Flame of the West — David Pilling

“Caesar's Sword was nothing but a bane, sent by the Devil to drag all the men of my blood to ruin…” Amorica, 571 AD. From his cell in the Abbey of Rhuys, the dying Coel ap Ahmar writes the final chapter of his chronicle, describing his last years in the service of the Roman Empire. Deprived of all that he loves, Coel writes of how he lost Caesar's sword and his only son, Arthur. Thirty years previously, the Roman Empire is locked in a battle to reclaim its Italian homeland from the Goths. Led by Belisarius, the Roman army wins victory after victory and marches within sight of the Gothic capital at Ravenna. As one of the few officers Belisarius can trust, Coel is dragged into a melting pot of treachery and politics, before suffering a final betrayal that all but destroys his loyalty to Rome. The discovery of his son forces the ageing Coel back into the army, and take part in a final effort to reconquer Italy. From the sea-battle of Sena Gallica, to the slaughter of Taginae, Coel must fight like never before to save himself and his bloodline…