Rome: The Emperor's Spy ~ M.C. Scott

Having found an historical fiction group Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction" at Goodreads I stumbled across monthly reads from two different eras. The on from the ancient era was about Rome, a subject that rarely appeals to me, but I thought to myself, "In for a penny, in for a pound." Off I trudged to the book shop and purchased a copy of Rome: The Emperor's Spy by M.C. Scott. (The same Scott who wrote the Boudica trilogy in four novels).



The first instalment in a series about spies and charioteers in Nero's Rome, Scott weaves a tale where all the key characters meet because of the Emperor's need to be entertained. While intrigue and betrayal are around every corner, the Math is learning the way of horses, a career that may very keep him alive simply at the Emperor's pleasure. For those who have read Scott's Boudica trilogy, I am told some of the characters are initially from that series, though did not feature prominently.
This novel has opened my mind toward other books set during the Roman Empire however disinterested I am in the period. Although the attraction is minimal for the era, I am now hard-pressed to turn down a cracking story about charioteers or gladiators. Shame they must always be connected to the leaders of the time in some way. Surely, there was plenty more going on in Rome than the self-proclaimed nobility. While I lament, I would certainly read the other books in this series as I enjoyed the characters and the writing.

Review previously appeared on the now defunct Paternoster Row Legacy Blog