A review by literary_steph
Tarnished Empire by Danielle L. Jensen

"Trust me when I say that a legion camp is more gossipy than a brothel, especially a camp sitting on its laurels. When we get bored we cause drama for the sake of entertainment."

Tarnished Empire takes place before Dark Shores, during one of their earlier conquests in Bardeen. Perfectly paced and layered, it kind of has it all. With my man Marcus gracing the cover and only 200+ pages, this short tale is told from 3 POV's and it's packed with politics, jealousy, betrayal, humor and loss.

I love the two new characters: Agrippa, he's the sassiest primus in the 37th legion's history. Regardless of the strife between him and Marcus, his loyalty to his legatus and brotherhood is admirable and genuine. His sass and charm is unrivaled and I had serious heart eyes. Silvara, the laundress, dreams of being a warrior but is tasked to seduce the primus, and as the two get to know each other, they take dirty laundry to a whole new level. It's a risky, hot love affair that will have heartbreaking consequences and might I add, my girl is mighty bold! Also special shout out to Agnes!

Saved the best for last, my golden boy Marcus. It's no secret I'm #TeamMarcus. Under the cruel thumb of his sadistic mentor, Hostus, legatus of the 29th legion and the Proconsul Grypus, I wanted to hurt these two men for their treatment of my man. Marcus faces challenges and internal conflicts over moral decisions that I would never want to make. Their freedom comes at a cost, obey or die. A burden he'll carry to free himself and his legion from the grasps of Hostus and Grypus. Wah, I love you Marcus!

Tarnished Empire is full of blood, sweat, tears, sass, heartbreak and it brims with testosterone. I loved this short backstory, and again, I found myself desperate to be part of Marcus's legion. The ending really makes me want to read Gilded Serpent ASAP!