Ian Ross Books in Order (Twilight of Empire, De Noton Trilogy)

Born in England, Ian James Ross studied painting before turning his attention to another art form. He has been writing historical fiction for over a decade. It was a year teaching English in Italy that led him to explore the ruins of the Roman Empire, and ultimately to write his six-book ‘Twilight of Empire’ series–set in the Roman Empire of the 4th Century AD. Now, he continues to write historical fiction, but his new series takes us away from the Empire as we follow his character Adam de Norton living through the tumultuous world of 13th Century England.

How to read the Ian Ross Book Series in Order?

Reading The Twilight of Empire Series in Order

1. War At the Edge of the World (2012) – Centurion Aurelius Castus – once a soldier in the elite legions of the Danube – believes his glory days are over, as he finds himself in the cold, grey wastes of northern Britain, battling to protect an empire in decline. Here he must face the barbarians beyond Hadrian’s Wall, in a mission riven with bloodshed and treachery. Can Castus keep his promise to a woman he has sworn to help? And is anything about this doomed enterprise what it seems?
2. Swords Around the Throne (2015) – The old order is changing. Centurion Aurelius Castus has been summoned back from Britain to find himself caught up in a treasonous conspiracy threatening to bring down Emperor Constantine. Rewarded for saving the emperor’s life, Castus is promoted to the elite imperial bodyguard: the swords around the throne. But he soon discovers the court to be as dangerous as the battlefield.
3. Battle for Rome (2016) – Only Maxentius, tyrant of Rome, stands between the emperor Constantine and the supreme power in the West. Aurelius Castus is now a tribune in Constantine’s army. But great honor brings new challenges: Castus is tormented by suspicions that his young wife has been unfaithful. As Constantine becomes increasingly devoted to Christianity, he is forced to ask himself whether he is backing the wrong man.
4. The Mask of Command (2016) – When a treacherous act of murder throws the western provinces into turmoil, Aurelius Castus is ordered to take command of the military forces on the Rhine. But he soon discovers that the frontier is a place where the boundaries between civilization and barbarism, freedom and slavery, honor and treason have little meaning. At the very heart of the conflict are two vulnerable boys. One is Emperor Constantine’s young heir, Crispus. The other is Castus’s own beloved son, Sabinus. Only Castus stands between them and the men who would kill them. With all that he loves in danger, Castus and a handful of loyal men must fight to defend the Roman Empire.
5. Imperial Vengeance (2017) – Aurelius Castus is one of the leading military commanders of an empire riven by civil war. As Emperor Constantine grows ever more ruthless in his pursuit of power, Castus fears that the world he knows is slipping away. On the eve of the war’s final campaign, Castus discovers that the emperor’s son Crispus aims to depose his father and restore the old ways of Rome. Castus must choose between honor and survival, and face a final confrontation with the most powerful man in the Roman world, the ruler he has sworn loyally to serve: the Emperor Constantine himself.
6. Triumph in Dust (2018) – When the simmering conflict between Rome and Persia threatens to reignite into open war, there is only one man Emperor Constantine can trust to hold the eastern frontier. Aurelius Castus, a retired general of the empire, has fought long and hard for Rome. When the summons comes to command an army once more, he obeys with a heavy heart. But is he still the fearsome fighting machine of old?

Reading the De Norton Series in Order

1. Battle Song (2023) – 1264. Storm clouds are gathering as Simon de Montfort and the barons of the realm challenge the power of Henry III. The barons demand reform; the crown demands obedience. England is on the brink of civil war. Adam de Norton, a young squire devoted to the virtues of chivalry, longs only to be knighted, and to win back his father’s lands. Then a bloody hunting accident leaves him with a new master: the devilish Sir Robert de Dunstanville, who does not hesitate to use the blackest stratagems in pursuit of victory. Following Robert overseas, Adam is introduced to the ruthless world of the tournament, where knights compete for glory and riches, and his new master’s methods prove brutally effective.
2. War Cry (2023) – 1265. England has a new master. Simon de Montfort’s victory at the Battle of Lewes has made him king in all but name. He has vowed to restore the rights and liberties of the kingdom, but now even his friends grow wary of his power. As old alliances break down, new rebellions gather strength. The captive king’s supporters muster, vowing to overthrow the new regime. Meanwhile, Adam de Norton, who won the honor of knighthood on the field at Lewes, has reclaimed his ancestral lands. A peaceful and prosperous future lies before him – until he receives a summons he cannot refuse. War is inevitable. But this time, will Adam be on the winning side?

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