"Kingdom of the Wicked" (Book Two) - Helen Dale

Amazon link

I wrote about book one in November last year: "A high-tech capitalist Imperium in 31 AD".

"I should say 784 ab urbe condita: it seems unlikely that Christianity is going to end up on top when the Roman army is driving around Jerusalem in armoured cars, toting assault rifles. And where a certain Yeshua Ben Yusuf will be on trial for terrorism."

In Helen Dale's two novels, the Romans experienced capitalist lift-off in 212 BC, and by Jesus's time look very much like a modern American occupying force in the Middle-East - with similar issues. At the end of the first book Jesus had been arrested on subversion charges and was about to stand trial, while the zealots have started bombing.

My order has been placed (for 27th May 18).

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You may think you know what happens next, but do you recall the Roman Empire deploying helicopter gunships?