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    L'amante di Roma
    L'amante di Roma
    L'amante di Roma
    E-book591 pagine8 ore

    L'amante di Roma

    Di Kate Quinn

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    Può una schiava far cadere un impero?

    Un grande romanzo storico di Kate Quinn

    Il destino di una donna contesa tra un imperatore e un gladiatore

    Tea è una schiava ebrea costretta a servire Lepida Pollia, una padrona bizzosa e crudele che le contende l’amore di Ario, invincibile gladiatore divenuto l’idolo delle folle del Colosseo. Lepida fa di tutto per separarli, giungendo a venderla per allontanarla dalla Città Eterna. Ma nel corso degli anni Tea, grazie alla sua bravura come cantante, si guadagna una celebrità che la porta a contatto con le più importanti personalità dell’impero, crescendo il figlio avuto da Ario. Nel frattempo il suo amato gladiatore continua a dominare l’arena e a rimpiangere i pochi momenti di felicità trascorsi con lei. Il talento di Tea attira l’attenzione dell’imperatore: il folle, paranoico e sanguinario Domiziano, che ne fa la sua amante costringendola a una vita di orrori e sevizie, rendendo sempre più fosco il suo destino. Ma anche il destino di Domiziano è segnato dalla sua stessa pazzia...

    Una tormentata e intensa storia d’amore durante il regno crudele e sanguinario dell'imperatore Domiziano

    «Pagine che si girano da sole… una lettura obbligatoria.»
    Library Journal

    «Che libro fantastico… Una delle cose migliori che abbia letto da mesi.»
    Diana Gabaldon

    «Stupefacente… un romanzo che è insieme letteratura e intrattenimento.»
    Margaret George


    Kate Quinn
    Vive attualmente in Maryland con suo marito e un piccolo cane nero di nome Cesare. Fin dalla più tenera età ha coltivato una grande passione per la storia romana.
    LinguaItaliano
    EditoreNewton Compton Editori
    Data di uscita16 dic 2013
    ISBN9788854149427
    L'amante di Roma

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    Recensioni su L'amante di Roma

    4/5

    258 valutazioni34 recensioni

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    • 5/5
      Mistress of Rome is one of those books that grabs you from the very beginning and never quite lets you go. Action-packed and filled with cliff-hangers, historical fiction doesn’t get more thrilling than this! There were god-like gladiators, scheming slave women, and emperors at their most licentious. There were wars, and whores, and love and lust…There were even times when I would be sitting at my desk at work, wishing I could go home early—not because I dislike my job (I love my job), but because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next in the book!Regular followers of this blog may already know that Latin was one of my favorite classes in high school, so Ancient Rome is truly a source of multi-faceted enthrallment for me. Some readers may be shocked to read about the gruesome gladiatorial games depicted in this book (though anyone who’s seen Gladiator should not be the least bit surprised), but as one who views historical time periods and the likes and dislikes of its people through a normative relativist lens, I could really dig in and enjoy the descriptions of the crowds watching the gladiators fight to the death in the Colosseum. Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant: “Hail Emperor, those who are about to die salute you”—a Latin phrase uttered by gladiators just before their match was to begin, and one that has been drilled into my brain since the ninth grade.Mistress of Rome takes place in the 1st Century, during the rule of Emporer Domitian. I thought the author handled the characterization of Domitian perfectly – in the beginning, you never really know which way he’s going to go…is he slightly twisted but misunderstood, or is he truly just outright evil? And Thea is intriguingly complex; a Jewish slave girl whose spiteful Domina Lepida Pollia is relentless in her mean-spirited torture of the poor girl, whose only desire is to live in peace with her gladiator inamorato Arius “the Barbarian.” Other side characters of real historical origin make interesting appearances throughout the book: Empress Domitia Longina, Nerva, Trajan, Vibia Sabina, Flavia Domatilla (later made a saint in the Greek Orthodox Church), and Julia Flavia.Contrary to many other reviewers, I liked that segments throughout the book switched between various character perspectives. I think this added to the author’s ability to leave us wanting more. Just as I thought Thea’s story could not get more interesting, something earth-shattering would occur and I would be left in suspense as that section ended and the whole tone of the next section switched to Lepida’s POV, picking up where her latest mischief had previously left off. The only aspect of this back-and-forth manner of storytelling that threw me off a bit was when it switched from first person to third person. The third person narration interspersed between the personal reflections certainly made things more interesting, but I received an ARC, and I hope that the final copy will contain more decisive section breaks, since the change in POV is not separated by chapters, but rather by multiple line breaks.Much of the dialogue overall was deliberately modern (which I didn't mind, since it was intentional - though it made me smirk to envision the Ancient Romans reciting lines like "I'll run the bitch over with my chariot"), and some of the Latin misplaced. For example, Thea gives her son Vercingetorix the nickname Vix, which depending on context, in Latin translates to the adverb “scarcely” or “hardly” or “with difficulty”. Vix’s character is anything but scarce! Also, Ancient Rome was a rather big and busy city and empire, too large, in fact, for the characters to have conveniently bumped into each other as often as they did in this book. That aspect didn’t seem very believable…but I found the plot to be so good that I could suspend belief and forgive these minor distractions.I must say, I had been waiting for this book to release since I first read about it maybe six months ago, and when I received a review request from the publisher, I was thrilled. Often times lofty anticipation can lead to a swift letdown, but Mistress of Rome far exceeded my already high expectations. The historical note at the end implies that a sequel is in the works, which I hope to be the case, as I’m eager to read more from this talented debut author!FTC Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher for review.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book!! It was so good! Reminded me kind of a mix between Gladiator and Spartacus. I can't wait to read the next one!
    • 4/5
      14-tear-old orphaned Judean slave girl Thea is in service to the malicious Lepida Pollia. Arius the Barbarian is a gladiator, forced to duel to the death in the Colosseum after spending years slaving in the salt mines. They find love together, but are soon ripped apart and Thea sold into prostitution. Lepida marries an older but good man, Marcus, who turns a blind eye to her numerous affairs including holding his grown son in her thrall. Thea has been purchased for her musical ability and is now entertaining Rome's upper classes. When she catches the Emperor's eye, jealous Lepida plots her downfall. Powerless, Thea has no choice but to submit to the Emperor's sadistic attentions. Throw Vix, her son, and Arius into this brutal mix and the reader can only wonder who will lose their life next.A no hold's barred look at the brutality that was Ancient Rome and the ultimate power that was the Emperor's reign. Enjoyed.
    • 5/5
      Lepida Pollia is either a complete bitch, or a spoiled, self-centred girl, or both. Someone really needs to tell her that the world does not revolve around her and that being a slave does not automatically mean that Thea will never achieve anything great in life.

      Another thing, she really needs to stop opposing to Arius and Thea’s marriage, or union, or whatever you choose to call it. I mean, I get that she’s the villain of the plot (figuratively speaking anyway), but I think it’s a bit extreme.

      However, that’s about it as far as my complaints go. This book was perfect in every other regard. The depiction about the typical life of a salve (except for the last part) and her relationships with her mistress if very well-written, and I’m sure I’ve learnt more from reading this book that researching for a few hours.

      I loved the ending as well. It was probably my favourite part of the book (the fact that endings usually are my favourite part of the book is of course, totally irrelevant). I loved how Thea decides to keep her pregnancy quiet until they reach land, knowing that it would only aggravate Arius. It was really sweet, and demonstrated with eloquence how deep their love for each other was.
    • 3/5
      I was torn between 2 and 3stars on this one.  I am not a history snob where every fact must be checked and verified.  But major themes must be based on fact.  I find it hard to believe that many slaves were into self mutilation.  And I do know that historians now believe that most gladiator matches were NOT to the death.  It would have been a financial nightmare for any lanista if after months/years of training one were to lose a top player.  I feel the book lacked historical context.  I could be reading about the mistress from any emperor during all of Rome's history.  Without a good historical basis I feel the book resembles a harlequin romance not literary historical fiction.  Having said all that I still gave the book3 stars because it was a very nice love story.  I was drawn into Thea's and Arius's love story.  I wanted them to find a way to be together at all costs.  Their pure love stands in extreme contrast to any of the affairs that Lepida worms her way into.  Some of my favorite parts of the book involved the scheming Lepida!  Ms. Quinn was at the her very best when she wrote Lepida's part!  I really would have enjoyed this more had it been marketed as a romance not as historical fiction.    
    • 4/5
      I did not think I would have much interest in this book but read a few good reviews so decided to sign up for it with early reviewers. It sat on my shelf for quite awhile before I decided to pick it up. I only wish I would have done so sooner! This book was well written and exciting. I found myself wrapped up in the love story and I could not put it down. Others have done a better job describing the particulars, but I throughly enjoyed it despite some of the historical inaccuracies.
    • 4/5
      This book felt a little bit too long to me. I felt the story was a good one. A subject that I've not read much about before so it was all new and shiny. I liked that the author included the lives of many people that were in different classes--the gladiator, the slave, the elite and socialite of the times. I found the story line of Vix (12 year old gladiator) to be a bit much. I tried to look up his history to see where the author go this idea from and didn't come up with much. Ms. Quinn states in the end notes that his story isn't done yet so I look forward to finding out more and then can again look up the actual history. I loved the story of Thea and Arius. Lepida is a great villain, but I felt like she never grew up in the story. She just stayed at the same level of villainy as when she was a girl in her early 20's when I expected her to get more cunning and devious with age. There are other great secondary characters in this book that really help the story and hold the book together.
    • 4/5
      I really did like the story in the Mistress of Rome, yet some of the writing was a bit confusing. She would change the time of the action from one sentence to the next, so it was hard to tell if what you were reading was happening now, or it happened in the past. If you can get past this, there are some great characters in this book.

