Curse of the Nile (Legion of the Fallen Gods Book 1)

Rome conquered the known world. Now, the Gods of Olympus want it back.48 BC. Julius Caesar has chased his rivals to the sun-scorched banks of the Nile. Victory seems inevitable, but in the shadows of the palaces and the murky depths of the river, an ancient power is waking. The city of Alexandria is holding its breath, and the water is beginning to taste of blood and brine.When Centurions Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus obey a ruthless order to drown the boy-king Ptolemy XIII, they do not just end a dynasty—they break a divine seal. The Nile, fed by the blood of a pharaoh, recoils. The pact between gods and men is shattered, triggering a sequence of "Wrath Phases" that defy the laws of nature.Now, Pullo bears a terrifying burden: a jagged fragment ofancient bronze, seared into his flesh and pulsing with a will of its own. It whispers of judgment, blood, and a tribunal deep beneath the water where faceless gods weigh the souls of men. Beside him, Vorenus carries a vine-staff that hums with ancient power, the only anchor keeping his brother-in-arms from being consumed by the god’s wrath. Together, they are the "Bearer" and the "Shield"—two soldiers bound by an oath stronger than steel, standing against a tide that seeks to erase Rome from the map.As the river vomits forth nightmares—from the one-eyed Cyclops heralds of the deep to the multi-headed Hydra-Crocs of the canals—the city transforms. Glyphs bleed through the masonry of the market squares, marking the innocent for judgment. The "Three Mouths" of the prophecy are opening, and with each trial, the humanity of the two centurions is stripped away.But the gods are not the only players on this board. Caught between Caesar’s iron ambition to become the "last mortal to command gods," Cleopatra’s ruthless sorcery as she births a new dynasty, and the shadow-games of spies like Therïa and mystics like Menas, Pullo and Vorenus are pawns in a war that transcends the Senate.With the Oracle of Delphi screaming warnings and the priesthood of Amun invoking curses, the legions of the Tenth and Eleventh find their discipline tested against a magic they cannot kill with swords.History tells one story. The Gods tell another.Curse of the Nile is the first book in a new Historical Fantasy series that spans more than 17 years and most of the known world. It begins by reimagining the Roman invasion of Egypt, where the discipline of the Legion meets the terrifying magic of the Old World. Read more