Roman religion was an interesting mixture of ancient and new deities whose rites were a function of the state. There were some exceptions, and one was the rite of the Bona Dea, the Good Goddess, which was the worship of an ancient female earth deity that predated the advent of the ruling sky god...
The best in the series. So far :)I've long wanted to find out how the Roman Empire became, well, an empire. This book is a perfect peek into the Roman legion—the well-known secret (pardon the oxymoron) behind Rome's rise to historical glory. Pair that with J.M. Roberts' enviable writing (a perfec...
Part of me wonders why I keep returning to this series. It IS full of interesting details of Roman life during this time period, and reflects some of the complexity of Roman politics and relations in the empire. The protagonist is maturing as the series progresses and it is difficult not to like ...
This is a vivid retelling of a critical moment in the history of the Late Roman Republic, and is accurate. Yes, the Tribune Ateius Capito did pronounce a bizarre curse upon Crassus as he left Rome, which led to the purification rites described herein; only the historical Ateius did live for a few...
Recommend: Yes Pros: Very short concise book; characterization, plot, setting, are all strong.Cons: Very short. The ending was a little off.The Bottom Line:Best book in the nine book SPQR series (at the time of review, 9 book series). Very quick read, very enjoyable dip into this time period. His...
Rating: 2.7 / 10Disclaimer: this review is written a year and a half after the fact. For me, this book has become the standard against which to judge all other bad Roman sword and sandal. I have a sweet spot for sword and sandal, or general “historical” fiction, and particular sweet tooth for Rom...
Although I'm reading these a bit out of order, courtesy the public library, it really doesn't matter much. The books tie together, but not in any critical way, so reading book 3 then book 9 then book 1 will not be a problem; you can jump in at any point.I've read quite a few of these so far, and...
This book has to be one of the best books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It wasn't just a fantasy-adventure but it was a fantasy-adventure-mystery which made it a whole lot more entertaining. I have to admit that I didn't expect the murderer to be Boreas at all. :) Have a great day and ...
