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Rome: The Emperor's Spy (Rome #1)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 137 ratings · 29 reviews

'Stop this fire, whatever it takes. I, your Emperor, order it.'

The Emperor: Nero, Emperor of Rome and all her provinces, feared by his subjects for his temper and cruelty, is in possession of an ancient document predicting that Rome will burn.

The Spy: Sebastos Pantera, assassin and spy for the Roman Legions, is ordered to stop the impending cataclysm. He knows that if he d...more

Hardcover, 495 pages

Published February 8th 2010 by Bantam Press (first published May 7th 2009)

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Aug 24, 2012 Martin Lake rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an excellent historical novel, one which blends character driven narrative with tightly plotted action. It is easy to let either action or character dominate the other; MC Scott avoids this by peopling her novel with a range of vibrant characters placed in dread peril.
As the author of The Lost King: Resistance, I was intrigued that one of her central characters is a young boy of about my protagonist's age, with all the opportunities which this gives to engage the reader. Math is a wonde...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Alastair Rosie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller, historical-fiction, love

A Magical Journey Back in Time

Historical fiction is one of those genres that has to be done accurately or not at all. There are too many authors out there writing ‘historical fiction’ that should be re-categorised as ‘delusional fantasy’ because they don’t understand the time period, haven’t bothered researching it and wind up making it all up as they go along. Historical fiction can’t be written by the seat of your pants, you need to understand your world and be true to it.
It was with hesitati...more A Magical Journey Back in Time

Historical fiction is one of those genres that has to be done accurately or not at all. There are too many authors out there writing ‘historical fiction’ that should be re-categorised as ‘delusional fantasy’ because they don’t understand the time period, haven’t bothered researching it and wind up making it all up as they go along. Historical fiction can’t be written by the seat of your pants, you need to understand your world and be true to it.
It was with hesitation therefore that I picked up Manda Scott’s The Emperor’s Spy. Not because she writes bad historical fiction, but because she writes it so well I don’t want leave the world she’s created. I read her Dreaming Series a few years ago, which chronicled the life of one of my all time favourite heroines, Boudica and because of that I was reluctant to move on. But eventually I did and was reunited with Cunomar, Math and Cardoc from the Dreaming series and was drawn into the landscape of Roman Gaul, transported to Alexandria and finally back to Rome in time for the famous fire. Along the way I learned much about ancient Gaul, Egypt, Judea and Rome. She has an eye for detail that is staggering in its complexity. Her books need to be read two or three times over a number of months to pick up on things you’ve missed, and in that way Scott is in a class of her own. There are very few writers who drive me back to their books again and again just for the pleasure of reading something again. You get an eerie sense when reading Scott’s books that she really has been there before.
It’s for that reason I’ve often said that her work, along with certain other authors, should be used as secondary reading material in history classes. If you want to get teenagers interested in history, stop giving them dates and names they can’t pronounce and give them a good historical novel. Once their imaginations are fired up their brains will kick into gear and they’ll want to explore the era further.
With the Dreaming series she had little primary material to go on but using secondary material and no small amount of imagining, managed to create a believable fictional world that felt as if she had used her time machine to go back and interview principal characters. I’m sure she must have one tucked away in a shed somewhere. With The Emperor’s Spy she’s done much the same thing, introducing us to Jesus, or Justus, Saulos, known to us as the apostle Paul and Nero. Her rendering of the events in the immediate aftermath of the crucifixion will rattle some people, but in the style of a Dan Brown she’s certainly laid out how the myth of a mysterious resurrection might have occurred. Similarly, Saulos is portrayed as a psychopathic egomaniac determined to destroy Rome and Jerusalem in order to bring about a new theocracy.
The major protagonist, Pantera is one of my favourite characters because of his development throughout the story. He has a nobility about him that makes you wish he really had existed just the way he was portrayed. He is Nero's spy, much against his will but to defy Nero is to invite death. It is Pantera's task to track down the Apostate who wants to torch Rome and Jerusalem before he carries out his plan. Like with the last series you know how it ends but it's a thrill to travel with characters through an ancient world. You almost feel part of them and that is the mark of a talented storyteller.
And at the end of the book, after those two words The End there was a surprise waiting for me. A short story titled The Last Roman that rewrites history as if Boudica triumphed against Suetonius and drove the legions from Britain. I met once again characters I’d met in the Dreaming series and found myself wondering, what if? I don’t think other reviewers have mentioned it, but for those of us who really wanted her to win she’s blessed us with The Last Roman. It’s a short story, simply written, and yet the alternative history shows how close we came to a totally different view of history. One where our ancestors forged their own identity instead of labouring under a Roman yoke for four hundred years. The short story is available in both the paperback and Kindle versions.
The Emperor’s Spy is one of the best novels I’ve read this year and I’m already looking forward to reading the next book in the series, as well as going back to the Dreaming series once more, just to greet old characters again. If you are interested in exploring her views further she provides a reading list at the end and the reasons she used those sources. She also tells us where she has changed something to suit the story. It's up to you if you want to read this bit first or start at the beginning.
Gladly given five out of five.
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Jan 15, 2010 David Hebblethwaite rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is a follow-up to Manda Scott’s Boudica series of novels (2003-6), which I’ve not read; unfortunately, that makes a difference, as I’ll explain shortly. The Emperor’s Spy is set during the reign of Nero, who tasks one Sebastos Abdes Pantera with investigating — and preventing the fulfillment of — a propecy that Rome will burn. Panter’a journey will take him from northern Gaul, to Alexandria, then to Rome itself.

Most of the key characters in The Emperor’s Spy seem to have a history that...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Paul rated it 2 of 5 stars

I went into this book wanting to enjoy it far more than I ended up doing so. After flicking through the authors Boudica series - which I will read properly later - I gave myself the wrong impression that this book would have the same level of infectious appeal.

The best way I can describe this novel is if I were to compare it to it's cinematic equal. It is far more like those Hollywood epics churned out in the 1950s set in Rome or around Romans that were still relatively safe with most if not all...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Katy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read this one because an old friend has arranged for the author to come talk to her new book group on a weekend when I'm up in the area visiting family, and didn't actually mean to finish it just yet. It's set in AD 64, around the build up to the fire where Nero proverbially fiddled while Rome burned. It's the first in a series, but this series actually follows an earlier one about the Boudiccan revolt. There were a lot of things where it referred back, and I got the feeling there'd be some "a-h...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Angela Montgomery rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reasons I like Manda Scott: good narrative drive, interesting stories/characters, accurate historical detail. Reasons I dislike Manda Scott: stilted writing style, New Ageism (dreaming), frequent use of the Homer-like epithet ("Graine, raped by half a legion" on every 3rd page), bedhopping, portrayal of most Romans as pedophiles, presumption that more people are bi/gay than straight (even if Ancient Rome was incredibly more gay positive than 21st century Canada, which I doubt). This book is my f...more

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Jul 17, 2012 C.M. Gray rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love Manda Scottsdale style of writing, although I think if I put half the things
Sat my editor that she gets away with like long sentences and certain structure, then my editor would be cutting and cropping...but that may be my loss as it comes across well and I like the style she writes in, it's what makes it her and makes me think I will keep certain traits of my writing the way I like them.

Okay, the book. Well I was delighted that the Rome series really does follow on from the Boudicca ser...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

M.C. Scott is my new favorite author! The setting is Rome during the Reign of the Emperor Nero. The story opens in the summer of AD 63. If you like to go back in time and space via poignant historical fiction, this book is for you. The characters (some real-life historical figures)come to life in a new way, you may become so attached,or disgusted with the heroes and the villains that you will almost become a part of the story. The chariot races, the horses, and the men, women, and children who t...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Cerridwen (Emma Bianchi) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romanzi-storici

