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Ex Romana #1
Sargassa
An unlikely group of rebels are ready to burn down the empire in the first book in a new speculative trilogy that explores gender, sexuality, and oppression within an empire teetering on the brink of rebellion
Told from multiple POVs: a young heiress, an undercover spy, a bastard brother and a fugitive who has history with all three, Sargassa equal parts political intrigue, queer romance, and revolution
Selah Kleios is twenty-two years old and suddenly one of the most important women in the empires. The role of Imperial Historian is her birthright, something she’s been preparing for since birth—but she was supposed to have more time to learn the role from her father, the previous Historian. In the wake of her father’s sudden and shocking assassination, Selah finds herself custodian of more than just the Imperial Archives, the towering central library that safeguards all collective knowledge of the Roman Imperium and its client empires. There’s also the question of the two puzzling classified items her father left in her care—an ancient atlas filled with landscapes that don’t exist, and a carved piece of stone that seems to do nothing at all.
Soon, though, it becomes clear that the Iveroa Stone is more than just a slab of rock. With the reappearance of an old lost love who’s been blackmailed into stealing it for an unknown entity, Selah finds herself in a race to uncover the mysteries the Stone holds. But she isn’t the only one with an interest in it—she’ll have to contend with the deputy chief of police, an undercover spy, and her own beloved half brother along the way. What begins as an act of atonement and devotion ultimately pulls her into the crosshairs of deep state conspiracy, the stirrings of an underground independence movement, and questions that threaten to shake the foundational legitimacy of Roma Sargassa’s past, present, and future.
Told from multiple POVs: a young heiress, an undercover spy, a bastard brother and a fugitive who has history with all three, Sargassa equal parts political intrigue, queer romance, and revolution
Selah Kleios is twenty-two years old and suddenly one of the most important women in the empires. The role of Imperial Historian is her birthright, something she’s been preparing for since birth—but she was supposed to have more time to learn the role from her father, the previous Historian. In the wake of her father’s sudden and shocking assassination, Selah finds herself custodian of more than just the Imperial Archives, the towering central library that safeguards all collective knowledge of the Roman Imperium and its client empires. There’s also the question of the two puzzling classified items her father left in her care—an ancient atlas filled with landscapes that don’t exist, and a carved piece of stone that seems to do nothing at all.
Soon, though, it becomes clear that the Iveroa Stone is more than just a slab of rock. With the reappearance of an old lost love who’s been blackmailed into stealing it for an unknown entity, Selah finds herself in a race to uncover the mysteries the Stone holds. But she isn’t the only one with an interest in it—she’ll have to contend with the deputy chief of police, an undercover spy, and her own beloved half brother along the way. What begins as an act of atonement and devotion ultimately pulls her into the crosshairs of deep state conspiracy, the stirrings of an underground independence movement, and questions that threaten to shake the foundational legitimacy of Roma Sargassa’s past, present, and future.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2024
37 people are currently reading
4246 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
August 20, 2024
Sargassa is a science fiction novel; its vivid alternate-history worldbuilding is rooted in rigorous thought experiment, as opposed to fantasy’s invocation of the mythic or magical. But like many great science fiction novels, it nonetheless invokes something of the feeling of a great fantasy novel—a world simultaneously ancient and new, a journey into the unknown that is really a circling back to the beginning.
The novel is gloriously political. It bears the obvious imprint of contemporary academic thought. Burnham is interested in systemic injustice, history as political currency, knowledge and power and knowledge as power, the terrifying potential of revolutionary change, the intertwining of the personal and political (colored, perhaps, by the foolish insistence of some young people that having sex can itself be somehow a revolutionary act). In other words, a novel of thorny questions and horny teenagers. Also secret rituals, mysterious maps, stolen books, ancient cities, kidnapping, murder, sex in crypts. I will definitely be reading the sequels!
The novel is gloriously political. It bears the obvious imprint of contemporary academic thought. Burnham is interested in systemic injustice, history as political currency, knowledge and power and knowledge as power, the terrifying potential of revolutionary change, the intertwining of the personal and political (colored, perhaps, by the foolish insistence of some young people that having sex can itself be somehow a revolutionary act). In other words, a novel of thorny questions and horny teenagers. Also secret rituals, mysterious maps, stolen books, ancient cities, kidnapping, murder, sex in crypts. I will definitely be reading the sequels!
July 22, 2025
An alternative history Roman empire
Approximately 2000 years ago (no one knows for sure how long it's been), Augustus Caesar became the first princeps of Roma. The Empire grew, and Caesarian explorers crossed the Sargasso Sea to discover the continents on the other side. Some of them moved north to Sargassa, where they defeated the Ynglots and established the state of Roma Sargassa. But then 800 years after Augustus, Italia was decimated by plague. A few years later Roma was sacked, leading to a general breakdown of civilization, called The Great Quiet. No one knows how long the Quiet lasted -- historians estimate it was about 300 years. Much of the pre-Quiet historical record was lost. Eventually, Roma was re-established. Five years later Antal Iveroa was appointed the first Imperial Historian. The office of Historian passed from him to his descendants -- in 753 PQ (Post Quietam) Alexander Kleios became Imperial Historian. In 779 PQ Alexander Kleios was assassinated. Thus begins our story.
The preceding history is condensed from "An Official History of Roma and Her Client Empires", which appears as an appendix to Sophie Burnham's novel Sargassa, the first book in her planned series Ex Romana. I read the appendix before reading the novel, and I advise you to do the same. It spoils nothing and makes the novel easier to follow.
A Sargassan citizen who commits a crime will be forced into servitude. The children of servae (slaves) can be apprenticed to a trade, and if they do well (as judged by their masters, of course) become Sargassan citizens -- vernae, but they remain clients of their masters. There exists a resistance movement, called the Revenants, fighting for their idea of democracy. The government of Sargassa call the Revenants terrorists. The Revenants are immediately blamed by the Cohort Publica (think "police") for the Historian's murder.
