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Romanitas #1
Romanitas
A slave waits to be crucified; a desperate young girl with strange abilities stalks through the streets of London; a gang of fugitives hides out in the Pyrenees, while on giant screens in every city, the world watches the funeral of the Imperial family's most glamorous couple.
A single state holds absolute sway from the Eastern border of India across the Atlantic: magnetic railways span the globe and tunnels run beneath the Adriatic sea and the Strait of Gades. Slaves are constructing a giant bridge over the Persian Gulf. But as tensions with a rival Empire in the East escalate, the first rumblings of a world conflict are beginning to be felt.
Meanwhile, only an overworked official doubts that the deaths of the Emperor's war-hero brother and his beautiful, charismatic wife were accidental. The sixteen-year-old heir to the throne is about to learn a secret that threatens the security of the greatest power on earth — and his own life.
A single state holds absolute sway from the Eastern border of India across the Atlantic: magnetic railways span the globe and tunnels run beneath the Adriatic sea and the Strait of Gades. Slaves are constructing a giant bridge over the Persian Gulf. But as tensions with a rival Empire in the East escalate, the first rumblings of a world conflict are beginning to be felt.
Meanwhile, only an overworked official doubts that the deaths of the Emperor's war-hero brother and his beautiful, charismatic wife were accidental. The sixteen-year-old heir to the throne is about to learn a secret that threatens the security of the greatest power on earth — and his own life.
452 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
57 people are currently reading
827 people want to read
About the author
Sophia McDougall
26 books54 followersSophia McDougall (born 1979) is a British novelist, playwright, and poet, who studied at Oxford University in England.
She is best known as the author of the alternate history trilogy Romanitas, in which the Roman Empire still exists in contemporary times. She is also the author of Mars Evacuees and Space Hostages - sci-fi adventures for children (and everyone else who likes spaceships.)
She is best known as the author of the alternate history trilogy Romanitas, in which the Roman Empire still exists in contemporary times. She is also the author of Mars Evacuees and Space Hostages - sci-fi adventures for children (and everyone else who likes spaceships.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
February 18, 2010
I bought this book because reading the back of it made it seem really interesting. The Roman Empire is still around in the 21st century, still has all the things we associate with the Roman Empire like the Emperor,slavery and crucifiction but also with 21st century technology. In theory it sounds like the basis for a really good story but I didn't think it worked very well.The characters are unlikeable and I really didn't care if they lived or died. This is the first in a trilogy and I certainly won't be looking for the next two parts.
The only reason that I kept on reading it is because I hate to leave a book unfinished,in total this book took me about a month to read as I kept putting it down and reading other books instead. I am hoping that one day I'll be able to give up on a book that is really bad.
The only reason that I kept on reading it is because I hate to leave a book unfinished,in total this book took me about a month to read as I kept putting it down and reading other books instead. I am hoping that one day I'll be able to give up on a book that is really bad.
December 8, 2010
I read 150 pages but realised I wasn't sufficiently interested to bother reading the remaining 450. The characters were OK but the plot really plodded. I might have read on if it had been edited more heavily. The background also bothered me. I was really intrigued by a modern day Roman Empire but all it meant was that all place names (except London and Rome) were changed back to their Roman equivalents and some places which the Romans hadn't discovered were given Roman names. Consequently if characters travelled you never really knew where they were going to or coming from. I also couldn't get on with the personal Roman names. I think they indicate who someone's father is as well as their family names but the naming rules were never explained and I couldn't work them out. If that wasn't enough there seemed to be inconsistencies in the plot and background. For example why was London called London not Londinium (and Rome Roma for that matter)? I was also surprised by the crucifixes. In reality they were banned by Constantine I so how far back did this alternative reality go? These details bothered me because I don't know much about Roman history or culture so I wouldn't have expected to be aware of any inconsistencies at all. The plot inconsistencies were more important of course but I can't describe them without spoiling the plot for anyone who wants to read this. Maybe all of these apparent inconsistencies are explained during the rest of the book but I just didn't think it was worthwhile to find out.
August 17, 2012
"Missed opportunity" are the two words that come to mind with this book. The novel's central idea is inherently intriguing - the Roman Empire never ended - but alas, the author does little with it. And it lacks plausibility. The Rome of this book has never evolved socially, even if it has taken a few extra steps technologically. It's still the same SPQR, warts and slaves and all. The other negative with this story is the low-key characters. They're a gaggle of quietly-spoken mumblers in a tale that cries out for decisiveness and cogent action. They're interesting, make no mistake, but there needed to be a lot more beefiness here.
A chance to do something amazing with this captivating setting has fled the coop. It went astray.
A chance to do something amazing with this captivating setting has fled the coop. It went astray.
July 14, 2012
This is a fascinating idea, but I've tried to start it a few times -- I've read the first couple of chapters and shuddered at the abuse of imagery that just clogged it. I read the reviews and saw other people's objections -- weird elements of fantasy, slow pace, etc. I skipped ahead in the book and didn't like what I saw there any better, so I'm taking this back to the library. At least for now: maybe someday soon I'll have time for a long slow build.
October 30, 2023
DNF at around 40%. Contrary to most books I DNF, this one wasn't terrible... it just couldn't grab my interest. The setting itself is quite interesting and well-researched but, at least in the part I have read, it doesn't really feel very "Roman". And I am still not convinced how I feel about the introduction of bona fide magic into it. One would think that it would also have some impact on how the history developed.
Now let's be honest, when it comes to Rome, often the plots involving the military commanders, senators and so on. Here we get two slaves and a relative of the Emperor... who is thoroughly disinterested in power, both when it comes to wielding it as well as in how it actually works. This doesn't make it all that interesting to the reader as well.
I'm sad I couldn't get through this book, because I really enjoyed the premise, but that's life.
Now let's be honest, when it comes to Rome, often the plots involving the military commanders, senators and so on. Here we get two slaves and a relative of the Emperor... who is thoroughly disinterested in power, both when it comes to wielding it as well as in how it actually works. This doesn't make it all that interesting to the reader as well.
I'm sad I couldn't get through this book, because I really enjoyed the premise, but that's life.
March 2, 2023
An ingenious alternate history that feels very 'Roman' despite its longdictors and flying volucers - but above all a gripping thriller that had me instantly absorbed by each of its multiple strands. I was up reading this until five o'clock in the morning despite a resolute attempt to put it down at three (I had to read 'just one more scene').
And then, when everything seems over, we have an unexpected twist of sympathy at the end...
And then, when everything seems over, we have an unexpected twist of sympathy at the end...
