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AD 72. Titus Flavius Vespasianus, known as Vespasian, is Emperor of Rome, but his grip on power grows increasingly fragile as economic disaster threatens. The enormous riches from his Judaean campaigns are all but spent, legions go unpaid, and the yields from Rome's vital Spanish goldfields have fallen dramatically since the civil war. Gaius Valerius Verrens is recently married and building a new home when the summons arrives from the Emperor. Vespasian needs a man with the combined skills show more of a lawyer and a soldier to investigate what is happening in remote, mountainous Asturica Augusta where the authorities claim a bandit called The Ghost is ravaging the gold convoys. But when Valerius arrives in Asturica he faces a much more complex situation. Stalked from the shadows he cannot tell ally from enemy, the exploited native tribes are a growing threat, and the tortured landscape itself seems capable of swallowing him up. Gradually he finds himself drawn into a much wider conspiracy, one that could plunge the Empire into a new conflict and that will place him on a deadly collision course with his old friend and most dangerous adversary, the former gladiator Serpentius. show lessTags
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Another absorbing adventure of Gaius Valerius Verrens. Emperor Vespasian feels he has the unique qualifications to travel to Hispania and to investigate why, since the late civil war, gold production has decreased by 2/3--at least the Roman treasury is not receiving as many shipments. His old friend Pliny the Elder is governor there and will give him all aid. So ensues a dangerous mission wherein he discovers a conspiracy to cheat the government. Valerius teams up with Serpentius, his son, and villagers.
There were many exciting, parts--after Serpentius is accused of murder of a mining engineer, he is consigned to the mines and escapes with several others. He rescues Valerius from danger--that's how they meet again, and they both are show more gulled into entering the lowest level of the mine to nose around and to discover evidence of wrongdoing. They barely escape flooding. A more gentle event is the wedding scene. The last page and a half were poignant; I had a lump in my throat. In this novel, Mr. Jackson has not disappointed and, I feel, left room for more running characters. His writing is of his same high standard.
Very highly recommended. show less
There were many exciting, parts--after Serpentius is accused of murder of a mining engineer, he is consigned to the mines and escapes with several others. He rescues Valerius from danger--that's how they meet again, and they both are show more gulled into entering the lowest level of the mine to nose around and to discover evidence of wrongdoing. They barely escape flooding. A more gentle event is the wedding scene. The last page and a half were poignant; I had a lump in my throat. In this novel, Mr. Jackson has not disappointed and, I feel, left room for more running characters. His writing is of his same high standard.
Very highly recommended. show less
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