It’s AD652, and after surviving dark intrigues at the Frankish royal court, Beobrand is finally able to undertake the mission his queen set him: to escort a party of pilgrims to the holy city of Rome.
Yet Beobrand’s life is never easy. His party includes a scheming churchman whose ambition is boundless, and a mysterious envoy from Frankia.
The roads heading south are filled with danger, and Beobrand soon finds himself reluctantly responsible for protecting pilgrims who have been attacked.
Confronting brigands and robbers at every turn, the party presses on towards the Eternal City.
But when Beobrand reaches the glorious snakepit of ruins and relics that is Rome, his difficulties truly begin… and his homeland has never been further away.
Shadows of the Slain by Matthew Harffy is published in paperback on 3 July, 2025.
Read Matthew’s Historia feature about the background to his novel, Early medieval Rome: the changing face of the Eternal City.
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