Alexander left an artifact behind for his heir -- his daughter Selah. It's called the Iveroa stone, and everyone wants it.
This was a good story, with lots of good characters, including not just good guys but at least one delicious villain. Near the end we get a huge reveal, which I will not spoil. I certainly intend to read the sequel.
Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of Sargassa. Release date 8-Oct-2024.
Blog review.
Approximately 2000 years ago (no one knows for sure how long it's been), Augustus Caesar became the first princeps of Roma. The Empire grew, and Caesarian explorers crossed the Sargasso Sea to discover the continents on the other side. Some of them moved north to Sargassa, where they defeated the Ynglots and established the state of Roma Sargassa. But then 800 years after Augustus, Italia was decimated by plague. A few years later Roma was sacked, leading to a general breakdown of civilization, called The Great Quiet. No one knows how long the Quiet lasted -- historians estimate it was about 300 years. Much of the pre-Quiet historical record was lost. Eventually, Roma was re-established. Five years later Antal Iveroa was appointed the first Imperial Historian. The office of Historian passed from him to his descendants -- in 753 PQ (Post Quietam) Alexander Kleios became Imperial Historian. In 779 PQ Alexander Kleios was assassinated. Thus begins our story.
The preceding history is condensed from "An Official History of Roma and Her Client Empires", which appears as an appendix to Sophie Burnham's novel Sargassa, the first book in her planned series Ex Romana. I read the appendix before reading the novel, and I advise you to do the same. It spoils nothing and makes the novel easier to follow.
A Sargassan citizen who commits a crime will be forced into servitude. The children of servae (slaves) can be apprenticed to a trade, and if they do well (as judged by their masters, of course) become Sargassan citizens -- vernae, but they remain clients of their masters. There exists a resistance movement, called the Revenants, fighting for their idea of democracy. The government of Sargassa call the Revenants terrorists. The Revenants are immediately blamed by the Cohort Publica (think "police") for the Historian's murder.
Alexander left an artifact behind for his heir -- his daughter Selah. It's called the Iveroa stone, and everyone wants it.
This was a good story, with lots of good characters, including not just good guys but at least one delicious villain. Near the end we get a huge reveal, which I will not spoil. I certainly intend to read the sequel.
Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of Sargassa. Release date 8-Oct-2024.
Blog review.
May 31, 2024
If someone ever asks you, “How often do you think about the Roman Empire?” just hand them Sophie Burnham’s Sargassa, lean close to their ear, and whisper, “More than you can possibly imagine,” because, my god, this kept the history nerd in me grinning for over 400 pages!
I was tempted to turn this into a spoiler-filled review because there was so much I wanted to geek out about, but I also know many people ignore spoiler warnings and read the review anyway. I really want everyone to experience this without any prior knowledge of the plot.
As a matter of fact, don’t even read the description. If you love alternate history, delicious villains, dystopia with incredible world-building, and characters who are one step away from either saving the world or breaking it, I guarantee you’ll love Sargassa.
One thing I want to praise in particular is the world-building. I love both history and SFF, so I’m the type of reader who is really difficult to impress with an alternate history narrative. Writers usually underestimate how difficult it is to take something from real history, especially two massive historical events such as the Roman Empire and the discovery of the Americas by Europeans, and then use these events to create an alternate timeline. Usually, this premise falls flat because the alternate history simply isn’t believable. But Sargassa is a great example of how writers should write alternate history. That’s why I keep emphasizing that history enthusiasts, especially those who love the Roman Empire, will absolutely fall in love with this story. It will keep them repeating the phrase, “Interesting. Yeah, I see how this could’ve happened.”
A quick tip: consider reading the appendix “An Official History of Roma & Her Client Empires” before reading the story. I discovered it after finishing the novel, but I think it would’ve been nice to read before starting. Not that the plot itself was confusing or anything, but if you have a more list-based mindset like me, the appendix is a great resource.
Overall, Sophie Burnham’s debut was a fantastic read and one of my favorite stories of 2024. It’s probably just one of my favorites in its genre. I finished Sargassa and immediately Googled if there was a sequel, only to remember mid-search that this was only an ARC of the first book. I think that’s really the biggest compliment I can give to a debut and a first entry in a series.
I was tempted to turn this into a spoiler-filled review because there was so much I wanted to geek out about, but I also know many people ignore spoiler warnings and read the review anyway. I really want everyone to experience this without any prior knowledge of the plot.
As a matter of fact, don’t even read the description. If you love alternate history, delicious villains, dystopia with incredible world-building, and characters who are one step away from either saving the world or breaking it, I guarantee you’ll love Sargassa.
One thing I want to praise in particular is the world-building. I love both history and SFF, so I’m the type of reader who is really difficult to impress with an alternate history narrative. Writers usually underestimate how difficult it is to take something from real history, especially two massive historical events such as the Roman Empire and the discovery of the Americas by Europeans, and then use these events to create an alternate timeline. Usually, this premise falls flat because the alternate history simply isn’t believable. But Sargassa is a great example of how writers should write alternate history. That’s why I keep emphasizing that history enthusiasts, especially those who love the Roman Empire, will absolutely fall in love with this story. It will keep them repeating the phrase, “Interesting. Yeah, I see how this could’ve happened.”
A quick tip: consider reading the appendix “An Official History of Roma & Her Client Empires” before reading the story. I discovered it after finishing the novel, but I think it would’ve been nice to read before starting. Not that the plot itself was confusing or anything, but if you have a more list-based mindset like me, the appendix is a great resource.
Overall, Sophie Burnham’s debut was a fantastic read and one of my favorite stories of 2024. It’s probably just one of my favorites in its genre. I finished Sargassa and immediately Googled if there was a sequel, only to remember mid-search that this was only an ARC of the first book. I think that’s really the biggest compliment I can give to a debut and a first entry in a series.
December 22, 2024
A novel of sweeping politics and burning passions, all aimed at bringing down a seemingly immortal empire. Thought-provoking and explosive. Great for fans of Guy Gavriel Kay and Elizabeth Bear.
November 11, 2024
Wow, what a fabulous debut. Sargassa was by far my favorite read of 2024 and blew me away in a way I wasn't expecting. Not even the third-act betrayal let me down because it was so seamlessly woven into the character development and worldbuilding. It was the perfect read as an antitode to the despair and rage I've been feeling since the U.S. election. Apparently I'm going to need more resistance movements against evil empires type books in my life now.
In this timeline, the Roman Empire has occupied North America as a client state, but all is not what it seems; the world from before ended in a cataclysmic event that people only know as the Great Quiet. In this hierarchical dictatorship where it is impossible to break free of enslavement and your station, knowledge is power, and Imperial Historians are keepers of knowledge.
When their father dies, he bequeaths his successor, his daughter Selah, with a stone that holds immeasurable power that could change the world. Together with her half brother Arran, and her first love and former client Tair, it's a race against thorny political factions to discover the device's secrets.
This is strong, character-driven fantasy at its finest. I loved how Selah started off as a naive, ignorant young girl putting the servant under her but also her best friend, Tair, into constant danger to escape what she felt was a rigid life. The unspoken love and tension between them was constantly complicated by their class differences that inherently involved some dubious consent; sometimes for someone so booksmart Selah seemed completely dumb about how her world worked. Her absolute transformation and sense of guilt endeared me to her, however.
I also loved the sweet side romance between Arran and the rebel spy, Theo, a thremed (this world's version of nonbinary folks). This universe was completely, effortlessly queer in a world that tried to enforce the gender binary and heteronormativity at every turn.
This political fantasy was an entertaining romp in a complicated, richly imagined universe with wonderful characters, and I'm already hotly anticipating Book 2.
In this timeline, the Roman Empire has occupied North America as a client state, but all is not what it seems; the world from before ended in a cataclysmic event that people only know as the Great Quiet. In this hierarchical dictatorship where it is impossible to break free of enslavement and your station, knowledge is power, and Imperial Historians are keepers of knowledge.
When their father dies, he bequeaths his successor, his daughter Selah, with a stone that holds immeasurable power that could change the world. Together with her half brother Arran, and her first love and former client Tair, it's a race against thorny political factions to discover the device's secrets.
This is strong, character-driven fantasy at its finest. I loved how Selah started off as a naive, ignorant young girl putting the servant under her but also her best friend, Tair, into constant danger to escape what she felt was a rigid life. The unspoken love and tension between them was constantly complicated by their class differences that inherently involved some dubious consent; sometimes for someone so booksmart Selah seemed completely dumb about how her world worked. Her absolute transformation and sense of guilt endeared me to her, however.
I also loved the sweet side romance between Arran and the rebel spy, Theo, a thremed (this world's version of nonbinary folks). This universe was completely, effortlessly queer in a world that tried to enforce the gender binary and heteronormativity at every turn.
This political fantasy was an entertaining romp in a complicated, richly imagined universe with wonderful characters, and I'm already hotly anticipating Book 2.
November 11, 2024
Review originally on JamReads
Sargassa is the first novel in the Ex Romana trilogy, an alt-history science-fantasy written by Sophie Burnham, and published by DAW Books. A choral story rooted in a thought experiment, which takes the opportunity of using a worldbuilding worthy of the best fantasy novels to discuss many themes that are more relevant than ever, such as sexuality, gender, and oppression, all in the context of a revolution against an empire.
The assassination of the Imperial Historian will play as the first stone that will pave the way used to explore its amazing plot through the eyes of five characters; Burnham picks across the different social classes, weaving them together through a common one. While the story starts being set as a murder mystery, the author is not afraid to mutate the plot into something bigger, which can be overwhelming at the start (especially if you take into account the jumps across the POVs), but just trust the process.
Sargassa is an ambitious novel, and its worldbuilding is a reflection of it; we can appreciate the influence of the Roman Empire on this society, with many figures that are recognisable for the history lovers, but the author also introduces her own layer of modernity, adapting this world to the hypothetic different world development. Choosing characters from different social classes also allows the portray of the different struggles of each one, from the high ones such as Selah, to those on more modest positions, such as Tair. Using them, Burnham introduces many questions on nowadays burning themes such as queerness, the "slavery" of the working class under the establishment, introducing also the feelings and beliefs of her cast of characters.
Personally, I think the pacing is a bit slow at the start, as a big chunk of the pages are using for setting the stage; the pay-off is worth-it, but sometimes it can be confusing and difficult to follow for the reader. The prose is precise, and you end being fully immersed in this alternative world.
Sargassa is an excellent novel, a science-fantasy proposal that will be loved equally by Roman Empire enthusiasts and people that want their speculative fiction to be thought provoking. An incredible debut, and, definitely, a big reason to continue reading the Ex Romana series.
Sargassa is the first novel in the Ex Romana trilogy, an alt-history science-fantasy written by Sophie Burnham, and published by DAW Books. A choral story rooted in a thought experiment, which takes the opportunity of using a worldbuilding worthy of the best fantasy novels to discuss many themes that are more relevant than ever, such as sexuality, gender, and oppression, all in the context of a revolution against an empire.
The assassination of the Imperial Historian will play as the first stone that will pave the way used to explore its amazing plot through the eyes of five characters; Burnham picks across the different social classes, weaving them together through a common one. While the story starts being set as a murder mystery, the author is not afraid to mutate the plot into something bigger, which can be overwhelming at the start (especially if you take into account the jumps across the POVs), but just trust the process.
Sargassa is an ambitious novel, and its worldbuilding is a reflection of it; we can appreciate the influence of the Roman Empire on this society, with many figures that are recognisable for the history lovers, but the author also introduces her own layer of modernity, adapting this world to the hypothetic different world development. Choosing characters from different social classes also allows the portray of the different struggles of each one, from the high ones such as Selah, to those on more modest positions, such as Tair. Using them, Burnham introduces many questions on nowadays burning themes such as queerness, the "slavery" of the working class under the establishment, introducing also the feelings and beliefs of her cast of characters.
Personally, I think the pacing is a bit slow at the start, as a big chunk of the pages are using for setting the stage; the pay-off is worth-it, but sometimes it can be confusing and difficult to follow for the reader. The prose is precise, and you end being fully immersed in this alternative world.
Sargassa is an excellent novel, a science-fantasy proposal that will be loved equally by Roman Empire enthusiasts and people that want their speculative fiction to be thought provoking. An incredible debut, and, definitely, a big reason to continue reading the Ex Romana series.
August 12, 2025
2.0/5
The Man in the High Castle meets the Roman Empire in this "What would happen if the Roman Empire was never defeated?".
You'd think with this premise, and starting the story following members of the revolutionary army against the Roman Empire, we'd get a lot of dystopian fight for the liberation of an oppressed people, right? WRONG. You're getting queer romance and very naive main characters.
But is it maybe adult dystopian with lots of politics? WRONG AGAIN. It is YA with adult characters, which makes it even more unbearable cause if a character is near 30 and behaves like fresh out of highschool you end up wanting to DNF.
It does have a nice "twist" by the end that would make many people, the ones who didn't hate this slop, want to pick up the sequel. It's not my case. This is as far as I go.
The Man in the High Castle meets the Roman Empire in this "What would happen if the Roman Empire was never defeated?".
You'd think with this premise, and starting the story following members of the revolutionary army against the Roman Empire, we'd get a lot of dystopian fight for the liberation of an oppressed people, right? WRONG. You're getting queer romance and very naive main characters.
But is it maybe adult dystopian with lots of politics? WRONG AGAIN. It is YA with adult characters, which makes it even more unbearable cause if a character is near 30 and behaves like fresh out of highschool you end up wanting to DNF.
It does have a nice "twist" by the end that would make many people, the ones who didn't hate this slop, want to pick up the sequel. It's not my case. This is as far as I go.
December 23, 2024
On my blog.
Rep: lesbian mcs, bi/pan mc, nonbinary mc
Galley provided by publisher
I have never read a book that would have so benefitted from placing a timeline of events at the start of the book instead of way back at the end (who made that decision!) like Sargassa does. Maybe the thinking was that it would spoil some twists towards the end, but it’s a funny one — I still think the timeline should have been placed first, because it clarified a whole damn lot of the plot and worldbuilding.
If anything, it would have tightened up the worldbuilding to know some context because, as it was, I spent a lot of time trying to work out if this book was science fiction, fantasy, an alternative world where Rome survived, while also seemingly being set in North America (Sargasso Sea), so it was an alternative universe where Rome became North America? It was, in fact, none of these options (and further I will not elaborate, because that’s spoilerish). I have no real objection to having aspects of worldbuilding obscured as the reader, because more often than not it’s on account of being a twist for the characters to experience, but something about how it was done here didn’t work that well. I think the issue was just how loose the worldbuilding felt without knowing that context. The best books will have such immaculately detailed worldbuilding that you don’t even question that there might be something more to discover. Sadly, this one did not.
In addition to this aspect of the worldbuilding, there was also the whole thorny issue of inventing curses and slang for characters to use. Some of the time this did work! But a lot of the time it didn’t. For example, a character tells someone to “ice”, and they respond they “will not ice”. It’s clearly the in-world way of telling someone to chill, but it just reads so awkwardly and it took me a moment to read the sentence “Ice, Mina” as “chill” because my first thought was this character was asking for ice. Maybe this is a YMMV point. As ever, my mileage is pretty short.
Two other points regard writing too: firstly that the romances feel very rushed throughout, and there also feels to be very little jeopardy in this. I think these are linked in a way, because it’s about building tension in both cases. The tension in the romances was almost nonexistent, except for what we were being told and the tension around the plot was also a damp squib. I never felt worried for the fates of the main characters because there was never any feeling that I needed to be.
As such, even though I did broadly like this book, it’s not one I feel compelled to read again, or a series I feel the need to continue. But, as ever, feel free to disregard this review in its entirety and read it anyway.
Rep: lesbian mcs, bi/pan mc, nonbinary mc
Galley provided by publisher
I have never read a book that would have so benefitted from placing a timeline of events at the start of the book instead of way back at the end (who made that decision!) like Sargassa does. Maybe the thinking was that it would spoil some twists towards the end, but it’s a funny one — I still think the timeline should have been placed first, because it clarified a whole damn lot of the plot and worldbuilding.
If anything, it would have tightened up the worldbuilding to know some context because, as it was, I spent a lot of time trying to work out if this book was science fiction, fantasy, an alternative world where Rome survived, while also seemingly being set in North America (Sargasso Sea), so it was an alternative universe where Rome became North America? It was, in fact, none of these options (and further I will not elaborate, because that’s spoilerish). I have no real objection to having aspects of worldbuilding obscured as the reader, because more often than not it’s on account of being a twist for the characters to experience, but something about how it was done here didn’t work that well. I think the issue was just how loose the worldbuilding felt without knowing that context. The best books will have such immaculately detailed worldbuilding that you don’t even question that there might be something more to discover. Sadly, this one did not.
In addition to this aspect of the worldbuilding, there was also the whole thorny issue of inventing curses and slang for characters to use. Some of the time this did work! But a lot of the time it didn’t. For example, a character tells someone to “ice”, and they respond they “will not ice”. It’s clearly the in-world way of telling someone to chill, but it just reads so awkwardly and it took me a moment to read the sentence “Ice, Mina” as “chill” because my first thought was this character was asking for ice. Maybe this is a YMMV point. As ever, my mileage is pretty short.
Two other points regard writing too: firstly that the romances feel very rushed throughout, and there also feels to be very little jeopardy in this. I think these are linked in a way, because it’s about building tension in both cases. The tension in the romances was almost nonexistent, except for what we were being told and the tension around the plot was also a damp squib. I never felt worried for the fates of the main characters because there was never any feeling that I needed to be.
As such, even though I did broadly like this book, it’s not one I feel compelled to read again, or a series I feel the need to continue. But, as ever, feel free to disregard this review in its entirety and read it anyway.
October 15, 2024
4.5*
Gosh, Sagassa was fabulous! In fact, I am now epically sad because I am forced to wait for more. The only thing stopping me from giving it five full stars is that it did start out a little slow for me, and I was a wee bit confused. But please do not let that stop you, because it gets so good. And so twisty, and so freaking exciting! Look, I don't even know how to review it because there are so many mind-bending twists! You might think you know, but you have no idea. So I shall keep it purposefully brief.
I read a review (after I finished the book, thankfully!) that says not to even read the description, and that is spot on. Actually- don't even read the genre tags, because I feel like they spoil stuff too. Just. Okay- if you like complex characters, really high stakes action, incredible relationships, and ultimately just falling into a world wholly, then this is the book for you. There is political mayhem, survival, relevant commentary on both past and present society... this book legit has it all. If you can get through the little rocky first bit where you might be a tad confused (and I think you should!), this will be unputdownable.
Bottom Line: Need. Next. Book!
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Gosh, Sagassa was fabulous! In fact, I am now epically sad because I am forced to wait for more. The only thing stopping me from giving it five full stars is that it did start out a little slow for me, and I was a wee bit confused. But please do not let that stop you, because it gets so good. And so twisty, and so freaking exciting! Look, I don't even know how to review it because there are so many mind-bending twists! You might think you know, but you have no idea. So I shall keep it purposefully brief.
I read a review (after I finished the book, thankfully!) that says not to even read the description, and that is spot on. Actually- don't even read the genre tags, because I feel like they spoil stuff too. Just. Okay- if you like complex characters, really high stakes action, incredible relationships, and ultimately just falling into a world wholly, then this is the book for you. There is political mayhem, survival, relevant commentary on both past and present society... this book legit has it all. If you can get through the little rocky first bit where you might be a tad confused (and I think you should!), this will be unputdownable.
Bottom Line: Need. Next. Book!
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
November 3, 2024
I don’t usually read speculative fiction or fantasy so reading Sargassa was like taking a journey into the unknown. After closing the book on the final page, I was left with a sense of awe and curiosity—awe for the depth of the characters I came to know and love, and curiosity for where they would go in the next 2 books. The descriptive language Burnham used for the landscape and the physical qualities of her characters brought it all to life for me in vivid colors—the smells, tastes and textures were all so potent. Days after finishing Sargassa, I’m still thinking of Theo and Tair and Arran and Selah. Call me a convert!
May 30, 2025
This, at the beginning, is an interesting alt-history novel where the Roman Empire did not perish. The start with a murder mystery of an Imperial historian with the POV of his two children sparked my interest but hoo boy the story became convoluted with uninteresting POV characters and boring love story and whatnots. I skimmed to the end and found the ending a bit predictable and did not make me want to continue the series. However, I do not hate the book to give it one star so the bland two stars would suffice.
dnfs
December 8, 2024just...so bland. flavourless. serviceable writing but nothing about this story stands out in any way.
September 30, 2024
*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
I kept dutifully reading Sargassa because the prose is perfectly good and the worldbuilding is excellent, and it was exploring themes I care about – but recently I hit 68% and woke up to the fact that I didn’t know where this was going and did not care.
Like Blood of the Old Kings, I don’t think it’s bad. But besides all the MCs being some flavour of queer, Sargassa doesn’t seem to be doing or saying anything new – empire is bad, institutionalised oppression is EXTREMELY bad, cops are the fists of the ruling class, privilege is a thing which exists and we can do a lot of harm with it. I think Sargassa could be a helpful wake-up call for readers who’ve never thought about these things before, but there wasn’t much for me to sink my teeth into. The characters and their storylines weren’t interesting to me; the various injustices they face were rage-inducing because those things are inherently rage-inducing, not because I cared that they were happening to these characters in particular.
And I can’t put my finger on why, but wow this book felt slow. I think it might be that so many little (or relatively little) things were happening, they slowed down any progress on the bigger plot, bogged us down in stuff I didn’t care about. At 68% no progress at all had been made on who murdered the previous Historian, for example; the characters were all distracted by other things. Some of which mattered to the development of those characters, sure, but didn’t matter to me.
From what I’ve seen of other early reviews, if you’re into Ancient Rome you’ll be delighted by the detailed worldbuilding and how well-thought-out the timeline of this alternate history is. Or if you’re here for examinations of class privilege and seeing oppressed people slow-burn turn on the system out to keep them down, you might have a good time with Sargassa.
If neither of those things interests you, I’m not sure you should bother. It’s not bad; it’s fine. But why waste your time reading a book that’s just fine, when there are so many greats out there?
I kept dutifully reading Sargassa because the prose is perfectly good and the worldbuilding is excellent, and it was exploring themes I care about – but recently I hit 68% and woke up to the fact that I didn’t know where this was going and did not care.
Like Blood of the Old Kings, I don’t think it’s bad. But besides all the MCs being some flavour of queer, Sargassa doesn’t seem to be doing or saying anything new – empire is bad, institutionalised oppression is EXTREMELY bad, cops are the fists of the ruling class, privilege is a thing which exists and we can do a lot of harm with it. I think Sargassa could be a helpful wake-up call for readers who’ve never thought about these things before, but there wasn’t much for me to sink my teeth into. The characters and their storylines weren’t interesting to me; the various injustices they face were rage-inducing because those things are inherently rage-inducing, not because I cared that they were happening to these characters in particular.
And I can’t put my finger on why, but wow this book felt slow. I think it might be that so many little (or relatively little) things were happening, they slowed down any progress on the bigger plot, bogged us down in stuff I didn’t care about. At 68% no progress at all had been made on who murdered the previous Historian, for example; the characters were all distracted by other things. Some of which mattered to the development of those characters, sure, but didn’t matter to me.
