Tagged: kate quinn
Lady of the Eternal City by Kate Quinn
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
National bestselling author Kate Quinn returns with the long-awaited fourth volume in the Empress of Rome series, an unforgettable new tale of the politics, power, and passion that defined ancient Rome.
Elegant, secretive Sabina may be Empress of Rome, but she still stands poised on a knife’s edge. She must keep the peace between two deadly enemies: her husband Hadrian, Rome’s brilliant and sinister Emperor; and battered warrior Vix, who is her first love. But Sabina is guardian of a deadly secret: Vix’s beautiful son Antinous has become the Emperor’s latest obsession.
Empress and Emperor, father and son will spin in a deadly dance of passion, betrayal, conspiracy, and war. As tragedy sends Hadrian spiraling into madness, Vix and Sabina form a last desperate pact to save the Empire. But ultimately, the fate of Rome lies with an untried girl, a spirited redhead who may just be the next Lady of the Eternal City . . .
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook in conjunction with the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
One of the things I’ve always struggled with in Kate Quinn’s Empress of Rome series is the believability factor. She does take the most sensational gossip about all of the emperors she writes about and portrays it in her novels. It’s a conscious choice rather than a mistake caused by lack of knowledge but sometimes it really doesn’t sit easy with me as someone who has studied Roman history to a certain extent. I liked where she took this sensationalism in her first book Mistress of Rome but really didn’t like it in Daughters of Rome because the believability factor with those characters was just not there. However, I set aside my impressions about the two books in the series that I’ve read (I’ve unfortunately skipped #3 but it wasn’t necessary to understand this story) to read Lady of the Eternal City. Because whether I agree with her or not on historical matters, Kate Quinn does write a good story.
Here we have some pretty fabulous characters: Vix, who is all grown up and watching his children both biological and adopted grow up, Sabina who is now Empress of Rome, Antinous the rather naive adopted son of Vix and Hadrian the capricious and ruthless emperor. Of all of these characters, I really did love Antinous the best. Of course I knew how his story was going to end but Kate Quinn made me love him in a way that I didn’t think was possible. For all that his naivete was his main flaw it was also his strength and led to some tremendous changes in other characters. In the cutthroat world of Roman power politics, he stayed innocent and really did believe the best of everyone, even those who mocked and hurt him. Antinous’ father Vix of course was also a great character. On one hand he is loyal to Rome because of his years in the legions. On the other hand, he’d really, really like to slit Hadrian’s throat because of a history of bad blood between the two of them. Vix is a complicated man and he’s far from perfect as you’ll definitely see around the halfway point in this book if you do read it. It makes him more realistic, considering his background.
The plot is not fast-paced even by historical fiction standards but Kate Quinn tells such a good story that you’ll have no problem sailing through the 500+ pages of the novel. Unlike some historical novels, it doesn’t feel like the unseen hand of the author is moving the characters forcibly down the paths of their historical counterparts. No, she creates her characters in such a way that it feels like you really know the historical figure and understand why the character chose to go down their particular path in life. Antinous’ story in particular resonated with me because so little is actually known about him as a person; he was sort of an ornament in Hadrian’s entourage for a number of years. But Antinous in the story really breathes life into a boy known to history as a wallflower, nothing more.
I don’t necessarily agree with the portrayals of all of the historical figures mentioned in the novel but Kate Quinn is generally very historically accurate. Her descriptions of everything from the numerous provinces Hadrian visits all the way to the everyday clothes of men and women are just fabulous. She brings a sort of authenticity to her writing that makes you feel like you’re right there along with the characters exploring the farthest reaches of the Roman Empire. And the little details she adds in to daily life just make it all the more believable. Lady of the Eternal City is one of those novels where you can quite honestly say you learned something from it when you’re done reading.
So if you have read and liked the rest of the Empress of Rome series, you will like Lady of the Eternal City. It reveals so much more about our old friends Sabina and Vix while also introducing an entirely new cast of characters in the next generation of the Roman elite. As with all of Kate Quinn’s books although it takes some of the most sensational stories from the time it remains true to the general historical facts and Quinn adds in little details that make you feel like you’re right there along with the characters. And that is one of the best ways to measure the calibre of any historical fiction novel.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
A.D. 69. Nero is dead.
The Roman Empire is up for the taking. With bloodshed spilling out of the palace and into the streets of Rome, chaos has become the status quo. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything—especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome….
Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. She lives to one day see her loyal husband as Emperor. Her sister, Marcella, is more withdrawn, content to witness history rather than make it. Even so, Marcella has her share of distinguished suitors, from a cutthroat contender for the throne to a politician’s son who swears that someday he will be Emperor.
But when a bloody coup turns their world upside down, Cornelia and Marcella—along with their cousins, one a collector of husbands and lovers, the other a horse-mad beauty with no interest in romance—must maneuver carefully just to stay alive. As Cornelia tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams, Marcella discovers a hidden talent for influencing the most powerful men in Rome. In the end, though, there can only be one Emperor … and one Empress.
