The Cleansing

by Victoria Alvear

Based on a true story, this is not the enlightened Rome of myth. This is a city choking on fear, where blood flows on both the battlefield and altar, and where generals and politicians alike are desperate to appease rageful gods.

When 50,000 Romans fall in a single day at the Battle of Cannae, priests claim there can be only one reason the gods abandoned a Vestal Virgin has broken her vow of chastity. And they accuse Opimia (Mia), the strongest, most defiant of the six sacred Vestal priestesses.

Forced as a child into serving Vesta, the goddess of fire, Mia has always chafed against Rome’s control of her every move—especially after being separated from her childhood love, Attius. Now, accused of a crime she did not commit, she must defend herself in a hostile court to avoid being buried alive for her “crime.”

Betrayed by the high priestess, hunted by Rome’s political and religious elite, Mia must either accept her fate — or join with the Sybil of Cumae to expose the truth behind a world built on superstition, fear, and lies.

A story of personal awakening amid public catastrophe, The Cleansing is a haunting journey through a city at war with itself — and a woman who risks everything to survive it.

“Shocking, searing and all too timely.”
Kate Quinn

"Excellent and very evocative."
Ben Kane

Genres: Historical Fiction, Italy

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 20, 2026

Reviews

[Lauralee]

The Cleansing is a historical novel based on the true story of a Vestal Virgin who was accused of being unchaste. Opimia (also known as Mia in the novel) is a Vestal Virgin, who is called upon to serve the goddess Vesta, for thirty years. When Roman forces are defeated at the Battle of Cannes against Hannibal’s army, Rome is frantic with worry and is looking for a scapegoat. The target is Mia, who is falsely accused of being unchaste. Mia is forced to defend herself against a hostile jury who has already determined for her to die. Could Mia save herself from her fate or should she submit herself to die?

I found Mia to be the perfect heroine in a historical novel. I loved her fierceness. I also loved how headstrong she was. She was determined to fight to the end. I loved her determination and her courage. When everyone accused her of a crime she did not commit, she did not run away. Instead, she faced her accusers head-on. I also loved her intelligence. Mia was able to calmly challenge the accusations using reason. Mia suffered a lot of hardships and her journey moved me to tears. Therefore, I admired Mia very much, and I wanted to know her ending.

Overall, this novel is about coercion, power, fear, and injustice. I thought all of the characters were very real and were very developed. I liked how Mrs. Alvear described Ancient Rome. I thought the writing was very beautiful. There were many times that I cried over this novel. There were parts of this novel that were disturbing and unsettling at times. However, I thought that these disturbing parts were necessary to show the injustice of Mia’s story. The Cleansing is a thrilling and emotional read! It grips you from the first page until the very end, and it doesn’t let you go! I recommend this book for fans of Brides of Rome, The Sacred Flame, and The Emperor’s Virgin! The Cleansing is definitely a must read for those that like reading about Ancient Rome!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.)

[Olga Miret]

I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team (author, check here if you are interested in getting your book reviewed) and thank her and the author for this opportunity.
This is my first experience of reading one of this author’s novels, and I was impressed by the story and how vividly she recreates what life in Ancient Rome must have been like, especially for the protagonist, a Vestal Virgin called Opimia (Mia). Those who have the notion of Ancient Rome being an enlightened and civilised empire are likely to be horrified by much of what happens in the novel, which is based on real events, although it is a work of historical fiction. The author adds several sections at the end that I recommend reading, as they include an author’s note where she explains why she thought the story was so important in this day and age (and there are many thoughts and ideas expressed in the book that could be easily applied to some of the events we’re experiencing at the moment and some of the “reasoning” behind them); a collection of historical notes about the real historical events behind the novel (that takes place during the Second Punic War, in 216 BCE Rome); a list of real historical characters that are featured in the story; and a fascinating section on ‘Strange but true facts about Ancient Rome in this novel’ where we can find topics such as female virginity, blood sacrifices/relationship with the Gods, human sacrifices, Prodigia, among others that I won’t mention because they might reveal too many details about the plot. Alvear also mentions the sources of her information; there is a section of acknowledgements, and a map of the Roman Forum, where much of the action takes place.
The novel starts with a warning about the content, and I think readers must indeed be warned that this is no genteel historical fiction. It starts with a bloody and horrendous battle that we live up close and personal (the Battle at Cannae), and the horrors do not stop here. The Roman defeat and the great loss of lives (an estimated 50000 men) in that battle created terror in Rome, as they feared Hannibal’s army and his next move. Somebody had to be blamed for that loss, and their belief in the supernatural meant the explanation had to be that somebody had done something that had enraged the Gods, and they had to pay for it to ensure Rome’s safety. Animal sacrifices and the usual rituals were not enough.
We follow Mia, the youngest of the six Vestal Virgins in Rome at the time, as she goes about her duties, and through no fault of her own, she gets accused of being the reason behind the defeat at the battle. She knows she hasn’t done what she is accused of, being impure (she was taken into the service of Vesta at age 6 and has never known a man), but nobody is interested in hearing her side of the story. Although she manages to secure a trial of sorts, she eventually realises that everybody is conspiring to ensure she is made an example of and ‘the cleansing’ of the title takes place.
Although Mia is a real historical character, there is little known about any of the individual Vestal Virgins, and that gives the author a chance to turn her into a fascinating character, with doubts about religion but also very influenced by all she has been taught. She is a rebel at heart but tries to obey and behave as expected to avoid something terrible happening to Rome and the Roman people. We learn about her past experiences through flashbacks where she (her story is told in the first-person) remembers specific moments of her life, and by the end of the novel we have quite a clear picture, not only of what she is like, but also of what life must have been like for these women, who, in the best of cases, had to serve for thirty years from a very young age and live a very restricted existence. If they were unlucky, they might end up flogged and buried alive. What a bargain!
You will have to read the novel to appreciate how things worked and the process she goes through until she realises that much of what passes for truth, religious belief, and rituals have been manipulated and doctored by those in power to control the masses.
Apart from Mia, whose stubbornness could be frustrating at times, there were other characters I loved as well, like Kete, her servant, an Egyptian woman who is brave and intelligent; Prisca, a childhood friend who keeps in contact with Mia and tries to help her; Atticus, another childhood friend and a bit more than that; Floronia, another young Vestal Virgin and the one closest to Mia; the wonderful Sybil of Cumae (my favourite), and Useless, the dog. Of course, there are some horrible characters as well, but I’d rather not talk too much about them.
I have already mentioned the way the author createsa vivid portrayal of Mia’s life and the life led by the Roman citizens at the time. The book is full of small details that bring it to life, from dresses and hairstyles, to customs, traditions, food, drink, laws, and everyday routines. This is not a fast-paced novel, as it takes its time to build up enough understanding of the way the religion and the society of the time worked to ensure we fully appreciate the change in Mia’s beliefs and the arc her character experiences. That doesn’t mean the story is not gripping, because it is full of fascinating scenes inhabited by characters who won’t leave anybody indifferent.
Although the ending doesn’t feel particularly realistic, considering what happens in the rest of the story, it is satisfying. I think most readers will be happy with it. And the author explains why she chose this ending as well.
A fascinating novel that feels particularly relevant now. I kept highlighting quotes and sections that spoke to me loud and clear, and I know it’s a story that will stay with me for a long time. I recommend it to readers interested in this historical period and to readers of historical fiction in general, as long as they take into account the author’s warning about the violent and extreme content.

[Cathie]

"But a lie convincingly told without cease was a lie that became fixed as truth in the minds of those who needed it to be true."

In The Cleansing, we're heading to ancient Rome in 216 BC, at a time when its very core was threatened by a most formidable, clever foe who relentlessly pursued Romans up and down the Italian boot and beyond: Hannibal.

Most readers will be familiar with Hannibal's impressive crossing of the Alps – complete with elephants – but students of Latin, like me, will have had even more insights into the great leader's successful campaigns. And the battle of Cannae was one of his greatest successes. With tens of thousands of Roman soldiers dead on the field, it was an unprecedented disaster for the Roman republic.