December 27, 2012
The “This is the Roman Empire, Now” tagline was what initially grabbed my attention about the book; it’s an intriguing premise even if this isn’t the first book to feature an alternate history in which the Roman Empire never fell. I think it failed to entirely live up to its full potential, but it is still an entertaining read.
Given that the book’s unique selling point was meant to be that it was sent in a 21st Century Roman Empire the world-building feels slightly lacking at times. Although there is a fair amount of detail and the alternative history seems fairly plausible the Roman elements aren’t particularly distinctive and a lot of the world-building does seem to mostly consist of renaming things. If the book had instead been a secondary world fantasy it wouldn’t necessarily have been much different.
While the world-building is slightly lacklustre I think it is the characterisation that is perhaps the most appealing part of the book. The main characters are likeable and the interactions between them generally ring true. The book does a good job of exploring their emotions and why they act the way they do – particularly Una and Dama who are the strongest characters. Occasionally they can make some frustratingly stupid decisions, but that it is believable given how far away they are from the world they are used to.
One of the strong points of the world-building is that the plot of the novel focuses heavily on one of the biggest differences between the Roman Empire and the modern day. The institution of slavery is central to the plot and with many of the characters being escaped slaves it does a good job of examining how even those who escape slavery are still haunted by their former status.
The plot itself is entertaining and fast-paced, it starts off with some intriguing mysteries and there is a fair amount of action throughout the book as the characters embark on journeys taking them halfway across Europe and their fugitive status does allow for a few tense scenes as they come close to being captured. There could perhaps have been a bit more time spent on the political machinations in Rome which initially seem like a significant part of the book but get largely sidelined by the lengthy descriptions of Marcus, Una and Sulien’s attempt to get to safety. Sometimes the book does seem to rest fairly heavily on coincidence, and the inclusion of some fantasy elements in the form of Una’s powers does maybe feel a bit out of place in what is otherwise a ‘realistic’ alternate history novel.
Overall, this is a good debut novel although one that doesn’t entirely fulfil its full potential and it does leave me wanting to read the sequels.
Given that the book’s unique selling point was meant to be that it was sent in a 21st Century Roman Empire the world-building feels slightly lacking at times. Although there is a fair amount of detail and the alternative history seems fairly plausible the Roman elements aren’t particularly distinctive and a lot of the world-building does seem to mostly consist of renaming things. If the book had instead been a secondary world fantasy it wouldn’t necessarily have been much different.
While the world-building is slightly lacklustre I think it is the characterisation that is perhaps the most appealing part of the book. The main characters are likeable and the interactions between them generally ring true. The book does a good job of exploring their emotions and why they act the way they do – particularly Una and Dama who are the strongest characters. Occasionally they can make some frustratingly stupid decisions, but that it is believable given how far away they are from the world they are used to.
One of the strong points of the world-building is that the plot of the novel focuses heavily on one of the biggest differences between the Roman Empire and the modern day. The institution of slavery is central to the plot and with many of the characters being escaped slaves it does a good job of examining how even those who escape slavery are still haunted by their former status.
The plot itself is entertaining and fast-paced, it starts off with some intriguing mysteries and there is a fair amount of action throughout the book as the characters embark on journeys taking them halfway across Europe and their fugitive status does allow for a few tense scenes as they come close to being captured. There could perhaps have been a bit more time spent on the political machinations in Rome which initially seem like a significant part of the book but get largely sidelined by the lengthy descriptions of Marcus, Una and Sulien’s attempt to get to safety. Sometimes the book does seem to rest fairly heavily on coincidence, and the inclusion of some fantasy elements in the form of Una’s powers does maybe feel a bit out of place in what is otherwise a ‘realistic’ alternate history novel.
Overall, this is a good debut novel although one that doesn’t entirely fulfil its full potential and it does leave me wanting to read the sequels.
July 24, 2011
Sophia McDougall's novel Romanitas is an awesome sweep of alternate history, with a Rome that still exists in the 21st Century; fantasy, thanks to Sulien and Una, two slaves with more than a touch of the supernatural about powers they display; and science fiction, with an environment that pushes the boundaries of science as it exists now. It is an exploration into how to write a novel that transcends genre and purely concentrates on story.
For me, both the biggest strength and the biggest challenge of Romanitas was the epic, lush nature of the prose. For my sins, I do like an easy novel. I like something I can whip through in a few days and move onto the next. Disposable, I guess you'd say. Romanitas is pretty much the opposite of this. It is not a book to be read at speed, it is a book to be read slowly and savoured. You end up sinking into the richness of the prose and the sharp descriptions.
Romanitas is also imbued with a fierce intelligence and a love of language that echoes the best of China Mieville.
McDougall - fittingly, since she is one of the few contracted female science fiction authors in the UK at the moment - does a good turn in a strong female character. Una is to be cherished. She is not a fair maiden to be rescued - in fact, we first meet her in the action of trying to save her brother. She is also not completely kick ass and unbeatable - on one occasion, she rues the fact that she is not bigger and stronger, because she is captured far too easily. She is realistic - all spiky attitude, defensiveness, vulnerability, wonderment. She is completely three dimensional and believable and everything you'd want from a good female protagonist.
Thanks to the fact that slavery is still rife in this modern-day Roman Empire, McDougall spends some time exploring how that can affect relationships in a culture that values connections and celebrity. It is enormously interesting seeing the picture from both the lowest and highest points of society - Una and Sulien show the darkest side of slavery and the desperate lives they end up living; while Marcus demonstrates that living a gilded life is not exactly a picnic in the park either.
This is a clever, entertaining and thought-provoking novel. McDougall has presented us with a vividly imagined alternate world that frames the relationships between the main characters. Prepare to fall in love with Una! It is both powerful and extraordinary, and merits far more literary discussion. Excellent.
October 31, 2014
Set in a world where the Roman Empire persevered through to the modern day and now owns most of the world, built through military conquest and an (increasingly unsustainable) slave economy. Marcus, the nominated heir to the Empire goes on the run after the deaths of his parents, his only hope of safety a hidden refuge for runaway slaves. Two unusually gifted slaves, brother and sister, escape from London and flee to the European mainland. Thrown together with the fugitive heir, they flee to the refuge, but the Empire is close behind.
So what should be an adventurous tale of danger and intrigue and struggling on in the face of impossible odds in a distorted reality turns out to be something meatier and more substantial due to the author's total commitment to her characters. Everyone in Romanitas is damaged, whether it's Marcus by loss and betrayal, or Una by her enslavement, Sulien by injustice or any of the other characters wrestling with their hurts and their angers and their insecurities. They represent an emotional and psychological palimpsest of the Empire itself, a repressive, highly controlled military oligarchy full of splendours built on human suffering. More demanding than you might expect from a slipstream political thriller, but well worth it.
