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What Matters Most (Light in the Empire) Kindle Edition

by Carol Ashby (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 120 ratings
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When faced with impossible choices, how do you decide what matters most?

For ten years, the incorruptible Tribune Titianus enforced Rome’s laws. He’s four days from leaving the Urban Cohort to teach at his brother-in-law Kaeso’s school when Emperor Hadrian and the Praetorian Prefect draft him to secretly investigate and thwart an assassination plot…one that might involve his own commander. He can’t refuse, but if Hadrian’s enemies discover his Christian faith, will it mean death for everyone he loves?

Titianus’s cousin Sabina returns as a widow to her father’s house after six years of misery in a marriage that sealed a political alliance. She’s dreading the next marriage Grandfather will arrange with someone seeking his support. When her brother’s best friend Kaeso offers the encouragement and friendship she’s longed for, can she escape the chains of society’s expectations to gain what her heart desires?

The new tribune Glabrio wants two things as Titianus trains him: to discover for their commander who Titianus is investigating and to gain the support of Titianus’s powerful relatives. Marrying Sabina would secure the backing of her grandfather, but because of the teacher, she's making choices no noblewoman should. As he gets closer to both his goals, will he realize in time what matters most?

Dangerous times, difficult friendships, lives transformed by forgiveness and love

What Matters Most is the eleventh volume in the Light in the Empire series. These novels will take you around the Empire, from Germania and Britannia to Thracia, Dacia, Judaea, North Africa, Roman Egypt, and, of course, to Rome itself. Each can be read as a stand-alone and includes discussion questions for groups.

"This is a fabulous ancient-world series of novels that follow the lives of fictional early Christians. Carol is meticulous with her research and a true expert on Ancient Rome! History lovers and those who enjoy my biblical books are going to LOVE this series!" -- Roseanna White, best-selling author and Christy Award winner.

If you enjoy the Roman-era Biblical fiction of Tessa Afshar and Francine River’s Mark of the Lion series, you’ll love the stand-alone novels of the Light in the Empire series.

Buy What Matters Most to enjoy a faith-filled adventure today.
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  1. Part of series
    Light in the Empire
  2. Print length
    450 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    December 8, 2021
  6. File size
    2586 KB
  7. Page Flip
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  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a fabulous ancient-world series of novels that follow the lives of fictional early Christians. Carol is meticulous with her research and a true expert on Ancient Rome! History lovers and those who enjoy my biblical books are going to LOVE this series!" -- Roseanna White, best-selling author and Christy Award winner.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09MP11Z6S
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cerrillo Press (December 8, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 8, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2586 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 450 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 120 ratings

About the author

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Carol Ashby

Carol Ashby

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Carol Ashby has been a professional writer for most of her life, but her articles and books were about lasers and compound semiconductors (the electronics that make cell phones, laser pointers, and LED displays work). She still writes about light, but her Light in the Empire series tells stories of difficult friendships and life-changing decisions in dangerous times, where forgiveness and love open hearts to discover their own faith in Christ. Her fascination with the Roman Empire was born during her first middle-school Latin class. A research career in New Mexico inspires her to get every historical detail right so she can spin stories that make her readers feel like they’re living under the Caesars themselves.

Set during the reigns of Trajan and Hadrian, her Light in the Empire series will take you around the Empire, from Germania and Britannia to Thracia, Dacia, and Judaea and, of course, to Rome itself.

Read her articles about many facets of Roman history at "Life in the Roman Empire: Historical Fact and Fiction" (carolashby.com) or join her at her blog, "The Beauty of Truth," at carol-ashby.com.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
120 global ratings
A Wonderful Romantic Suspense Set in Ancient Rome
5 Stars
A Wonderful Romantic Suspense Set in Ancient Rome
I have gotten attached to many of the characters in this novel as they deal with danger and heartbreaking circumstances. I enjoyed becoming immersed in the culture of the Roman empire. The newly widowed main character of What Matters Most, Sabina, pulls at my heartstrings. She is dealing with the trauma of her unhappy arranged marriage and the ridicule she receives due to her speech impediment.If you like history, suspense, investigations, and romance, check this book out!I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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Top reviews from the United States

