What do you think?
Rate this book
The First Emperor #1
Impostor of Rome
A spellbinding tale of adventure and unshakeable friendship from the author of the bestselling Wolf of Corwick Castle Series. If you liked Hadrack of Corwick, you will love Marcus Agrippa!
An excerpt from the newly discovered journals of Marcus Agrippa: Military Commander, Politician, Architect, Right-hand man to Augustus Caesar—and impostor.
All Romans lie. It is a statement of fact, not a supposition. How can I be so certain, you ask? Because I am a Roman, one of fame and glory, and I am the biggest liar of them all. My name is Marcus Agrippa, and what I have to tell you would shake the very foundations of Rome itself were my words to come to light today. Hopefully, by the time these writings of mine are discovered in what I hope will be hundreds, perhaps even thousands of years from now, the secret that I have borne most of my life will no longer matter. I can only pray to the gods that it is so, for you see, the name that I wear now with such ease and the one which all of Rome knows me by and admires is not the name that belongs to me. It never did. So, take heed, friend, for if you choose to go further, you will learn of such things that you cannot even imagine. Tales of heroism and deceit, honor and treachery. It is all here, written by my own hand now that I am free to tell what really happened.
This is the story of a slave and a future emperor—two men entwined by destiny, the will of the gods, and a deadly secret. So read on, friend from the future. Read on—if you dare!
An excerpt from the newly discovered journals of Marcus Agrippa: Military Commander, Politician, Architect, Right-hand man to Augustus Caesar—and impostor.
All Romans lie. It is a statement of fact, not a supposition. How can I be so certain, you ask? Because I am a Roman, one of fame and glory, and I am the biggest liar of them all. My name is Marcus Agrippa, and what I have to tell you would shake the very foundations of Rome itself were my words to come to light today. Hopefully, by the time these writings of mine are discovered in what I hope will be hundreds, perhaps even thousands of years from now, the secret that I have borne most of my life will no longer matter. I can only pray to the gods that it is so, for you see, the name that I wear now with such ease and the one which all of Rome knows me by and admires is not the name that belongs to me. It never did. So, take heed, friend, for if you choose to go further, you will learn of such things that you cannot even imagine. Tales of heroism and deceit, honor and treachery. It is all here, written by my own hand now that I am free to tell what really happened.
This is the story of a slave and a future emperor—two men entwined by destiny, the will of the gods, and a deadly secret. So read on, friend from the future. Read on—if you dare!
432 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2024
About the author
Terry Cloutier
23 books101 followersTerry Cloutier is the bestselling author of the Wolf of Corwick Castle series, The First Emperor series, and The Past Lives Chronicles. The tenth book in the Wolf of Corwick series, titled The Wolf at Bay, will be released on March 31st, 2026, with book 11, The Wolf Unleashed, slated for release in the summer of 2026. Terry resides in Canada with his wife and their two dogs. You can contact Terry through Facebook or his website www.terrycloutier.com. He'd love to hear from you.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 3, 2024
Very enjoyable
The story of Octavius thru the eyes of Marcus Agrippa. I had read a lot about Octavius life, his struggles before he took the mantle of Caesar but his Great General Agrippa was always a brief side story while mentioning the great battles where he was involved . On this novel, the author adds a twist to Agrippa's life that it's in the realm of possibility. He makes him a person that you can identify with. I enjoyed this novel very much. Hoping for more in the near future, because this book just covers the beginnings of Agrippa's career.
The story of Octavius thru the eyes of Marcus Agrippa. I had read a lot about Octavius life, his struggles before he took the mantle of Caesar but his Great General Agrippa was always a brief side story while mentioning the great battles where he was involved . On this novel, the author adds a twist to Agrippa's life that it's in the realm of possibility. He makes him a person that you can identify with. I enjoyed this novel very much. Hoping for more in the near future, because this book just covers the beginnings of Agrippa's career.
May 9, 2025
We start this book when Octavius was still a teenager, before he was favored by his uncle Julius Caesar. And by his side, he developed a friendship with a young slave who was the spitting image of Marcus Agrippa. Wait, what? Yes, the author takes us on a bumpy ride as the slave Luan becomes an impostor, impersonating his former master who had met a well-deserved doom. The book, you see, is a memoir, destined to be discovered centuries later so that Agrippa can tell all. Now, I certainly have mixed feelings about this, because the story Cloutier tells is well done without this unnecessary diversion. For instance, we get a perfect impression of Octavius when he learns about Caesar’s death:
Octavius took a deep breath, shaking his head sorrowfully. “Caesar was like a father to me. I don’t know how I can go on without him.”
