Rufinus begins the Praetorian series as a young legionary on the Danubian frontier, far from the intrigues of Rome. His promotion to the Praetorian Guard thrusts him into a world he is not prepared for — one where the enemies wear togas instead of armor and the weapons are conspiracy, blackmail, and assassination.
Tasked with uncovering plots against Emperor Commodus, Rufinus must figure out who can be trusted in a court where everyone has an agenda. He is accompanied in later books by his companion Senova and his faithful hound Acheron, but the real constant is the danger of operating in the space between an emperor who inspires both loyalty and fear and the powerful people who want him dead.
Over eight books, Rufinus grows from a naive recruit into a hardened operative, traveling from Dacia to Antioch to Rome while trying to stay alive in one of the most treacherous periods of Roman imperial history.
Reading Order
See the complete Praetorian reading order for all books in the series.