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abi_dutton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Grief, and Toxic friendship
gondorgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism
withlivjones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Wow. What an incredible continuation of Amara’s story that takes us away from the brothels of Pompeii and to the extravagant but tenuous life of the city’s courtesans. Pompeii springs to life through Harper’s writing, and so do its inhabitants! I said this with The Wolf Den and I’ll say it again here, Harper creates some of the most well-written female characters and relationships I have read in a very long time, maybe ever. Amara is a fantastic protagonist, and even if some of her decisions are so reckless they cause you to bang your head against a wall in frustration, you can so easily see her desperation to protect herself and those she loves. Britannica and Victoria are also incredibly deep characters, and even the more minor female characters like Martha and Drusilla are explored with a lot of depth and empathy. A special mention of course goes to Felix for being such a slimy, awful, sinister villain whose pursuit of Amara really helps keep the tension high.
I adored the development of the relationship between Amara and Philos, I’m usually not a fan of forbidden romances but their devotion to each other is so beautiful that I have no choice but to root for them.
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Colonisation
booksjessreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
At first, I felt the direction of the story wasn't where I wanted it to go, but actually, as I got through it, I did enjoy it and felt the progression was natural. I was definitely anxious reading a lot of this book, anticipating the myriad of possibilities that could happen to our characters we we work our way through the 500 page book. I must admit, that at times, it did feel a little long, but in some aspects, I wanted it to be longer.
I did struggle to remember what happened in the first one, but I did feel that the House with the Golden Door made lots of reference to the past book, without being overbearing and whilst also following a new plot. I thought there was good balance here and I appreciated the references because it allowed me to jog my memory.
I wish that some of the previous aspects could have been explored a little more though. I felt as though her money-lending to other women in Pompeii could have been more consistent (although with the circumstances in the book I can understand perhaps why it wasn't), but also I felt that
Other than this though, it was a really great read. I am excited to see how the trilogy finishes with the new book out in November.
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Slavery, Violence, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, and Murder