“Yes, you do,” I said a little more harshly than intended. “You are stronger than any man I have ever met, Octavius, and I know you will not only survive this but grow even stronger from it.”
“To what purpose, Marcus?” Octavius replied in a voice heavy with self-pity. “Without my uncle, I am nothing. I have risen this far and this fast only because of him. Quintus has always been right about that.”
“Nonsense,” I said. “Julius Caesar saw something in you years ago, as did we all. You were born to lead, Octavius, and lead you shall.”
The prose is very good, and the story is easy to follow. Events unfurl in a convincing manner as Octavius and his allies take on the unscrupulous Marc Antony. Battle scenes are well written. The whole impostor thing is made up by the author, and In my opinion it detracts from the novel. Agrippa stands up just fine on his own, without messing him up with this silly deception. As we get deeper into the story, I think we can leave the whole impostor thing behind… well, maybe not. Things can still go badly for him in book two. I’m not so annoyed that I won’t read the next volume; I really like the story. But I wish it had been told straight.
Octavius took a deep breath, shaking his head sorrowfully. “Caesar was like a father to me. I don’t know how I can go on without him.”
“Yes, you do,” I said a little more harshly than intended. “You are stronger than any man I have ever met, Octavius, and I know you will not only survive this but grow even stronger from it.”
“To what purpose, Marcus?” Octavius replied in a voice heavy with self-pity. “Without my uncle, I am nothing. I have risen this far and this fast only because of him. Quintus has always been right about that.”
“Nonsense,” I said. “Julius Caesar saw something in you years ago, as did we all. You were born to lead, Octavius, and lead you shall.”
The prose is very good, and the story is easy to follow. Events unfurl in a convincing manner as Octavius and his allies take on the unscrupulous Marc Antony. Battle scenes are well written. The whole impostor thing is made up by the author, and In my opinion it detracts from the novel. Agrippa stands up just fine on his own, without messing him up with this silly deception. As we get deeper into the story, I think we can leave the whole impostor thing behind… well, maybe not. Things can still go badly for him in book two. I’m not so annoyed that I won’t read the next volume; I really like the story. But I wish it had been told straight.
March 3, 2024
Excellent book about the early years of Augustus and Agrippa (covers roughly 50 BC to 43 BC and the short war against Mark Anthony before the establishment of the Triumvirate) - there is an interesting twist about Agrippa which occasionally leads to a bit of overdramatic stuff, but the rest is just superb storytelling with intrigue, war, romance - narration by Agrippa from Roman intrigue, battling against elephants in Africa and against brigands and traitors in Spain and finally navigating a tight rope in helping his friend and patron Octavius now going as Gaius Caesar after his posthumous adoption by the late dictator in placating the Senate and confronting Antonius who is loath to recognize his adoption and consequently rise to an important leader of the Caesarian party, of which Antonius believed himself to be the rightful leader. If there is one niggle is that the book ends too soon and one wants to read the sequel asap...
Highly, highly recommended and a top novel of 2024
Highly, highly recommended and a top novel of 2024
February 7, 2025
Superb Roman Historical Fiction
As an avid reader of late Roman Republic historical fiction, I was at first skeptical, then intrigued and quickly, completely blown away by this first novel in what promises to be a "couldn't put it down" series by Terry Cloutier.
Luan's a slave who bears a remarkable resemblance to his master's son, Marcus. Some hints drop that Luan the slave, which means Lion, might be the bastard half-brother to Marcus.
You can see where this is going, but the way the author gets us there is through a thrilling series of events I won't reveal. No spoilers! Throw a cocky young Octavius into the storyline, and the nephew of Julius Caesar is set to make history with Marcus Agrippa at his side. But which Marcus?
Outstanding work. Rated R for moderately intense violence, but any authentic story about the rise of the Roman Empire demands blood and battle.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
As an avid reader of late Roman Republic historical fiction, I was at first skeptical, then intrigued and quickly, completely blown away by this first novel in what promises to be a "couldn't put it down" series by Terry Cloutier.
