Scan barcode
A review by halkid2
Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn
challenging
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
MISTRESS OF ROME turned out to be an unexpected and very pleasant surprise! Too often I gravitate to historical fiction about people and eras I know quite well. But the Roman Empire is not familiar territory and that made reading this novel a delightfully engaging experience. Awarded four stars but I'd probably go as high as 4.5.
This is the first book in author Kate Quinn's five-novel series entitled The Empress of Rome -- about Rome during the first century of the Common Era. Drawing on a mix of actual historical figures and fictional creations, Quinn has crafted a completely absorbing story with all the elements you could want in a good read. Cruelty, corruption, and vexing moral conundrums. Old grudges, ambitious rivals, secret plots, Vestal Virgins, and sexual obsession. Superhuman gladiators, masters and slaves, spite, and illicit love affairs.
Main characters include:
• Roman Emperor Domitian (51-96): a talented administration with a private cruel streak.
• Thea (fictitious): one of the few Jews to survive the mass suicide at Masada, now enslaved and considered a talented singer.
• Arius (fictitious): a brutal gladiator forced to perform at the Colosseum games, whose success grows out of his ability to harness his deeply rooted anger.
• Lepida Pollia (fictitious): a spoiled heiress whose older husband/Senator buys Thea to be his wife's personal attendant.
The book revolves around how all four of these characters (and a few others) interrelate over the years, as fate causes them to leave and return to each other's orbit. All of them wielding different levels of power at different moments in their lives.
I loved this chance to become immersed in the complex politics of the Roman Empire. Now, having thoroughly enjoyed MISTRESS OF ROME, I do plan to continue with the other books in this series. And I look forward to them.
This is the first book in author Kate Quinn's five-novel series entitled The Empress of Rome -- about Rome during the first century of the Common Era. Drawing on a mix of actual historical figures and fictional creations, Quinn has crafted a completely absorbing story with all the elements you could want in a good read. Cruelty, corruption, and vexing moral conundrums. Old grudges, ambitious rivals, secret plots, Vestal Virgins, and sexual obsession. Superhuman gladiators, masters and slaves, spite, and illicit love affairs.
Main characters include:
• Roman Emperor Domitian (51-96): a talented administration with a private cruel streak.
• Thea (fictitious): one of the few Jews to survive the mass suicide at Masada, now enslaved and considered a talented singer.
• Arius (fictitious): a brutal gladiator forced to perform at the Colosseum games, whose success grows out of his ability to harness his deeply rooted anger.
• Lepida Pollia (fictitious): a spoiled heiress whose older husband/Senator buys Thea to be his wife's personal attendant.
The book revolves around how all four of these characters (and a few others) interrelate over the years, as fate causes them to leave and return to each other's orbit. All of them wielding different levels of power at different moments in their lives.
I loved this chance to become immersed in the complex politics of the Roman Empire. Now, having thoroughly enjoyed MISTRESS OF ROME, I do plan to continue with the other books in this series. And I look forward to them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder