Rome Burning
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 |
| Products | Novels |
Rome Burning constitutes the second installment in Sophia McDougall's trilogy, succeeding her initial work, Romanitas. The narrative unfolds in an alternate reality where the Roman Empire endures into modern times.
Plot
Set three years following the events of Romanitas, the Roman Empire confronts conflict with Nionia (Japan) alongside a string of enigmatic fires. Marcus Novius, designated heir to the imperial throne, assumes the role of Regent after Emperor Faustus falls ill. He attempts to enlist Varius as a counselor; however, Varius declines due to traumatic past experiences, including his wife's death and a wrongful accusation of treason. While Marcus strives to prevent war, his partner Una delves into the involvement of Marcus’s cousin Drusus in a plot that nearly claimed Marcus’s life. During an assault on an armaments factory near Rome, Una’s brother Sulien and Varius are targeted. Varius survives, rescues Sulien, and reenters political affairs, whereas Sulien begins to question the circumstances surrounding these events. Una uncovers Drusus's connection to the murders of both Marcus’s parents and Varius’s wife, though Drusus nearly succeeds in killing her first.
Varius presses Marcus to execute Drusus, but Marcus opts for a judicial proceeding due to insufficient direct proof. Drusus forms an alliance with General Salvius, who liberates him and convinces Emperor Faustus to challenge Marcus's authority. Fueled by animosity toward Una, Drusus warns Faustus that Una, Sulien, and Varius pose significant threats.
Sulien grows suspicious that he was deliberately targeted during the Veii explosion. Accompanying Marcus to peace negotiations in Bianjing (Kaifeng), the Sinoan capital, Una witnesses initial diplomatic progress undermined by sabotage and revelations of Nionia's development of a powerful new weapon. Following the assassination of a Nionian delegate by a Roman agent, Emperor Faustus recalls Marcus under effective house arrest. This action heightens Prince Tadahito of Nionia’s doubts regarding Rome’s true intentions. Before departing, Marcus entrusts Una and Varius as hostages to the Nionians—both as gestures of goodwill and safeguards against Drusus’s machinations. While captive and supported by the Sinoan Empress and Nionian Princess, Una and Varius endeavor to avert Drusus's attempts to incite war, despite enduring significant personal sacrifices.
See also
- Agent of Byzantium
- Germanicus trilogy
- Gunpowder Empire
- Lest Darkness Fall
- Roma Eterna
- Romanitas (novel)
- Warlords of Utopia