'A stunning work of historical imagination, masterful in its portrayal of love, sex and friendship. 'The Observer Raised in a brothel at the edge of a dying empire, a boy of no known origin creates his own identity. He is Sparrow, who sings without reason and can fly from trouble. His world is a kitchen, a herb-scented garden, loud and dangerous tavern and the mysterious upstairs where the prostitutes - slaves from every corner of the empire - conduct their business. He spends his days listening to stories told by his beloved 'mother' Euterpe, running errands for her lover the cook, dodging the blows of their brutal overseer and the machinations of the senior prostitute, Melpomene. A hard fate awaits Sparrow, one that involves suffering, murder, mayhem and the scattering of the women who have been his whole world. In this unforgettable novel, James Hynes brings the ancient Roman city of Carthago Nova to vivid, brutal life. As we walk through lost and hear forgotten voices, Sparrow reminds us of how a great and glorious empire was built on the backs of slaves like him. His story belongs to one of the most powerfully affecting and memorable characters of recent fiction.