In order of publication, Daughters of Rome is technically the second book in Kate Quinn’s Empress of Rome series but chronologically it is the first. It’s a sort of prequel and you will recognize some of the characters we meet in Mistress of Rome except for the fact that they’re a couple of decades younger. And the story takes place not in the relative stability of Domitian’s reign but the violent chaos that was the Year of the Four Emperors. You would think that by virtue of having more drama (which Kate Quinn excels at writing about) the story itself would be better. The problem is, it isn’t. The strength of the first book was in its characters, notably Thea, but in this second book the characters really are the weakness.
First off, in true Roman fashion there are four cousins, all named Cornelia because they’re from the wealthy and influential Cornelii family. Kate Quinn helpfully gives us nicknames for them all (the eldest Cornelia is the only one actually called by her name) and it does take a little bit to get used to. However, after a couple of chapters it’s pretty easy to get everyone all organized because their personalities are fairly distinct. Cornelia is the ideal senator’s wife, Marcella is a bookish woman who just wants to write history, Lollia has the most unfortunate string of marriages imaginable and Diana, the youngest, is horse crazy. We do get to see the chaos from the eyes of all four of the sisters: the changing alliances, the marriage swapping, the crass power grabs not even bothered to be cloaked in lofty ideals, etc. The Year of the Four Emperors was a horrifying time to be a Roman, particularly since backing one person meant glory one day and committing suicide while on the run the next. Against this horrific background, you’d think that the characters would particularly stand out.
The problem is that none of the characters stand out; they didn’t have that authenticity that made Thea such a powerful, moving character. Diana is the only one who is vaguely believable in her actions but the idea that she’d be a female charioteer is just ludicrous. Roman women were generally more free than Greek women but they certainly weren’t that free, especially if they were from one of the main families in Rome. Lollia’s string of husbands is definitely believable but even though she finds love in an unusual place I never really connected with her and her plight. Like Marcella, her character felt rather hollow. Marcella’s character didn’t ring true to me because even though she’s a bookworm much like myself, she gets into all of these situations that feel like they’re the direct result of Kate Quinn’s manipulation of historical fact. It doesn’t feel natural that she finds herself in the midst of all of this trouble as it should; it feels forced and as such her character doesn’t grow in the way you would expect it to. Cornelia, the eldest of the four cousins and sister of Marcella, is a bland Roman matron who also finds love in an unexpected place. She at least is a believable character and I could sort of connect to her plight.
While the plot was certainly fast-paced and interesting (how could the Year of the Four Emperors not be, though?), it was surprisingly unsatisfying. Kate Quinn uses the most gossipy of all the gossipy sources on Roman history and takes the worst of said gossip to portray each emperor as a caricature of what they probably really were. This is not surprising given her portrayal of Domitian as a total sadist in the Marquis de Sade mold but it does make it seem like she’s going for the most drama no matter the historical reality. Galba was a stick in the mud, Otho was a jealous brooding sort of hedonist and Vitellius was a total glutton/hedonist but I think Quinn takes things just a little too far and it seems like she’s playing things up for her audience. As some people on Goodreads mentioned, it makes it feel like you’re reading The Real Housewives of Ancient Rome. Really, the story would be just as good if she toned down some of the drama and didn’t rely so heavily on Flavian-biased historians.
Overall, I felt that compared to Mistress of Rome was a much better book than her second book. That’s kind of shocking considering it was her debut but it was certainly much more satisfying than Daughters of Rome, which ends so randomly and incomprehensibly that I was left scratching my head in disbelief at the actions of three of the four sisters. There were a lot of good things happening in this book, mainly the portrayal of the chaotic events and the uncertainty that gripped all of Rome but on the character front it was the most unsatisfying book I’ve ever read by Kate Quinn. It’s just a complete disappointment to me, considering the fact that I loved her Borgia Chronicles and her debut novel. Really, the only thing that can adequately express my feelings toward this book is the word ‘meh’.
I give this book 2/5 stars.
Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn
(Cover picture courtesy of Kate Quinn’s website.)
An exciting debut: a vivid, richly imagined saga of ancient Rome from a masterful new voice in historical fiction
Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress’s rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome’s newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.
As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome’s aristocrats. Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But Domitian’s games have a darker side, and Thea finds herself fighting for both soul and sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of the brilliant and paranoid Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor’s mistress.
After reading and enjoying Kate Quinn’s latest series, the Borgia Chronicles, I decided to go back and try some of her earlier works. I mean, she wrote about Renaissance Rome well, so why not ancient Rome too?
As it turns out, Kate Quinn is comfortable in either era. I was surprised the most by her writing, which makes you feel like you’re there. You can hear the roaring cheers in the arena, smell the stench of Rome in summer, etc. Her writing isn’t as polished in her debut as it is in her other books but I still really enjoyed it and she is still very good.