A child of Messiah
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Novel of early Christians
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2024
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I learned more about what life was like for Early Christians. I read the book online but I wanted to have the printed on how they approached people with the Truth of Christ and how we can live at peace in Christ no matter what’s happening around us.
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Amber
5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging characters
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2021
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I am more of an action type reader.. I like action more than just talking characters. That being said, the characters were engaging enough in the novel to keep me reading. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in the novel, as I have in her previous novels in the series. I also love how she is well researched in Roman culture and history... It lends an aura of authenticity, so much so that you lose yourself in ancient Rome and forget you are in the 21st century. So between the characters and the Roman background, I found much to enjoy in the novel. I hope to see more of Glabius in a future novel too. In summary, I would 10/10 recommend this book! You wont be disappointed!
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cindy simpson
4.0 out of 5 stars Well written
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2022
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Carol Ashby always writes well and you learn a lot about Rome and the early Christians. I like that this one had the people from More Than Honor back, as well as new people that we will probably hear more about in the future.
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Hy D. Tran
5.0 out of 5 stars Another fine addition to the series--this one is a whodunnit
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2021
I very much enjoyed the mystery, the "called to duty just before you retire" detective (urban tribune), and the various twists and turns. Some of the characters surprised me: The entitled rich brat has more character and complexity than I expected. I really liked how one of the protagonists, Titianus, stuck to his guns (well, technically, stuck to his gladius, because they didn't have guns back then), and refused to provide preliminary findings until all the evidence was in.

Nicely done, and highly recommended.

If you've stuck this far in the review, and you're not familiar with the author: This is part of a series of novels--but each novel is standalone. You'll see characters play in various novels, but the spotlight shines on different individuals in each novel. I really do enjoy that each novel is standalone--I no longer have the attention span to deal with 12-novel-series...

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own
One person found this helpful
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Andrea
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story, lots of suspense, and lots of laughter!
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2022
Wow. This book is AMAZING! It kept me up late, late into the night, wondering how I was going to make it through the next day on just a few hours of sleep, but I couldn’t put it down! It kept me on the edge of my seat, made my dog look at me funny when funny lines made me laugh, and the ending took me COMPLETELY by surprise! I LOVED it!!!!
It is a stand alone novel, but it does have major spoilers for More Than Honor, so you probably want to read that one first. Because this whole series is so amazing you won’t want to just read one book!
I received a complimentary advance e-copy of this book and chose to write a review. All opinions are my own. And I really, really love this book!
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Clein
5.0 out of 5 stars A great addition to this series
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2021
I love this series of books. I haven't read all of them, but I intend to do that. Each book teaches me about Roman history and the sacrifices in the early Christian church. The characters also confront things that apply to my own life. Tribune Titianus was a favorite character of mine in More Than Honor. It isn't truly necessary to have read that book in order to enjoy this one, but you will definitely want to read it as well. This book has friendship, intrigue, love and even humor. A wonderful way to spend your time. This book lived up to my high expectations after reading several of the other books in this series. I was given an early copy to read. This review is my honest opinion of the book.
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Wendy L. Park
5.0 out of 5 stars Great continuation of the saga
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2021
I loved the continuing stories of Titus, Kaeso, Septimus, Manus, and Pompeia. This book especially served to further develop the character of Titus from the last book. Additionally, the novel introduced us to the character of Sabina, a young lady recently widowed after a six-year abusive marriage. Destined to have to quickly marry again according to Roman custom, she faces an uncertain future, especially since she has a speech impairment. While we watch her love story unfold, I was particularly drawn to the unfolding story of Manus, a father who is growing closer and closer to knowing the truth about Jesus through each book. This was an enjoyable read that I recommend. I was given an early copy to read. This review is my honest opinion of the book.
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12chelle
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2022
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Good story
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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer au
4.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in Australia on February 1, 2023
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I really enjoy her books. She writes a great story full of great advice. The prayers and the truth in the story are excellent. Clear, direct, & logical.
This one was funny in a way too. Thoroughly enjoyed it, would recommend it to anyone who likes a logical approach to life.
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Kindle Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars VERY WATERY
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 13, 2022
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WHAT IS MOST IRRITATING ABOUT CAROL ASHBY BOOKS IS THAT EACH CHARACTER HAS AT LEAST 3 NAMES, AND OFTEN GRANDFATHER, FATHER, AND SON SHARE A COMMON NAME AND THEY ARE ALL MIXED UP IN REFERENCE. RATHER THAT USE A PARTICULAR NAME WHEN REFERRING TO EACH PERSON, OFTEN EACH OF THEM IS REFERRED TO BY THE COMMON NAME. SO ANNOYING TO KEEP TRACK OF WHO'S WHO...APART FROM OTHER SHORTCOMINGS....
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