Leovigildo, the ambitious king of the Visigoths, dreams of forging a unified kingdom with one law for all.
The sheer depth of the book stems directly from the unique life and expertise of its author:
Set in the year 568 AD, the novel takes place in a chaotic, fragmented Hispania. The Roman Empire has largely abandoned the region, leaving it as a violent free-for-all among weakened, warring factions.
A former professional soldier, Soto Chica lost a leg and his sight in an explosive accident during a UN peace mission in Bosnia. He redirected his life entirely to his passion for history, dictating his works.
. Published in 2021, the novel won the prestigious Premio Edhasa Narrativas Históricas and is widely celebrated for its brutal, visceral, and expertly researched depiction of Visigothic Spain. 🛡️ The Author: A Master of Medieval History
His wife, Queen Gosvinta, is just as brilliant, cruel, and calculating as her husband—plotting her own competing visions for the throne.
Because Soto Chica is a preeminent historian on this specific era, every weapon, location, strategy, and political landscape is rendered with flawless accuracy.