Another solid 3. Not a bad book, just the characters are a bit shallow. I do like the main character, a patriotic Roman spy and hard man. He reminds me of Decius Metellus from the SPQR series by John Maddox Roberts, without the sense of humor, and with a worse temper. But the cunning and sharp mind are the same, as is the patriotism.

Premise: what if there was an outside influence that caused the Roman Empire to continue a 100 years beyond when it should have fallen? What if that case was alien in nature? ( )