Abile spia, rientrato di recente da una missione che lo ha visto infiltrato fra le tribù britanniche all’epoca della rivolta di Boudicca, Sebastos Pantera, addestrato niente di meno che dal grande Seneca, si ritrova ancora una volta al centro di una rete di inganni e intrighi. Una funesta profezia rischia di sconvolgere il regno di Nerone e l’imperatore, piegato dalla paura, convince il giovane Sebastos a indagare. Infiltrato nel mondo dell’esercito e in quello della nobiltà sotto una nuova iden...more Abile spia, rientrato di recente da una missione che lo ha visto infiltrato fra le tribù britanniche all’epoca della rivolta di Boudicca, Sebastos Pantera, addestrato niente di meno che dal grande Seneca, si ritrova ancora una volta al centro di una rete di inganni e intrighi. Una funesta profezia rischia di sconvolgere il regno di Nerone e l’imperatore, piegato dalla paura, convince il giovane Sebastos a indagare. Infiltrato nel mondo dell’esercito e in quello della nobiltà sotto una nuova identità, si ritroverà ben presto al centro di una vasta rete di tradimenti

Pilastro del romanzo, è la straordinaria figura di Sebastos Abdes Pantera la cui caratterizzazione ricca, complessa e psicologicamente accurata, fornisce ai lettori il ritratto di un uomo dalle mille sfaccettature, imprevedibile e letale. Tormentato nel corpo e nella mente, amareggiato dalla perdita di ciò che aveva di più caro e perseguitato dai ricordi di una vita che non sente più appartenergli, quello di Sebastos è un personaggio costruito con meticolosa cura, con un’attenzione particolare per i dettagli. Gli eventi vissuti in Britannia hanno lasciato il segno su questo giovane uomo, obbligandolo a rimettere in discussione una vita di ideali, scardinando quella lealtà incondizionata nei confronti di Roma. Trasformato nel profondo, e deciso a cambiare, Sebastos deve tuttavia fronteggiare eventi ben più grandi di lui e, volente o nolente, piegarsi ad essi. Ciò non significa per l’abile spia un ripiegamento pacifico entro i limiti imposti dal destino, ma forse, un’occasione per affrontare i fantasmi del passato e liberarsi delle paure più nascoste dell’animo. Il rapporto che si viene a creare fra la spia e il giovane ambiguo Math contribuisce fortemente a rivelare il percorso di crescita di Sebastos, difficoltoso e irto di ostacoli.

Luci e ombre si raccolgono attorno al personaggio di Sebastos e queste rappresentano le luci e le ombre della stessa Roma.

Una seconda figura, estremamente potente e ben caratterizzata al pari di quella di Sebastos, domina il romanzo: quella dell’imperatore, Nerone. Megalomane, spietato, determinato, Nerone è forse una delle figure imperiali dalla fama più oscura, eppure l’autrice riesce a gestire questo imponente personaggio con obiettività e una indubbia capacità di descrizione.

L’unica pecca che si potrebbe riscontrare nell’economia complessiva del romanzo, risiede forse nella caratterizzazione dei personaggi femminili che, differentemente da quelli maschili, non riescono a spiccare per consistenza e originalità.

Non solo romanzo storico, ma anche thriller ad alto tasso adrenalinico, pura avventura in un mondo brutale, privo di leggi e, proprio per queste caratteristiche, assolutamente affascinante. L’intrigo che sta alla base della trama regge per tutto il corso del romanzo, e i colpi di scena si succedono incessanti e imprevisti.

Lo stile narrativo dell’autrice è estremamente evocativo, fluido, caratterizzato dalla presenza di molti dialoghi vivaci, mai ripetitivi, e arricchito da agili descrizioni dalla potente forza scenica che non appesantiscono affatto la lettura. Ogni capitolo del romanzo costituisce un microuniverso autonomo, un piccolo delizioso quadro che sembra dipinto con la grazia di un maestro olandese.

La ricostruzione dell’ambientazione storica, verosimile e avvincente, non risulta affatto noiosa. Un attento lavoro di ricerca è alla base del mondo ricostruito da M. C. Scott, e nonostante il periodo trattato non sia certo fra i più semplici e immediati da apprezzare, riesce comunque a coinvolgere e appassionare come solo pochi romanzi sono in grado di fare.