Much to the frustration of the survivors, who somehow had to convince the crowds in Rome that challenging the dangerous North African general was the idea of those who perished. Whatever upset the Gods to allow this calamity to happen had to be a serious offence!

Nothing at all to do with General Varro's disastrous misinterpretation of the situation. On the contrary, he and his followers quickly rewrite history, to shift the responsibility to the dead Consul Paullus – and to a group of women who must have sinned for the Gods to allow this to happen: the Vestal Virgins.

But I rush ahead. Opimia – Mia – is a Vestal Virgin priestess, who was taken in as a young girl to serve the goddess Vesta for at least thirty years. Gifted with a strong will and a mind of her own, Mia does not make friends amongst her superiors, but relishes in challenging them and their views at every opportunity. Little does she know that alienating the Pontifex Maximus and the Maxima Virgo would lead to her being falsely accused, sixteen years later, of unchastity.

Unbeknownst to them, Mia has a secret childhood love, Attius, but her vows mean she never gives in to temptation. She is aware of her responsibilities, which, despite her challenging nature, she never shirks.

But Attius fought in Commander Paullus’ contingent, which was annihilated at Cannae. Fraught with secret grief, Mia's fury is kept under tight control.

When her friend Prisca tries to warn her, providing her with funds for an escape, Mia discovers it's too late. Accused of having entered into relations with Consul Paullus’ nephew, Mamercus Aemilius Lepidus, she realises the dark forces behind Varro changing the narrative – they are looking for someone to blame. A Vestal virgin and a family member of a dead commander fit the bill perfectly.

Will Mia survive a trial where everything is stacked against her? Or will she be sacrificed on the altar of rewritten history?

The Cleansing is a novel that pulls you into the intrigues, political machinations, and personal ambitions of the patriarchal powers in ancient Rome.

A battle lost with tens of thousands of men – fathers, husbands, sons – leaves Rome reeling. But the mood cannot continue for long. Soon, new laws prevent women from wailing in public, from openly showing their grief, and from telling tales of loss and death. Senators and religious leaders move swiftly to shift the blame from influential Gaius Terentius Varro to those who are most vulnerable to the rage of the mob: women.

A Vestal Virgin must have sinned. There is no other explanation for the tragic defeat. And with Hannibal knocking on Rome's door, only a worthy sacrifice will suffice. The mob is baying for punishment.

We witness Mia's horror first hand – her faint hope, her determination to prove her innocence, and her frustration with her superiors and the court. She realises it's a clever stitch-up by those who hate her, and she's easy prey.

Mia is a fascinating character who is easy to root for. Never content with the fate her pater had chosen for her, yet fully aware of her responsibilities as a Vestal priestess, she continues to antagonise her superiors. This kind of determination is not just a modern invention – it has always existed where women challenged the established patriarchal order.

Mia is not adverse to flouting the rules legally, and her close scenes with Prisca prove that point, although her love for Attius never sees her break her vows. Her character remains pure, yet the Pontifex Maximus and her superior, the Maxima Virgo, seek her death with relish.

The plot progresses at a breathtaking rate, but there are plenty of moments to revel in memories of Mia's past, cleverly interspersed with her present, that reveal her background, times with her friends, and her own motivations. We have regular flashbacks that take us from a tense courtroom, with its mob baying for blood, to her origins.

Ms Alvear portrays vividly the political intrigues and Varro's fight for power following his disastrous decision to engage Hannibal in battle. She also shows up the senators, consuls, and religious leaders for what they were – quick to condemn women for the mistakes of men. The perfect distraction from the truth.

I thought Mia had a few rather modern traits, but in essence, she was very much a young woman trying to survive against the odds. Highly intelligent, well-educated, and loyal to her cause, she discovers that her loyalty is worth nothing in the scheme of greater events unfolding outside her control.

