Crownless - Forgotten Queer Histories of Rome (Collector's Edition)

Crownless: Forgotten Queer Histories of Imperial Rome - Collector's Enhanced Edition

For readers drawn to the lives hidden behind Rome's marble facades, this collection offers three untold stories - now with unprecedented behind-the-scenes access.

Crownless presents three novellas about people who found themselves reshaped by imperial power and had to learn how to survive it.

Sporus was a provincial boy until Nero decided he should become something else: a living monument to the emperor's dead wife. Hierocles drove chariots until he caught the eye of Elagabalus, the Syrian priest-emperor whose reign scandalised Rome. Pythias tasted Hadrian's wine for poison and became keeper of the empire's most devastating love story.

These novellas restore voices that ancient historians dismissed as scandalous gossip. Each narrator tells how they experienced the events that shaped their lives. How did they persist without a means of survival? What choices remained when everyone else had already made the obvious ones? What was it like to remain human in the face of total power?

Inspired by the historical record, Crownless visits the internal landscapes of lives that historians neglected under Nero, Hadrian and Elagabalus. It's a historical novel that treats its characters as humans rather than emblems and looks at how the empire changed everyone it encountered, even those who found ways to push back.

Exclusive to This Collector's Edition: This enhanced digital (ON-DOWNLOADABLE OR PRINTABLE) flipbook features four layers of audio commentary by author J.H.M. Carlisle - something never attempted in literature before. Bronze tracks reveal the painstaking historical research and archaeological discoveries that shaped each scene. Red tracks offer intimate confessions about the emotional cost of writing these stories. Purple tracks include deleted scenes, character galleries, and bonus content. Blue tracks guide you through this revolutionary reading experience.

With over 90 minutes of exclusive audio content, this isn't just a book - it's an immersive journey into both ancient Rome and the modern writer's craft. Experience the story as literature, then dive deeper into the research obsessions, creative struggles, and historical mysteries that brought these forgotten voices back to life.

Crownless explores the concealed realities, neglected by historians of the period, during the reigns of Nero, Hadrian, and Elagabalus, relying on historical documents. This historical fiction examines the lives of its characters, investigating the impact of the Empire on all, particularly those who opposed it.

This collector's edition, designed for readers who crave both literary excellence and historical authenticity, offers multiple ways to experience the same story - from pure narrative immersion to comprehensive behind-the-scenes exploration. The result: three portraits of endurance, three different strategies for remaining human when the world demands you become something else - plus the complete creative journey of bringing them to life.

What You Get:

• The complete Crownless trilogy in premium digital flipbook format
• 4 distinct audio commentary tracks (Bronze, Red, Purple, Blue)
• Over 90 minutes of exclusive author content
• Interactive reading experience with multiple engagement levels
• Password-protected premium access
• Mobile and desktop optimized viewing

Contains mature themes. Enhanced edition requires internet connection for full audio experience.