Il romanzo è collegato, anche se non strettamente, all’universo del Ciclo dedicato alla regina–guerriera Boudicca. Naturalmente può essere letto e apprezzato anche senza possedere una conoscenza approfondita della saga precedente, ma la lettura della Trilogia dedicata a questa particolare fase della storia della Britannia non potrà che essere d’aiuto nel comprendere appieno la vivace trama de La Spia dell’Imperatore.(less)

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Jun 15, 2012 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hf-classical

I do enjoy a good book based in ancient Rome and I think this was one of the better stories I've read in this setting.

Sebastos Pantera is the emperor's spy. Having returned from Britain heartsick and wounded, he has no wish to continue spying. All that changes when he meets Math, a young man with a natural bent toward spying and a wish to be a chariot racer. With Math's future at stake and Emperor Nero determined to stop Rome from burning, Pantera returns to what he knows best, spying.

From the f...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was given this book at Christmas but have been saving it so I could give it my full attention. When you're looking forward to something so much there is a risk you can over hype it and eventually be disappointed. Well you'll be pleased to hear that's not the case here.

I loved this book. With no other writer of historical fiction have I ever felt so completely transported to another time and place. I was able to totally immerse myself in the world of Math and Abdes Sabastos Pantera. I found mys...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, own, roman-empire-nfic-and-fic, a-m-group-read

Manda Scott is a brilliant writer. Such a talent.
It has been a couple years since I read some of her Boudica series and while I don't always love her story I do always love the writing quality.
The Emperor's spy is no different. The writing is highly skilled and even though her story didn't always appeal to me, the skill of her writing is never in question.

I believe, for my tastes, the story of Pantera here in The Emperor's Spy has much more to offer me than the Boudica story and I loved the rea...more Manda Scott is a brilliant writer. Such a talent.
It has been a couple years since I read some of her Boudica series and while I don't always love her story I do always love the writing quality.
The Emperor's spy is no different. The writing is highly skilled and even though her story didn't always appeal to me, the skill of her writing is never in question.

I believe, for my tastes, the story of Pantera here in The Emperor's Spy has much more to offer me than the Boudica story and I loved the read for most of the book.
From the get go, this book had me hooked. I enjoy a good spy or assassin character and Sebastos Abdes Pantera was one of the best. Cool headed, slippery, charismatic. He is a character I can really sink my imagination into. He is also a character, amoung a few others, who have been carried over from the Boudica series, but by no means do you have to read the Boudica books to enjoy The Emperor's Spy.

I did give it 4 stars not 5 and here's why. While the novelty of the Chariot racing delighted me in the beginning, throughout the rest of the book it wore off and I lost interest in it. I felt there was too much blow by blow of chariot racing, but I am sure this won't be reflected in all readers experience with this book.
The other thing that truly bothered me has to do with the ending and I will hide it in a spoiler so as not to ruin the ending of this book for anyone. (view spoiler)

On a final note. The book does rewrite the bible, so if you are heavy into not having Christianity questioned then I wouldn't recommend this book to you.

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May 12, 2010 Bernie Charbonneau rated it 3 of 5 stars

I came upon this book at the library on the new releases shelf and having an interest in historical fiction decided to give it a read. The jacket says that this is the first novel of a new series by this author who is the same author of the Boudica series. Not having read the latter mentioned series, I found that this book does have it's moments where it would have been useful to have read the first series. You can still follow the characters easily enough but now it has piqued my interest for t...more

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May 17, 2013 Paula Lofting rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rome is burning. Only one man can save it.

The Emperor: Nero, Emperor of Rome and all her provinces, feared by his subjects for his temper and cruelty, is in possession of an ancient document predicting that Rome will burn.

The Spy: Sebastos Pantera, assassin and spy for the Roman Legions, is ordered to stop the impending cataclysm. He knows that if he does not, his life - and those of thousands of others - are in terrible danger.

