The Guest Star
Two Alexandrian students, one ancient empire, and a sky full of mystery. Join Hero and Lucia as they chase a strange star across mountains, deserts, and ancient cities. The Guest Star is a thrilling journey packed with danger, heart, fascinating details, and the timeless excitement of discovery.
At the end of the second century, after a mysterious new and large star appears in the night sky of Aegyptus, two students of the Great Library of Alexandria embark on a search for an explanation following a clue inserted into a famous Ptolemy’s manuscript of the geographical description of the Roman Empire. Along the way, they meet allies and enemies, love and betrayal, and discover a path that brings them closer to a better understanding of nature and the universe itself.
The Guest Star is also a historical adventure in which ancient Roman and Chinese cultures intertwined at the start of the Silk Road, several years before the first major civil war erupted following Emperor Commodus’ assassination. The story is portrayed from a slightly different perspective and goes beyond the generally accepted clichĂ©s in the history of the Roman Empire.
The Guest Star is a sweeping work of historical fiction that transports readers into the heart of ancient Rome, balancing the grandeur of empire with the intimate struggles of those who lived within it. Rich in period detail and alive with atmosphere, it has been praised as both “a thrilling Roman mystery” and “a work of rare narrative depth,” seamlessly weaving together science, history, romance, and intrigue. Through elegant prose and meticulous research, the novel evokes a world where politics, philosophy, and the human spirit collide, revealing how the questions of the past still echo powerfully in our own time.
At once suspenseful and deeply reflective, it is a reminder that history is not a relic, but a living presence shaping the destinies of generations. For lovers of immersive historical epics, The Guest Star affirms a timeless truth: beneath the endless heavens, every life and every story has its place among the stars.