From what I’ve seen of other early reviews, if you’re into Ancient Rome you’ll be delighted by the detailed worldbuilding and how well-thought-out the timeline of this alternate history is. Or if you’re here for examinations of class privilege and seeing oppressed people slow-burn turn on the system out to keep them down, you might have a good time with Sargassa.
If neither of those things interests you, I’m not sure you should bother. It’s not bad; it’s fine. But why waste your time reading a book that’s just fine, when there are so many greats out there?
March 29, 2025
If you've ever thought to yourself "I wonder what would have happened if the Roman empire never fell?", then pick up this story.
Go into it with as little knowledge as possible.
I'm gonna go stare into the abyss waiting for book 2.....
Go into it with as little knowledge as possible.
I'm gonna go stare into the abyss waiting for book 2.....
May 16, 2025
Arran is my child and I will protect him at all costs.
Now that we have the most important information out there for everyone, let's discuss the rest.
Sargassa has all of the elements I love in a story. Rich world-building with an engaging presence, an immersive setting described with imagery and items that jump out and help the reader feel grounded in this new world (for instance, I love the cultural significance of tazine in their world!), and characters that catch your eye from the moment they step onto the page and hook you in (again, my sympathy and loyalty toward Arran developed less than a page into his first POV chapter. And that was after I was already invested in Theo!)
With 5 main characters to explore this world through the eyes of, and all of them experiencing Luxana from different social vantage points and barriers, Sargassa offers no small amount of tension between personal motivations and romantic interests, social commentary and exploration of hierarchical class systems, and good old mystery and adventure. The plot twists surprised me in the most satisfying of ways, and Burnham wove the tale in such a way that I was on edge for the fates of my favorite characters, but trusted they would rise to their challenges and Burnham would carry us through the story in the best way possible.
Though we enter the story through a murder mystery, with the assassination of the Imperial Historian (the father of Selah and Arran, two of our main characters), the themes raised throughout the novel that most caught my interest were those introduced through the perspectives of Tair, Theo, and Darius, those exploring the role of leadership and the choice of who we follow and respect as leaders, and the role of community in reframing and restructuring society dynamics to better serve the whole. The way we have multiple perspectives on these themes, with personal experiences grounding beliefs, make them particularly thought-provoking and tangible, and I'm excited to see how the characters evolve regarding these themes especially as the series progresses.
I am a reader who loves stories featuring strong friendships, complex family dynamics, immersive worlds, flawed-yet-lovable characters, mystery, romance, and adventure - and Sargassa offers all of these and more. I highly recommend this book to anyone even lightly interested in any of these things, and I truly think this book is so relevant and significant to the times we are living in, that it was comforting to read, even as I was on the edge of my seat, eager to see what would happen next!
Now that we have the most important information out there for everyone, let's discuss the rest.
Sargassa has all of the elements I love in a story. Rich world-building with an engaging presence, an immersive setting described with imagery and items that jump out and help the reader feel grounded in this new world (for instance, I love the cultural significance of tazine in their world!), and characters that catch your eye from the moment they step onto the page and hook you in (again, my sympathy and loyalty toward Arran developed less than a page into his first POV chapter. And that was after I was already invested in Theo!)
With 5 main characters to explore this world through the eyes of, and all of them experiencing Luxana from different social vantage points and barriers, Sargassa offers no small amount of tension between personal motivations and romantic interests, social commentary and exploration of hierarchical class systems, and good old mystery and adventure. The plot twists surprised me in the most satisfying of ways, and Burnham wove the tale in such a way that I was on edge for the fates of my favorite characters, but trusted they would rise to their challenges and Burnham would carry us through the story in the best way possible.
Though we enter the story through a murder mystery, with the assassination of the Imperial Historian (the father of Selah and Arran, two of our main characters), the themes raised throughout the novel that most caught my interest were those introduced through the perspectives of Tair, Theo, and Darius, those exploring the role of leadership and the choice of who we follow and respect as leaders, and the role of community in reframing and restructuring society dynamics to better serve the whole. The way we have multiple perspectives on these themes, with personal experiences grounding beliefs, make them particularly thought-provoking and tangible, and I'm excited to see how the characters evolve regarding these themes especially as the series progresses.
I am a reader who loves stories featuring strong friendships, complex family dynamics, immersive worlds, flawed-yet-lovable characters, mystery, romance, and adventure - and Sargassa offers all of these and more. I highly recommend this book to anyone even lightly interested in any of these things, and I truly think this book is so relevant and significant to the times we are living in, that it was comforting to read, even as I was on the edge of my seat, eager to see what would happen next!
September 27, 2025
Sargassa is a genre defying work of alternate history speculative fiction with an entirely queer cast that I have thought about OFTEN since reading it and the fact that it only has 65 reviews here on goodreads is absolutely criminal.
The story begins with the main character Selah becoming suddenly elevated to a position of power with the untimely murder of her father. Now as Imperial Historian, Selah is entrusted with safeguarding her society’s history and collective memory and must consult with the current government to ensure mistakes of the past are not repeated. However, her father’s sudden death leaves her grappling with more questions than answers, as much of the knowledge she needs in order to do this job has perished with him. All that remains is a mysterious stone, given to her without explanation. Its significance eludes her but she is going to need to figure it out soon because those who do know what it is are willing to kill in order to get it.
This story is told through connected POVs with layer upon layer of political intrigue that through its spectacular character development examines themes of class inequality, power and corruption, and how history impacts the present. AND THE TWISTS!!! As previously mentioned the cast is nearly entirely queer and there are romantic subplots woven throughout as well that feature a f/f pairing and a m/nonbinary pairing.
My only criticism is that the book is a little slow to get started, but it is totally worth it. (Also…some of the world’s identified lexicon was a little cringe. The MCs, which are in their early 20s I believe continuously use the phrase “reality drop” – like “mic drop” and it gave the ICK..but ignore it for the sake of the story!)
