It is 527 AD and Constantinople is a city simmering on the edge of chaos, a volatile stew of creeds and cultures. At its heart lies the Great Palace and the imperial court of the Roman Empire, a seething knot of ambition, competition, intrigue and treachery.
Amid this maelstrom stands John. Once a man, now a eunuch. Once a warrior, once a slave, now the right hand of Justinian, the greatest of Byzantium's emperors. But in a city where violence and murder are commonplace, it is John's skills as an investigator that will keep him alive and preserve his place at Court.
