Kate Quinn is amazing! I love, love, LOVE her books set in Ancient Rome and "Empress of Rome" is no exception! She absolutely brings the Eternal City to life. I totally fell for Vix the gladiator, and thought the 'will they, won't they?' relationship between him and Sabina the senator's daughter was brilliant! I was constantly frustrated at the pair and wanted them to get over themselves and get together! The romance isn't the whole story though - there's plenty of political intrigue and plots, battle and war related scenes, and adventure going on too. The novel ends on a cliffhanger which is irritating when you're so engrossed in a story and involved with the characters. But luckily Kate Quinn's writing a sequel which I think is due out in 2015. I'll definitely have to try and fit in a reread of the entire Ancient Rome series before then. : ) Basically what it comes down to, is that Kate Quinn broke my heart in ALL the pieces with this book. Mistress of Rome was one of my absolute most favorite historical fiction books, and so when I heard Empress of the Seven Hills was coming, it was a MUST READ for me, no question, and I wasn't at all disappointed.But man. Gut-wrenching from start to finish. Vix arrives back in Rome and can't even begin to realize what he's getting himself into -- except that he DOES know, because he lived through all this intrigue once before. But now he's facing it as an adult, and it's almost even more heart breaking this time around. I yearned for Vix and Sabina to find a place of peace together, where they could have some kind of joy, but their journey just led them into more and more pain, throughout this book. I can only hope and pray that the next installment gives them a well-earned retirement, as Vix's parents ultimately found.Fingers Crossed!
What do You think about Empress Of Rome (2012)?
woow, I can't wait for book no. four...I'm still speachless
—Bre
Gaah. Left me hanging. Off to find the next book!
—akiraj