It’s setting is reminiscent of The Will of the Many, with a FMC like Sciona from Blood over Bright Haven, with themes of class inequality similar to Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett. So if you liked any of those books, I think you would like this one too!
I TRULY enjoyed this and I am so impressed that this is a debut novel. I will 100% be continuing on with the series.
Thanks to DAW for providing a review copy of this book.
The story begins with the main character Selah becoming suddenly elevated to a position of power with the untimely murder of her father. Now as Imperial Historian, Selah is entrusted with safeguarding her society’s history and collective memory and must consult with the current government to ensure mistakes of the past are not repeated. However, her father’s sudden death leaves her grappling with more questions than answers, as much of the knowledge she needs in order to do this job has perished with him. All that remains is a mysterious stone, given to her without explanation. Its significance eludes her but she is going to need to figure it out soon because those who do know what it is are willing to kill in order to get it.
This story is told through connected POVs with layer upon layer of political intrigue that through its spectacular character development examines themes of class inequality, power and corruption, and how history impacts the present. AND THE TWISTS!!! As previously mentioned the cast is nearly entirely queer and there are romantic subplots woven throughout as well that feature a f/f pairing and a m/nonbinary pairing.
My only criticism is that the book is a little slow to get started, but it is totally worth it. (Also…some of the world’s identified lexicon was a little cringe. The MCs, which are in their early 20s I believe continuously use the phrase “reality drop” – like “mic drop” and it gave the ICK..but ignore it for the sake of the story!)
It’s setting is reminiscent of The Will of the Many, with a FMC like Sciona from Blood over Bright Haven, with themes of class inequality similar to Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett. So if you liked any of those books, I think you would like this one too!
I TRULY enjoyed this and I am so impressed that this is a debut novel. I will 100% be continuing on with the series.
Thanks to DAW for providing a review copy of this book.
May 6, 2024
There's a lot to like about this book. It's very well written, for the most part, and the plot is absolutely riveting. I had a hard time putting the book down.
I did find it a bit difficult to get into - I think the time jumps in the opening chapters, and then the viewpoints from all the different characters contributed to that, but once I got past the first few chapters, it was very compelling. The book is plot driven rather than character driven, which is okay, but I do like more character development. The main characters are somewhat interchangeable, and the villains are VILLAINS. There was one character who was mildly morally ambiguous because he was motivated by belief in the system, rather than pure evil; I would have liked more of that. I also found the couples annoying - sort of insta-love and again, not much character development.
There is a big twist at the end, which I kind of saw coming, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment. I also very much liked the other twist at the end, which involves one character doing something unanticipated.
Even though this sounds very critical, I enjoyed this book very much - good writing and a good plot go a long way to captivate my attention. I'm a bit disappointed I'll have to wait so long for the next installment.
I received an ARC of this from NetGalley.
I did find it a bit difficult to get into - I think the time jumps in the opening chapters, and then the viewpoints from all the different characters contributed to that, but once I got past the first few chapters, it was very compelling. The book is plot driven rather than character driven, which is okay, but I do like more character development. The main characters are somewhat interchangeable, and the villains are VILLAINS. There was one character who was mildly morally ambiguous because he was motivated by belief in the system, rather than pure evil; I would have liked more of that. I also found the couples annoying - sort of insta-love and again, not much character development.
There is a big twist at the end, which I kind of saw coming, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment. I also very much liked the other twist at the end, which involves one character doing something unanticipated.
Even though this sounds very critical, I enjoyed this book very much - good writing and a good plot go a long way to captivate my attention. I'm a bit disappointed I'll have to wait so long for the next installment.
I received an ARC of this from NetGalley.
September 10, 2024
Phenomenal novel with gorgeous world building and a plot that hooks you in and keeps you engaged. It’s rare for a premise to actually be fulfilled to its potential but this does it!
February 22, 2025
4.5/5
This was so cool! I really loved the characters and their messiness, although most of them really just wanted to do the best they could do. I loved how the author portrayed how societal status obviously impacts what you even think about and notice and can therefore change.
The set-up was also really cool, which is basically an alternate history of the Roman Empire never falling but taking a different route than what happened actually.
There's also a murder mystery with some family drama, which was really fun. I also really liked the sibling dynamic and all the other relationships.
And the plot twist was not at all what I expected, and I really loved it.
This was so cool! I really loved the characters and their messiness, although most of them really just wanted to do the best they could do. I loved how the author portrayed how societal status obviously impacts what you even think about and notice and can therefore change.
The set-up was also really cool, which is basically an alternate history of the Roman Empire never falling but taking a different route than what happened actually.
There's also a murder mystery with some family drama, which was really fun. I also really liked the sibling dynamic and all the other relationships.
And the plot twist was not at all what I expected, and I really loved it.
Read
October 16, 2025DNF @ 11%. Pleasant for as long as I read it, but I’m not invested enough in the characters or the plot to pick it up again after I’ve Libby-metaphorically set it down. Reminded me a little of the Five-Twelfths of Heaven sci-fi series by Melissa Scott in terms of writing style, ie, mildly interesting.
Fwiw I picked this up because I saw the author speak on a panel so I thought I’d check out her book, not because the premise seemed particularly cool to me, so if the premise *does* sound cool to you, go for it!
Fwiw I picked this up because I saw the author speak on a panel so I thought I’d check out her book, not because the premise seemed particularly cool to me, so if the premise *does* sound cool to you, go for it!
October 31, 2024
I loved this book! The world-building was spectacular and made me want to learn more and more about how this society came to be and how it functions. It was perfectly complex without weighing down the storyline.
And the characters…! I’ve never read a multi POV book before where there WASN’T a POV that I was unhappy to read and just wanted to get through to get back to my favourites. Every single one drew me in and each one was developed so beautifully, it was truly a joy to learn more about them all.
My only complaint is that the rest of the series isn’t out yet but I will happily reread Sargassa until I can get my hands on the next instalment!