So what should be an adventurous tale of danger and intrigue and struggling on in the face of impossible odds in a distorted reality turns out to be something meatier and more substantial due to the author's total commitment to her characters. Everyone in Romanitas is damaged, whether it's Marcus by loss and betrayal, or Una by her enslavement, Sulien by injustice or any of the other characters wrestling with their hurts and their angers and their insecurities. They represent an emotional and psychological palimpsest of the Empire itself, a repressive, highly controlled military oligarchy full of splendours built on human suffering. More demanding than you might expect from a slipstream political thriller, but well worth it.
May 14, 2011
Great idea, writing a novel in a modern day Roman world, and the first parts of the book, until Marcus, Una and Sulien meet each other while on the run, are engaging and interesting.
After that the book becomes slow paced, quite clichéd and predictable, especially since there's not much mystery left for the reader, as most of the bad guys are already known. And the long journey that Marcus and the others make is, well, long. (Especially since his inner thoughts repeat themselves a lot).
The Roman setting isn't used much as the story progresses, except for names and the locations in Rome. It would have been interesting if the author had explored the different ways of thinking and behaving more, and used her setting more
The book picks up again towards the ending, which is interesting, but the 250-300 pages I had to drag myself through might just have put me off this series.
After that the book becomes slow paced, quite clichéd and predictable, especially since there's not much mystery left for the reader, as most of the bad guys are already known. And the long journey that Marcus and the others make is, well, long. (Especially since his inner thoughts repeat themselves a lot).
The Roman setting isn't used much as the story progresses, except for names and the locations in Rome. It would have been interesting if the author had explored the different ways of thinking and behaving more, and used her setting more
The book picks up again towards the ending, which is interesting, but the 250-300 pages I had to drag myself through might just have put me off this series.
May 7, 2024
Brings the height of the Roman Empire into the modern-day. Interesting ideas for how Romans would interact with technology/societal upheaval/generational change. Writing is a bit stiff and dry but a fairly twisty plot and a cast of diverse characters are a plus.
December 22, 2011
Romanitas by Sophia McDougall
• A Sam North Review
Suppose the Romans never left. Suppose they still maintain their empire, even larger with half of North America (Terranova) and South America thrown in for good measure. Suppose this modern Roman Empire had electric cars, TV (longvision) and in one essential throwback, still had an economy based on slavery. (Free labour). In Sophia McDougall's imagined Roman Empire of today – most carefully structured with well thought out timelines and evolutionary names and events, London is the important city it is today and naturally there is one European currency, one set of laws, and one hell of a seething underclass.
It isn’t so fantastic given the growing power of Brussels and the universality of the euro. In Romanitas the Emperors and would be Caesars still battle for power and poison and murder each other. We only have to look to the last election in the Ukraine to see that poison is still in use to gain power (only there, a popular uprising forced an unexpected ‘democratic’ result).
Romanitas isn’t so fanciful after all. A young heir to the throne Marcus Novius Faustus Leo discovers his newly dead parents, allegedly killed in a car crash, were murdered. Varius, his father’s closest confidant’s wife is accidentally poisoned by sweets given to young Marcus, a gift from his cousin. It means there is a plot to kill him to and now Marcus has to flee to survive, shaving off his hair and hiding in a freight car heading who knows where. Add to this, a slave, Sullien separated from his sister years ago, now a protégé of a prominent doctor in London, has made the mistake of falling for his daughter. They are caught in flagrante and he is accused of rape. The girl in question does not deny it. Sullien is crushed. There is only one punishment for a slave who has raped, crucifixion.
In the prisoner slave ship heading down the Thames towards his doom, his long lost sister swoops down in one last desperate chance to free him before he is killed. Succeeding as bullets fly when the rest of the slavers grab the guard’s guns, they flee to the continent and a life on the run. Out there, one is either master or slave and they don’t look like masters. Sullien is impressed and a little scared of his sisters skills. She can read minds. Really get into the deepest thoughts of a person. They set up as fortune tellers and await their fate.
Inevitably brother and sister will meet with the escaped Roman, Marcus. He is friendless, desperate, in need of friends. His image is in every ‘longvision’ screen and all of Europe is looking for him and wanting to cash in the reward. When Marcus suddenly appears in front of Una, trying to escape two thugs who have robbed him, Sullien and his strange sister Una try to make a deal with the authorities. Sullien’s pardon for revealing where the royal fugitive is hiding. But when Una is captured herself by an inn keeper the tables are turned and it is the boy they have tried to betray who must help them.
A forced friendship is formed but it will have fundamental ramifications for the future of the Empire, this Marcus, the boy who would be Emperor, wants to abolish slavery. They must save him, keep him alive. They journey south – towards a place where slaves are safe and the long reach of Rome can’t find them.
Meanwhile the one man who knows where Marcus is going, Varius, has been imprisoned, tortured and blackmailed to reveal everything.
Although this is Sophia McDouglall’s imagined world, there are many routes to this work.
Stephen Baxter’s 'Coalescence' for example; which takes us from the days when the Roman’s abandoned the UK in the fourth century to consolidate and somehow survives to the present day, smaller, but still powerful. (There is a substory about fantastic breeding capabilities and voyages into a far distant future that rather spoil this work but the ideas are quite similar). Then there is the matter of 'Troublesome Angels and Flying machines' by Hazel Marshall – Oxford University Press 2003. No Roman tale to be sure, but it tells of Marco Polo’s nephew on a grand adventure escorting a psychic young girl who can foretell futures and help him get in and out of scrapes. Then there is British Science fiction compilation Futures - edited by Peter Crowther (Gollanz 2001) and in it a novella Watching Trees Grow by Peter F Hamilton. This is an amazing Inspector Morse episode that takes place over at least a hundred years. We are in 1832, an England still ruled by the Romans, or at least the Romano-Christian elite led by descendants of the Borgias that have maintained their grip not just on England but the whole world. America discovered long ago is now a country of some one and half billion souls. Oxford is still a university town but under Vatican rules. Business and Science are led by prominent families such at the Caesars, Raleighs, or Pitts. The Percys control London, the Caesars Southampton.
Clearly there is a passion for an alternate history, perhaps a longing for order in our past that was never going to be there. But Empires can't last 2000 years - none ever have, but it doesn't hurt to imagine one that has. Certainly Sophia McDougall had fun with this, her first novel and one looks forward to the rest in this series.
