Waiting on Wednesday: The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

This week's upcoming book spotlight is:

The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George

Publication Date: March 7, 2017 
Berkley Books

Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

From Goodreads:

Built on the backs of those who fell before it, Julius Caesar s imperial dynasty is only as strong as the next person who seeks to control it. In the Roman Empire no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman or child. 

As a boy, Nero s royal heritage becomes a threat to his very life, first when the mad emperor Caligula tries to drown him, then when his great aunt attempts to secure her own son s inheritance. Faced with shocking acts of treachery, young Nero is dealt a harsh lesson: it is better to be cruel than dead. 

While Nero idealizes the artistic and athletic principles of Greece, his very survival rests on his ability to navigate the sea of vipers that is Rome. The most lethal of all is his own mother, a cold-blooded woman whose singular goal is to control the empire. With cunning and poison, the obstacles fall one by one. But as Agrippina's machinations earn her son a title he is both tempted and terrified to assume, Nero s determination to escape her thrall will shape him into the man he was fated to become an Emperor who became legendary. 

With impeccable research and captivating prose, "The Confessions of Young Nero" is the story of a boy s ruthless ascension to the throne. Detailing his journey from innocent youth to infamous ruler, it is an epic tale of the lengths to which man will go in the ultimate quest for power and survival.

Am I talking about too many ancient historical fiction books lately? Well, even if I am, here's another one anyway! Margaret George is a superb writer, and I am immensely looking forward to this particular book. Most of the Roman Emperors led fairly, uh, interesting lives, and Nero is one of the more widely recognized emperors of the period. I'm excited to see what George does with what we know of Nero from various records and how she decides to mold this story.

What do you think about this upcoming release? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

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