The mob mentality shown in the novel is terrifying, and completely realistic, even to modern standards. Like sheep, people follow a plot they want to believe in, at whatever cost. A female scapegoat – a sinner! – completes the picture. Only after punishment will things improve. They will, won't they?

The historical research Ms Alvear has undertaken is impeccable, and through Mia's eyes, we get a real sense of being there – with Attius, with Prisca, in the courtroom, exposed to the crowds. We are scared by the braying mob; and we see through the scheming head priest and her direct superior, the Maxima Virgo. We witness a patriarchy under threat through the eyes of the critical young woman it seeks to silence in order to claim fragile supremacy. Conform, or die!

Ultimately, The Cleansing is a tale of warning – about ancient Rome and its corrupt elite desperately trying to rewrite history, and to the present time where women are still being blamed for men's mistakes across the word. The narrative hasn't changed much over two millennia, and Ms Alvear's thrilling plot brings that message home.

This novel is based on real events. Reading The Cleansing, you enter an ancient world at point of despair, made up of smoke and mirrors, where the truth changes and innocent victims are sacrificed to cement the new narrative. The Gods must be appeased, of course. Collateral damage for the greater good. Blame it on the women...

The Cleansing is an utterly absorbing, thought-provoking, and highly memorable read. It's one of those novels you will be reading again and again.

Highly recommended.

Review by Cathie Dunn
The Coffee Pot Book Club

[Heena Rathore Rathore-Pardeshi]

4.5/5

The Cleansing by Victoria Alvear is one of those rarer historical fiction works that prise history open, exposing the old wound beneath the page. Set in 216 BCE, in the aftermath of Rome’s catastrophic defeat at Cannae, the novel follows Mia (Opimia Pansa), a Vestal Virgin whose private grief for Attius is forced beneath the rigid choreography of ritual, purity, and public performance. From its opening movement of war, loss, sacrificial spectacle, and the October Horse rite, author Alvear establishes a world in which religion is not merely belief, but governance, theatre, fear, and social control.

What makes this novel so effective is that it is not content to be “immersive” in the decorative sense. Yes, the atmosphere is richly built with smoke-blackened Rome, blood rites, public ceremony, the machinery of priesthood and patriarchy. But the real force of the book lies in how intimately Alvear understands the psychology of indoctrination. Mia is not merely trapped by institutions; she has been trained since childhood to believe that her body is responsible for the fate of the state. That interior conflict gives the novel its nerve. Even when the story becomes a courtroom drama and political indictment, it never loses sight of the horror underneath: what it does to a woman to be told, from girlhood onward, that catastrophe will be her fault if she fails to remain symbolically pure. The author’s historical note makes clear that the novel grows out of the real accusation against Vestal Virgins after Rome sought a reason for the gods’ “abandonment” following Cannae.

Mia is, in many ways, the book’s greatest achievement. She is intelligent, wounded, observant, angry, indoctrinated, skeptical, tender, and often divided against herself. Her voice carries both lyrical sensitivity and sharp interior argument, and that combination allows the novel to move between personal grief and public crisis with unusual ease. Her memories of Attius, her complicated bond with Prisca, and her slowly sharpening awareness of how ritual can be manipulated by men in power give the novel its emotional and philosophical density. Even secondary relationships, like Ketet, Floronia, the Maxima are used not merely to populate the story, but to deepen its meditation on complicity, affection, fear, and survival.

What I particularly admired is the author's refusal to soften the ugliness of the system she is depicting. This is a novel deeply concerned with scapegoating, with the ancient logic by which societies transfer collective fear onto the bodies of women and call it justice. The author states plainly in her note that she was interested in the dynamics of “shame, blame, and scapegoat[ing]” in response to people's suffering, and that urgency is palpable throughout the novel. At times, the thematic architecture is so strong that the novel edges close to argument as much as story; there are moments when the parallels to modern purity culture and moral panic feel more underlined than implied. But in truth, that explicitness rarely feels clumsy. If anything, it reflects the book’s moral seriousness. Author Alvear is not coy about what she is writing against, and The Cleansing gains force from that clarity.

If I were to offer one measured reservation, it is that the novel’s intensity can occasionally make it feel emotionally unrelenting. There is very little air in this world, and that is of course deliberate. Yet some readers may find that the sustained pressure such as the ritual, accusation, dread, misogyny, and grief allows fewer moments of expansiveness than they might desire in a historical novel of this length. Even so, I would not call that a flaw so much as a function of the story the author is telling. This is, after all, not a lush costume drama dressed in antiquity. It is a severe, intelligent, and often searing excavation of what happens when political failure seeks a sacrificial body.

In the end, The Cleansing is not simply a novel about ancient Rome. It is a novel about the frightening durability of certain instincts, such as to moralise disaster, to sanctify control, and to make women carry the symbolic burden of collective fear. That the author roots those ideas in a vividly realized historical setting only makes the story hit harder. This is a powerful, unsettling, and deeply relevant work of historical fiction that understands that the past is never truly past, especially where shame, superstition, and power are concerned. The book is also upfront about its difficult material, including animal sacrifice, slavery, capital punishment, rape references, and suicide-related content, so readers should approach accordingly.

[Mary Yarde]

"A frightened people will always side with the powerful, if they believe the powerful will protect them in some way. Even when they actively hurt them. The promise of safety and protection was more potent than the strongest poppy tincture. If I dashed their hope, they would turn on me like maenads on Orpheus."

“The Cleansing” by Victoria Alvear is a powerful and unsettling work of historical fiction, based on a true story, that immerses the reader in Ancient Rome at a moment of collective trauma and moral collapse. Set in the aftermath of the catastrophic defeat at Cannae in 216 BCE, the novel explores how a civilisation responds when its faith, identity, and sense of divine favour are shattered.

From the opening battlefield scenes, the novel is uncompromising in its realism. The chaos, terror, and brutality of war are rendered with striking immediacy, placing the reader shoulder to shoulder with Roman soldiers as Hannibal’s forces close in. These scenes do more than depict violence; they establish the emotional devastation that ripples through Rome long after the fighting ends. Loss is not confined to the battlefield—it permeates every ritual, every decision, and every whispered fear within the city.

At the heart of the story is Mia, a Vestal Virgin bound by sacred duty in a society governed by fear of divine retribution. Through her eyes, the reader is drawn into the ritualised world of Roman religion—the October Horse, the sacred fire of Vesta, and the ominous authority of the Sibylline Books. Alvear deftly reveals how faith, when combined with political expediency, becomes a dangerous instrument. Most chilling of all is the ever-present fear of being accused of crimen incestum, a threat that hangs over the Vestals like a blade, shaping their every action and thought.

What makes “The Cleansing” especially compelling is its intellectual depth. The novel weaves philosophical reflection into the narrative, quietly challenging notions of divine justice, fate, and moral responsibility. The tension between belief and reason, obedience and conscience, is ever-present, giving the story a resonance that extends far beyond its historical setting.

As a reader, I found this novel deeply moving. I was completely drawn into its world, feeling the weight of Rome’s grief and panic as though it were my own. The fear that grips the city after Cannae felt suffocating, and I could not help but empathise with a society desperate for answers and lost in grief.

The novel also casts an unflinching light on the treatment of women and the powerless during this period. Grief itself becomes regulated, as women are arrested for breaking the law by crying or wailing in public when they realise that husbands, sons, or brothers have died. Their sorrow is treated not as a natural human response but as a threat to order, silenced in the name of control. These moments quietly but powerfully underscore how suffering was managed, contained, and punished when it challenged authority.

I felt the relentless pressure bearing down on Mia, the constant vigilance demanded in a world where the gods had been weaponised and even the smallest perceived misstep could cause divine provocation, their anger believed capable of raining devastation down upon Rome itself. That crushing responsibility reshaped faith into fear and devotion into an act of survival. Reading Mia’s experiences filled me with both anger and sorrow—anger at how readily innocence can be sacrificed to preserve order, and sorrow at how easily injustice is accepted when it is cloaked in the promise of protection.

