ROME, 316 BCE. To be alone, at peace in the forest. That is all Rullianus desires. After defeating the Samnites at Luceria, Rome's legendary general craves respite from battle's bloody turmoil. But peace won't come while the Samnite war rages. Tiberius and Marcus Globulus, the Brothers of Death, run rampant through legions and towns. Their army has taken nearby Saticula. No one now stands between them and Rome. The Senate summons Rullianus to quell this new threat. He ventures forth with an army of recruits, determined to end the Samnite menace. While Rullianus deals with Rome's external threat, his wife copes with the one within. The conniving Appius Claudius continues his rise to power, intent on revenging his mother's death at Rullianus' hand. Wielding the power and wealth of his magistracy, Appius blazes an undetected trail of lies and murder in his quest to become consul—and execute Rullianus. Rullianus' sorceress wife Cornelia suspects Appius of foul play—and Appius suspects she knows it. Thus begins a game of cat and mouse between them, each bent on eliminating the other. Rullianus arrives at Saticula. The two armies clash, with grievous personal losses to both commanders. The war becomes a vengeful chess match between Rullianus and Tiberius, culminating in a winner-take-all showdown at the keypoint city of Sora. The Brothers of Death is a fact-based tale of the budding Roman Republic's rise to power. It reconts the power of innovative tactics and weaponry, the magic of ancient science, and the personal agony that accompanies wartime leadership. The third book of the Noble Brute series. MARTIN TESSMER is the author of fourteen fiction and nonfiction books, including the acclaimed Scipio Africanus series. He has worked as a university faculty member, military consultant, factory foreman, and wilderness writer. His latest collection covers the history of Rome's early master of war: Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus, the Noble Brute of Rome.