperial Assassin. You can observe him becoming a better story-teller and really getting to know his characters as the series progresses.
Blog review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2022
A fitting way to end.
I'm depressed now. I can't believe this is the last book in the series.
It's another brilliant read. Silus is a member of the Arcani, basically he's the James Bond of Roman times. Although, not as good looking, suave and sophisticated and he doesn't have a Q to supply him with the bells and whistles of his trade. He has to live off his wits and cunning and to that end, he excels. As bodyguard of the emperor Caracalla, he gets sick of the murders and massacres that follow Caracalla. After witnessing the slaughter of the people of Alexandria, Silus has had enough. He's turning away from the emperor. Can Silus and his best mate Atius survive the turmoil, can Silus survive the battle of Nisibis, can Atius survive the assassin sent to kill Julia Soaemias and of most importance to Silus, can he rescue Tituria from her slave come assassin Juik?
This book is non stop action and the whole series is the same.
I loved all the books and this last one wraps up the series nicely. Although, if you ask me personally, I don't want it to end.
10 out of 10 people. You have a whole series to read one after the other. Buy them and lose yourself in the world of Rome and Silus. Special shout out to Oclatinius, one of my favourite characters in the whole of the world of Roman historical fiction.
I'm depressed now. I can't believe this is the last book in the series.
It's another brilliant read. Silus is a member of the Arcani, basically he's the James Bond of Roman times. Although, not as good looking, suave and sophisticated and he doesn't have a Q to supply him with the bells and whistles of his trade. He has to live off his wits and cunning and to that end, he excels. As bodyguard of the emperor Caracalla, he gets sick of the murders and massacres that follow Caracalla. After witnessing the slaughter of the people of Alexandria, Silus has had enough. He's turning away from the emperor. Can Silus and his best mate Atius survive the turmoil, can Silus survive the battle of Nisibis, can Atius survive the assassin sent to kill Julia Soaemias and of most importance to Silus, can he rescue Tituria from her slave come assassin Juik?
This book is non stop action and the whole series is the same.
I loved all the books and this last one wraps up the series nicely. Although, if you ask me personally, I don't want it to end.
10 out of 10 people. You have a whole series to read one after the other. Buy them and lose yourself in the world of Rome and Silus. Special shout out to Oclatinius, one of my favourite characters in the whole of the world of Roman historical fiction.
February 27, 2023
This was an engaging conclusion to the Imperial Assassin’s series. Alex Gough’s usual easy reading style was once more present and included interesting insights into the reign of Emperor Caracalla. The ending of the story was a worthy finale to the series. I intend to re-read this in the future as it has been riveting to learn details of this period of Roman history, of which I wasn’t aware and the mix of locations for the series made each book unique.
August 28, 2023
Well... I've just finished all 6 Imperial assassin books. Only started in August incredible books. Just cried because I thought Silus was dead.
Amazing series could put them down
Amazing series could put them down
November 9, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CONTENT WARNING: violence, murder, blood, suicide, profanity, gore, massacre, mention of rape, harm to animals
I’ve gotten somewhat sucked into this series, and although I haven’t yet read all of the books, I’m pleased to discover that I didn’t have to read each of the books to be able to follow what is going on in this book. Gough has recreated the Roman Empire in all of it’s glory and revealed the grimy underside of the glitz, all through the eyes of our simple hero—Silus.
Silus is hard not to like. He’s a simple guy who rose through the ranks from a dumb mistake that he made in book 1. And while he paid dearly for his error, he’s also been granted an immense privilege, in being elevated to the ranks of the Imperial Assassins, or the Arcani. In this book, he’s also one of the Leones, or the elite guard of the Roman Empire, Caracalla. But during his years of service, he’s also seen some things that made him question his loyalty to this man, who has grown increasingly unbalanced and paranoid. Although he was witness to a massacre in Germania in an earlier book, he’s a witness to a new atrocity in this book that forces him to make a decision that throws his entire worldview into question.
In the upper ranks of the Empire, among those closest to the Emperor, it’s hard to know who to trust. This entire book simmers with tension, and I found myself absolutely unable to put it down. It starts with an action scene, and always, Silus is unwillingly thrown into a hot mess of a situation, one after another. He has very little say in the path of his life, and he struggles a lot with that in this book. I loved watching him maneuver around that, mentally and emotionally, and learn how to wrestle back some control over his life in whatever way he could.
The Roman Empire period is fascinating to me, and Gough clearly did his research. Everything was so detailed, from the architecture and the social structure, down to the attire and military techniques. This series ranges across the empire, starting in Britannia and moving across the SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) area in this book. It was so interesting to see not just the different regions, but also the political intrigues of the times. There were so many plot twists, and I loved reading this story.
