Helpful Score: 3
Wow. Just wow. Im not even sure where to start in reviewing this book; it was such a great read. It flowed well, and was just the right mix of historical accuracy and literary liberties to be fascinating. The cover art was what drew me, as well as the title; I thought I had a good idea of what would happen, a rags to riches stories in the form of a slave girl who ends up with the whole world on a platter as the Emperors mistress. But it isnt that simple at all, and none of the situations our Thea finds herself in can be characterized by a single emotion. This book is vivid!
One of the things young writers are often taught is that everything within the story must have some kind of purpose. Kate Quinn has mastered this skill. All throughout the story, she introduces characters that could easily fade back into the background, but remain an active part in the plot line. Each is also more a person than a character; they make impressions on you as if you are meeting them face to face and as the story continues you learn more and more about each of them. They dont always get along with each other. They dont always like themselves and the things theyve done.
Thea has a lot of internal conflict going on that influences her choices and the situations she finds herself in. That conflict makes for more strife than ease, but thats what life is really like. Its within her world as an unhappy slave that we enter the world of Rome. As a slave, Thea has a rather cynical view of the world, and that view is directly contrasted by her mistress, Lepida Pollia. Its obvious from her first appearance that Lepida is a self-serving girl, and obliges the readers by staying around for the duration of the book to cause a number of problems. She is a jealous creature, but that serves as a foil for Theas character. Thea is such a surprise as she develops. She has more strength of will and courage than I ever imagined she could, and her journey is both fantastic and rough. She deserves her happy ending.
I feel like theres not a lot I can say about the story itself just because everything is so intricately intertwined that if I give you even a single sneak peak, Ill mess the story up for you. The book is a little bit bigger than your usual paperback novel, but dont let that intimidate you. It reads so well that youll be through a dozen pages before you realize it. I highly recommend this five-star read to anyone even remotely interested in the historical romance genre; it is a standard to which all future books must compare themselves.
www.whitneycarter.wordpress.com
One of the things young writers are often taught is that everything within the story must have some kind of purpose. Kate Quinn has mastered this skill. All throughout the story, she introduces characters that could easily fade back into the background, but remain an active part in the plot line. Each is also more a person than a character; they make impressions on you as if you are meeting them face to face and as the story continues you learn more and more about each of them. They dont always get along with each other. They dont always like themselves and the things theyve done.
Thea has a lot of internal conflict going on that influences her choices and the situations she finds herself in. That conflict makes for more strife than ease, but thats what life is really like. Its within her world as an unhappy slave that we enter the world of Rome. As a slave, Thea has a rather cynical view of the world, and that view is directly contrasted by her mistress, Lepida Pollia. Its obvious from her first appearance that Lepida is a self-serving girl, and obliges the readers by staying around for the duration of the book to cause a number of problems. She is a jealous creature, but that serves as a foil for Theas character. Thea is such a surprise as she develops. She has more strength of will and courage than I ever imagined she could, and her journey is both fantastic and rough. She deserves her happy ending.
I feel like theres not a lot I can say about the story itself just because everything is so intricately intertwined that if I give you even a single sneak peak, Ill mess the story up for you. The book is a little bit bigger than your usual paperback novel, but dont let that intimidate you. It reads so well that youll be through a dozen pages before you realize it. I highly recommend this five-star read to anyone even remotely interested in the historical romance genre; it is a standard to which all future books must compare themselves.
www.whitneycarter.wordpress.com
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