A review by nigellicus
Romanitas by Sophia McDougall

5.0

Set in a world where the Roman Empire persevered through to the modern day and now owns most of the world, built through military conquest and an (increasingly unsustainable) slave economy. Marcus, the nominated heir to the Empire goes on the run after the deaths of his parents, his only hope of safety a hidden refuge for runaway slaves. Two unusually gifted slaves, brother and sister, escape from London and flee to the European mainland. Thrown together with the fugitive heir, they flee to the refuge, but the Empire is close behind.

So what should be an adventurous tale of danger and intrigue and struggling on in the face of impossible odds in a distorted reality turns out to be something meatier and more substantial due to the author's total commitment to her characters. Everyone in Romanitas is damaged, whether it's Marcus by loss and betrayal, or Una by her enslavement, Sulien by injustice or any of the other characters wrestling with their hurts and their angers and their insecurities. They represent an emotional and psychological palimpsest of the Empire itself, a repressive, highly controlled military oligarchy full of splendours built on human suffering. More demanding than you might expect from a slipstream political thriller, but well worth it.