Changes

|summary=The third in the 4th century Roman Twilight of the Empire series continues in the way that Ian Ross fans are accustomed: action -packed, informative and exciting historical fiction of the first order.

Aurelius Castus, tribune in Emperor Constantine's army is preparing for the battle everyone (including us) has been waiting for: the fight against Maxentius, Tyrant of Rome. Meanwhile , Castus' marriage to the aristocratic Sabina has borne him a beloved son but coldness lurks between man and wife where there was hot passion. Castus' suspicions are further fed by his wife's name being on the lips of a dying officer; truth or pre-death ramblings? Meanwhile , Sabina has bought a new slave and Castus swears he's seen her somewhere before…

With this, the third ''Twilight of the Empire'' series [[:Category:Ian Ross|Ian Ross]] has maintained the superlative standards of [[The War at the Edge of the World: Twilight of Empire: Book One (Rome Reborn) by Ian Ross|Book 1]] and [[Swords Around The Throne (Twilight of Empire) by Ian Ross|Book 2]] and explains why he's becoming a must -read for fans of writers like [[:Category:Simon Scarrow|Simon Scarrow]] and [[Category:Ben Kane|Ben Kane]]. I should imagine the only person less than chuffed about another outing is our hero Castus. To say that he's been through the mill while trying to help hold a split Roman Empire together is an understatement. He's lost friends and has been betrayed by lower orders and high-ups alike. Now he's a married and a father perhaps it's time for the author to be more merciful in this instalment of his adventures? I'm pleased to say that it seems not.

While we watch a military that splits to fight a virtual civil war, we’re entertained by some great set pieces, including a Roman equivalent of the Nuremburg Nuremberg Rally, boasting 25,000 Roman soldiers. If you're interested in more contemporary examples of 'the more things change…', There are instances of having to fight using inadequate military equipment. Sound familiar?

Ian is definitely a writing masterclass in adding research and factoids that help rather than hinder the pace. Many of us will already realise that members of the new Christian cult fought beside traditional Roman polytheists but I'd never realised the connotations till Castus' adventures raised my awareness. If as a solder you believe your survival depends on gods who are displeased by the new one-god faith then having Christians beside you in battle becomes scary. In fact , they become as much a threat to your life as the enemy's attack.

Further Reading: If this appeals and you've already read the first two books [[The War at the Edge of the World: Twilight of Empire: Book One (Rome Reborn) by Ian Ross|The War at the Edge of the World]] and [[Swords Around The Throne (Twilight of Empire) by Ian Ross|Swords Around The Throne]], then we also highly recommend [[The Road to Rome (Forgotten Legion Chronicles) by Ben Kane]]. Or perhaps you'd like some of the facts behind the fiction? In which case we direct you to the expert on all things Ancient Roman, [[SPQR A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard|Mary Beard]]. [[Ian Ross's Twilight of Empire Series in Chronological Order]]