River of Gold: Empire XI

Set in AD 187, River of Gold takes Marcus Aquila up the Nile from the Romans' stronghold in Alexandria to the frontiers of the Empire. An unknown enemy has slaughtered almost all the soldiers stationed at the Empire's last outpost before its borders with the mysterious kingdom of Kush. Caravans can no longer reach the crucial Red Sea port of Berenike, from which the riches of the East flow towards Rome.

The Emperor's most trusted and most devious adviser orders Marcus's commander Scaurus to Egypt in what may well be a suicide mission, accompanied only by a tiny cadre of trusted officers. Can a small force of highly trained legionaries restore the Empire's power in this remote desert no-man's land?