Luan's a slave who bears a remarkable resemblance to his master's son, Marcus. Some hints drop that Luan the slave, which means Lion, might be the bastard half-brother to Marcus.
You can see where this is going, but the way the author gets us there is through a thrilling series of events I won't reveal. No spoilers! Throw a cocky young Octavius into the storyline, and the nephew of Julius Caesar is set to make history with Marcus Agrippa at his side. But which Marcus?
Outstanding work. Rated R for moderately intense violence, but any authentic story about the rise of the Roman Empire demands blood and battle.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
July 22, 2025
( Format : Audiobook )
"All Romans lie."
An interesting novel tracing the rise of Marcus Agrippa alongside the man to become first emperor of Rome, Augustus Caesar, Written as an ancient journal of the time found by a tourist after 20 centuries of being hidden, it also reveals another secret - that the author was himself an imposter: a slave who took his master's name and place having previously been implicated in his murder.
An entertaining story with reasonably engaging characters and brutal battlefields which alone would have been sufficient without the added twist of identity theft, it was well performed by Laki Rafael despite a slight speech impediment distorting his 'rs' plus the mispronunciation of occasional words.
Imposter of Rome is well worth a read for all fans of the life and history of Ancient Rome and was free to download through the Audible Plus programmeat the time of reading.
"All Romans lie."
An interesting novel tracing the rise of Marcus Agrippa alongside the man to become first emperor of Rome, Augustus Caesar, Written as an ancient journal of the time found by a tourist after 20 centuries of being hidden, it also reveals another secret - that the author was himself an imposter: a slave who took his master's name and place having previously been implicated in his murder.
An entertaining story with reasonably engaging characters and brutal battlefields which alone would have been sufficient without the added twist of identity theft, it was well performed by Laki Rafael despite a slight speech impediment distorting his 'rs' plus the mispronunciation of occasional words.
Imposter of Rome is well worth a read for all fans of the life and history of Ancient Rome and was free to download through the Audible Plus programmeat the time of reading.
December 13, 2025
It's interesting when you start reading about any past Civilization especially when as a young Man I studied Different Civilizations like the Roman History you start with being a little Sceptical if the Author has done his home work, the Roman Empire started around 27BCE with Augustus granted the first Emperor, and there were different stages of the Empire, And last Emperor was deposed around AD 476, So when I got into reading The Imposter of Rome I found that Terry Cloutier had done his home work quite well and I really liked how Terry introduced the different characters and their stations with in the Empire, If you don't mind reading a little bit of History I would highly recommend having a look at reading Terry Cloutier's Series The First Emperor of Rome I'm about to start Book 2 in the Series Warrior of Rome I hope this second Book is as compelling as the first book Impostor of Rome. Laurie Stuart
March 16, 2024
An excellent historical fiction book that is set in Ancient Rome. While I recognize many of the names of the characters in this book, I know little about the actual history of Ancient Rome. This book wove both historical events and fiction in a seamless manner.
The book is told from the view of Marcus Agrippa, a Roman general and good friend of Octaveus. His narrative not only taught me about Ancient Roman military events, but architecture, art, politics, and economics. His loyalty to his friends is top-notch, too.
I recommend this book to all - even novices of this historical period.
I thank the publisher (Ganderland) and the author (Terry Cloutier) for the e-ARC through Goodreads. The above review reflects my honest opinion about the book.
The book is told from the view of Marcus Agrippa, a Roman general and good friend of Octaveus. His narrative not only taught me about Ancient Roman military events, but architecture, art, politics, and economics. His loyalty to his friends is top-notch, too.
I recommend this book to all - even novices of this historical period.
I thank the publisher (Ganderland) and the author (Terry Cloutier) for the e-ARC through Goodreads. The above review reflects my honest opinion about the book.
October 23, 2025
Imposter of Rome
I made to chap 29, after stopping and starting again multiple times. I realize author had done much work for this historical fiction novel, but just not my cup of tea after reading multiple other similar historical period novels. Just too much fiction trying to stay with “imposter” story, while also stories of how these teen age boys took on Marc Anthony, the Roman senate and the established Roman senators, manipulated legions and experienced, mature legionnaires——just too much for me trying to stay with main story bullets. I trust I have explained to author why book not for me. but good news is many others HAVE by reading “selected” reviews.
