I also started Kate Quinn's ancient Roman series Empress of Rome with Mistress of Rome (#1,356) while I was away. The first book in the series recounts the story of an enslaved Jewish handmaiden and a British prisoner of war forced to fight in the Colosseum as a gladiator with resounding success. This novel happens to be set during the reign of Dormition, the same period as one of my other favorite mystery series by Lindsay Davis, the Flavia Albia series, so I was already acquainted with some of this emperor's deeds. Perilous times, indeed!
The story moved briskly along, with sympathetic characters to root for, and really evil villains to detest. All the reader has to do is enjoy the ride and hope that nothing too bad happens to the protagonists. It does, but they survive against all odds and nails bitten to the quick.
Kate Quinn's stories are a favorite of mine both because of the power of her storytelling and the care she takes researching the details of time and place to make them feel "right". I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this Roman series!
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