The Citizens of the City of Carce have no idea that a catastrophe is at their doorstep and the end of the world may be on its way. It begins with the arrival of a magician from the far north who has found himself an ally, Senator Saxa. The Senator might be under the influence of the magician, but his family is acutely aware of the growing threat.
Varus, the senator’s son, dreams of being a poet until a startling experience sends the young man down the path of magic. Then there is Varus’s best friend, Corylus, born into a soldier’s life in the northern reaches of the empire and who must somehow help his friend. The headstrong Senator’s daughter, Alphena, has insisted to be trained in the art of sword fighting but still has never fought in combat, and Hedia, the senator’s new wife, was accused of killing her former husband and yet now will fight to protect her new husband and his family.
Carce might be bathed in glory and conquest, but the magic from the north may finally annihilate this mighty empire. David Drake’s The Legions of Fire is a carefully drawn fantasy world based on the Roman Empire that incorporates the Sibylline Books and Norse poems into the story. This is the first book in the new series, The Books of the Elements.