pickKate Quinn brings a tale of living in Rome in the first century. The age of gladiators fighting to the death in the arena. This was a time brutal punishment and a very different way of life. There are lots of slavery and mistresses and whores. Lepida Pollia is a terrible and conniving woman with no integrity or morals. This has been my least favorite of Kate Quinn‘s novels. However, I still have it 4/5⭐️
pickAncient coliseum battleground, sacrifice, early Christians, politics, and cruel villains are written in the background where two slaves fall in love and are heinously separated. This book truly has it all. I intend to read all of Kate Quinn. TW - coliseum fights and torture are graphic #ancientRome #jubilee #FoodandLit @Texreader @Catsandbooks
pickFirst in series. The writing seemed a little simplistic, but overall it was an OK read. 3.75/5⭐️
pickThea, a Jewish slave, falls in love with a gladiator, Arius, but is then sold. She later catches the eye of the emperor Domitian.
The author appreciates the complexities of Domitian's character so he is not just a cardboard villain. The central romance between Arius and Thea was fun, watching to see how they would get re-united. The only thing that I wondered about was whether Christianity was quite so developed by then as is made out.
I appear to have stumbled across an also-ran, for August‘s #titlesandtunes book selection. Might have some hope of finishing this one 🦓 😁 (No, I can‘t explain why I opened it in the first place…)
@Cinfhen @BarbaraBB
pickI‘m used to her more recent work like The Alice Network, but this story of the Roman Empire was a good read. Emperors, royalty, slaves, gladiators…and all the ways their lives are intertwined.
