The Splendour Before the Dark

Nero, Book 2

By: Margaret George

Narrated by: Steve West, Susan Denaker, Katharine McEwan

Length: 21 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

With the beautiful and cunning Poppaea at his side, Nero Augustus commands the Roman Empire, ushering in an unprecedented era of artistic and cultural splendour. Although he has yet to produce an heir, his power is absolute.

But in the 10th year of his reign, a terrifying prophecy comes to pass and a fire engulfs Rome, reducing entire swaths of the city to rubble. Rumours of Nero's complicity in the blaze start to sow unrest among the populace - and the politicians....

For better or worse, Nero knows that his fate is now tied to Rome's - and he vows to rebuild it as a city that will stun the world. But there are those who find his rampant quest for glory dangerous. Throughout the empire, false friends and spies conspire against him, not understanding what drives him to undertake the impossible.

Nero will either survive and be the first in his family to escape the web of betrayals that is the Roman court, or be ensnared and remembered as the last radiance of the greatest dynasty the world had ever known.

©2018 Margaret George (P)2018 Penguin Random House LLC

Critic reviews

"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." (Library Journal)

"Carefully researched, vivid, and passionately told, this is the story of a fascinating new Nero." (Madeline Miller, Orange Prize-winning author of The Song of Achilles)

"George’s take on Nero is fascinating and convincing." (The Times)