Semper Fidelis

by Ruth Downie Book 5 in the The Medicus series.

First published 2013

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4.2(3,300)

Ruso rejoins the Twentieth Legion as Emperor Hadrian and Empress Sabina prepare to inspect Britain’s northern defences. At Eboracum, unexplained injuries and deaths among British recruits suggest that the legion’s celebrated discipline conceals systematic brutality.

Ruso’s questions place him against officers determined to protect the unit’s reputation, while Tilla’s sympathy for the recruits makes their position still more dangerous. The approaching imperial visit turns a local inquiry into a test of military loyalty and command.

Hadrian's visit raises the stakes because legionary reputation is itself part of imperial politics. Officers want a disciplined frontier force displayed to the emperor and have strong reasons to hide abuse that might embarrass command. Ruso's medical evidence and Tilla's knowledge of the recruits challenge that official picture, turning an inquiry into a test of whether loyalty means protecting the legion or exposing what it has done.