The Many Versions of Knowledge and Power, Vol. I

by Pandora Shooter

You know it’s love when it hurts…

Rome, 49 BC. Rebellious, orphaned Aurora deals in sensitive information. When she almost succumbs to a mysterious and deadly illness, a stranger offers an antidote that grants Aurora immortality—but ties her to a purpose that will outlast empires.

Now, charged with finding seven hidden Chronicles that will help her save humanity, she must never wield power herself. She exists to advise, to protect. Never to rule.

Infiltrating palaces and politics in search of the Chronicles, Aurora crosses paths with Lucius, a ruthless Spartan warlord turned Roman commander. Their clash of ideals is magnetic enough to span centuries—and dangerous enough to inflame a love that both tortures and satiates their souls.

As their paths irresistibly entwine, Aurora must choose, time and again, between the fate of humanity and a love at odds with her duty.

A dark historical romance where knowledge is power, love is war, and the most dangerous games are played in the mind.

552 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2025

About the author

Pandora Shooter writes immersive historical romance blending ancient myths, philosophy, and fierce love. Drawing from her background in law, philosophy, and politics, Pandora’s stories explore morally complex characters and timeless passion. When not writing, she enjoys fast cars, smart debates, and midnight Margherita pizza .

Reviews

[x.inkdrinker · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Book Review: The Many Versions of Knowledge and Power by Pandora Shooter

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendation: Yes, read this one. It’s a seamless blend between Roman-era historical fiction and a romance (my perfect mix of genres) that feels both real and accessible, making it a strong pick for anyone who likes their history with tension, strategy, and realllll slow-burns.

Genre: Historical Fiction / Romance

Blurb: A rebellious Roman-era immortal is bound to safeguard humanity by uncovering seven lost Chronicles, even as her timeless, consuming love for a ruthless warlord threatens to unravel her purpose.

Spice: 🌶️

Emotional Damage: ☠️☠️☠️

Originality : 🖊️🖊️🖊️🖊️

Writing: 🥀🥀🥀🥀

Entertainment Value: 🍿🍿🍿🍿

Likes: I loved how the story let us inhabit two different stages of immortality: Lucius is centuries into his existence and Aurora is just beginning hers. It gave the timeline a lived-in feeling and made the political maneuvering remarkably fun to follow. The push and pull of strategy, secrets, and shifting power kept the pace steady. Lucius was annoyingly so sure of himself and 100% forgiven due to his dark alluring persona.

Dislikes: I found myself wanting a deeper philosophical tug-of-war between Aurora and Lucius, especially since they’re sort of positioned as ideological opposites. As much as my girl Aurora stood her ground against Lucius, I wish she had a bit more fire, which I know is hard because he literally has hundreds of years of experience on her, but I think herrage could have held out longer. She certainly wasn’t a pushover, but it also didn’t take that much (IMO) for Lucius to either win her back or to make her stand down.

I wouldn’t call this a dislike, but I don’t know how I feel about the ending cliff hanging twist at the end. I liked this book enough to want to read book two so I guess I’ll form more of an opinion when that comes out!

[HAALIM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I really wasn’t expecting to binge read this book and I definitely wasn’t expecting to fall this hard for a historical romance 😭

As a K drama fan, I already love age gaps, supernatural twists, and fate-tied romances (like Goblin), so the immortality dynamic between Aurora and Lucius was EVERYTHING. The storyline is so unique and intriguing, and that blend of history, fantasy, forbidden love? Perfect.

But honestly, the slow burn across centuries is what took me OUT.
Reading slow burn is great… but have you ever read a slow burn stretched across literal lifetimes?? 😭🔥 Because the tension?? The yearning?? The angst?? Unmatched.

Lucius… yeah he’s my type 😭😂
Dominant, dark, morally grey, intense, yet strangely gentle with Aurora when she needs it. Their banter, their arguments, their chemistry, PERFECT.

The pacing was perfect, world building was strong, and by the end I was already desperate for Book 2.

My only tiny complaint (very personal 😂)
I wish they didn’t have to marry other people during their centuries apartZ I know, I know, historically accurate and all, but my one man woman heart was hurting 😭😂

Still…this book was absolutely worth the read.
A dark, slow burn romance with depth, tension, and characters that stay in your mind long after you finish.


⭐ Tropes

• Slow burn (across centuries!)
• Age gap / Immortality dynamic
• Morally grey man
• Power imbalance
• “Touch her and die” energy
• Historical reimagining
• Fated connection
• Enemies-ish to partners
• Forbidden romance vibes

[Aurora Chatsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved The Many Versions of Knowledge and Power. It’s rare to find a historical fantasy romance that makes immortal characters feel this human and real. Pandora Shooter doesn’t fall into the usual trap of making her characters codependent or have them spend their entire lives in one another’s pockets — instead, Aurora and Lucius feel like two complex, mature people who’ve lived lifetimes, and who fight and love and argue and leave and find their way back to one another in entirely believable ways. Their immortality is messy, imperfect and full of impossible choices, which makes it interesting and gives them a life beyond the page.