This is one of those books that you can’t miss, especially if you are a fan of historical fiction. It’s brimming with action, intrigue, and emotional plot lines that get their hooks into you and don’t let go. I was nearly crying by the end of the story, and although it says that this is the climax of the series, I can’t say that I’m ready to let go. I find myself hoping that there’s more to come from this, maybe a spin-off, because I seriously love all the characters (ok, most of the characters) in this series!
CONTENT WARNING: violence, murder, blood, suicide, profanity, gore, massacre, mention of rape, harm to animals
I’ve gotten somewhat sucked into this series, and although I haven’t yet read all of the books, I’m pleased to discover that I didn’t have to read each of the books to be able to follow what is going on in this book. Gough has recreated the Roman Empire in all of it’s glory and revealed the grimy underside of the glitz, all through the eyes of our simple hero—Silus.
Silus is hard not to like. He’s a simple guy who rose through the ranks from a dumb mistake that he made in book 1. And while he paid dearly for his error, he’s also been granted an immense privilege, in being elevated to the ranks of the Imperial Assassins, or the Arcani. In this book, he’s also one of the Leones, or the elite guard of the Roman Empire, Caracalla. But during his years of service, he’s also seen some things that made him question his loyalty to this man, who has grown increasingly unbalanced and paranoid. Although he was witness to a massacre in Germania in an earlier book, he’s a witness to a new atrocity in this book that forces him to make a decision that throws his entire worldview into question.
In the upper ranks of the Empire, among those closest to the Emperor, it’s hard to know who to trust. This entire book simmers with tension, and I found myself absolutely unable to put it down. It starts with an action scene, and always, Silus is unwillingly thrown into a hot mess of a situation, one after another. He has very little say in the path of his life, and he struggles a lot with that in this book. I loved watching him maneuver around that, mentally and emotionally, and learn how to wrestle back some control over his life in whatever way he could.
The Roman Empire period is fascinating to me, and Gough clearly did his research. Everything was so detailed, from the architecture and the social structure, down to the attire and military techniques. This series ranges across the empire, starting in Britannia and moving across the SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) area in this book. It was so interesting to see not just the different regions, but also the political intrigues of the times. There were so many plot twists, and I loved reading this story.
This is one of those books that you can’t miss, especially if you are a fan of historical fiction. It’s brimming with action, intrigue, and emotional plot lines that get their hooks into you and don’t let go. I was nearly crying by the end of the story, and although it says that this is the climax of the series, I can’t say that I’m ready to let go. I find myself hoping that there’s more to come from this, maybe a spin-off, because I seriously love all the characters (ok, most of the characters) in this series!
June 5, 2023
By far the best historical fiction series I've read yet!
Well written, you can pick up anywhere in the series, although I'd recommend reading in order. The author does a brilliant job of making the characters and story detailed, but not dreary, so much so that you feel like you saw the movie years ago and are now reading the books.
Also, the most conceivably realistic series I've read in the genre so far.
There's action, but also several well interweaved sub-plots that are just as enjoyable.
Exceptionally well done for the factual side and authors "discretion" to link the stories together well.
Alex Gough, keep writing, and I'll keep reading!
Well written, you can pick up anywhere in the series, although I'd recommend reading in order. The author does a brilliant job of making the characters and story detailed, but not dreary, so much so that you feel like you saw the movie years ago and are now reading the books.
Also, the most conceivably realistic series I've read in the genre so far.
There's action, but also several well interweaved sub-plots that are just as enjoyable.
Exceptionally well done for the factual side and authors "discretion" to link the stories together well.
Alex Gough, keep writing, and I'll keep reading!
November 20, 2022
The books in this series are always gripping, action packed and entertaining. Loved this one that kept me hooked and turning pages.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
December 27, 2022
what a ride
What a fantastic read a series of non stop action intrigue betrayal and death.I enjoyed every book in this amazing saga thank you Alex for this superb journey.
What a fantastic read a series of non stop action intrigue betrayal and death.I enjoyed every book in this amazing saga thank you Alex for this superb journey.
February 11, 2023
Brilliant series and the perfect ending
May 26, 2023
a good historical fiction
I enjoyed this book and the whole set very much! I look forward to the next book in the series. I am also going to start his other series.
I enjoyed this book and the whole set very much! I look forward to the next book in the series. I am also going to start his other series.
February 27, 2025
An epic end to Silus' story!
July 28, 2025
A fantastic series, one of the best I've read in a while.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews