Rome Burning

Romanitas #2

by Sophia McDougall

Rome Burning is the second book of Sophia McDougall's projected trilogy, following her debut novel, Romanitas, set in a world where the Roman Empire has survived to contemporary times.

Three years after the events of Romanitas, the Empire is on the brink of war with Nionia (Japan), and plagued by a sequence of mysterious wildfires. Marcus Novius, the young heir to the Roman throne is forced to take charge as Regent when the Emperor Faustus falls suddenly ill. Marcus attempts to recruit Varius as his advisor, but Varius, who is still haunted by the events of the first book (in which he lost his wife and was framed for murder and treason), refuses. While Marcus works to avoid a world war, his lover Una is intent on discovering the truth about his ambitious cousin Drusus's involvement in a conspiracy that almost claimed Marcus's life.

Genres: Fantasy, Alternate History, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Dystopia

471 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Sophia McDougall (born 1979) is a British novelist, playwright, and poet, who studied at Oxford University in England.

She is best known as the author of the alternate history trilogy Romanitas, in which the Roman Empire still exists in contemporary times. She is also the author of Mars Evacuees and Space Hostages - sci-fi adventures for children (and everyone else who likes spaceships.)

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

AWESOME. It's rare that a book about the Roman Empire doesn't manage to annoy me, but she manages the trick neatly by ageing up the empire to the present day - I might argue with certain aspects of its development, but it's very plausibly and thoroughly worked out. She uses all the writing no-nos (according to the current fashion, that is), like lots of adjectives and omniscient POV and so many characters it needs a dramatis personae (which I'm glad of, because I'd forgotten a lot from the first book), but it all works and makes her writing very distinctive and elegant. She has an especially good handle on the physical experience of emotion and the complexities of an intolerable situation, and the plot flows organically from the characters and setting, while still being pacy and gripping.

[Aleksandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3.25

[Woollythinker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've heard a formula for trilogies that establishes the middle book as "the making out one", and that was largely true here – it's a lot about relationships, with the actual plot serving to forward the overall narrative rather than being satisfying in its own right. So I didn't enjoy it as much as book 1, but I'm still very much engaged with the characters and the world. And very impressed with McDougall's astonishingly vivid, tactile writing.

[Marjolein · Rating 3 out of 5]

***ENGLISH REVIEW BELOW***

Dus ik heb het tweede boek van deze serie uitgelezen. Ik had de tijdsprong niet verwacht, maar ik was er wel blij mee. Ik vond het symbolisme tussen de titel en de gebeurtenissen in het boek leuk. Hoewel het soms leek dat dingen een beetje te goed gingen, denk ik dat er best aardig met de gebeurtenissen is omgegaan. En misschien is het een beetje sadistisch, maar ik vind het leuk wanneer dingen fout lopen. Het is niet leuk wanneer dingen te makkelijk zijn voor de hoofdpersonages haha. Ik vind Una nog steeds niet leuk, hoewel ik niet goed kan zeggen waarom, maar ze lijkt zo... vreemd en oppervlakkig and ik vind haar krachten niks. De romantiek is iets verbeterd maar voelt nog steeds niet echt voor mij. Ik vond het nieuwe vrouwelijk personage wel leuk. En om de een of andere reden vind ik Drusus ook leuk. En hoewel sommige beschrijvingen een beetje te beschrijvend of symbolisch voor mijn smaak waren, vond ik het boek wel leuk. Ik zal het laatste boek binnenkort lezen.

***ENGLISH REVIEW***

So I finished the second book of this series. I had not expected the time-skip, but I was happy with it. I liked the symbolism between the title and the happenings in the book. Although sometimes I felt like things were going a bit too well, I think the events were handled pretty well. And maybe it's a bit sadistic, but I like it when things fall apart. It's no fun if things are too easy for the main characters haha. I still don't like Una, although I can't pinpoint why, she just seems too... strange and bland and I don't like her powers. The romance improved a bit but it still doesn't feel real to me. I did like the newly introduced female character, though. And for some reason I like Drusus, too. And although some descriptions were a bit too much descriptive or symbolic for my taste, I did enjoy the book. I'll read the last one soon.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've marked this as dystopian. In a time equivalent to the early 21st century, the Empire of Rome stretches over most of Europe, Greenland, Russia, Turkey, Middle East, South America and the east of North America, and parts of Asia and Africa. They still have slavery, women cannot vote or hold office. Yet there are long magnet train crossings of Siberia and armoured vehicles supporting the Great Wall across the continent of North America against the Asians. The book's main conflict is between the Roman and Asian empires but there is also conflict within the empire.

I didn't take to any of the characters, especially the men, and I hadn't read the first book, which might have helped. A lot of the time, the characters spend the chapter just talking, and I would have liked more of seeing the world and actions. I'm sure the author has put a great deal of work into creating this alternate history and I just wish some characters (or any of them) were more sympathetic. It was just too hard to get into for me.
I read a paperback. This is an unbiased review.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with the first book in the series it really excels on the political maneuverings. Theres also the beckoning dangers of what would be our own 20th Century bubbling under the main plot (I suspect a follow on in the third one?). The supernatural abilities of some characters continues to be a weakness I feel, but the second half of the book really made them relevant and present in the plot. Great concept, fun enough execution.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Romanitas, the first book in this series, although I thought it wasn’t as good as it potentially could have been. “Rome Burning” shares many of the strengths and weaknesses of the first book in the series, although I think overall it is an improvement on the first book.

What I liked most about the first book was the characterisation and this continues to be a strength of the sequel. I thought Una and Dama were the most intriguing characters in the first book and the second book does provide some good scenes for them both, Una in particular has to make some tough decisions due to the conflict between her strongly-held principles and the Roman society she finds herself living at the heart of. The other two main characters in the first book weren’t quite as compelling, Una’s brother Sulien is likeable but at times is frustratingly passive although Marcus does get more interesting character development here and gains a greater maturity even as he also gains some flaws to go along with that. There are some interesting supporting characters, including the Japanese princess Noriko and the Chinese Dowager Empress.

I had mixed feelings about the worldbuilding in the first book. The idea of a Roman Empire which never fell but has expanded and survived up to the present day is an intriguing alternate history idea, but I felt the world didn’t have much depth to it. The same is true here, although we get to see a bit more of the world it still feels a bit lacking in detail.

The plot is a bit unusual in the sense that it’s not until the last hundred or so pages that there is a revelation that what has really been happening is more complex than it initially appeared. There are a few genuine surprises and at least three moments where the plot abruptly changes direction from where it seemed to be going. MacDougall is good at writing some very tense scenes, even if the ‘characters have to go on the run’ plotline might be a bit overused. Due to the main plot not being revealed until a long way through the book the first section of the book does feel a bit slow paced but the end of the book is much stronger and the overall storyline is more compelling than the story in the first book. I do have one criticism of the ending, while the first book could have worked as a standalone it was a bit annoying for the second book to end on a huge cliffhanger.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the previous book 'Romanitas' was a decent debut novel, albeit a little uneven. The first half of 'Rome Burning' was of similar quality while the second half was excellent. So far, this series has been primarily character driven. I'm pleased to say that the returning characters were really brought to life in this book and a number of interesting new players were introduced. The book ended on a cliffhanger and finding myself thoroughly invested in the story I'll be looking to get my hands on a copy of 'Savage City' as soon as possible.

[scarlettraces · Rating 4 out of 5]

an excellent follow-up to Romanitas. the prose is less self-conscious and still very articulate, the plotting is smoother. Drusus is an excellent villain and there were a couple of nice misdirects.

[Travis Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sequel to Romanitas escapes the curse of the sequel and matches the quality of its predecessor.

[Ilaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

while the first book inspired me opposite feeling (great story, but too slow for my liking) I loved this one from the beginning till the end. I truly can't wait for the next book!

[Jaine Fenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Please see my review for Romanitas)

[Adam Whitehead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rome, 2760 AUC. Three years ago, the Emperor's younger brother was murdered as part of a scheme to seize control of the Roman Empire. His son, Marcus, went into hiding and survived thanks to the help of two slaves, Sulien and Una, who harbour secrets of their own. When the Emperor suffers a stroke, Marcus has to assume the regency. With tensions rising between Rome and her great eastern rival, Nionia, Marcus embarks on a daring peace mission. But there are those within Rome who still covet the Imperial throne, and will use Marcus's past against him.

Rome Burning is the sequel to Sophia McDougall's debut novel, Romanitas, and the middle book of the Romanitas Trilogy (which concludes with Savage City). The premise of the trilogy is straightforward: the Roman Empire never fell and, by the present day, has gone on to conquer most of the world. However, the Empire is still built on the back of capital punishment, slavery and the occupation of other peoples. The principal characters in the books are Marcus, the imperial heir whose view of life is radically altered after spending time in the first book as a fugitive, and Sulien and Una, the freed slaves who now want Marcus to abolish the institution once and for all. Also, somewhat randomly, Una also happens to have mildly telepathic powers (which definitely seem to have been pared down in this second novel).

Romanitas was a flawed novel. It had a strong premise, but the premise was constantly under-explored throughout the novel. Coupled with somewhat poor characterisation and often stodgy prose, it was a hard book to get through, despite the 'on-the-run' storyline giving rise to some interesting tension. Rome Burning shows massive improvements in some areas but, unfortunately, some significant weaknesses in others.

On the plus side, McDougall's characters are (mostly) much-improved. Sulien, Una and Marcus are all better-defined, with Una in particular becoming a more interesting, complex protagonist and Sulien having a lot more to do this time around. Marcus's development from callow youth to statesman continues, with his former idealism now being tested by political practicality. His desire to end slavery is contrasted against the possible economic collapse of the Empire if he moves too quickly, and his attempts to find a balance (that come across to Sulien, Una and other former slaves as back-pedalling) are constantly misunderstood. There's a lot more meat to the main characters this time around. Unfortunately, our principal antagonist for most of the book, Drusus, is a cartoon villain at best, who is so utterly unsuited for the political skulduggery required that he should never really be a threat to the considerably more intelligent Marcus. The eventual defeat of Drusus's return to power is also chronically under-explained (basically Marcus gets annoyed and makes a speech to his uncle and suddenly everything's okay).

On the worldbuilding front, the alternate Imperial Rome is not particularly convincing, resembling as it does one of those computer game RPG cities which seem to consist of three streets and twenty people. There is no real sense of any life in the city beyond where the immediate action takes place, and it's a genuine surprise when other Roman senators or characters outside of the core cast show up. For the first half of the book, it's a claustrophobic-feeling story rather than the epic it is aiming towards. Things improve a lot when the action moves to Bianjing (where the isolated-from-the-outside-world feeling is much more appropriate) and the scope of the story widens.

The biggest problem is the writing. McDougall favours a very old-fashioned style with frequent POV shifts within the same paragraph, making following what's going on and who's thinking what unnecessarily difficult. Coupled to some fairly indifferent prose, this makes reading the novel rather hard work. In fact, the book is definitely leaning towards the turgid when the halfway-point shift to Bianjing takes place. At this point, fortunately, the book picks up a lot, the writing improves, the pacing turns up a notch (as Drusus's laughable political fumblings take a back-seat to a much more interesting plot about slavery and terrorism) and things become more enjoyable, ultimately culminating in a genuinely tantalising cliffhanger.

Rome Burning (***) is a book that very nearly collapses under the weight of its negatives until they get straightened up and it ultimately becomes a solid read. The presentation of the premise is still highly implausible, characters outside of the central trio can still be sketchy and the writing style can be frustrating, but the latter half of the novel shows an improvement in quality that ultimately makes the experience - just about - worthwhile.