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TRAITORS IN THE SHADOWS is the sixth gripping novel in the action-packed Empire of the Moghul series by Alex Rutherford, perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow and Robyn Young. ''Totally absorbing... Authentic characters and sweeping action'' Wilbur Smith

A dynasty at war

A new emperor, Aurangzeb, sits on India''s glittering Peacock Throne - the throne he seized from his father while the old emperor still lived. He has paid for it with blood: during the brutal civil war he hunted down and killed his brothers. Now he must return the Moghul Empire to the true path and achieve new glory. But the exercise of great power is isolating. With enemies everywhere, who should he trust? Certainly not his sons. He must rely on himself and the knowledge that there are more ways to subdue a man than on the battlefield.

But as the years pass memories haunt him - memories of a father who never loved him and a mother who lies in the Taj Mahal; of murdered brothers and of sons and daughters locked in sunless prisons. He tells himself that everything he has done has been necessary - moral, even. But how will his God judge him?

''A totally absorbing narrative filled with authentic historical characters and sweeping action set in an age of horrifying but magnificent savagery. The writing is as compelling as the events described and kept me eagerly leaping from one page to the next'' Wilbur Smith

''Rutherford''s glorious, broad-sweeping adventure in the wild lands of the Moghul sees the start of a wonderful series...In Babur, he has found a real-life hero, with all the flaws, mistakes and misadventures that spark true heroism... Breathtaking stuff'' Manda Scott

''Alex Rutherford has set the bar high for his sequels'' Daily Mail

''Alex Rutherford brings the period and the history of the region alive. The characters are dynamic, and the deadly regional politics of alliances and treaties are reflected by the internal tensions at court'' US Historical Novel Society