A Thousand Years of Brass and Blood

The Eternal City is no longer built on seven hills, but on thousands of steam pipes and buried secrets. The year is 1000 AD. The New Roman Empire has reached the zenith of human civilization. Under the reign of Emperor Aurelius II, Rome has transformed into a global steam-powered metropolis where Navis Aeria airships rule the skies and Via Ferrea iron trains connect the continents. Pax Romana is no longer just a history but an enduring prosperity. However, this peace is merely a thin layer of paint over a cracking machine. A secret message via pneumatic telegraph reaches the palace stating that the Province of Iberia has exploded in rebellion. For the Senate, this might be a common peasant riot, but for Aurelius II, there is a terror he cannot explain. The Emperor is forced to leave the throne to lead his legions to the front lines, leaving a restless Rome under the responsibility of his son, Romulus III. Amidst the political tension, the court historian Aelius Tacitus and his student, Cassian, discover that this rebellion is not just a fight for territory. There is a mysterious technology used by the rebels that should not exist and an ancient symbol appearing on city walls. While tasked with finding a worthy empress for Romulus III, Aelius begins to realize that what he wrote about the bloody history of Romulus I in 476 AD was not just the past. It was a warning of a storm heading toward Rome. Civil war is lurking. Secrets of hundreds of years are waiting to explode. And when Brass meets Blood, Romulus III must prove if he is strong enough to hold the crown that has burdened his ancestors for five centuries. One empire built on steam. One secret buried in history. One rebellion that will change everything. Note: This story is a sequel or a continuation of the era from the book: When Rome Stood Firm.