EMPRESS OF THE SEVEN HILLS by Kate Quinn HISTORICAL FICTION NOVEL REVIEW

After reading Kate Quinn's first historical fiction novel release, Mistress of Rome, Empress of the Seven Hills is the kind of follow up novel I expected.

Empress of the Seven Hills continues the story of Vix and Sabina.  Vix is an all or nothing kind of guy:

"If I'd known the trouble that small-breasted off-limits patrician girl would make for me, I might have choked her to death in the middle of that atrium rather than watch her walk away.";

whereas Sabina is more apt to calculatingly plan her life to gratify her own desires:

"It's time I married, and Hadrian will do as well as anyone. Better even.  He wants to travel, Vix. He says he'll take me to Athens after the wedding, and Thebes, and maybe Egypt. Everywhere."

Vix is the son of Arius the Barbarian.  He has grown from a passionate, unmannered young boy in Mistress of Rome into, well, a passionate unmannered 18 year old who returns to Rome, his center of the world, to seek his fortune and titles himself the "Young Barbarian".

At 13 years old, an astrologer foretold Vix he would lead a legion one day.  Vix is horrified upon learning 25 years of servitude is required for legionaries.  So, he tries his hand at thieving and bodyguarding for Sabina's father first until an encounter with Emperor Trajan causes him to reconsider his options.  That, and the fact Sabina is set on marrying Hadrian and ending their affair.

Vix's admiration for Emperor Trajan develops such that he would perish for Trajan before he would die for his wife and children.  He loves the Emperor unreservedly until Trajan's death in 117 AD.

Sabina extensive travels brings into contact with Vix many years down the road where Vix is stationed as a legionary. Once again, Vix learns the hard way Sabina will follow her own path.

The majority of Empress of the Seven Hills is set during Trajan's lifetime.  It commences in 102 AD. 

Trajan was a capable administrator and military campaigner.  He set up programs to assist poor children in Italy, ensuring they had food and an education.  He improved the infrastructure of Rome with many building projects, road systems and the last aqueduct constructed under the Roman Empire.

Dacia was the first of Trajan's military campaigns and, perhaps, the greatest of all.  Vix, as a legionary, is part of this campaign and spends many years involved in the quest to conquer Dacia.

Trajan 56 AD - 117 AD

Two themes featured predominantly throughout Kate Quinn's Rome series are:  homosexuality and infidelity. 

Respecting homosexuality, "To be an ancient Roman male in good standing meant you initiated penetrating acts of sex. Whether you did this with a female or a male, slave or free, wife or prostitute, made little difference -- as long as you were not on the receiving end, so to speak. [See Catullus XVI.] Certain people were off-limits, though, and among them were free youths." (source:  http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/sexuality/a/aa011400a.html)

With regard to infidelity, "In a Roman household sex was in plentiful supply. Except, so it seems, between the actual married couples. The existence of slaves in the house naturally mean that, particularly the men, but also the women (although with the risk of pregnancy and disgrace), had access to sex whenever they so required.

To a Roman sex did not create any kind of bond between two people. It created no obligation between one side and the other.

As far as the law was concerned then sex with slaves was not adulterous. Or at least not for men. And sex with a free-born man or woman was only adultery if they were not doing it for money. Thus, sex with a prostitute did not constitute adultery.... However, adultery with a free-born was a crime, stuprum. And for this there was only one punishment; death.  So as long as one steered clear of committing stuprum, anything was allowed. There was no limits on age and also none on gender." (source:  http://www.roman-empire.net/society/soc-household.html)

My research on these particular aspects of ancient Rome culture satisfied me Quinn was not gratuitous in focusing on homosexuality or infidelity.

Empress of the Seven Hills is packed with action, schemes, betrayals and unwavering loyalties. Quinn presents well-rounded characters you can love to love or love to hate. Even if you are knowledgeable about the succession of Roman Emperors, it doesn't detract from the plot. The characters are compelling with their attributes and deficiencies.

Rating: 4 Stars **** (Excellent)

Empress of the Seven Hills is available for purchase in paperback or Kindle on Amazon.  Click here.

DAUGHTERS OF ROME by Kate Quinn HISTORICAL FICTION NOVEL REVIEW

Opening the first page of Daughters of Rome, I expected to story to begin with Vix, the character Kate Quinn promised would be the focus in the future.  I was somewhat disconcerted, however, to find we had gone back in time, A.D. 58 to be exact, in the first chapter.

Wondering if I had somehow read the series out of order, I checked the publication dates and with Kate Quinn whether I had done so.  No, apparently I had not.

Daughters of Rome was written as a prequel to Mistress of Rome.  My discombobulation continued for a number of chapters until I was able to settle in.  Daughters of Rome featured characters whose destinies were already known from Mistress of Rome.  I'd love to give an example, but it would be a spoiler so I can't.  Just trust me.

The pace of Daughters of Rome was somewhat more sedate, even though it is set during the time known as "The Year of the Four Emperors".

In 69 A.D., after Nero's death, Servius Sulpicius Galba, beat 4 other contenders to Rome and declared himself Emperor.

He made two fatal errors:  he didn't pay his soldiers and chose a heir other than Marcus Salvius Otho, his closest supporter.  He lasted 7 months before he was killed in the streets by Otho's soldiers.

Otho proclaimed himself Emperor and, should you be unlucky enough to be Galba's soldier or supporter, Otho ensured you met a quick death.  This, however, didn't prevent a revolt in Germania by Vitellius.  After a battlefield defeat to Vitelluis's troops, Otho committed suicide.  He was Emperor for 95 days.