The Chariot Boy: Math, a young charioteer, is a pawn drawn into the...more Rome is burning. Only one man can save it.

The Emperor: Nero, Emperor of Rome and all her provinces, feared by his subjects for his temper and cruelty, is in possession of an ancient document predicting that Rome will burn.

The Spy: Sebastos Pantera, assassin and spy for the Roman Legions, is ordered to stop the impending cataclysm. He knows that if he does not, his life - and those of thousands of others - are in terrible danger.

The Chariot Boy: Math, a young charioteer, is a pawn drawn into the deadly game between the Emperor and the Spy, where death stalks the drivers - on the track and off it

Manda Scott is a new author I have discovered who has the ability to turn what could be an ordinary sentence into a work of art. Her style had me drawing in breath with her talent for crafting words that mesmerise you with its beauty. Sebastos Pantera, loved his name - the Leopard, has returned to Gaul after working under cover in Britannia, that wild and untamed province of the Roman empire. There he had become absorbed into the lives of the Britons, living a double life for 5 years before tragedy ends that phase in his life and he is transported back into the service of Nero, his lord. Nero has a job for him; he must stop an ancient prophecy from being fulfilled, or Rome will burn, a little boy he loves will die and many other lives will be in jeopardy.

Math, as the boy is known is drawn to Pantera who becomes his mentor and in drawing Math into Nero's world, he also embroils other characters in the plot: Hannah, the exotic beauty from Alexandria with a secret so dangerous, it could destroy them all; Ajax, the scarred charioteer whom has looked after Math since he was born; Shimon,the Hebrew who knows Hannah's secret. Somehow the characters are all destined to meet and each have their part to play in finding a way to destroy the prophecy.

But none of them could count on the evil that watches them; silent,hidden and unexpected. It will eventually catch up with them and when it does, there will be no telling what horrors await them.

Scott's characters are both colourful and alive with realism. They bounce of the pages in a way that will have you thinking of them day and night. You care about them, you know them like your friends, your enemies and your loved ones. As each chapter ended, I was ready for the next, desperate to know what happened next until only sleep stopped me from reading. The plot is carefully laid out and nothing is left to the imagination.

I'm not a great Roman scholar, but Scott seems to know what she is talking about and adds an author's note at the end. Her chariot racing scenes were perhaps a little long for my liking but there was no doubt that she could craft the details of them as if she had actually been there.

At times, her writing was so embellished, it was a little ambiguous and you had to really read the sentence a few time over to work out the meaning. Apart from this one small criticism, this book in my opinion is a literary masterpiece.
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Jul 05, 2012 Simon Turney rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Rome series (a general series note to give you an idea of my impression of Manda’s writing and this series in particular.) All good historical fiction is written in an absorbing fashion, such that the reader enjoys every turn of the page. Often, an embellishment is added – just a word, a speech, a turn of phrase, even a physical description – that is so well-written and gorgeous in its own right, that it makes the whole novel. The Rome books in particular, and Manda’s writing in general, tak...more The Rome series (a general series note to give you an idea of my impression of Manda’s writing and this series in particular.) All good historical fiction is written in an absorbing fashion, such that the reader enjoys every turn of the page. Often, an embellishment is added – just a word, a speech, a turn of phrase, even a physical description – that is so well-written and gorgeous in its own right, that it makes the whole novel. The Rome books in particular, and Manda’s writing in general, takes that embellishment and stretches it to cover the whole book. The entire tale is an embellishment. The whole of every one of the Rome books I’ve read is so beautifully constructed, finely crafted and gracefully, magnificently worded, that the whole book is one long triumph of the writer’s art.

Rome: The Emperor’s Spy is a complex tale, drawing together a number of apparently disparate threads into one story so deep and important that it’s simply impossible not to be impressed. The cover tells the reader that a prophecy predicts that Rome will burn and that Nero (an oft 2-dimensional character in Literature) will set the hero to preventing it.