      You will cheer for Thea, and hate Lepida, and well the rest you just have to make up your own mind on.

      Mostly the stars went for the story, it wasn't a five star and four may be pushing it as well, but a solid 3 and a half is the best bet.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this first effort by Kate Quinn. From the first paragraph the reader knows the author will be giving her readers a different sort of heroine in Thea, survivor of Masada, slave, lover to a gladiator, and then to an emperor. The novel picks you up and carries you along at a nice clip until, towards the end, in fine storytelling mode, the plot twists and turns to the fascination - and satisfaction - of the reader.I look forward to Ms. Quinn's next novel, Daughters of Rome.
    • 4/5
      I liked this book. The story is good and it's very interesting how all the individual characters are drawn together into a shared history though their stories don't start out that way. I'm not sure whether I liked the multiple narrative through each character. On one hand it was interesting to hear individual voices. On another, it seemed like a way to get out of developing the characters more fully. I think they would have been much more three dimensional if I had had to learn about them through their actions and words rather than their thoughts. I think it would have made the characters more mysterious and the story more engaging.
    • 5/5
      It’s been a while since I’ve read a very good historical fiction This is one of the best I’ve read so far. There is lots of fighting action (gladiator fights), romance, and lots of drama. Just the way I like it in historical fiction. However, what I love about this book is, that it moved me in many ways. The emotions in this book was like a roller coaster. You were happy one minute, the next you were sad, and then you were boiling in rage (usually because Lepida is such a ...witch..to say the least). The plot was well done and well written. It’s been broken into several point of views of different characters so you get to see the story in different angles which is certainly nice to see and adds more to the book.The characters in this novel were excellent. The chemistry between potential pairings were really well done and well written. Of all the characters, I liked Thea and Vix. Marcus also held a soft spot for me too. I was glad Thea wasn’t written out as a damsel in distress type of heroine. I noticed as the story progressed, she became stronger and I admired her even more for standing up to Domitian and to not to give in to what he wants. What I also enjoyed reading was, every female in this book had their strengths (and of course weaknesses) but their strengths were much more prominent and focused in the book. Vix made me laugh, because although he was a brat, he had the best insults and comebacks I have ever read. I liked how he wasn’t afraid of Lepida, even though she had the means to get back at him and potentially kill him. I hated Lepida. Oh wow did I ever hate her. I’ve hated some characters in the past but Lepida wins all the medals for being villain of the year. She’s scheming, cruel, nasty, evil, vile, all the names you can think of that are negative. In fact, Calpurnia sums it up by saying that she’s “the most criminal wife in Rome”. Calpurnia actually calls her several colorful names which I enjoyed reading and laughing at. (Lepida gets what’s due to her in time so reading the book and seeing her fall is quite a treat). The only criticism I find in this book is it shifts from first person to third person quickly and I’m not sure why it’s been done this way. It’s a little strange but it’s not enough to distract the reader from reading and enjoying the story. Some readers might find that a little irksome - however it didn’t bother me.So far, I think this is one of the best historical fiction novels I have read in 2010. It’ll be hard to top this one off. Fans of Ancient Rome will love this novel and will become attached to this story as I am. I think this book is definitely a keeper.
    • 5/5
      A fast-moving Historical novel, with plenty of research behind it. This is a fascinating novel about a young girl who survived Masada and was placed in slavery in Rome, where she became a "mistress" to her master and eventually the Emperor Domitian. She falls in love with a young gladiator slave from Britannia, and yet they are separated for many years. A sequel is obviously in the making, and one to watch for as well.
    • 4/5
      At first I wasn't really sure what to think of this book. The constantly changing narrative was a little confusing at first and Rome unfamiliar to me. After the first fifty pages, however, the story took off like gang busters. We're given a story that revolves around deciet, secrets, old myths, thrilling battles and incredible characters. While the revolving narrative is still a little confusing, it's all good. Mistress of Rome is an amazing, wonderful, incredible read.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the mix of history and romance and loved Kate Quinn's writing style. Unlike some books that employ too many heaving busoms or too much in the way of "burning desire", this book offered a wonderful story grounded in first century Roman history.It tells the story of Thea, a slave girl, serving one master after another and finding love with the gladiator, Arius.
    • 4/5
      “Mistress of Rome” is a compelling and highly readable historical fiction novel.  The story follows three main characters, whose lives are intertwined: Thea, a slave with a mind of her own; Lepida, her spoilt mistress, and Arius, the best gladiator in Rome.  The story also follows the reign of Emperor Domintus, whose favour could make fortunes but turn on a whim.I really enjoyed “Mistress of Rome” and found it to be a page turner.  Thea’s character was very relatable.  She definitely wasn’t perfect, but she strove to find dignity and tried to determine her own fate.  I also found Arius to be compelling and sympathetic.   However, Lepida was one of the most evil characters, I have read about in recent memory. I cringed every time she started some new scheme, but it was too fascinating and sordid to stop reading. "Mistress of Rome " is an entertaining novel about the decadences and intrigues of Ancient Rome. I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in historical fiction of this era.
    • 4/5
      Mistress of Rome is set in first century Rome, and tells the stories of a slave girl named Thea, her owner Lepida, Lepida's husband Marcus, and a gladiator named Arius, who get caught up in imperial politics. The story is really engaging, and fans of historical fiction will definitely enjoy this.
    • 3/5
      The Mistress of Rome is a book that is hard to put down. Set in a decadent, power-driven age with characters who embody the Roman way of life in first century AD, this novel is a wild ride through the slums and palaces of Rome. A British gladiator, a Jewish slave, a well-to-do young lady, and a senator's son - we see everything through their eyes. I look forward to Ms. Quinn's next book.
    • 2/5
      Ok people, key word in the synposis is "depravity." I wish I had paid closer attention. I spent this entire novel trying to find a character I could at least like if not relate to in some way. It didn't happen.Thea is a Jewish slave that works for Lepida, a Roman "lady." Both Thea and Lepida develope lustful feelings towards the newest, fiercest, most famous gladiator, Arius. The first quarter of the novel really drew me in as Arius spurns Lepida (she has the eyes of a ferret, apparently) and begins a rather hot and steamy affair with Thea. I was really quite hooked until part two. At this point, the evil, vile, and incredibly disgusting Lepida (Can you tell how much I hated her?) has separated Thea and Arius and married a senator. From this point on, it just becomes a giant Roman orgy. Lepida is fornicating with so and so (a family relation and that is all I'm going to reveal) who was just fornicating with Thea who at this point, is fornicating with almost as many men as Lepida and that is a lot. Then Thea begins fornicating with the Emperor and Lepida wants to fornicate with him too. But alas, poor Lepida must settle for simply fornicating in the same room as the Emperor and Thea. Both Thea and Lepida are also horrid mothers. Thea abandons her boy most of the time while Lepida tells her sick daughter to go have seizures in another room. Thea has a strange addiction to cutting herself, Lepida is addicted to sex, Arius just loves to kill people, and the Emperor is just plain demented and perverted. The only likeable people in the entire novel were Marcus and his daughter, Sabina but their roles weren't large enough to overcome my distaste at the bitter rivalry and power hungry bed hopping of Thea and Lepida.Well written but not about characters I want to read about. Too much depravity for me.
    • 4/5
      This book was a regular Roman soap opera complete with villians that you love to hate and heros that you love. It also supplied a good dose of sex, intrigue, dark secrets and corruption. All the makings of a good entertaining story. The very base of the story is about the passionate love of a slave girl named Thea and her gladiator lover who they call the Barbarian. The lovers are pulled apart by a cast of characters ranging from the disturbed and dangerous emporer himself to the spoiled selfish heiress Lepida and many other secondary characters that play a role in the twists and turns of life in Roman society.The characters are simple and predictable but it works with the story and provides an easy and entertaining read.I enjoyed reading the book and I would recommend it to anyone who thinks they might enjoy historical fiction that is a bit lighter than many of the other titles in the genre.
    • 3/5
      Mistress of Rome is a light romantic read, a bit too light for my taste. Set in 1st century Rome, the book follows the life of Thea, a Jewish slave girl from Judea. In the service of the avaricious and cruel heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea opens a vein in her wrist from time to time and watches the blood flow. Thea and Lepida become competitors for the attentions of Rome's most fearsome gladiator, Arius the Barbarian, and later, the Emperor Domitian. The weakness of the book is the reliance on the stereotype of the evil beautiful sexually depraved woman, Lepida, versus Thea the good who always triumphs in the end. The story of Jezebel played out over and over again, and here we also have the good man, Paulinus, who although he is strong and brave and saintly, cannot resist the sexual charms of Jezebel. This is of course a common theme of trashy romances along with the assumption that brute force in men is sexually attractive to the evil woman. Mistress of Rome is nevertheless not trashy. There is a good story here but the novel will be more appealing to fans of romantic fiction than historical fiction. Don't read the historical note at the end of the book before you read the book as I did. It gives away the ending though there is still a lot of interesting action to get there. To summarize, this is a good beach read for the summer or for a chilly night with a blanket, light and juicy, not literary in the least, but an indulgence we can all appreciate once in a while.
    • 2/5
      Mistress of Rome is a story that’s focused on three characters: Thea, a Jewish slave; her mistress, Lepida Polllia; and Arius, a Briton gladiator. These characters live and interact with one another in late first-century Rome, during the reign of Emperor Domitian. Quinn describes in vivid detail (sometimes too vivid!) the brutality of Rome, as well as, maybe, its softer side.The book is pretty well researched, and the author has a good feel for description. However, there were a lot of things I didn’t like about this book: namely, the switch between first and third person narration, as other reviewers have mentioned. It wouldn’t bother me so much except for the fact that the switch between the tenses would sometimes occur in the middle of chapters, with only a break between paragraphs to make the transition. It didn’t really work for me.SPOILER ALERT BELOW:There are also some problems with the plot. Although I felt that the book moved at a fast pace, and the book was compelling enough to keep me reading, there were some plot holes. For example, since Thea could see the resemblance between Arius and Vix, why didn’t the two of them realize the connection? Why didn’t anyone else find out? If Domitian had such a great spy network, and knew so much about her relationship with Arius, why didn’t he know about Vix? Or about her childhood? It just didn’t add up. I also didn’t quite buy that fact that Thea and Lepida would suddenly fall in love/lust with the gladiator, with little to no contact with him beforehand. There are also a number of highly unlikely coincidences, in which the main characters are constantly running into one another by accident. Add to that a completely unlikely and improbably plot twist about ¾ of the way through, and I found myself scratching my head at times as I read.I also had problems with some of the characters. I think the problem lies in the fact that they’re either way to good or way to bad—there’s no in the middle with anyone of them. As a result, good characters such as Thea became tiresome after a while, as did really bad characters such as Lepida. There’s very little to no character development with any of the main or lesser characters; in fact, Lepida’s “voice” at age 14 is more or less the same as when she’s in her 20s! It wasn’t believable to me.However, I think the author’s writing style is very good, and the historical bits are very good (apart from a nitpicking thing where she doesn’t use the proper Latin plural forms for certain nouns such as stola; and the author selectively uses Latin names for places such as Brittania and Gaul, but not for, say, Spain). Kate Quinn shows a lot of promise as an author; I just didn’t love her first novel.
    • 4/5
      An interesting fictional look at some of the people that intersected with the Emperor Domitian.
    • 3/5
      A guilty pleasure -- I started Friday evening and read the night through. I decided on this rating because of the anachronisms and so many black-or-white-only characters. The author is quite a storyteller and the book just swept me along. I picked it up only because of the author's short story "The Senator" in A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii, where she mentions somewhere in the Notes she's written a novel covering the senator [Marcus Vibius Norbanus, a main character and thoroughly decent man] and Lady Diana [who never appears in this novel but is only mentioned as the horse-mad aunt]. There's a good dollop of soap opera here in Roman clothing, but I was probably in the mood for something like this. A light read.
    • 4/5
      I found this to be a fast-paced book with great characters. It captured me immediately with the scene of a young woman cutting herself. Brilliant! Quinn definitely subscribes to the "torture your characters" school of writing. All the sympathetic characters suffer emotional and physical upheaval in various fascinating settings. My only small nit is that Lepida is a one-dimensional character, more of a plot device to screw over the other characters at appropriate points, than a real person. I have no doubt that such self-involved people exist, but they make less satisfying antagonists. Domitian, on the other hand, was wonderfully delineated--complicated, cruel and unpredictable. This story received the ultimate compliment from me after I've read a good HF--I immediately pawed through my research books to check out the history behind the fiction. Well done!
    • 5/5
      Kate Quinn makes no mistake in showcasing exactly what life could have been like in Classical Rome. Emperor Domitian is a strong Emperor but one fucked up guy behind closed doors. His assassination by a slave really isn't a surprise, as most Emperors back then were pretty much knife holders. I enjoyed the story, the hatred for her characters, the empathy for the plights of others and the sense of how one can see how our world became what it is with the world that created it. It was a great story and I can't wait to read more by this author.
    • 4/5
      What a breathtaking gripping historical fiction! I couldn't stop reading. Diving into Ancient Rome was a very easy task. Following all the network of intrigues was a great pleasure. Sometimes I got the feeling that I am an observer experiencing all the smells, music and gatherings by myself. All the characters are inimitable and so profoundly described that I've got the feeling I must know them since a long time.I can strongly recommend it for all friends of the Ancient Rome period.
    • 5/5
      This novel was amazing. Full of everything you expect a novel about Ancient Rome to include -- scandal, sex, violence. You had heroes and villains and in between characters that carefully waded into the grey. There was a surprise, lots of conniving, and a really awful woman who you just want to see literally thrown to the lions. And over all, love and family and some humor. I am definitely going to be reading the rest of the series.
    • 5/5
      Mistress of Rome is a compelling read as it is gripping. I was immediately drawn in the story from page one to the end and it was so tastefully done that I stayed up all night reading instead of sleeping! That's how good the book was.I liked how Ms. Quinn tells the story by using relevant character's point of view. That way we're able to see their motives and desires clearly and relate closely to them. Thea, with her belief and strength, makes a wonderful heroine. Needless to say that I was cheering for her throughout the book. Arius, our brooding hero; one of the best hero I've seen in a while. Lepida, the full-fledged bitch. How I was itching to slap her senseless! Not to mention that the novel is rich in historical detail and description. I could almost picture myself there, standing in the middle of all the hubbub, watching the games and so on. I can't wait to pick up the author's next book!
    • 4/5
      Quinn convincingly conjures the terrifying reign of Emperor Domitian in her solid debut that follows the travails of Thea, a slave girl and mistress to the emperor. While she is tormented by Domitian, she holds her secrets—a gladiator lover, a young son—close. When these facts are brought to Domitian's attention by Thea's jealous rival, Thea takes drastic actions to secure her family. Quinn's command of first-century Rome is matched only by her involvement with her characters; all of them, historical and invented, are compelling and realistic, and she explores their dark sides without crossing into gratuitousness. Readers will finish eager for a sequel, which is a good thing because Quinn has left the door wide open for a follow-up. This should make a splash among devotees of ancient Rome. (Apr.)
    • 4/5