If there is a fault with Romanitas it is that the protagonists are too capable, too wise, too special. Sure we need heroes in a world without them but a slave girl with such extraordinary shaman powers to read ones innermost thoughts and cloud the minds of others so that they cannot see you walk by is special enough. That might have been enough for one book. But her brother Sullien has a gift too, to be able, by touch, heal almost any disease or wasted limb. Together they can get out of almost any scrape, like any superhero and in fact, it might have been better if they were less special, more normal, more feral, and more believable.
Young Marcus is a more sympathetic portrait, keen, well educated, not the snob one might have believed him to be, given his upbringing and expectations. He is filled with dread and properly afraid when he needs to be, assertive and confident when he has to be. With an old head on young shoulders, he is much more credible. One can certainly understand his fascination with the strange ethereal Una who can read minds, but could he ever really trust her, knowing she can see whatever he is thinking? As they journey and experience trials and tribulations all three are transformed and each in turn must save each other.
Romanitas is an exciting read and anyone who has grown up on Philip Pullman and doesn’t know where to go for an exciting tale with some original ideas about an alternative European history, Romanitas is an thrilling tale filled with treachery, colourful imagery and fully imagined past.
© Sam North - September 2005 –
Sam's novel ‘The Curse of the Nibelung – A Sherlock Holmes Mystery’ is published by Lulu Press USA
• A Sam North Review
Suppose the Romans never left. Suppose they still maintain their empire, even larger with half of North America (Terranova) and South America thrown in for good measure. Suppose this modern Roman Empire had electric cars, TV (longvision) and in one essential throwback, still had an economy based on slavery. (Free labour). In Sophia McDougall's imagined Roman Empire of today – most carefully structured with well thought out timelines and evolutionary names and events, London is the important city it is today and naturally there is one European currency, one set of laws, and one hell of a seething underclass.
It isn’t so fantastic given the growing power of Brussels and the universality of the euro. In Romanitas the Emperors and would be Caesars still battle for power and poison and murder each other. We only have to look to the last election in the Ukraine to see that poison is still in use to gain power (only there, a popular uprising forced an unexpected ‘democratic’ result).
Romanitas isn’t so fanciful after all. A young heir to the throne Marcus Novius Faustus Leo discovers his newly dead parents, allegedly killed in a car crash, were murdered. Varius, his father’s closest confidant’s wife is accidentally poisoned by sweets given to young Marcus, a gift from his cousin. It means there is a plot to kill him to and now Marcus has to flee to survive, shaving off his hair and hiding in a freight car heading who knows where. Add to this, a slave, Sullien separated from his sister years ago, now a protégé of a prominent doctor in London, has made the mistake of falling for his daughter. They are caught in flagrante and he is accused of rape. The girl in question does not deny it. Sullien is crushed. There is only one punishment for a slave who has raped, crucifixion.
In the prisoner slave ship heading down the Thames towards his doom, his long lost sister swoops down in one last desperate chance to free him before he is killed. Succeeding as bullets fly when the rest of the slavers grab the guard’s guns, they flee to the continent and a life on the run. Out there, one is either master or slave and they don’t look like masters. Sullien is impressed and a little scared of his sisters skills. She can read minds. Really get into the deepest thoughts of a person. They set up as fortune tellers and await their fate.
Inevitably brother and sister will meet with the escaped Roman, Marcus. He is friendless, desperate, in need of friends. His image is in every ‘longvision’ screen and all of Europe is looking for him and wanting to cash in the reward. When Marcus suddenly appears in front of Una, trying to escape two thugs who have robbed him, Sullien and his strange sister Una try to make a deal with the authorities. Sullien’s pardon for revealing where the royal fugitive is hiding. But when Una is captured herself by an inn keeper the tables are turned and it is the boy they have tried to betray who must help them.
A forced friendship is formed but it will have fundamental ramifications for the future of the Empire, this Marcus, the boy who would be Emperor, wants to abolish slavery. They must save him, keep him alive. They journey south – towards a place where slaves are safe and the long reach of Rome can’t find them.
Meanwhile the one man who knows where Marcus is going, Varius, has been imprisoned, tortured and blackmailed to reveal everything.
Although this is Sophia McDouglall’s imagined world, there are many routes to this work.
Stephen Baxter’s 'Coalescence' for example; which takes us from the days when the Roman’s abandoned the UK in the fourth century to consolidate and somehow survives to the present day, smaller, but still powerful. (There is a substory about fantastic breeding capabilities and voyages into a far distant future that rather spoil this work but the ideas are quite similar). Then there is the matter of 'Troublesome Angels and Flying machines' by Hazel Marshall – Oxford University Press 2003. No Roman tale to be sure, but it tells of Marco Polo’s nephew on a grand adventure escorting a psychic young girl who can foretell futures and help him get in and out of scrapes. Then there is British Science fiction compilation Futures - edited by Peter Crowther (Gollanz 2001) and in it a novella Watching Trees Grow by Peter F Hamilton. This is an amazing Inspector Morse episode that takes place over at least a hundred years. We are in 1832, an England still ruled by the Romans, or at least the Romano-Christian elite led by descendants of the Borgias that have maintained their grip not just on England but the whole world. America discovered long ago is now a country of some one and half billion souls. Oxford is still a university town but under Vatican rules. Business and Science are led by prominent families such at the Caesars, Raleighs, or Pitts. The Percys control London, the Caesars Southampton.
Clearly there is a passion for an alternate history, perhaps a longing for order in our past that was never going to be there. But Empires can't last 2000 years - none ever have, but it doesn't hurt to imagine one that has. Certainly Sophia McDougall had fun with this, her first novel and one looks forward to the rest in this series.
If there is a fault with Romanitas it is that the protagonists are too capable, too wise, too special. Sure we need heroes in a world without them but a slave girl with such extraordinary shaman powers to read ones innermost thoughts and cloud the minds of others so that they cannot see you walk by is special enough. That might have been enough for one book. But her brother Sullien has a gift too, to be able, by touch, heal almost any disease or wasted limb. Together they can get out of almost any scrape, like any superhero and in fact, it might have been better if they were less special, more normal, more feral, and more believable.
Young Marcus is a more sympathetic portrait, keen, well educated, not the snob one might have believed him to be, given his upbringing and expectations. He is filled with dread and properly afraid when he needs to be, assertive and confident when he has to be. With an old head on young shoulders, he is much more credible. One can certainly understand his fascination with the strange ethereal Una who can read minds, but could he ever really trust her, knowing she can see whatever he is thinking? As they journey and experience trials and tribulations all three are transformed and each in turn must save each other.
Romanitas is an exciting read and anyone who has grown up on Philip Pullman and doesn’t know where to go for an exciting tale with some original ideas about an alternative European history, Romanitas is an thrilling tale filled with treachery, colourful imagery and fully imagined past.
