Praise for

EMPRESS OF THE SEVEN HILLS

“Power and betrayal were never so addictive than in this gorgeously wrought tale of star-crossed lovers caught in the turbulent currents of Imperial Rome. Kate Quinn deftly contrasts the awesome splendor of torch-lit banquets with the thunder of the battlefield. Empress of the Seven Hills is a riveting plunge into an ancient world that is both utterly foreign and strikingly familiar—where you can feel the silken caress of an empress and the cold steel of a blade at your back.”

—C. W. Gortner, author of The Confessions of Catherine De Medici

DAUGHTERS OF ROME

“A soap opera of biblical proportions… [Quinn] juggles protagonists with ease and nicely traces the evolution of Marcella—her most compelling character—from innocuous historian to manipulator. Readers will become thoroughly immersed in this chaotic period of Roman history.”

—Publishers Weekly

MISTRESS OF ROME

“[Quinn] skillfully intertwines the private lives of her characters with huge and shocking events. A deeply passionate love story, tender and touching, in the heat and danger of the brutal arena that was ancient Rome… Quinn is a remarkable new talent.”

—Kate Furnivall, author of The White Pearl and The Jewel of St. Petersburg

“Equal parts intrigue and drama, action and good old-fashioned storytelling. Featuring a cast of characters as diverse as the champions of the Colosseum, Mistress of Rome is destined to please.”

—John Shors, bestselling author of Cross Currents and The Wishing Trees

“Stunning… a masterful storyteller… It is no mean feat to write a novel that is both literary and a page-turner.”

—Margaret George, author of Elizabeth I: A Novel

“Full of great characters… So gripping, your hands are glued to the book, and so vivid it burns itself into your mind’s eye and stays with you long after you turn the final page.”

—Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Outlander series

“[A] solid debut… Quinn’s command of first-century Rome is matched only by her involvement with her characters; all of them, historical and invented, are compelling… Should make a splash among devotees of ancient Rome.”

—Publishers Weekly

“For sheer entertainment, drama, and page-turning storytelling, this tumultuous debut novel is well worth reading.”

—Library Journal

BOOKS BY KATE QUINN

Mistress of Rome

Daughters of Rome

Empress of the Seven Hills

EMPRESS
OF THE
SEVEN HILLS

KATE QUINN

Dedication

For Stephen,
who in many ways—freckles, restlessness,
short temper, loud snoring, left-handedness,
dislike of horses, speed with a sword,
impatience with superior officers,
and that one muscle under the left shoulder blade
that collects all your tension—
is quite a lot like Vix

PART I

ROME

CHAPTER 1

VIX