Hardback: May 2012

Hardback: The Eagle of the Twelfth: release date 24.5.2012

This is the heart of a legion. Demalion of Macedon never wanted to be a legionary. Caught up in a recruitment drive, he is at first posted to the Sixth Ferrata, the 'Iron Men' of the east: a legion he can be proud of. But a spy takes him out of there to act as interpreter and clerk and when he returns from his secondment, Demalion finds he's been posted to the Twelfth, the unluckiest legion in Rome's entire army. He would run away, but his centurion is posted with him, and together, they must carve out a place for themselves in the Twelfth, surviving harsh winters on a mountaintop to march out, in time, against the King of Kings of Parthia in a war that might, if they win it, restore them to their rightful place in the ranks of Rome's best.

Because this is what Demalion discovers: that the men of the Twelfth, his friends, comrades, brothers, are as courageous, as noble, as stricken with humanity as the men he left behind. He is one of them. And he is proud to be. SO when someone needs to save their Eagle, who else could do it, but Demalion? If he can survive long enough in the hostile territories, amongst tribes and men who hate him and all he stands for.

Praise from other authors:

'Brutal, touching, learned and above all captivating. This story of defeat and victory in Rome's war with Parthia had me hooked from the first page.' - Anthony Riches

"Of all the authors I know and read, MC Scott intrigues me the most. Her prose combines poetic subtlety with an astute, incisive edge, so that as a reader you are drawn in deep and the characters’ dreams and fears become your own. There is such a sense of soul about Scott’s writing that you can’t help but wonder if she has somehow lived the lives she relates. In Rome: The Eagle of The Twelfth Scott again proves that in her armoury is every weapon required by a master of the craft; the smooth sling stone of an artfully described facial expression, the swift arrow of insightful dialogue, the ballista missile rendering of the ancient world in all its glory. Damalion of Macedon, the hero of the story, is unlike any I have read; a warrior who is intensely human. His determination to preserve, indeed win back, the pride of his legion imbues every page with passion, fearless pride and the fellowship of fighting men. The battle scenes are exhilerating (the last had my heart pounding!) and the way in which the author weaves into the tale characters we have come to know, love and respect from previous books, is wonderfully satisfying. The Aquila, the eagle itself with its outstretched wings, is so much more than the legion’s standard, an ensign carried proudly into battle. In Scott’s hands it becomes every soldier’s beating heart, a metaphor, if you like, for a man’s uncompromising pride. As such, this is a book that honours all those who have fought for a cause. It is a tale that shines like the Eagle at its heart.

I suspect that no one else writes like MC Scott. I’m certain plenty wish they could. " Giles Kristian, author of the 'Raven Bloodeye' series, and of 'The Bleeding Land.'

"This is a blade wrapped in silk. The battles are enthralling, the feel you have for the contrast between the garish, colourful, overwhelming east and the more dour, determined Romans is impressive, as well as the way you bring out the individuals with little touches - Demalion's obvious love for horses, for example.

I also love the spy element in it, Roman agents working behind the scenes to either try and foment or stop a war. Gladiator meets Tinker Tailor in a baroque landscape." Robert Low

 

PAPERBACK

The paperback of Rome: The Coming of the King will launch in May 2012.

AD 65: Violent unrest simmers on the furthest edges of the empire.  

Sebastos Pantera, spy to the Emperor Nero, has undertaken a mission of highest possible risk. Hunting often alone, he must find the most dangerous man in Rome's empire, and bring him to bloody justice.

Set against him is an enemy who has pledged to bring about the destruction of an entire Roman province. Brilliantly clever, utterly ruthless, the enemy cares only for his vision of total victory - and not for the death and devastation such a campaign would bring. 

 Comments from other authors:

Stunningly good. Rome: The Coming of the King gives the reader the extraordinary sense of living within another time and place - smelling its smells, tasting its tastes, thinking its thoughts and dreaming its dreams …. A quite exceptional historical novel.' Andrew Taylor


‘Rome: The Coming of the King is an intricately woven, cleverly plotted and exceedingly well-written book. Miss it at your peril!'  Ben Kane.

‘Passion and intrigue, superb action sequences and real and imagined characters are seamlessly woven together to create a fascinating and exciting story on a truly epic scale. Wonderful!’ Laura Wilson

‘From the deserts and the people who roam them, to the cities and the kings who rule them, MC Scott deftly recreates the dangerous world of a country dominated by Rome. Superbly written and immaculately researched, Rome: The Coming of the King left me desperate to know what happens next!' Douglas Jackson

‘Intelligent, historical, well-written … I shall be bereft when I turn the final page.’ Robert Low, author of the 'Oathsworn' Viking series

'Scott weaves a rich, vivid tale of intrigue, courage and passion. This is a truly original story brimming with characters the likes of which I have never encountered. The prose is beautiful, subtle and evocative, drawing us in to an ancient world both familiar and exotic but always tantalizing. Forget what you thought you knew. This story changes everything. A dazzling, wonderfully crafted tale. Spellbinding.' Giles Kristian

 

 

The paperback of Rome: The Emperor's Spy launched in March 2011 and swiftly climbed up the sales charts. It comes complete with a new short story exploring what might have happened if the Boudica's armies had succeeded in defeating Suetonius Paulinus and his legions.  Thus, the leading characters of The Emperor's Spy and the Boudica: Dreaming series are brought together under very different circumstances. 

 "As exciting as Ben Hur.... and far more accurate." The Independent.

Rome: The Emperor's Spy

"Don't trust the Emperor. He will use you, and the woman and the boy. And when he has what he wants, he will kill you all. He can't help himself. It's what he does."

AD 64

Rome in AD 64 is ruled by Nero who would rather be an actor or a charioteer than an Emperor. Ruthless and soft by turns, unpredictable, empassioned, dangerous, he has exiled Seneca, the only man he could trust, and surrounded himself with sycophants and schemers. When a prophecy begins to circulate promising that the Kingdom of Heaven will arise if only Rome is set alight, he has to look outside his normal court for help.

Into this hotbed of paranoia and conspiracy steps Sebastos Abdes Pantera, known as the Leopard. Once a spy in Seneca's elite network, he has gone native in Britain, falling in love with a tribal woman. After her death in the Boudican revolt, the last thing he wants is to work again for the Empire that murdered his wife and child.

He could refuse Nero, but the spy-master, Seneca, is waiting for him as he steps of the ship, weaving his old webs of intrigue. Seneca has found Math, a boy with the potential to be the best of spies, if he can only live long enough. And Hannah, a healer who bridges the worlds of Pantera's past and his future. Because he saw her father, Judas the Galilean carried living from his tomb. And that was the start of everything…

From the author of the bestselling Boudica series, Rome: The Emperor's Spy begins a new series set in the heart of ancient Rome, amidst the fire and chaos of Nero's reign and on into the battles for his succession. With a rich array of characters, including a few survivors of the Boudican revolt, the novel peels back the layers of history to reveal the courage and passion of men and women caught at the heart of one of the most formative periods in history.