AD 193. After a year of brutal civil war, Rome is settled under Septimius Severus and his aspirations for a new dynasty of emperors.

Severus's sons, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus - better known as Caracalla - and the younger brother, Geta, promise a stable future; a clear line of succession to steer Rome into the future.

A promise that might be hard to deliver upon.

With two brothers, there are two possible heirs, and Severus's close friend Plautianus has his own ideas about the succession, favouring Geta over Caracalla. Though the pair are still children, the Praetorian Prefect sows in young Geta's mind seeds of superiority, resentment and bitterness against his older brother.

As these seeds take root, the relationship between the pair grows strained, and their parents desperately attempt to reconcile the feuding siblings before it is too late.

Are the brothers able to set their differences aside, or will Rome see the blood of a fratricide?

The masterful final novel in the Damned Emperors series by S.J.A. Turney, perfect for fans of Harry Sidebottom and Conn Iggulden.