This is one of those novels that lingers. I found myself returning again and again to its themes: fear as a tool of power, faith as both refuge and prison, and the devastating cost of being reduced to a symbol rather than recognised as human. “The Cleansing” challenged me, unsettled me, and impressed me with its courage and intelligence. It is a beautifully written, thought-provoking novel that I wholeheartedly give five stars and highly recommend to lovers of immersive, serious historical fiction.

Review by Mary Anne Yare
The Coffee Pot Book Club

[READER VIEWS]

If the gods won’t provide vengeance, must people take matters into their own hands?

No history of Rome would be complete without some entry about the Vestal Virgins; the six priestesses in Ancient Rome who maintained the sacred, eternal fire of Vesta, ensuring Rome’s safety. While you may get a more accurate or comprehensive history of these women’s significance, it probably wouldn’t be as interesting as Victoria Alvear’s book, The Cleansing: A Novel of Ancient Rome Based on a True Story.

We’re taken into the fictional story of Opimia “Mia,” the strongest, most defiant of the six sacred Vestal priestesses at the temple in Rome. While she takes this role very seriously, it is clear that her position was thrust upon her rather than being made by a deeply religious individual. Everything changes when 50,000 Roman soldiers are slaughtered by Hannibal at the Battle of Cannae. Rome grapples with the question of how tragedy could have happened, including Mia herself. Unfortunately for Mia, she finds herself as the scapegoat for the tragedy and must defend herself in a way that not only exonerates her but also makes sense of the greater tragedy.

Alvear chooses to open the book with the Battle of Cannae. As we are thrown into the intensity of the fight, we receive both a surge of hope and a pending sense of doom as the Carthaginian forces close around the Roman legions, literally crushing them in a claustrophobic scene. The claustrophobia of this battle sequence becomes an elemental theme throughout the entirety of The Cleansing; the story is a wave of euphoric surges followed by feelings of intense entrapment, both from the systems that have created these circumstances and the people who continue to perpetuate them.

Alvear continues to create an atmosphere of claustrophobia through the novel. There really is no escape for anyone in this novel, and this is part of the reason why The Cleansing is such an engaging, compelling novel. While the characters themselves are vibrant and feel authentic, it is really the world around them that makes this book exceptional. The detailed step-by-step rituals that Mia conducts to appease the gods don’t seem belabored or boring but rather very important elements of the book itself. Rome isn’t merely a setting but a real, dynamic place where these characters live, exist, and interact. This is part of the reason why the stakes feel so high for Mia when she is falsely accused of crimen incestum. Even though Mia herself is not a real person, the context surrounding her story is real and something we can empathize with.

It is not merely the injustice of false accusations that incenses us, but also the senselessness of loss and grief. While political systems or society may search for a scapegoat to help understand grief, there’s also a human and natural response that Alvear adeptly addresses. How can you understand tragedy if you don’t have someone to blame? If you can’t blame the gods, then who can you blame? Even though we know Mia is innocent, part of us also wants someone else to take her place in order to have some form of justice or to make sense of the tragedy.

Just like all the other claustrophobic aspects of this book, the claustrophobia of grief is also something we cannot fully understand. Alvear weaves this idea of repression and tension throughout without suspending any form of disbelief. Tension is found right at the very beginning and carries through to the very end, where we can finally release that final breath, or perhaps we, too, are crushed.

The Cleansing is a very complex book that merits rereading; however, that does not mean that it is not an engaging piece of fiction. Anyone can easily pick up Alvear’s book and engage in an afternoon of delightful reading. Like all good literature, this is a book that merits discussion and questioning.

[EmmsBookShelf]

The Cleansing is a historical fiction novel that explores the turmoil experienced in the city of Rome in the wake of their defeat of the Battle of Cannae and the looming threat of Hannibal. We are guided through this time and place by Optimia (or Mia) a Vestal Virgin who is on trial for breaking her vows.

I enjoyed the structure of the story, it isn't linnear in its recollection of events, we move between the present day and all the events (both seemingly inconsequential moments from Mia's childhood, through to powerful moments, where she was aware of their significance) that would contribute to Mia's trial. The transition between the present, as well as significant days from Mia's past makes for a really compelling reading experience.