Therein lies the obvious problem: anyone who is going to read this book likely knows enough of the history to know how the book is likely to end (Rome in flames). On first inspection, it’s a pointless tale. Only it isn’t. I try not to give spoilers in my reviews but the upshot (plot-wise) with this book is not the characters trying to stop an event that we all know is going to happen, but the things that lead to that event, that lead to the characters reaching that event, and what effects the event has upon them. A chariot racing driver with scars and deadly secrets, a young sneak-thief and horse tender, an Imperial spy with a history among both Jews and Britons, a woman from Alexandria with the most exotic secret of all. How these people fit into a plot with an apparently forewritten ending is stunning.

The Emperor’s spy is a tale of the sharpest, cleverest of men of the era following an ancient Sibylline prophecy and, two of them respectively trying to bring it about or to prevent it. The prophecy tells us that Rome will burn at a specific time, and that this will in turn bring about the destruction of Jerusalem. Can mere mortal men and women (for all their knowledge and skills) prevent such a thing?

Manda builds a plausible alternative to the acknowledged historical events that lead up to the great fire of Rome. Her story does not shy from a new and innovative treatment of a certain famous/infamous sect that was blamed in records for the fire. Her characters are as diverse as any I have discovered in any tale, drawing from the druidic culture of Boudiccan Britain, through the Sibylline oracles, the exotic (if mean) streets of Alexandria, the hotbed of trouble that is Neronian Judea, and the greatest city in the world: Rome itself. Gradually, as the story opens up, the reader is exposed to new and astounding secrets and truths, and each one comes as a greater surprise than the previous, often to the characters involved as much as to the reader.

The settings are evocative and breathtaking, the people wicked, ironic, deep, emotive, brave and so much more, and the story so beautifully woven that it defies simple explanation. Pantera himself is a particularly complex, clever and intricate character.

As the story draws to a close it makes the reader want to read more, and it is exceedingly lucky for us all that Manda has since written two more Rome novels.(less)

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Mar 28, 2012 Elaine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book literally jumped out at me from our local charity shop's shelves-and how glad I am that it did. Once again, I picked up my fascination with Rome-and wasn't in the slightest disappointed with the offering from this new author to me.The first of a trilogy-and the remaining 2 will be read soon!

I think where Scott really wins and succeeds where many fails, is that she has created some wonderful, believable characters with whom I felt a rapport. Hannah and Math in particular emerged from th...more

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Sep 14, 2011 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Lovers of historical fiction, espeically Rome

Manda Scott is best known for her Boudica novels. These four novels describe the transformation of Breaca into the Boudica, the celebrated warrior queen of the Iceni who dealt Britain’s Roman overlords their greatest defeat and humiliation. In Rome: The Emperor’s Spy, the first in a new set of novels, Scott becomes M.C. Scott and we are taken into the larger world of the Roman empire, from Gaul to Jerusalem, Alexandria and Rome itself. Chief among the characters looms Nero himself. We couldn’t b...more Manda Scott is best known for her Boudica novels. These four novels describe the transformation of Breaca into the Boudica, the celebrated warrior queen of the Iceni who dealt Britain’s Roman overlords their greatest defeat and humiliation. In Rome: The Emperor’s Spy, the first in a new set of novels, Scott becomes M.C. Scott and we are taken into the larger world of the Roman empire, from Gaul to Jerusalem, Alexandria and Rome itself. Chief among the characters looms Nero himself. We couldn’t be closer to imperial Rome’s political intrigue.

As the novel opens in 1st-century AD Jerusalem, we witness a young boy watching his father, a Roman soldier, hand over the still breathing body of a crucifixion victim to a woman and a zealot. Wanting nothing more than to be a citizen of Rome, the child sees this as a betrayal and he immediately sets off alone to Alexandria and Seneca, a great teacher and philosopher. When we meet the boy again, he has grown in to Sebastos Abdes Pantera, the emperor’s spy. We are now in Gaul amongst its finest charioteers.

