The Last Vestal: A Forbidden Love in Ancient Rome

By Chimezie Irobiko

A Vestal sworn to chastity. A thief marked by fate. A love that could set Rome ablaze.

Rome, 1st century AD. The eternal flame of Vesta must never die, and neither must the vows of the Vestal Virgins who guard it. But when Aelia, the youngest Vestal, secretly saves a starving street boy, she ignites a passion more dangerous than treason.

Lucius, an orphan from the Subura with a hidden bloodline, is no ordinary thief. From the gladiator sands to the legions, his destiny collides with Aelia's in a whirlwind of forbidden love, political intrigue, and rebellion against gods and emperors alike.

Their bond is a crime punishable by death. Yet in a city of betrayals and burning ambition, love may be the only force strong enough to challenge Rome itself.

Fans of Madeline Miller's Circe, Conn Iggulden's Roman epics, and Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome will be swept away by this tale of devotion, destiny, and defiance.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FPCV41P7
• ISBN13: 9798263123031
• Release Date: August 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 290 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"