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    The Mask of Command
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    The Mask of Command
    Unavailable
    The Mask of Command
    Ebook486 pages10 hours

    The Mask of Command

    By Ian Ross

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Ross presents us with a vision of late Rome that is tense, exhilarating, complex and exotic...

    When a treacherous act of murder throws the western provinces into turmoil, Aurelius Castus is ordered to take command of the military forces on the Rhine.

    But he soon discovers that the frontier is a place where the boundaries between civilisation and barbarism, freedom and slavery, honour and treason have little meaning.

    At the very heart of the conflict are two vulnerable boys. One is Emperor Constantine's young heir, Crispus. The other is Castus's own beloved son, Sabinus. Only Castus stands between them and men who would kill them. With all that he loves in danger, Castus and a handful of loyal men must fight to defend the Roman Empire.

    But in the heat of battle, can he distinguish friend from enemy?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHead of Zeus
    Release dateDec 1, 2016
    ISBN9781784975241
    Unavailable
    The Mask of Command
    Author

    Ian Ross

    Ian Ross was born in England, and studied painting before turning to writing fiction. He has travelled widely, and after a year in Italy teaching English and exploring the ruins of empire reawakened his early love for ancient history, he returned to the UK with growing fascination for the period known as late antiquity. He has been researching and writing about the later Roman world and its army for over a decade. ianjamesross.com @IanRossAuthor

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    Reviews for The Mask of Command

    4.5/5

    6 ratings1 review

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    • 5/5
      Impressive that the author is maintaining his high standard in this series, and even improving in all aspects. AD317: the current Dux Limitis Germaniae, Commander of the German Border, has been killed, ostensibly by barbarian Chamavi Franks, to whom he is delivering a "subsidy", i.e., bribe, of precious metals, for their good behavior. In steps Aurelius Castus, as his replacement. As he tells soldiers under his command, he has come to restore order. In so doing he steps on the toes of higher-ups, by decisions they feel should be the caesar Crispus's; or those of the teenager's regent. Crispus is Constantine's illegitimate son. There are the same skirmishes between Romans and Franks, several foiled assassination attempts on the young Caesar's life, and an ambush and another attempted assassination on Castus's life. There's an exciting trip upriver, fight with Saxon pirates, and trip back to Colonia after shipwreck. Sabinus, his son, is with him and abducted at one point. I like how Castus has revealed himself as father. A climactic battle between Chamavi Franks and Romans restores order in the province; villains get their comeuppance. Castus meets after many years Marcellina, who appeared in Book 1 and is now a widow with daughters; I feel there will be a burgeoning low-key romance since Castus's wife, Sabina, is conveniently "out of the picture". I'm glad of this turn of events. I never liked her from her first appearance; I felt she and Castus were too different in temperament and class for a marriage to last and that she was unworthy of him. This book was satisfactory in all respects. Castus has become a favorite character; this novel only emphasizes my feeling. Most highly recommended.