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Crossroads Brotherhood Books in Order

5 Books
2011 – 2017 Published
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Reading order

The Recommended Reading Order

The Crossroads Brotherhood series is a collection of six historical fiction novellas that follow Marcus Salvius Magnus, the leader of the South Quirinal Crossroads Brotherhood. These stories run parallel to Robert Fabbri’s main Vespasian series, detailing the illicit schemes, gang wars, and political favors that happen away from the battlefields and senate chambers.

You have three main options for reading these stories:

  • The Compiled Volume (Recommended): Read the omnibus collection Magnus and the Crossroads Brotherhood (2019), which contains all six novellas in chronological order. This is the easiest way to access the complete saga.
  • Chronological Order: Interleave the individual novellas with the main Vespasian novels to experience Magnus’s underworld exploits alongside Vespasian’s rise.
  • Series Sequel/Prequel: Read the entire Crossroads Brotherhood collection as a companion piece after finishing the main Vespasian series to dive back into Rome’s gritty streets.

The Crossroads Brotherhood Books in Chronological Order

If you are reading the novellas individually (or reading through the compiled volume), this is the chronological sequence of Magnus’s adventures and where they fit in the timeline of the Roman Empire:

  1. The Crossroads Brotherhood (2011) – Set in 25 AD. Magnus seeks vengeance after a rival gang raids his brothel, while navigating a dangerous favor for Lady Antonia.
  2. The Racing Factions (2013) – Set in 30 AD. Magnus plots to outsmart a corrupt bookmaker operating in the high-stakes chariot racing scene.
  3. The Dreams of Morpheus (2014) – Set in 38 AD. Amid riots in Rome, Magnus must track down a rare narcotic resin.
  4. The Alexandrian Embassy (2015) – Set in 40 AD. Magnus faces off against a rival faction over smuggled illegal weapons.
  5. The Imperial Triumph (2017) – Set in 44 AD. Having returned from fighting in Britannia, Magnus must handle criminal rivals and satisfy his patron’s political schemes.
  6. The Succession (2018) – Set in 51 AD. Magnus investigates the murder of a secretive astrologer who drew illicit horoscopes for powerful Roman elites.

How to Interweave with the Vespasian Series

For readers who want the ultimate chronological experience, you can read the novellas alongside the main Vespasian books. The first novella, The Crossroads Brotherhood, serves as a prequel to the main series and can be read first. You can then intersperse the subsequent stories as Vespasian’s political career progresses, providing a street-level perspective of Rome’s criminal underground.

Frequently Asked

QWhat is the Crossroads Brotherhood series about?

It is a series of six historical fiction novellas by Robert Fabbri following Marcus Salvius Magnus, a gang leader and fixer who runs the South Quirinal Crossroads Brotherhood in Rome's criminal underworld.

QHow many novellas are in the Crossroads Brotherhood series?

There are six novellas in total, published between 2011 and 2018, which were later collected into a single volume.

QIs there a compiled book containing all the stories?

Yes. You can read all six novellas in the omnibus collection titled Magnus and the Crossroads Brotherhood, which was published in 2019.

QHow does this series connect to the Vespasian novels?

Marcus Salvius Magnus is a key character and close associate of Vespasian in the main series. The novellas focus on the dirty tasks Magnus carries out in the Roman slums, offering a gritty companion to the main novels' political focus.

QIn what order should I read the Crossroads Brotherhood?

The best way is to read them chronologically, beginning with The Crossroads Brotherhood and concluding with The Succession, or by reading the compiled Magnus and the Crossroads Brotherhood volume.

QWhen are the Crossroads Brotherhood novellas set?

The stories are set in ancient Rome between 25 AD and 51 AD, spanning the reigns of Emperors Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and into the era of Nero.