Coming This Week: THE PHILOSOPHER PRINCE

Paul Waters, author of The Republic of Vengeance and Cast Not the Day returns to ancient Rome in the brilliant new sequel The Philosopher Prince, out this week from The Overlook Press.

In 2010 Paul Waters introduced Cast Not the Day, a compelling and unflinchingly violent new classic of historical fiction written in the tradition of Mary Renault and Rosemary Sutcliff. In The Philosopher Prince, young noblemen Drusus and Marcellus are back to face the corrupt Roman state in an epic story of comradeship, love, and battle set in antiquity.

In 355 AD the heroes return to a world populated by ambitious bureaucrats and cutthroat courtiers, where human values are treacherously pitted against the calculating machinations of an all-powerful tyranny. Having fallen foul of the emperor’s authority and charged with treason, they must face off against the might of bloodthirsty forces set to destroy them. For Drusus and Marcellus their only ally is the young imperial prince, Julian. But Julian has troubles of his own: his very success has made him hated by his uncle, the emperor.  A gripping, action-packed adventure set in the late Roman Empire, this daring work is rendered authentic through the fusion of historical detail and daring plotlines, delivering a vivid and convincing journey to the past. 

Early Praise for THE PHILOSOPHER PRINCE

“Waters’s portrait of a less familiar historical era is vivid and remarkable. Historical fiction fans who enjoy Edward Rutherfurd and Bernard Cornwell will rejoice in this fresh new voice.” – Library Journal

“A well-researched tale illuminating a little known historical era.” – Publishers Weekly

“Paul Waters, who also wrote The Republic of Vengeance and Cast Not the Day, demonstrates a great love and respect for ancient Roman history.” – ForeWord Reviews

“Waters vivifies the ancient world with plenty of classical detailing and clashing swords; the fact that this tautly spun yarn is supported by an intriguing philosophical and theological subtext is definitely a bonus for discerning readers.” – Booklist

More Praise for THE REPUBLIC OF VENGEANCE by Paul Waters

Historical Novels Review offers a glowing tribute to Paul Waters's new novel The Republic of Vengeance, just released this month: "In the late third century BC, Marcus, a 14-year-old Roman journeying to Greece with his father, is captured by pirates. His father is killed, but Marcus escapes. He becomes the friend of Titus Flamininus, and participates, under Flamininus’s leadership, in Rome’s fight to liberate her Greek allies from Macedonian rule, learning hard lessons about tyranny, democracy, and war. He falls in love with a young Greek aristocrat named Menexenos who has much to teach him about commitment and honor. Like Mary Renault’s classic historical, The Last of the Wine, this novel depicts the forging of a young man’s character in turbulent times, and posits a society in which homosexual love is completely accepted. Waters’s style is flawless. The voice of the first person narrator is absolutely believable. Few novelists I have read other than Renault bring the ancient world alive as well as Waters does here. Among the novel’s strengths are its vivid battle scenes and the restrained, tender love story. . . Paul Waters is an extraordinary new talent. An “epic series” is promised by the publisher, and I will be looking forward to the next book. Republic of Vengeance is a breathtaking trip to the past: moving, thought-provoking, and a literary treat."

National Geographic Traveler Picks THE REPUBLIC OF VENGEANCE and DARWIN SLEPT HERE as "New Books to Transport Readers"

National Geographic Traveler includes two new Overlook titles in their March round-up of "New Books that Transport Us:" Darwin Slept Here, Eric Simons's travelogue retracing Darwin's steps through South America, published in time to mark the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth, and The Republic of Vengeance, Paul Water's historical novel set in third-century B.C. Greece.

Overlook Preview: THE REPUBLIC OF VENGEANCE by Paul Waters

New this month is an extraordinary debut novel set in the classical world of Rome and Greece, The Republic of Vengeance, by Paul Waters.

This remarkable story is a tale of a young man's pursuit of his father's murderer and of the values and qualities he develops that will make him a man. More than a historical adventure, The Republic of Vengeance explores timeless questions of freedom, right, duty, and love. On sale in bookstores on January 20.

Early praise for The Republic of Vengeance:

"With its restrained, elegant and poetic tone, The Republic of Vengeance brings to mind Mary Renault. The ancient world has a new and insightful spokesman in Paul Waters."- Margaret George, author of The Memoirs of Cleopatra

This is a rare treat – a truly convincing historical novel. I’ve waited ages for something this good to come along, and this debut instantly brings to mind one name – Mary Renault."- Sue Baker, Publishing News

"Ancient Greece has claimed more than its fair share of outstanding historical novelists - Naomi Mitchison, Mary Renault, Rosemary Sutcliff, William Golding - and Classicist Paul Waters deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as they. Altogether a most powerful and promising debut."- Paul Cartledge, author of Thermopylae and The Spartans.