The New York Times bestselling and legendary author of Helen of Troy andย Elizabeth Iย now turns her gaze on Emperor Nero, one of the most notorious and misunderstood figures in history.
Built on the backs of those who fell before it, Julius Caesarโs imperial dynasty is only as strong as the next person who seeks to control it. In the Roman Empire no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, womanโor child.
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As a boy, Neroโs royal heritage becomes a threat to his very life, first when the mad emperor Caligula tries to drown him, then when his great aunt attempts to secure her own sonโs inheritance. Faced with shocking acts of treachery, young Nero is dealt a harsh lesson: it is better to be cruel than dead.
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While Nero idealizes the artistic and athletic principles of Greece, his very survival rests on his ability to navigate the sea of vipers that is Rome. The most lethal of all is his own mother, a cold-blooded woman whose singular goal is to control the empire. With cunning and poison, the obstacles fall one by one. But as Agrippinaโs machinations earn her son a title he is both tempted and terrified to assume, Neroโs determination to escape her thrall will shape him into the man he was fated to becomeโan Emperor who became legendary.
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With impeccable research and captivating prose, The Confessions of Young Nero is the story of a boyโs ruthless ascension to the throne. Detailing his journey from innocent youth to infamous ruler, it is an epic tale of the lengths to which man will go in the ultimate quest for power and survival.