Their relationship felt so multidimensional and grounded and real, with a definite sense of menace in their arguments. I loved that they acted like grown adults (I am so tired of reading about teenagers in fantasy!). The world-building is fantastic too — the mix of political intrigue and paranormal elements is perfectly balanced. Nothing ever drags or feels overdone; everything just fits together so smoothly.And I’m thrilled this is a duology. The ending has me absolutely desperate for book two — I can’t wait to see what happens to the characters and the development of their world as time passes.

[Audrey Pearce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book at a glance:

- Pacing: slow

- Characters: well-developed

- Originality: 5/5

- Spice: 2/5

- Themes: Historical, Paranormal Romance, Dark Romance, Roman Fiction, Ancient World, Rivals to Lovers, Morally Grey Characters, and Slow Burn

I’m not sure what I expected of this book, but it was an adventure. There were plenty of ups and downs and I was along for the ride. However, this book was difficult for me to read for two main reasons. First, the pacing was too slow. Second, the romance felt like it was going no where for about 70% of the book. It was definitely a slow burn though. On the other hand, the two main characters felt real, well-developed, and many interesting secrets were revealed with time. I am curious as to what other secrets will be revealed in the next book, but I am not sure if I will proceed unless there is more action in it. This might have not been the best book for me, but I know that it could be great for people looking for a slower paced book with a slow burn romance that is on the darker side. Overall, I am grateful to have read a book so different from anything I have read before. Regardless of my review, I think this book is worth giving a try.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[John M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be a part of the advance reader program for this book and thoroughly enjoyed this story.

The notion of shadowy figures controlling/influencing the destiny of humankind is always an interesting one, and this story gives these immortals a very human side.

Plots, poisonings, and political manoeuvrings are fun to walk through as the story unwinds before us.

The main character Aurora is headstrong (often to her detriment) and as the relationship between her and Lucius wars and battles through the centuries we see it grow and evolve. The highs of their reunions, the plunging depths of their splits.

Lucius is an intriguing character, maintaining strength and mystery, and such sternness without becoming too aloof for the reader, watching the battle of wills unfold between him and Aurora is its own story within a story.

While all of this is going on we get to follow the trials of the organisation attempting to thwart their efforts, Sophia's character is almost as compelling as the main couple and I love watching her work in her own set of shadows.

I'm thoroughly looking forward to the next books in the saga!

[Link · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed The Many Versions of Knowledge and Power! I enjoyed the pacing for the most part, though I personally wish the slow burn was more of a slow burn. I enjoyed the way the time skips happened as they made for good points to kind of set the book down to digest and process the book as it went along. My feelings are incredibly mixed with regards to the relationship between Aurora and Lucius. I love that they both bring out the best and worst in each other, pushing the other when needed (and sometimes when it's not). However, the way that Lucius does talk down to Aurora several times and coerced her did make me pause. It wasn't enough to put me off completely, and the author handled it fairly well. I'm interested to see how she develops Aurora in the next book, especially since she feels a bit (understandably) naive at times. The political intrigue and behind-the- scenes machinations were highly enjoyable, which is so hard to find!!

Overall, I highly recommend picking up this book if you're a fan of historical fiction with a side of romance!!

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily writing this review.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t read historical romance too much, but the premise of this one was intriguing - following a pair of immortals in love across the centuries. It wasn’t quite what I anticipated in the regard, since most of the book took place in two time periods, one hundred years apart, but it looks like there will be a sequel, so maybe we’ll get there.

Just to note - I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The pacing was a little slow, but the short chapters kept it from feeling like it dragged. Aurora and Lucius were easy to read about, their chemistry palpable from the start. They had some great sensual banter. It did feel a bit like an insta-love at first, which I love, but then turned into a slow burn, which isn’t quite my thing.

For those reasons, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me, but I think if you go into the book with those expectations, you’ll find it enjoyable. I loved how the meaning behind the title became clear the more I read, and the final twist was definitely a surprise that I felt I should have seen coming, but didn’t. To me, that’s the mark of a good twist.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a dark historical romance set in Roman times, and I was intrigued by it, as I haven't read many historical novels from this era. The book is the first in a series, and follows Aurora and Lucius. It seemed to me even at the start that there was something transparent between them. At first their interactions were flippant and fun, and I liked the simplicity of that.

As I carried on reading, it seemed that both characters were playing games, and I found myself feeling tempted to shout at the pages. This was a good thing because I felt invested in the characters and their connection. I was torn between wanting more from them and not wanting it to be over too quickly.

If you love slow burn romance and a love story that feels worth fighting for, give this book a try.

Thank you to Booksirens and the author for the opportunity to read and review this.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was everything that I was looking for from an opening chapter to this story, it was everything that I was wanting in a dark historical romance. I was invested in what was going on and enjoyed the way ancient Rome was used in this universe. It was a strong start to the Many Versions of Knowledge and Power series and enjoyed the characters and their story. It left me wanting to read the next book in this as Pandora Shooter wrote this perfectly.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Diane Richmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful start for this new series, set at the height of the Roman Empire. The author has obviously researched that era, with political machinations, internal power struggles and a love story that lasts for generations.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, mostly accurate. Great character building.