From the author of The Last Hour comes another fast-paced thriller, which follows Valens, a young soldier with dead parents syndrome who unexpectedly ends up in charge of the desperate band and has to learn how to be a leader as he goes along, in charge of a desperate rescue attempt deep behind enemy lines. When Valens, a junior officer in the Roman Army, joins a crack squad of soldiers on a dangerous mission, little does he know what’s in store for him.

Tasked with rescuing the young Prince Sasan, who has been imprisoned in the impenetrable Castle of Silence, the troops set out across Mesopotamia and into the mountains south of the Caspian Sea. Deep in hostile territory, inexperienced Valens finds himself in charge. And as one by one his soldiers die or disappear, he begins to suspect that there is a traitor in their midst and that the rescue is fast becoming a suicide mission. Valens must marshal this disparate group of men and earn their respect before it’s too late.

A racy thriller set in about 260 AD. The historical side was easy to follow (I readily found what I needed to know on the internet. But how I wished I had realised – sooner than the end – that helpful information was at the back if the book): the writing style excellent: the characters and motivation were easy to discern; and it was an exciting story.

Even if you’re not massively interested in Roman history, the book is works checking out just as a thriller. Don’t go in expecting a humanistic ‘saving noble civilization from cruel barbarism’ type of story but more of an adventure which happens to feature Romans.

Crossing into many different countries where they encounter people from all walks of life, I was aware almost instantaneously after reading a few pages that Sidebottom knew his onions when it comes to the empire. It was a pleasure to read with a palpable sense of tension running throughout and a satisfying ending to boot.