And the characters…! I’ve never read a multi POV book before where there WASN’T a POV that I was unhappy to read and just wanted to get through to get back to my favourites. Every single one drew me in and each one was developed so beautifully, it was truly a joy to learn more about them all.
My only complaint is that the rest of the series isn’t out yet but I will happily reread Sargassa until I can get my hands on the next instalment!
February 8, 2025
So good!
September 21, 2024
This is the kind of world-building I love to see in fantasy stories. The level of detail spent to build the history of this world and map out how the world got to where it is in the present time is extraordinary. This will be your new Roman Empire.
I love all of the POVs that we get in this story and can appreciate how all of their individual plot lines weave together. The amount of dramatic irony is so impressive, but I don’t think it reaches the excessive of the wealthy Roma elites. The story between Saleh and Tair is so beautiful and painful to watch and I am heavily rooting for them in future installments of the Ex Romana series!
There were so many poignant quotes and such great commentary on society, history, and memory of the people in the society.
“We’re…doomed to repeat the mistakes we don’t remember.”
“There’s no such thing as good people and bad, just the circumstances you’re given and what you choose to do with them.”
If you loved the world of The Will of the Many, you’re going to devour Sargassa. This is a very bingeable read that you may want to purposefully sit with longer to soak up the emotion, the message, and the vibes. I know I did and I loved it so much more for that.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to @DAWBooks and the author for this ARC! All thoughts are my own.
I love all of the POVs that we get in this story and can appreciate how all of their individual plot lines weave together. The amount of dramatic irony is so impressive, but I don’t think it reaches the excessive of the wealthy Roma elites. The story between Saleh and Tair is so beautiful and painful to watch and I am heavily rooting for them in future installments of the Ex Romana series!
There were so many poignant quotes and such great commentary on society, history, and memory of the people in the society.
“We’re…doomed to repeat the mistakes we don’t remember.”
“There’s no such thing as good people and bad, just the circumstances you’re given and what you choose to do with them.”
If you loved the world of The Will of the Many, you’re going to devour Sargassa. This is a very bingeable read that you may want to purposefully sit with longer to soak up the emotion, the message, and the vibes. I know I did and I loved it so much more for that.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to @DAWBooks and the author for this ARC! All thoughts are my own.
August 25, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. I will admit this took me a little bit to get into as the chapters were written from different character viewpoints and every chapter switched characters. However, once all the players were introduced and the world building started to unfold and the story progressed, I was hooked. This book is riveting and the setting is unique as it is a post apocalyptic world where a new Roman empire has taken over almost every where. I have so many questions about the history of this world that I hope are answered in the next book. I loved this book, and I cannot wait for the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
did-not-finish
November 20, 2024DNF. Sometimes the "oppression and classism are bad actually" storylines hit, and sometimes they are a bit tiresome and tedious.
December 30, 2024
We started a new family tradition last Christmas Eve, giving ourselves books and spending the evening reading and drinking hot cocoa. The book I chose that first year was ultimately disappointing to me and, 365 days later, I acknowledged that I would abandon it unfinished. This year’s book was Sargassa, the debut novel from Sophie Burnham. I went into it very much hoping to be impressed, to fall in love. We got off to a bit of a slow start, Sargassa and I, but ultimately I tore through this novel pretty quickly and quite enjoyed it.
I’ll blame the slow start at least in part on myself. I was tired when I started Sargassa, and on top of that, my focus is probably not what it once was even when I’m not tired (thanks Internet Age!). Burnham also employs a lot of POV characters, and I think this made it harder at the start as well—I wasn’t entirely sure who I should care about or why, and it was a little hard to follow. I’m not, in general, put off by so many POVs—in fact, some of my favorites have a veritable cast of thousands—but I suspect it was a bad fit with my own state when I started.
Nevertheless, I persisted.
And I’m so glad I did. This is a novel with an interesting premise, meaty issues that it gives serious consideration to without dragging at the pace in the slightest, and a diverse cast of characters to carry both the intellectual and emotional quality that the novel clearly aspires to. Both the present and the past that informs it are spun out for us at a good pace. I don’t want to go into the plot too much beyond what’s already there in the synopsis, because there are some twists and turns that I’d hate to ruin.
I see that this is book one of Ex Romana. We have here a satisfying first arc with plenty of grist for the mill of future volumes, and I quite look forward to seeing where we’ll go from here.
I’ll blame the slow start at least in part on myself. I was tired when I started Sargassa, and on top of that, my focus is probably not what it once was even when I’m not tired (thanks Internet Age!). Burnham also employs a lot of POV characters, and I think this made it harder at the start as well—I wasn’t entirely sure who I should care about or why, and it was a little hard to follow. I’m not, in general, put off by so many POVs—in fact, some of my favorites have a veritable cast of thousands—but I suspect it was a bad fit with my own state when I started.
Nevertheless, I persisted.
And I’m so glad I did. This is a novel with an interesting premise, meaty issues that it gives serious consideration to without dragging at the pace in the slightest, and a diverse cast of characters to carry both the intellectual and emotional quality that the novel clearly aspires to. Both the present and the past that informs it are spun out for us at a good pace. I don’t want to go into the plot too much beyond what’s already there in the synopsis, because there are some twists and turns that I’d hate to ruin.
I see that this is book one of Ex Romana. We have here a satisfying first arc with plenty of grist for the mill of future volumes, and I quite look forward to seeing where we’ll go from here.
October 21, 2024
4.5 stars ✨
Review coming soon to my blog.
Review coming soon to my blog.
January 1, 2025
Who know you could finish one of your favorite books of the year 30 minutes before the year ends. Damn, that was amazing
July 30, 2025
Content warnings: death of a parent, child abuse, authoritarianism, emetophobia, blood, alcohol consumption
I really liked this. More words to come at some point.
I really liked this. More words to come at some point.
December 17, 2024
One of my favorite reads of the year. Incredible world building, deeply human characters, and a twist I never saw coming. A stunning debut, recommending to everyone I know. Can’t wait for the next!
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