The Last King of Rome - The Rise of Rome, #1

MURDERS, CURSES, BRUTAL ASSASSINATIONS. THE TARQUINS LIKE TO KEEP THESE THINGS IN THE FAMILY Rome, 6th Century BC, is a brutal place. Battles with neighbouring tribes are common and kings can be easily thrust from their thrones, through diplomacy or at the point of a sword, it doesn't really matter. When Lucomo, first of the Tarquins, is brutally murdered by hired assassins, his adopted son Servius takes the throne without the approval of the senate.
Over time, he earns their trust, but his unelected accession rankles with Lucomo's grandson, Lucius. Lucius believes the throne should be his and he's prepared to do whatever it takes to get it. And so, he and his lover set out on a path that will lead them to commit murder, regicide and usurpation. Lucius is King of Rome, but there's a shadow darkening his victory. A terrible curse plagues the family while a prophecy foretells the fall of the Tarquins. Can Lucius defy the Fates and secure the throne for the Tarquin dynasty? Or can the Roman Republic be seen, flexing its muscles, on the horizon?