The novel is evidently well researched (the section at the end after the story itself has finished provides additional, really interesting information), its setting in the city of Rome itself is detailed and compelling. It engages many facts known to us about the Romans on how they conducted themselves societally in particular and how religion was intrinsically linked in all facets of daily life. In particular, I liked its use of terminology, I felt like concise descriptions were given for different religious and political positions, festivalss and places to provide appropriate context for the reader without patronising us. It was so pleasing to see the different layers of religion, with Mia mentioning the Lares or household gods of her youth, which were personal and familial. It is starkly contrasted against her position as a Vestal Virgin, not only is her position as a priestess in a public position, but it is one of the most visible positions in the city.

At its core, this story is a detailed commentary on how women were treated in the Ancient World and the abuses of patriarchal systems. We see it in Mia being a scapegoat and source of blame for a great military defeat, that, had nothing to do with her. The very real and genuine fears surrounding pregnancy and labour for Prisca and the treatment of enslaved women like Ketet whose virginity can be commodified in. There were so many points within the trial that I was internally screaming LET HER TALK! The commentary made when visiting the Sybil on women, religion and power transcended time, it is just as applicable to us now, as it was to Mia then.

Ultimately, this is not a happy story. But it is an important one to tell. I did enjoy the satisfying nature of the ending and it gave me a sense of closure.

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian)]

THE CLEANSING is a work of fiction that is based on an amalgamation of recorded stories (unfortunately). It's set in a time when women paradoxically had no power, and yet were held accountable for powerful acts. It is also the time when Rome was fighting Hannibal and his elephants, suffering a crushing defeat in the process.

Mia was best friends with Attius until she was 'chosen' at six years old to serve a 30-year term as a Vestal Virgin. This isn't something she wants, as she wants to be like Diana, the Huntress. Being demure doesn't come easily to her. Attius follows his own path, which leads him to the Roman infantry, fighting under General Paullus.

After the defeat at Cannae, the Romans were desperate to blame someone. General Varro has done what he can to blame the now-deceased General Paullus, but they need something else. Something for the Roman people to get behind. They need a sacrifice.

Through the 'current' time and a series of flashbacks, we see Mia grow into her role, and the political machinations that lead to her being accused. While she didn't want to be a Vestal Virgin, she also wasn't prepared to take any chances; although she could be persuaded to bend the rules, as with Prisca. While history has recorded a different ending for Opimia, I loved the version in this book!

There is an amazing supporting cast of characters, from Floronia and Prisca, to the Virgo Maxima, Lucius Cantilius, and Cornelius Lentulus. One of my favourite characters (and places) was the Sibyl of Cumae. I thought she raised some interesting points, and the commune was fantastic.

The research for this book is in-depth and fascinating, so please ensure you read the Author's Note and the Historical Notes. I also read them simply because I wasn't ready for the story to end. This was an outstanding read that held my attention from beginning to end. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.

** The same worded review will appear elsewhere. **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian
Jul 9th, 2026

[MoonlightCupOfCocoa]

First things first, thank you so much to the author for the advance review copy! As always, all opinions shared are 100% my own.

Is it fair to live a life elevated above ordinary women yet remain owned by the state? For your life to belong not to yourself but to the anxieties of an empire? What does it mean to become a vessel to something greater and who defines that greatness? This the life of a Vestal Virgin in Ancient Rome.

'The Cleansing' by Victoria Alvear captures the tragic irony of the life of one young Vestal Virgin, Opimia, as she finds herself caught in the middle of a political catastrophe. Not only must she grieve the loss of the love of her life, Attius, in the war with Hannibal, but now she finds herself unfairly put to trial for sins she never committed.

The novel throws the reader right into the action with the chapters alternating between the present with its ongoing accusations and the past with its many contradictions that helped form Opimia's world up to that point. With events that are both horrifying and oddly relatable, I shed many tears for Mia, Attius and the many women who suffered (and still do) through similar circumstances.