Much of the action of the novel is presented from the perspective of Math, a young boy who works with the chariot horses, who has used his wits and beauty to pick pockets and whore. At first sight he is captivated by the charisma and bearing of Pantera and he sets out to become as good a spy, following him into the night, hiding under water troughs, taking beatings when he is caught.

This is where knowledge of the legacy of the Boudica novels would help. Math, his father Caradoc and other characters will be known to readers of the earlier novels and would explain why, once he has learnt of the true identity of Math, Pantera swears to defend him with his life. He’s not alone, Math is also protect by healer and mystic – and extremely likeable – Hannah.

The emperor’s spy then has two missions, to protect Math (not least from Nero) and to work for the emperor to discover the truth behind a legacy that foretells the burning of Rome. All this against the backdrop of chariot racing, and the schemes of Nero’s chief agent Akakios and the less obvious intentions of Shimon the Zealot and Saulos, the quiet and kind leatherworker in the chariot compound.

Anyone with some knowledge of history knows that Rome did burn, whether Nero fiddled or not. At the time Christians took the blame and this novel takes a look at whether that blame is deserved, tracing the first spark back to the rescue of the young Judean from his tomb in Jerusalem.

My confession is that I have read the first of the Boudica novels but I did not enjoy it, possibly because I could find no empathy with the characters or with their world. This, however, did not affect my appreciation of Rome: The Emperor’s Spy. A knowledge of the characters from earlier novels is not essential, their strength in these pages makes each stand alone. This novel is full of action, not least the fearful chariot races, pursuits through busy city streets, close combat and the inevitable inferno. But the action is matched by a most captivating narrative. Each character, from Nero himself through to a fleeting encounter in the street, is intriguing. Pantera in particular is a remarkable creation. As for his backstory…

No doubt one can argue about Scott’s explanation of the role of Christianity in the burning of Rome, not to mention her interpretation of the figures of Paul and Jesus, but the background, the characters and story are so well drawn, the details of ancient life and towns so clear, that this novel is a joy to read. It isn’t short but I read it in two days. Luckily, Part 2 - Rome: The Coming of the King - is already available.M.C. Scott The Emperor's Spy (less)

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Aug 10, 2011 Lindsay Eaton added it

This is the first book in Manda Scott's new historical spy thriller series, set in Rome in 64 AD, during the reign of Nero. I loved Manda's Boudica series, and this one looks as if it will be just as good. Tightly written, with heaps of action and fascinating historical detail - including some interesting theories about early Christianity - it was a compelling read. If you're a Con Iggulden fan, you're sure to enjoy Manda Scott. Highly recommended.

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Apr 22, 2013 Joy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I started this series by reading book 2 so have now read book 1. Really enjoyed this book both for the story and the quality of the writing. The detail is fascinating and really draws you into the machinations of the different sects and individuals. The challenge to our traditional view of first century Jewish/Christian/Roman history is startling.
Will now have to read book 2 again before continuing.
Highly recommended.

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Jun 09, 2012 Mel Horne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

I liked this book, I thought the background and times were drawn very well. It was great to revisit some old friends from the Dreaming series and meet some interesting new ones, but I thought the plot lost it a few times. There did not seem to be a real reson behind some of Neros actions which was a bit of a distraction for me. That said I enjoyed it and will be reading the next one ;-)

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Nov 25, 2012 Lorna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I didn't expect to like it even though Manda Scott is one of my favourite authors, but I was surprised. It isn't as much of a "mystery" novel as I thought. I am really looking forward to the rest of the series. What I like about Scott's novels is that the characters struggle with their choices, with their relationships and with themselves.

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Jan 20, 2013 Lance McMurchy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

This book failed on two counts: firstly, it struggled to pique my interest and seem rather dull; secondly, it failed as an historical novel by manipulating the facts as an attempt to make the story better, and to vilify a historical figure base on the author presuppositions. Sorry, but St Paul doesn’t look anything like the Machiavellian character in the book, based on his letters and the book of Acts. The same Paul who said, ‘Do not repay anyone evil for evil.’ And, ‘if your enemy is hungry, fe...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Geraldine Banon added it

I ejoy historical novels set in Rome. Taylor Caldwell, Collee McCollough...and mow MC Scott.

