Brides of Rome: A Novel of the Vestal Virgins (Vesta Shadows Series, Book 1) (Vesta Shadows Series, 1)

It is a world of power and privilege, secrets and sacred duty. It is the world of ancient Rome. And it is the esteemed Vestal Virgins -- priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the home and hearth -- who protect the Eternal Flame that protects the Eternal City.

Dedicated to a thirty-year vow of chaste service, Priestess Pomponia finds herself swept up in the intrigue, violence, wars, and bedroom politics of Rome's elite -- Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Octavian and his maneuvering wife, Livia -- all the while guarding the secret affection she has in her heart.

But when a charge of incestum -- a broken vow of chastity -- is made against the Vestal order, the ultimate punishment looms: death by being buried alive in the ''Evil Field.''

In Brides of Rome, Book One in the Vesta Shadows series, Debra May Macleod skillfully re-creates the world of ancient Rome with all its brutality and brilliance, all its rich history and even richer legend. A true page-turner that is as smart as it is compelling, this must-read novel brings the Vestal order to life like never before.