Brand new historical adventure from the Sunday Times bestselling author!'A rip-roaring epic' PAUL FINCH'A truly vibrant and gripping read' HELENA GUMLEY-MASON'An epic tale' MATTHEW HARRFY'Historical fiction has never been more visceral' JAMES ROLLINS'A tour de force on an epic scale' DOUGLAS JACKSONFor an empress to rise, a city must fall...Rome, 410 ADHalf-sister to Emperor Honorius, unmarried and powerless, twenty-year-old Galla Placidia watches from the shadows as imperial policies are made and unmade.Her plans to gain power and influence are halted when the city is besieged and captured by a vast army led by Alaric the Visigoth. Taken hostage, travelling out of Italy, Galla Placidia falls in love and marries a barbarian king.At a time when Rome's power is fast dwindling, its authority diminishing year upon year, she embarks on a dangerous and remarkable journey towards the imperial throne.But what price must a woman pay for power?This is the compelling story of a little-known, remarkable woman whose burning ambition saw her, against all odds, become empress of Rome.