© Sam North - September 2005 –
Sam's novel ‘The Curse of the Nibelung – A Sherlock Holmes Mystery’ is published by Lulu Press USA
September 21, 2017
This was trashy comfort reading but I have a soft spot for alternate history novels. I enjoyed the trappings of this contemporary Roman empire, which basically redistributes the key technological developments of modernity between the three major powers of Rome, China (Sina) and Japan (Nionia).
I enjoyed exploring how Roman culture, religion, politics, commerce and law would carry through to the present day. I found myself frequently looking up place names on the map at the front of the book and realigning my geopolitics to match McDougall's speculative world. It was odd to be reminded that our communications technology (telegraph, telephone, television) has Greek, not Latin, names, so instead McDougall has longscript, longdictor and longvision.
To be honest I was never sure if this was a YA novel or if it was aimed at adults. The main characters are all prime YA age (around 15-18) and their concerns are dystopian YA-ish: in Rome, the emperor's nephew Marcus is targeted for assassination after his powerful and popular parents are murdered; in London, telepathic (longsensing?) Una saves her equally mind-gifted brother Sulian from crucifixion; the three teens meet up on the run, and meet other young people in a haven for runaway slaves. They all get various love interests, which is one of my favourite tropes – 'love on the run'!!
As well as teen angst, action and suspense, it also had the imperial intrigue that, let's face it, is a staple of any story set in Rome – the idea of murderous, duplicitous patricians jostling to be emperor. There's poisoning, kidnapping, ruthless political expediency, madness in the family, doggedly honest centurions, creepy business titans, and much more. My previous reading of trashy Roman detective novels by Marilyn Todd and Lindsey Davis has primed me for this stuff.
It seems as if McDougall is setting up sequels, which I would enjoy reading as much as this.
I enjoyed exploring how Roman culture, religion, politics, commerce and law would carry through to the present day. I found myself frequently looking up place names on the map at the front of the book and realigning my geopolitics to match McDougall's speculative world. It was odd to be reminded that our communications technology (telegraph, telephone, television) has Greek, not Latin, names, so instead McDougall has longscript, longdictor and longvision.
To be honest I was never sure if this was a YA novel or if it was aimed at adults. The main characters are all prime YA age (around 15-18) and their concerns are dystopian YA-ish: in Rome, the emperor's nephew Marcus is targeted for assassination after his powerful and popular parents are murdered; in London, telepathic (longsensing?) Una saves her equally mind-gifted brother Sulian from crucifixion; the three teens meet up on the run, and meet other young people in a haven for runaway slaves. They all get various love interests, which is one of my favourite tropes – 'love on the run'!!
As well as teen angst, action and suspense, it also had the imperial intrigue that, let's face it, is a staple of any story set in Rome – the idea of murderous, duplicitous patricians jostling to be emperor. There's poisoning, kidnapping, ruthless political expediency, madness in the family, doggedly honest centurions, creepy business titans, and much more. My previous reading of trashy Roman detective novels by Marilyn Todd and Lindsey Davis has primed me for this stuff.
It seems as if McDougall is setting up sequels, which I would enjoy reading as much as this.
January 29, 2011
Scrivere questo commento non sarà facile, per tutta una serie di motivazioni, che ora elenco: l'indefinibilità del genere (vago thriller? Fantasy per ragazzi, stile Harry Potter? Ucronia? Romanzo storico?), netta contrapposizione tra i pregi ed i difetti, lettura troppo prolungata (questa è colpa mia: l'ho iniziato più di un anno fa, poi ho dovuto interromperlo per una serie di stupide motivazioni..), ma soprattutto, un commento generalmente così esplicitamente negativo e polemico, che mi fa venire voglia di lodare il libro solo per distinguermi.
Farò qualcosa che non ho mai fatto fino ad ora. Darò voti per i singoli aspetti del romanzo.
Personaggi: 9 (mi piacciono tantissimo, sono ben caratterizzati)
Trama: 6 (banale e scontata)
Idea di fondo: 8 (molto interessante l'idea di un "e se l'impero romano esistesse ancora?")
Contesto: 2 (la McDougall non è certo Valerio Massimo Manfredi).
Ora, delle precisazioni:
1) l'idea dell'ucronia non è male, ma non capisco perché l'autrice ha contaminato la storia con elementi prettamente fantastici (i "poteri soprannaturali" dei due fratelli schiavi). Tuttosommato è interessante, ma risulta troppo strano... già è strano immaginarsi un giovane imperatore romano che guida un'automobile nel 2004. Figuriamoci pensare che la co-protagonista ha la telepatia!
2) E' vero, l'autrice fa una storia dell'impero romano, dal III secolo ad oggi, che è abbastanza improbabile, ma non capisco perché, per questo motivo, il libro debba essere una schifezza. Non vorrei sembrare eccessivamente determinista, ma qualunque storia fondamentalmente ucronica risulta assurda ed improbabile.
Insomma, per concludere, è un romanzo interessante, certo originale, per un pubblico giovanile (del resto, ha dei protagonisti adolescenti, e le loro turbe e paranoie sono più importanti di un colpo di stato). A me, studioso di storia romana, non è dispiaciuto.
Leggerò gli altri due libri della serie (per curiosità, soprattutto).
Farò qualcosa che non ho mai fatto fino ad ora. Darò voti per i singoli aspetti del romanzo.
Personaggi: 9 (mi piacciono tantissimo, sono ben caratterizzati)
Trama: 6 (banale e scontata)
Idea di fondo: 8 (molto interessante l'idea di un "e se l'impero romano esistesse ancora?")
Contesto: 2 (la McDougall non è certo Valerio Massimo Manfredi).
Ora, delle precisazioni:
1) l'idea dell'ucronia non è male, ma non capisco perché l'autrice ha contaminato la storia con elementi prettamente fantastici (i "poteri soprannaturali" dei due fratelli schiavi). Tuttosommato è interessante, ma risulta troppo strano... già è strano immaginarsi un giovane imperatore romano che guida un'automobile nel 2004. Figuriamoci pensare che la co-protagonista ha la telepatia!
2) E' vero, l'autrice fa una storia dell'impero romano, dal III secolo ad oggi, che è abbastanza improbabile, ma non capisco perché, per questo motivo, il libro debba essere una schifezza. Non vorrei sembrare eccessivamente determinista, ma qualunque storia fondamentalmente ucronica risulta assurda ed improbabile.
