The Scarlet Banner

A historical novel set amid the fallen grandeur of the Vandal kingdom in North Africa, portraying court life, lavish festivals and moral decay that leave once-formidable warriors weakened. It follows rivalries and intrigues at the Vandal court—between conservative rulers and a king sympathetic to the empire—while Byzantine ambition, personified by the imperial couple and their general, mounts a campaign to restore imperial control. Military operations, shifting loyalties among nobles and clergy, and the clash between Arianism and Catholicism drive the action, and colorful scenes of battle, diplomacy, and personal tragedy illustrate the end of a ruling house and the consequences of political and religious conflict.