Cirrus@Austlit

'Rome is bathed in blood as the Emperor Tiberius is tormented by drug-fuelled terrors of treason. The innocent are butchered while the guilty do evil in darkness. None are guiltier than the Emperor's devoted and deluded 'son', Sejanus.

'In this city of poison three beautiful women are locked in a lethal rivalry…

'Agrippina. Driven mad with grief, her obsession with revenge for her murdered husband imperils the lives of her children.

'Apicata. Robbed of her eyes and embittered in her heart, she schemes in the shadows to empower the husband who despises her.

'Livilla. Sensual and sly, she is gripped by a lust for a lover as deadly as he is desirable.

'Three women. One goal. Who will be Empress of Rome?

'Moving stealthily among them is Iphicles, arch schemer and slave, whose haunted heart is lightened by the eunuch Lygdus, his willing apprentice in murder. With paralysed Livia now a helpless captive to her slave, it is the repellent brat Little Boots' turn to profit from prophecy. But as Iphicles' deadly plan to enthrone Little Boots unfolds, Livia struggles secretly towards recovery with the help of the sorceress Martina. Rome is a nest of vipers, and Livia, the one true Empress of Rome, is hell-bent on wreaking her vengeance…

'Nest of Vipers is the second volume in the gripping Empress of Rome series.' (Publication summary)

'THERE IS A SHE-WOLF IN THE SHADOWS…

'It is 44BC and the rival clans of Rome are driving the Republic towards a violent, blood-soaked end. The jealous Claudians covet the power of the Julians, who are kings in all but name.

'A tiny infant utters the prophecy of a goddess. If the darkly beautiful thirteen year old Livia Drusilla marries her bastard cousin, eleven year old Tiberius Nero, four great kings of Rome will spring from her womb. Four great Claudian kings…

'Livia and her child groom begin their star-crossed marriage, but scheming Livia has dangerous ideas. She believes herself greater than the gods, and she doubts the interpretation of the prophecy.

'When Julius Caesar is murdered the fortunes of the Claudians take a sudden, deadly turn. The great patricians become paupers, and Livia and her husband must flee Rome or face being killed as criminals.

'But Rome falls under the spell of Caesar's golden-haired nephew, Octavian. The youthful dictator in the making offers Livia and her boy husband forgiveness. Yet Livia sees more than the promise of mere forgiveness in Rome's most desired new man. She sees Octavian as the true sire for her prophesised kings. And she sees her own chance for power…

'So begins a murderous tale of sex, corruption and obsession as Livia pursues her great destiny.

No crime is too shocking. No sin is too low. No evil is beyond her grasp.

'Narrated by the 100 year old slave, Iphicles, and set in a time where no woman could hope to wield power, DEN OF WOLVES brings life to the legendary women behind the legendary men. With ambition, beauty and cunning as their weapons, the women of Rome are history's unsung survivors. Unsung until now… ' (Publication summary)

'Still, she dares not ignore the terrifying truths the High Lord would share with her, even though she fears it may be base trickery, a scheme to use her astonishing powers to accomplish his dark aims. For Sonea knows her future is in his hands -- and that only in the shadows will she achieve true greatness . . . if she survives'.

Source: bookseller's website.

'Before his death in 1609, Queen Elizabeth’s spiritual consultant, astrologer, and scientific advisor John Dee hid many of his most astonishing written works, believing that the world was not yet prepared to face the shocking truths that they revealed. For seventeen generations, his female descendants have carefully guarded the secret of his hiding place, waiting for the right moment to bring Dee’s ideas to light. That time is now. In The Rose Labyrinth, popular British author Titania Hardie masterfully blends historical fact and fiction as she introduces readers to Lucy King, a beautiful, young documentary producer based in London. With the help of a brilliant group of friends, Lucy races through London, France, and New York to decipher the clues that will eventually lead her to the hidden treasure of the Rose Labyrinth. Along the way she finds true love with Alex Stafford, the doctor who saw her through a life-threatening heart condition and transplant. A sweeping adventure for readers who loved The Da Vinci Code and The Expected One, The Rose Labyrinth is a decadent, romantic novel with a historical twist. It features a wonderful mix of literary references, from Shakespeare, to the Romantic poets, to Gabriel Garcia Marquez; the folklore and history of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Paganism; and of course, astrology and numerology, of which Titania Hardie is an expert. As the Rose Labyrinth tells us, the world we think we know is not all that it appears to be.' (Publication summary)

'The old magician paused. "If this young woman is a natural, we should expect her to be more powerful than our average novice, possibly even more powerful than the average magician."

Each year, the magicians of Imardin gather together to purge the city streets of vagrants and miscreants. Masters of the disciplines of magic, they know that no ordinary lowlife can oppose them. But their protective shield is not as imprenetrable as they think. Sonea, angry, frustrated and outraged by the treatment of her family and friends, throws a stone at the shield, putting all her rage behind it. She is amazed when it sails unrestricted through the barrier and knocks a magician unconscious. The Guild's worst fear has been realised. There is an untrained magician loose in Imardin who must be found before her uncontrolled powers can destroy herself and the city.'

Source: Author's website www.trudicanavan.com (Sighted 16/4/10)