Insomma, per concludere, è un romanzo interessante, certo originale, per un pubblico giovanile (del resto, ha dei protagonisti adolescenti, e le loro turbe e paranoie sono più importanti di un colpo di stato). A me, studioso di storia romana, non è dispiaciuto.
Leggerò gli altri due libri della serie (per curiosità, soprattutto).
Read
February 19, 2012I am a bit of two minds about this one. The setting is utterly fascinating - an alternative history where the Roman Empire never declined and fell but has continued on to the present day. I'm not sure how realistic it is that any empire would last for that long, but it certainly makes for a compelling alternative history concept. Against that background, the plot follows a group of three teenagers - two escaped slaves and the heir to the emperor on the run from assassins - as they try to bring down a conspiracy that originates from somewhere in the inner circle of power in the Empire.[return][return]This had me expect something really exciting, but unfortunately the novel fell somewhat short of my expectations - for the most part, I just could not connect to what was happening at all, and as a consequence the novel dragged considerably during its first two thirds. I can not even quite put the finger on what the problem was, but I suspect it was a certain lack of urgency during the travelogue chapters combined with a rather diffuse sense of place, the combination of which is pretty much deadly to any kind of pursuit story. Things do pick up in the last third third of Romanitas, though, once the action moves to Rome where things culminate in what is indeed a very exciting finale.[return][return]That I lasted that long at all and kept reading through the drab chapters leading up to the climax, was mainly due to the one element where the novel really shines, and that is characterization. I'd have a hard time to think of another novel that does teenagers so convincingly (and without being a YA novel, too!) and McDougall keeps a wonderful balance between having her characters behave in a reasonable manner and having their emotions or sheer impulse get the better of their reason. It's this aspect that kept me hooked and will likely make me get the remaining volumes of the trilogy as well.
August 29, 2007
This is a great example of someone writing a common SF theme, and the publishers deciding it can't really be SF. Here, Rome really is the eternal city, and the Roman empire has lasted till the present day as the major world power, balanced in a cold war against the Nionian empire (that would be a Latinate version of "Nihon") by the third great power, the empire of Sina. The emperor's younger brother and sister-in-law are assassinated, and after an attempt is made on the life of their son Marcus (who is his uncle's favoured heir, the emperor being childless), the plot takes off with Marcus fleeing for safety. His flight is paralleled with that of two escaped slaves, the Britons Una and Sulien, who have strange abilities.
I loved this, and wish there was a lot of background information. Modern Roman society seems very controlled by the state - the "longvision" isn't something installed in private houses and only has (limited?) state channels, and "longdictors" are equally public items. Travel without passes is near impossible, especially for women. I grew very irritated with Sulien's ability not to see the obvious (he was a pampered slave of a doctor, while his sister Una had a much rougher deal) - practically every woman who meets Una and a fair few men can work out why she's so reticent about her past and why she hates being touched, but Sulien never, ever, thinks about the obvious answer. (I wonder if this book was actually written as a YA book, though it ended up published for adults? We're never told outright that Una was a child-prostitute (well, not in English, anyway), and sex is dealt with in a very off-stage or undetailed way, despite Sulien's arrest for falsely alleged rape being a major plot point).
The next volume has just been published, and features the war with Nionia going from cold to hot. Yay!
I loved this, and wish there was a lot of background information. Modern Roman society seems very controlled by the state - the "longvision" isn't something installed in private houses and only has (limited?) state channels, and "longdictors" are equally public items. Travel without passes is near impossible, especially for women. I grew very irritated with Sulien's ability not to see the obvious (he was a pampered slave of a doctor, while his sister Una had a much rougher deal) - practically every woman who meets Una and a fair few men can work out why she's so reticent about her past and why she hates being touched, but Sulien never, ever, thinks about the obvious answer. (I wonder if this book was actually written as a YA book, though it ended up published for adults? We're never told outright that Una was a child-prostitute (well, not in English, anyway), and sex is dealt with in a very off-stage or undetailed way, despite Sulien's arrest for falsely alleged rape being a major plot point).
The next volume has just been published, and features the war with Nionia going from cold to hot. Yay!
February 17, 2013
Fascinated by all things Roman plus setting my own stories in an ex-Roman colony become a small, high tech 21st century mini-state, I thought this might be a perfect book for me.
McDougall's Roman Empire is a big beast, a major force that despite territorial expansion its social development has stalled. Slavery seems anomalous for an empire that was founded on strong engineering and organisation. No account is made of phenomena such as the Antonine plagues which weakened economies and diminished all available labour including rural and slave. But with alternate history you can go any way you like so that's not a reproach, just an observation.
I really liked the overall premise and the epic flavour tempting me as I started to read. Sadly, I found the characters dull and unengaging and did they need superpowers? That's a tad lazy plotting, unless you're writing Middle Earth. Marcus was likeable in a 'pleasant' way and he tried, but I really didn't care if the rest of them lived or died.
Some of the technology is interesting, but to my mind not advanced enough. The Romans were clever with a ruthless application of science, mathematics and architecture. They'd have got further along than this, especially as they weren't clogged up by monotheism. On that note, I would have made the surviving emperor Julian the Apostate, not Pertinax.
McDougall is a poet and her narrative is lyrical and detailed. But it slowed the pace for me. The books are not fast-paced enough for adventure or thriller, nor profound enough for true literary work. I think I enjoyed the read, but I still don't know if I like the books themselves.
McDougall's Roman Empire is a big beast, a major force that despite territorial expansion its social development has stalled. Slavery seems anomalous for an empire that was founded on strong engineering and organisation. No account is made of phenomena such as the Antonine plagues which weakened economies and diminished all available labour including rural and slave. But with alternate history you can go any way you like so that's not a reproach, just an observation.
I really liked the overall premise and the epic flavour tempting me as I started to read. Sadly, I found the characters dull and unengaging and did they need superpowers? That's a tad lazy plotting, unless you're writing Middle Earth. Marcus was likeable in a 'pleasant' way and he tried, but I really didn't care if the rest of them lived or died.
Some of the technology is interesting, but to my mind not advanced enough. The Romans were clever with a ruthless application of science, mathematics and architecture. They'd have got further along than this, especially as they weren't clogged up by monotheism. On that note, I would have made the surviving emperor Julian the Apostate, not Pertinax.
McDougall is a poet and her narrative is lyrical and detailed. But it slowed the pace for me. The books are not fast-paced enough for adventure or thriller, nor profound enough for true literary work. I think I enjoyed the read, but I still don't know if I like the books themselves.