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Oct 07, 2012 Karen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

How can the author make an exciting subject so boring?

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May 19, 2012 Carole Eyles rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gripping and engrossing story with flawed characters who captured my imagination and a story that never quits. A great sequel to the Boudica series.

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May 09, 2011 John rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is well researched with regard to evryday life in Roman times. The storyline, is a good one, but I felt that it got bogged down in detail.

there were some surprises in the storyline that I did not see coming, which I think in my opinion, rescued the book. There were times that reading some chapters, were hard going and laboured.

Nonetheless, this is worth the money.

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Jun 28, 2012 Eamonn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

My review's up on my blog: http://www.displacementactivity.co.uk...

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Feb 13, 2013 Alun rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-favourites

I am told that the sequels to this book are better. I find that very hard to believe possible but, will find out for myself in the very near future. Wonderful book, beautifully written.

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Apr 27, 2011 Chelsey Jensen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was AMAZING definitely one of my favourites

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May 19, 2013 Jaclyn marked it as to-read

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Ancient & Med...: JUNE 2012 (Group Read 1): Rome : The Emperor's Spy by Manda Scott	126	127	Mar 19, 2013 04:32pm

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About M.C. Scott

aka Manda Scott

ABOUT M.C. SCOTT

MC Scott.... qualified as a veterinary surgeon from Glasgow University and spent fifteen years in Newmarket and Cambridge specialising in anaesthesia and intensive care, before turning to writing as an alternative, less sleep-deprived, profession. Of the ten novels so far published, the first four were contemporary crime thrillers. The first, 'Hen's Teeth' was short...more aka Manda Scott

ABOUT M.C. SCOTT

MC Scott.... qualified as a veterinary surgeon from Glasgow University and spent fifteen years in Newmarket and Cambridge specialising in anaesthesia and intensive care, before turning to writing as an alternative, less sleep-deprived, profession. Of the ten novels so far published, the first four were contemporary crime thrillers. The first, 'Hen's Teeth' was short listed for the Orange prize in 1997; the third, 'Stronger than Death' was awarded an Arts Council of England prize for Literature and the fourth, 'No Good Deed', was nominated in the 'Best Crime Novel' category of the prestigious US Edgar Awards in 2003.

In 2001, the first of the internationally bestselling 'Boudica: Dreaming' series was published: 'Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle'. The last, 'Boudica: Dreaming the Serpent Spear' was published in 2006. Together, these four novels explore the life and times of Boudica, the war-leader of the Eceni who lead the revolt against Rome in 61 AD.

In 2007, 'The Crystal Skull' was published –a stand-alone contemporary thriller with a Tudor thread, which visited the Mayan end-of-world concepts (which suggest the world will end on 21/12/2012) and the myths and legends surrounding the thirteen crystal skulls which, when brought together, will either transcend the end of this age – or bring it about.It has been translated into 23 different languages, from Slovenian and Slovakian to Chinese.

The latest novel, 'Rome: The Emperor's Spy', was published on 1st January 2010.

This is a historical spy thriller set in the same universe as the Boudica cycle – three of the surviving characters from the Boudica: Dreaming books are key to the plot. A faster, sharper, harder text which examines the early decades of Christianity, it concludes that the fire was lit by the man we have come to know as St Paul, who, as a Roman agent had been sent to bring the Hebrews into the Imperial fold, but who went native, and began to believe his own fiction.

The Emperor's Spy is first in a series of at least four novels following the life of Sebastos Abdes Pantera, the spy known as the Leopard, and those who endeavour to help him.

The sequel, Rome: The Spy's Revenge, will be published in March 2011. The paperback of The Emperor's Spy will be released in January 2011

M.C. Scott runs shamanic dreaming workshops which teach the basis of the dreaming described in the Boudica series.

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Rome: The Emperor's Spy (Rome #1)

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