I like how she wound history and her own story seamlessly into a coherent narrative. Of course there’s no evidence for some of the stuff that happens in the novel but Kate Quinn acknowledges that in her Historical Note and explains her reasons for adding or leaving out certain things. In the end, she gets the feeling of the period across to the reader and has obviously done her research about the details of ancient Roman daily life. That’s what’s really important to me with historical fiction.
Her characters are most definitely memorable, Thea especially. I’m a sucker for the person who (sometimes unintentionally) goes from the lowest position possible in society to being the most highly coveted society figure as Thea does. Still, being the Emperor Domitian’s mistress isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and suddenly all of the separate paths of the narrative start to collide. It was interesting to see how each person Kate Quinn gave readers an insight into took part in the plot, even Lepida (in her own way). On the surface some of these characters are simply archetypes but Kate Quinn gives them so much depth that you barely notice.
This is a really good novel considering it was a debut novel and I can’t wait to read the rest of Kate Quinn’s Rome series.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
The Lion and the Rose by Kate Quinn
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
As the cherished concubine of the Borgia Pope Alexander VI, Giulia Farnese has Rome at her feet. But after narrowly escaping a sinister captor, she realizes that the danger she faces is far from over—and now, it threatens from within. The Holy City of Rome is still under Alexander’s thrall, but enemies of the Borgias are starting to circle. In need of trusted allies, Giulia turns to her sharp-tongued bodyguard, Leonello, and her fiery cook and confidante, Carmelina.
Caught in the deadly world of the Renaissance’s most notorious family, Giulia, Leonello, and Carmelina must decide if they will flee the dangerous dream of power. But as the shadows of murder and corruption rise through the Vatican, they must learn who to trust when every face wears a mask . . .
I had my doubts about The Lion and the Rose but in the end it exceeded my expectations. Kate Quinn captures a time of change and uncertainty perfectly while having her beloved characters navigate through the vicious politics of Rome.
Kate Quinn’s characters are great. Giulia is finally a mature woman who starts to realize that maybe her beloved Pope isn’t all that he seems to be. His personality is changing and Giulia now has the maturity and insight to see and acknowledge some of his failings as a person. I don’t want to add in too many spoilers, but this new knowledge drastically changes their relationship as well as both parties involved. Leonello was the character that surprised me the most in this book, however. He’s finally trying to be just a little bit nicer to everyone but he still has that biting wit that makes me love him. Where his character goes toward the end of the book was a total shock but in hindsight I should have seen it coming. Carmelina also has quite the interesting character arc, but I was definitely more interested in Giulia’s and Leonello’s.
I can’t vouch for the historical accuracy of this novel because my knowledge of the era is woefully inadequate, but Kate Quinn included a nice historical note talking about the very few things she did change. She seamlessly wove history and invention together to tell a great story while remaining true to the tiny details and broader strokes of the period. For example, all of the recipes mentioned in the book are authentic as well as the religious unrest in Florence. This is how historical fiction should be written.
By most standards the plot is not fast-paced but this is more of a character driven novel. There are still some very surprising plot twists, particularly the ones involving Leonello, so you’ll never be bored. And of course Kate Quinn’s writing style is excellent, as always. Historical fiction doesn’t get much better than this.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Look What Just Arrived! (#17)
It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these posts and some of you will recognize that I’ve already reviewed Crystal Deception and In a Treacherous Court but I haven’t had much of a chance to get new books lately. Since this is a truly awful picture here are the titles from left to right:
- In a Treacherous Court by Michelle Diener
- Keeper of the King’s Secrets by Michelle Diener
- After the End by Amy Plum
- Crystal Deception by Doug J. Cooper
- Along the Watchtower by David Litwack
- The Lion and the Rose by Kate Quinn
- The Exiled Queen by Cinda WIlliams Chima
- Dreamless by Josephine Angelini
- Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
- Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn
All of the books you see on the top level were sent to me by both authors and publishers. After reading and loving In a Treacherous Court I can’t wait to start on the second book, Keeper of the King’s Secrets. It promises to be exciting now that John and Susanna are married! After the End was sent to me by HarperCollins Canada after I requested it and I’ve actually read it already even though my review won’t be posted until April 30th. Of course I’ve already read and reviewed Crystal Deception but Along the Watchtower just arrived today! Since I did enjoy David Litwack’s previous work I’m very excited to see how he’s improved.
All of the books on the second layer are ones I ordered online from The Book Depository. The Lion and the Rose is the second book in Kate Quinn’s Borgia Chronicles and I can’t wait to see how Giulia’s story turns out. The Exiled Queen has me excited too because of the huge cliffhanger at the end of The Demon King. Dreamless was sort of disappointing because I really, really, really hate the cover of this edition. I much prefer the North American cover, but the story is the same and I can’t wait to start it. The only book out of a new series I ordered was the last one, Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn. I love her Borgia Chronicles so I figured I’d see how she is at writing about ancient Rome. It should be exciting.
So what are you guys reading lately? See anything here that you like?