February 19, 2015
Surprised at the negative or mediocre reviews, this book hooked me from the getgo. I actually skipped ahead at first because I was so afraid of what had happened to Sulien and Una. then poor Marcus' story and the bravery of Varius was totally compelling. the characters are well drawn. mcdougall's prose is subtle, precise and evocative. I love the idea of the empire which never fell, and it is painstakingly well observed especially how a dominant latinate etymology would relegate so many of the greek root words in English. Roman mores reflected onto a modern back drop appear as perhaps middle eastern societies do to western cultures, today and this in itself is intriguing. Our pejorative view of, say, the Saudis or Iranians is actually our own European origins reflected back. one can't help comparing Rome's utter dominance to the USA, a modern empire indeed in all but name. V er ry hopeful at how the story will develop. Can't put it down!
I whipped through this book took 5 days and it was a roller coaster. it made me extremely anxious, I don't think I could read the follow on, at least not yet. wonderfully written too, best book of the year so far!
I whipped through this book took 5 days and it was a roller coaster. it made me extremely anxious, I don't think I could read the follow on, at least not yet. wonderfully written too, best book of the year so far!
August 16, 2017
Idiozia e ignoranza
Il mio unico rammarico è che nel voto non ci sia il -1. Dicevo, idiozia e ignoranza: l'idiozia è da parte dell'editore che pubblica queste sconcezze (ma esaminerò il motivo più avanti) e ignoranza da parte dell'autrice. La McDougall (di 24 anni, notare bene, al momento della redazione di questo romanzo) si sarà aggirata per Londra chiedendosi "e se ci fossero ancora i romani?". Da lì è partita con una fantasia di per sé legittima, ma che non avrebbe mai dovuto vedere la luce in un libro stampato. E' lecito fantasticare sul "e se" (io lo faccio spesso con il regime nazista) però in questo libro le premesse sono quantomai sconcertanti per il semplice fatto che l'autrice vuole farci conoscere LE SUE fantasie. E pertanto se devo leggermi un'accozzaglia di fantasie, GRADIREI che non fossero un insulto alla mia cultura. La McDougall ipotizza che l'impero romano esista ancora nel 2004. La differenza storica sta nell'assassinio di Pertinace, da parte di Leto, che fallisce miseramente. Da lì parte una serie di riforme che restaurano parte del potere senatoriale (cosa quantomai assurda, dopo quasi tre secoli di impero, perché mai un imperatore dovrebbe restaurare una istituzione percepita come antica e obsoleta?). Faccio qui notare che Pertinace non è Russel Crowe ne Il Gladiatore di Ridley Scott. L'altro punto saliente è la conquista finale dei germani - come? Con quali mezzi? Nessun imperatore ci è riuscito e neanche un secolo di riforme economiche potevano salvare l'Impero dal crepuscolo in cui stava sprofondando. L'autrice non si è letta a mio avviso neanche un testo autorevole di guerra antica. E ce ne sono parecchi. I romani, i latini, hanno avuto successo inizialmente per il semplice fatto che erano un popolo "barbarico" ... per fare un paragone con Star Trek erano molto più simili ai klingon che a umani civilizzati. Le legioni erano invincibili per svariati motivi, che non sto ad elencare, ma soprattutto per il delicato equilibrio tra il valore individuale e l'obbedienza al comandante. Sovente infatti gruppi di legionari si lanciavano in attacchi contravvenendo al comandante sul campo unendosi al loro capo. E oltre a ciò, contavano sul numero. Per ogni legionario in antichità che periva sul campo, altri dieci erano pronti a prenderne il posto per coprirsi di gloria militare. Con la civilizzazione della società romana, questi valori sono andati lentamente a perdersi, tanto che una legione del 2° o 3° secolo dopo Cristo aveva lo stesso potenziale offensivo di quelle di secoli addietro ma il costo di ogni singola unità era elevatissimo e difficilmente era rimpiazzabile. Quindi il discorso fondamentale che faccio è questo: la storia non è un imperatore che si pente e ritorna alle origini di Roma. La storia è un fiume in piena, che travolge tutti, al massimo possono cercare di nuotare controcorrente. Questa è la base del progresso. L'impero romano doveva cadere, niente poteva salvarlo. Pretendere come pretende l'autrice, che soldati germanici facessero gli interessi di Roma contro i parti è lo stesso che pretendere che i russi che combattevano in Normandia nel 1944 lottassero fino alla morte per difendere il Reich. Stessa logica. Date queste premesse traballanti la storia si spinge in maniera analoga a quella reale, con conquiste territoriali che hanno condotto a 3 grandi imperi nel 2004 (data del romanzo). Potrei anche accettare il fatto che non c'è stato il Medioevo. Quindi neanche il Rinascimento, pertanto neanche le riforme sociali e politiche fino alla fatidica Indipendenza americana ... niente Carta dei Diritti niente Dichiarazione d'Indipendenza; gli esseri umani sono diseguali in una società basta sulla famiglia allargata: schiavi e padroni. Però è vero anche questo semplice fatto: come fa una società a rimanere immutata per 2000 anni? Quando anche l'impero romano dall'epica data della fondazione del 753 a.C. era profondamente mutato nel 2° secolo dopo Cristo? La copertina poi serve più a fare scalpore che altro, non è per niente ragionata: grattacieli e croci. I grattacieli (skyscrapers) sono il prodotto della società americana del 19° secolo, con tutta la cultura della Tecnica e ciò che ne consegue. Per poter sopravvivere con le proprie identità culturali, l'impero avrebbe dovuto creare una architettura praticamente immutata per 20 secoli: in conclusione, niente grattacieli; perlomeno non di acciaio e vetro come siamo abituati. La storia di per sé non ha niente di eccezionale. Lo stile dell'autrice è pesantissimo, a volte tanto pesante da risultare illeggibile. Non voglio sapere come ha fatto a convincere l'editor a non sfoltire 200 o 250 delle sue 530 pagine di romanzo. Un esempio: Capitolo 3: la croce di accaio. Sulien, lo schiavo, accusato ingiustamente di aver violentato la figlia di un uomo libero, sta per essere crocifisso. "Conoscevano già la sua altezza e l'apertura delle braccia; avrebbero adottato il dispositivo di conseguenza. Gli avrebbero legato le braccia e le gambe con strisce di cuoio, stringendole fino a che i suoi polsi fossero schiacciati contro il metallo e i pedi pressati uno contro l'altro. Avrebbero poi azionato un interruttore sul lato della croce, e ne sarebbero usciti tre chiodi, precisi come tre chiavi nelle rispettive serrature, che gli avrebbero spezzato il groviglio delle vene, perforato lo spesso nervo che trasmetteva alle sue dita la preziosa sensibilità, slogato le ossa dei piedi, violato l'oscurità della carne, per tornare alla luce attraverso la pelle morbida e vulnerabile". Bah. Uno stile sdolcinato ricco di inutili e pesanti aggettivi che si protrae così fino alla fine, senza acquisire neanche un po' del ritmo narrativo che ti consente di seguire la storia e finirla con un certo piacere. Questa ragazza ha semplicemente un padrino molto potente che le ha permesso di pubblicare un esercizio di stile (se mai riuscirà ad evolversi, cosa di cui dubito).
