Hasdrabal Barca is a killer. As captain of Pharaoh's border guard, the fearsome Medjay, he stands between the rich heartland of the Nile and the countless foes who would see the proud and ancient land of Egypt brought to its knees. Hasdrabal Barca is a murderer. Haunted by a crime of passion, its memory has eaten away all but the last slender thread of his humanity. Rage drives him; a berserk fury few men can fathom - and fewer can withstand. He is the Beast at the Gate, Pharaoh's vengeance. Hasdrabal Barca is a hero. For when one of Egypt's most celebrated generals, a Greek mercenary called Phanes, defects to the Persians, it triggers a savage war that will tax Barca's ferocious skills, and his humanity, to the limit. From the political wasteland of Palestine, to the searing deserts east of the Nile, to the streets of ancient Memphis, Barca and Phanes play a desperate game of cat-and-mouse - a game culminating in the bloodiest battle of Egypt's history. "Profound and tragic . . . Oden's masterful story of bloody battles, political intrigues, betrayal and romance offers a gripping portrait of the collapse of an empire." -Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Oden weaves a story of intrigue, political corruption, treachery, and loyalty as seen though the eyes of a multitude of intriguing characters. The ultimate message is one of courage, love, duty, and abiding honor." -Library Journal