Part of The Nero Trilogy by Conn Iggulden
First published 2024
Rome, AD 37. Emperor Tiberius crushes a traitor with his bare hands, then murders the man's entire family and friends. This brutal justice erases lives without trace. Into this violent world, Agrippina gives birth to a son. She carries the blood of Augustus, but imperial lineage offers no safety. The closer you stand to power, the greater the peril. Soldiers threaten her. Senators scheme against her. Rivals circle like vultures. Silver-tongued pretenders compete for influence. A single misstep means exile, prison, or death. Worse still, it could cost her child's life. Agrippina sees opportunity even in darkness. Her son means everything to her. She will mold this boy, shape him into Rome's future ruler, the one before whom all must bow. But survival comes first in a dynasty soaked in blood and betrayal.
Genres: biography, drama, historical-fiction, adult-fiction
Vibes: dark, gritty, intense, political, suspenseful
Tropes: ambitious-protagonist, family-legacy, mother-son-bond, political-intrigue
Setting: Rome
Period: AD 37, 1st century
395 pages · Paperback · Michael Joseph
Content warnings: death, murder, violence