      As Thea, a slave from ancient Rome, tirelessly works to please her domineering mistress, she finds no pleasure in the monotony of her days. But one day she unexpectedly crosses paths with one of the most famous gladiators of the time, a brutal man named Arius, known to the public as The Barbarian. Thea and Arius quickly become entangled with one another but are brutally separated by Thea's manipulative and cunning mistress, Lepida Pollia, who desires Arius for herself. Thea is at once sent to live at the mercy of men but soon finds herself the slave of a generous man who cultivates a house full of talent. Soon Thea is reinvented as Athena, a singer and lute player that captivates even the most lofty patricians. As Thea rises to stardom, she keeps many secrets about her past and longs to one day be reunited with her famous lover. But fate is not kind to Thea, and when she captures the interest of the the great Emperor Domitian, she finds herself in a new world of pain and uncertainty. Domitan, a savage man, quickly brands Thea as his own and begins to calculate frightening abuses upon her, but underneath it all, Thea remains resolute and strong, never expecting the day when Arius reappears in her life. But Arius and Thea are not free to find their happiness in each other and must face down not only an Emperor but some of the most shrewd and calculating enemies ever to walk the streets of Rome. In this thrilling tale of historical fiction, the underbelly of Rome is most deliciously explored and exposed through the eyes of the colorful cast of characters who will all share a part in the unfolding drama of two rather remarkable slaves.When I first picked up this book, I was somewhat discouraged. You see, I was sure that I had read this story before. I mean, it wasn't so long ago that I reviewed both Cleopatra's Daughter and The Forgotten Legion. I figured that this book would be just another mix between a gladiator and a slave story and that I had probably been through all of this before. What I got was an entirely new story, filled with breathtaking action, intriguing drama and a pretty darn good love story. I guess by now I should know not to walk into any book with preconceived notions, because more often than not, I am completely wrong.Mistress of Rome is a story told through several vantage points. Through the eyes of Thea the slave, Lepida the Mistress and quite a few others, the tale of Thea and Arius begins to take shape, pulling several other players into the drama. As chapters move successively forward, the vantage point shifts and each character continues on with the story, reflecting on how the unfolding drama impacts them personally. I liked this technique and thought it was extremely well done here. Each of the characters had a distinct voice and focus, and through the flavor of those voices, the story came alive into an all encompassing tale that lived and breathed. I think I enjoyed reading the sections from Lepida Pollita the best. Though she was the character that I most wished would be crushed by a war horse, I found myself engrossed in her opinions and behaviors. I guess she was the character I loved to hate and I loved getting into her head and trying to figure out what she was going to do next.Though the story was filled with twists and turns, I didn't get the feeling that the plot line was convoluted or unbelievable in any way. The story was told in a matter-of-fact way with little room for flight and fancy. Though some of the sections relied on coincidence, I didn't feel that the plot was orchestrated by it, or that there was not enough left to chance. Though this story was mostly centered around Thea and Arius, there were several other strong plot lines winding their way through as well, and each got a fair share of attention. I think it's kind of tricky to tell so many stories from so many perspectives at once, but I felt that Quinn pulled excelled with the drama and action that surrounded the lovers' story. She has a great way of making all of it relevant and interesting, and every time the story broke away from the couple I waited with interest to see where she was going next.I do think a lot of this book was sensationalistic; that's one of the things I liked about it. Although most of the time I am looking for books with a very literary feel to them, sometimes it's nice to be able to enjoy gobbling down something that you consider literary junk food as well. This was the kind of book that kept me turning the pages for that very reason. Things were messy, violent and dramatic, and I must say that I had a heck of a time putting this book down due to the great development of the plot. It was a fun read that had me shaking my head at the intrigues and betrayals on every page, and the more I let myself get carried away with it, the more I became enveloped in the story. It was the kind of book that you keep by your side at all times, just to have it close to you should you get a few minutes to read.I also think the crafting of the story was done very well. Things that didn't seem very important in the beginning went from window dressing to integral plot point towards the end, and the character creation was out of this world. I liked that the bad guys were horrible and the good guys were blameless. Such stark black and white doesn't always work so well for me, but in this book it was very fitting and it made the book more enjoyable. There was a lot of good storytelling here, a lot to keep its audience at the edge of its seat, and a lot to keep them coming back. One of the things I most liked was the way the characters' stories all folded in on each other and created a sort of framework for the story to hang upon. It was interesting to watch both how the story was being constructed and the story itself, and I spent a lot of time being impressed with both aspects.This is not the type of book that's going to win any literary awards but I urge you not to hold that against it. It's a really riveting read for a lot of reasons, and I found it to be a lot of fun to while away an afternoon with. There's enough drama and action to satisfy picky readers and the characters within are interesting creations that haven't been seen before. I think this book would make an amazing beach read but I wouldn't limit it to that. If you are looking for the reading equivalent to some good junk food, I would definitely tell you to look here. It was a lot of fun to make my way through this book and I think that it would appeal to many others as well. A really fun read. Recommended.

    Anteprima del libro

    L'amante di Roma - Kate Quinn

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