This is not a romanticized Ancient Rome. The book sheds the light on many of the injustices and ironies that citizens of Rome would have experienced. Not just Mia. But it's all still done respectfully and not just to shock the user. The book is heavy (I do recommend checking the content warnings) and unrelenting and it was all very well-researched. I loved that the author shared her notes and research at the end of the book.

It is rare for me to like an FMC, but I did like Mia. She is smart, fierce and skeptical while still being very human, vulnerable and torn about everything she's believed up to this point. She does want to do the right thing. She still fears for those she wishes to protect and doesn't want to cause others harm with her actions. So much so that she sacrifices her own happiness.

The writing itself is both lyrical and sharp that sometimes I had to pause to let the words sink in. The more I read, the angrier both Mia and I got. And by the end, I was sobbing. I genuinely loved how every character was brought to life and how many of them, even the characters we're meant to hate, still have vulnerable human moments that caused even Mia to pity them.

Honestly I'm starting to tear up against writing this review. Read this book if you want an unapologetically honest and brutal look at Ancient Rome, a strong yet very human FMC and a powerfully vivid book that will haunt you after you're done.

You can also find me on: Instagram (MoonlightCocoa) and Instagram (MoonlightCupOfStories)

[Nora S]

The Cleansing is the kind of historical novel that does more than recreate another time; it makes the past feel dangerously close. Set after Rome’s devastating defeat at Cannae, the story places Mia, a Vestal Virgin accused of betraying her sacred vows, at the centre of a society desperate to find someone to blame for its failures.
What stayed with me most was Mia herself. She is neither a simple rebel nor a helpless victim. She has been shaped by the very system she begins to question, and that contradiction makes her feel deeply human. Her struggle with duty, fear, love and self-doubt gives the novel its strongest emotional core.
The author also handles the historical setting with purpose. Rome’s rituals, religious beliefs and political anxieties are not treated as decorative background. They become part of the machinery that controls people and determines who must suffer when society needs an explanation for disaster. The injustice faced by women is particularly difficult to read, precisely because its underlying logic does not feel confined to the ancient world.
The atmosphere is intense and, at times, almost suffocating. Although a few readers may wish for more moments of relief, that constant pressure suits Mia’s circumstances.
Thought-provoking, unsettling and emotionally absorbing, The Cleansing is historical fiction with something meaningful to say about power, fear, and the terrible consequences of turning one person into the answer for everyone else’s failures

[Catherine Mathis]

The tale of Mia, the Vestal Virgin blamed for the death of thousands in a battle where Hannibal defeated Rome, is gripping. It is frustrating in the best possible way. It is true. And an innocent young woman stands trial and faces a slow suffocating death to appease the gods. Sadly, scapegoats still exist. And seeing so graphically unjust an illustration in the story Mia makes you realize how people today are still hurt, shunned, or worse simply because of how they offend some norm a group of people believe everyone should adhere to. Alvear is a gifted writer that carries the reader through the fear and trauma with crisp and compassionate telling. Alvear draws you in and you want to help defend an innocent. Well done.

[Heather Barksdale]

“The Cleansing” follows Opimia (Mia), a Vestal Virgin in Ancient Rome.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. Told mainly through the POV of the main protagonist, Mia, a determined, intelligent, and headstrong young woman caught in a terrible situation against her will. She is fierce and brave. It is impossible not to root for Mia (and against those that oppose her). Mia as a protagonist also highlights many of the stories main themes including political aspiration, religious expectation, familial responsibility, and love. Find the full blog post at heatherlbarksdale.com

I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.

[Bri B]

I very much enjoyed this book. It is a historical fiction novel about a Vestal Virgin (a priestess of the goddess Vesta in Ancient Rome). While Rome is suffering heavy war losses, she is used as a distraction for the populace. She is accused of losing her virginity and goes on trial - if she loses, she will be whipped and buried alive.

She’s a wonderfully strong main character, I loved learning more about Ancient Rome, and the social commentary was very much on point for some of issues and oppression that women are still facing today.