The Splendor Before the Dark: A Novel of the Emperor Nero

The second book in George's duology about the Roman emperor Nero (after The Confessions of Young Nero) draws from contemporary research as it chronicles the last four years of his life. George begins with the best-known event of Nero's reign, the devastating fire that destroyed much of Rome, but her Nero is hardly fiddling, he's helping the fire brigades. Nero thrives in the aftermath of the fire, punishing Christians as the perpetrators and then redesigning the city, with changes intended both to prevent future disasters as well as enhance and beautify the city's public spaces. Thus begins the golden era of his reign, where rebellions are minor and easily squelched, his marriage to the lovely Poppaea is harmonious, and he is adored by his subjects. But ancient Rome is a difficult place for emperors, and disloyalty and unrest always lurk in the background, eventually leading to Nero's downfall. George's Nero is larger than life, an aesthete and an engineer whose admiration of the arts and culture of the ancient Greeks transformed the Roman empire. This reimagining of the life of one of ancient Rome's most maligned and misunderstood leaders is dramatic, vivid, and epic, a must for readers of historical sagas. [See Prepub Alert, 5/21/18.]—Nanette Donohue, Champaign P.L., IL