Another excellent entry in the Embers of Empire series. This whole series is worth reading. Marcus travels to Roman Africa to find out the truth about provincials' complaints of imperial corruption and why nothing is being done about it. They are also suffering from the attacks of a barbarian tribe the Austoriani. Also, Marcus is ordered by the emperor to spy on General Theodosius, who is coming to lead the army, aiming to put down the rebellion of a Berber prince. The officer was a horrible man, and I disliked him intensely. The story was set as a flashback, which Marcus tells a visitor, called herein only the Antiochian. I could scarcely believe that so many incidents were actually true--"stranger than fiction." I thought the maps a nice touch, also the author's material after the novel itself. I thank the publisher for sending me an ARC. I was quite happy to rate and review the book as I did. ( )