I made to chap 29, after stopping and starting again multiple times. I realize author had done much work for this historical fiction novel, but just not my cup of tea after reading multiple other similar historical period novels. Just too much fiction trying to stay with “imposter” story, while also stories of how these teen age boys took on Marc Anthony, the Roman senate and the established Roman senators, manipulated legions and experienced, mature legionnaires——just too much for me trying to stay with main story bullets. I trust I have explained to author why book not for me. but good news is many others HAVE by reading “selected” reviews.
December 4, 2024
Down right amazing
I love reading about the Roman Republic and Empire. I start series all the time and end up stopping due to the writing or a failure to maintain my interest. But Mr. Cloutier is such a good writer, and his story moves at the perfect, exciting pace. The Cicero series by Robert Harris is, in my opinion, the best written series on Rome that I have read, and this first book of Mr. Coultier nears that marker, which I think is high praise.
I love reading about the Roman Republic and Empire. I start series all the time and end up stopping due to the writing or a failure to maintain my interest. But Mr. Cloutier is such a good writer, and his story moves at the perfect, exciting pace. The Cicero series by Robert Harris is, in my opinion, the best written series on Rome that I have read, and this first book of Mr. Coultier nears that marker, which I think is high praise.
September 11, 2024
excellent
Enjoyed this after a shaky start. The idea of a
Agrippa being a slave who takes the identity of his masters son who looks identical to him
Is obviously preposterous. Put that aside though and this is an entertaining read with some lovely prose at times and very visceral battle scenes. Good enough for me to read the next.
Enjoyed this after a shaky start. The idea of a
Agrippa being a slave who takes the identity of his masters son who looks identical to him
Is obviously preposterous. Put that aside though and this is an entertaining read with some lovely prose at times and very visceral battle scenes. Good enough for me to read the next.
July 30, 2025
Excellent Read
As a long time reader of Roman history and Roman historical fiction, I was captivated by this, the first of a three book series.
Engaging and wonderfully written, I am excited to begin the second book and looking forward to reading all three.
I can not say enough about author’s writing style which kept me not wanting to put it down long into the night.
As a long time reader of Roman history and Roman historical fiction, I was captivated by this, the first of a three book series.
Engaging and wonderfully written, I am excited to begin the second book and looking forward to reading all three.
I can not say enough about author’s writing style which kept me not wanting to put it down long into the night.
June 15, 2024
well written interesting premise.
Good character development telling the story of the transition from republic to empire after Caesar’s murder. The focus on Marcus Agrippa works extremely well.
Good character development telling the story of the transition from republic to empire after Caesar’s murder. The focus on Marcus Agrippa works extremely well.
January 4, 2025
I simply love reading about the Roman Empire and I loved this book. Where one could so easily blend with the characters and live the story. Historical fiction at its best. Looking forward to reading the second installment.
February 25, 2025
Greer book by Terry Cloutiet
This book about the Roman Legions is about as good as it can get. It is well researched well written by an author at the top of his game. Get the book. You won’t be disappointed.
Joe Corso
Author of The Starlight Club series.
This book about the Roman Legions is about as good as it can get. It is well researched well written by an author at the top of his game. Get the book. You won’t be disappointed.
Joe Corso
Author of The Starlight Club series.
July 28, 2025
riveting story telling
Throughout the book, you feel as if you are in Rome participating in the most incredible time of human history. The novel brings you in and hold you tight from beginning until end.
Throughout the book, you feel as if you are in Rome participating in the most incredible time of human history. The novel brings you in and hold you tight from beginning until end.
July 19, 2024
Excelente
Interesante y apasaionate lectura. No pude parar de leer. Recomendable para avidos lectores de novela histórica. Acción, pensamiento, suspense y giros sorprendentes.
Interesante y apasaionate lectura. No pude parar de leer. Recomendable para avidos lectores de novela histórica. Acción, pensamiento, suspense y giros sorprendentes.
October 8, 2024
An enjoyable read, about to start book 2
November 6, 2024
Caesar
A very interesting story of the life and times of the person who will become Romes first emperor.Await to .read the next installment
A very interesting story of the life and times of the person who will become Romes first emperor.Await to .read the next installment
sff-ok-r
March 13, 2025Rokp
October 26, 2025
4.25/5.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews