Lepida's cruelty towards Thea is incomparable. If both of these men are seen as servants in the eyes of Domitian, and it is not uncommon for Roman men to prefer male lovers, why do you think they choose to keep their feelings for one another a secret? What other characters have relationships, either romantic or platonic, that must remain undisclosed? Nessus has a long-standing romantic relationship with Ganymede, an imperial slave. One on-going theme in this book is forbidden relationships. Does any character truly know the Emperor and, if so, why has he given them his confidence? Thea admits that even after sharing the Emperor's bed, and spending days on end with him, that she does not truly know Domitian at all. How does the habit of spilling her own blood help her cope with her troubled past? Which other characters participate in similar self-destructive tendencies and why? Sold into slavery and torn away from her one true love, Thea also carries with her the guilt and shame associated with the murder of her family. How do you think this maniacal monologue ever began within him? How can his son avoid inheriting this same curse? At his core the Barbarian is a noble and kind-hearted soul, while the voice that haunts him is a ruthless killer. I love a complex plot however, and this one is layered with great characters, engrossing historical facts and a little romance.įrom the moment we meet Arius we are also introduced to his inner demon. I found moving between first and third person confusing and at times there is too much dialog stalling things a bit. In terms of action, there's lots of violence and treachery, both in and out of the arena and the descriptions are vivid.

History is replete with depraved men like him, yet it still puzzles me how a society allows such a person to exist. I enjoyed reading about Emperor Domitian. The book is well researched and feels authentic. They are a powerless subset of roman society that is poorly treated and disposable figuratively as they can be sold and literally, as forms of entertainment. The dominant theme is the harshness of life for slaves and Gladiators.

Quinn tells the story from three perspectives Thea a Jewish slave girl, Arius a gladiator and Lepida a spoiled upper class Roman citizen.

PBR Book Review: (by- Linda ) Ancient Rome is wonderfully portrayed in this book, with awesome details of first century Roman political culture.

Mistress of rome series