Vitellius was a reluctant Emperor for 7 months.  He lived the decadent life until he heard Vespasian and his troops were heading for Rome.  His pleas to the Senate that he be allowed to abdicate were met with horror.  Romans did not plead for mercy, they faced the music.  And that he did, kicking and screaming the whole way.  Vespasian's troops tortured him to death.   As an aside, I was unable to find an image of Vitellius that wasn't obviously a caricature.

Enter Aelius Vespasian.  For almost the next three decades, he and his sons restored stability and peace to the Roman Empire.  This period was known as the Flavian dynasty.

In keeping with the theme of "four", Daughters of Rome focuses on four Cornelii women during this violent and turbulent period:

Cornelia - who has groomed herself and her husband, Piso, for the positions of Empress and Emperor of Rome.  All is well until he perishes with Galba.  Stricken with grief, Cornelia isolates herself from her family and society until one day she comes to a realization....

Marcella - an scheming woman behind a mask who comprehends she can influence history, but wants no part of the consequences.  Marcella never dreams of how her name will be written in the annuals....

Lollia - her grandfather's pawn in the game of marriages.  Lollia has more husbands and divorces than you can count on one hand by the time she is 19 years old.  She endures but, secretly, there is one man she loves.  A man she can never have....

Diana - every man is crazed for Diana, but Diana only has eyes for horses.  There might be one man who could change her focus, but does he...

Daughters of Rome did not grab me the same way Mistress of Rome did.  It was an enjoyable read and there was plenty of conflict and action but, somehow, I felt out of place.  I honestly think it's because of the order in which the novels were written.   So, my recommendation, if you haven't read Mistress of Rome yet, is to read the novels in this sequence:

• Daughters of Rome
• Mistress of Rome
• Empress of the Seven Hills

RATING:  3 Stars *** (Good)

 

Daughters of Rome is available for purchase in paperback or Kindle on Amazon.  Click here.

MISTRESS OF ROME - by Kate Quinn HISTORICAL FICTION NOVEL REVIEW

Published 2010, Penguin Group, ISBN 978-0-425-23247-7, 466 pages.

Through various sources, I'd heard a lot of "chatter" about a historical ficion novel, Mistress of Rome, and Kate Quinn's masterful writing.  With so much hype, I figured I might be let down.  But, I'm not telling you whether I was or not until the end of the review!

Mistress of Rome is set during the reign of Emperor Titus Flavius Domintianus (commonly known as Domintian) from September, A.D. 81 to September, A.D. 96.  As with many Roman emperors who enjoyed supreme authority, Domintian enjoyed flexing his muscles, as well as those of others.  Gladiator games were a ploy used by Domintian to endear the Romans and it was a ruse embraced by the population.

Gladiators fought to the death. Kate Quinn included the Gladiator's Oath in the frontispiece of Mistress of Rome:  "I undertake to be burnt by fire, to be bound in chains, to be beaten by roads, and to die by the sword.".  The only other way out of the arena alive (besides winning) was if mercy was granted by the sponsor of the games to a defeated, wounded gladiator who held up his index finger to beg for clemency.

Domintian is described as a dedicated and competent administrator of Roman assets during his reign, but his successes often came at the expense of others.  He was ruthless and noble and rich families were in no way exempt from accusations of treason, execution and confiscation of the unfortunate's estate.  Enforcement of high taxation brought in funds to Domintian's treasury.

On the opposite side of the coin, Domintian is known for his proclivities, which included sexual torture of his victims.  His self-aggrandizement of "Lord and God" meant citizens and slaves were obliged to grant him divine worship.  His cruelty often knew no bounds and his epitaph might be summed up as "the evil emperor who murdered thousands of Christians".  Christians were executed during the lunch break at gladiators games (I can't imagine how this would stimulate the appetite).  They were judged guilty of sacrilege and treason for not acknowledging Domintian's "Lord and God" stature.

Emperor Titus Flavius Domintianus

Now, onto Mistress of Death.  Thea, a Jewish slave who survived Masada (for the story behind Masada follow this link: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Archaeology/Masada1.html.  The story of Masada is, in itself, fascinating.), is purchased as a gift to Lady Lepida Pollia by the lady's father.  While there is a considerable cast of characters in Mistress of Death, the story is largely that of Thea.

Lady Lepida is a spoilt, selfish, cruel - I could go on ad nauseam - woman who discovers Thea and a gladiator, Arius, have fallen in love and are having an affair.  This does not sit well with Lepida, who desired Arius for herself, and she sells Thea into prostitution.

Thea is pregnant with Arius's child and, when the pregnancy interferes with"business", her owner sells her to a music lover.  Thea is gifted with a beautiful voice and her new owner grooms her for singing at dinners and other events attended by Roman nobility.

Unfortunately, the infamous Domintian lusts for Thea and she is forced to become his mistress.  It is a brutal life with a sadistic master.   In addition to enduring Domintian's callus "bed games", she must be careful to protect her son from Domintian's knowledge.

Meanwhile, Arius fights for survival every time he enters the arena and the Emperor has particular delight in placing near impossible odds against him.  Arius becomes both famous and infamous for his savage nature.  Yet, it is that very nature which enables him to survive until the next contest.

Lepida, forced to marry a senator (whose son she ensnares in adultery), has dreams of becoming the Emperor's mistress and, once again, is displaced by Thea.  Furious, she sets in motion plots that threaten the lives of Thea, Arius and Vix, their son.

Mistress of Rome is well deserving of the accolades on the cover by Diana Galbaldon and Margaret George.  I was so engrossed in this novel I read it while blow-drying my hair!

There's more than enough twists, conspiracies, betrayals, murder and mayhem to keep the reader captivated until the last page.  So, as I promised at the beginning of this post, I can tell you I was not let down even minutely by the hype surrounding Mistress of Rome.  Kate Quinn is deserving of the praise received for her debut historical fiction novel, Mistress of Rome.

RATING:  **** 4 Stars (excellent)