The Mark of the Thief

Nielsen, Jennifer A. The Mark of the Thief. Book 1 of the Mark of the Thief series. 2015. 352p. 507 mins. ISBN 978-0-545-56154-9. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

As a lowly mining slave, Nic Calva has no rights. Working the mines is punishing and physically demanding, but at least it keeps Livia, his sister safe. Always looking for an opportunity to escape, or at least cause mischief, Nic does not kindly accept the abuse from his master. When other slaves discover the sealed chamber where Julius Caesar’s treasure was buried, Nic knows it is only a matter of time before Rome’s rich and powerful attempt to seize it. Even though more than three hundred years have passed since Caesar’s death, the magic that was given to him by the gods is still very much present.

General Radulf, head of the Praetorian Guard and commander of the Roman Army comes to the mine to retrieve Caesar’s treasure. He orders Nic to enter the room and retrieve a bulla, an amulet that Caesar would have worn as a child. The two previous slaves that entered the room either died or went insane, so Nic is not keen on doing so. He extracts a promise from Radult that he will take care of Livia. In the cave, Nic is confronted by a griffin, but when he puts the amulet on he suddenly feels the magic that powered Caesar fill his veins, and the griffin stops its attack. He manages to escape the caves, but is recaptured by the slavers and shipped to Rome. During the trip, he is guarded by Aurelia, a surly girl who is an expert with a bow and a knife, but who has no lost love for Rome’s elites.

Once there, Nic realizes that he is at the center of a dramatic power play between General Radulf, who seeks to unseat Emperor Tacitus and destroy Rome from within, and those Senators who are opposed to this action. With enemies on all sides, Nic must quickly find out who he can trust, before Caesar’s magic costs him his life.

A good fantasy set in Roman times, Mark of the Thief provides a very descriptive recreation of the Roman Empire of the 3rd century. Fans of historical fiction might balk a little at the presence of magic and mythical creatures, but will enjoy the political conspiracy at the heart of this book’s plot.

The story continues in Rise of the Wolf.