Il mio unico rammarico è che nel voto non ci sia il -1. Dicevo, idiozia e ignoranza: l'idiozia è da parte dell'editore che pubblica queste sconcezze (ma esaminerò il motivo più avanti) e ignoranza da parte dell'autrice. La McDougall (di 24 anni, notare bene, al momento della redazione di questo romanzo) si sarà aggirata per Londra chiedendosi "e se ci fossero ancora i romani?". Da lì è partita con una fantasia di per sé legittima, ma che non avrebbe mai dovuto vedere la luce in un libro stampato. E' lecito fantasticare sul "e se" (io lo faccio spesso con il regime nazista) però in questo libro le premesse sono quantomai sconcertanti per il semplice fatto che l'autrice vuole farci conoscere LE SUE fantasie. E pertanto se devo leggermi un'accozzaglia di fantasie, GRADIREI che non fossero un insulto alla mia cultura. La McDougall ipotizza che l'impero romano esista ancora nel 2004. La differenza storica sta nell'assassinio di Pertinace, da parte di Leto, che fallisce miseramente. Da lì parte una serie di riforme che restaurano parte del potere senatoriale (cosa quantomai assurda, dopo quasi tre secoli di impero, perché mai un imperatore dovrebbe restaurare una istituzione percepita come antica e obsoleta?). Faccio qui notare che Pertinace non è Russel Crowe ne Il Gladiatore di Ridley Scott. L'altro punto saliente è la conquista finale dei germani - come? Con quali mezzi? Nessun imperatore ci è riuscito e neanche un secolo di riforme economiche potevano salvare l'Impero dal crepuscolo in cui stava sprofondando. L'autrice non si è letta a mio avviso neanche un testo autorevole di guerra antica. E ce ne sono parecchi. I romani, i latini, hanno avuto successo inizialmente per il semplice fatto che erano un popolo "barbarico" ... per fare un paragone con Star Trek erano molto più simili ai klingon che a umani civilizzati. Le legioni erano invincibili per svariati motivi, che non sto ad elencare, ma soprattutto per il delicato equilibrio tra il valore individuale e l'obbedienza al comandante. Sovente infatti gruppi di legionari si lanciavano in attacchi contravvenendo al comandante sul campo unendosi al loro capo. E oltre a ciò, contavano sul numero. Per ogni legionario in antichità che periva sul campo, altri dieci erano pronti a prenderne il posto per coprirsi di gloria militare. Con la civilizzazione della società romana, questi valori sono andati lentamente a perdersi, tanto che una legione del 2° o 3° secolo dopo Cristo aveva lo stesso potenziale offensivo di quelle di secoli addietro ma il costo di ogni singola unità era elevatissimo e difficilmente era rimpiazzabile. Quindi il discorso fondamentale che faccio è questo: la storia non è un imperatore che si pente e ritorna alle origini di Roma. La storia è un fiume in piena, che travolge tutti, al massimo possono cercare di nuotare controcorrente. Questa è la base del progresso. L'impero romano doveva cadere, niente poteva salvarlo. Pretendere come pretende l'autrice, che soldati germanici facessero gli interessi di Roma contro i parti è lo stesso che pretendere che i russi che combattevano in Normandia nel 1944 lottassero fino alla morte per difendere il Reich. Stessa logica. Date queste premesse traballanti la storia si spinge in maniera analoga a quella reale, con conquiste territoriali che hanno condotto a 3 grandi imperi nel 2004 (data del romanzo). Potrei anche accettare il fatto che non c'è stato il Medioevo. Quindi neanche il Rinascimento, pertanto neanche le riforme sociali e politiche fino alla fatidica Indipendenza americana ... niente Carta dei Diritti niente Dichiarazione d'Indipendenza; gli esseri umani sono diseguali in una società basta sulla famiglia allargata: schiavi e padroni. Però è vero anche questo semplice fatto: come fa una società a rimanere immutata per 2000 anni? Quando anche l'impero romano dall'epica data della fondazione del 753 a.C. era profondamente mutato nel 2° secolo dopo Cristo? La copertina poi serve più a fare scalpore che altro, non è per niente ragionata: grattacieli e croci. I grattacieli (skyscrapers) sono il prodotto della società americana del 19° secolo, con tutta la cultura della Tecnica e ciò che ne consegue. Per poter sopravvivere con le proprie identità culturali, l'impero avrebbe dovuto creare una architettura praticamente immutata per 20 secoli: in conclusione, niente grattacieli; perlomeno non di acciaio e vetro come siamo abituati. La storia di per sé non ha niente di eccezionale. Lo stile dell'autrice è pesantissimo, a volte tanto pesante da risultare illeggibile. Non voglio sapere come ha fatto a convincere l'editor a non sfoltire 200 o 250 delle sue 530 pagine di romanzo. Un esempio: Capitolo 3: la croce di accaio. Sulien, lo schiavo, accusato ingiustamente di aver violentato la figlia di un uomo libero, sta per essere crocifisso. "Conoscevano già la sua altezza e l'apertura delle braccia; avrebbero adottato il dispositivo di conseguenza. Gli avrebbero legato le braccia e le gambe con strisce di cuoio, stringendole fino a che i suoi polsi fossero schiacciati contro il metallo e i pedi pressati uno contro l'altro. Avrebbero poi azionato un interruttore sul lato della croce, e ne sarebbero usciti tre chiodi, precisi come tre chiavi nelle rispettive serrature, che gli avrebbero spezzato il groviglio delle vene, perforato lo spesso nervo che trasmetteva alle sue dita la preziosa sensibilità, slogato le ossa dei piedi, violato l'oscurità della carne, per tornare alla luce attraverso la pelle morbida e vulnerabile". Bah. Uno stile sdolcinato ricco di inutili e pesanti aggettivi che si protrae così fino alla fine, senza acquisire neanche un po' del ritmo narrativo che ti consente di seguire la storia e finirla con un certo piacere. Questa ragazza ha semplicemente un padrino molto potente che le ha permesso di pubblicare un esercizio di stile (se mai riuscirà ad evolversi, cosa di cui dubito).
July 20, 2011
This is the first part of a trilogy set in a contemporary Roman Empire in which the Emperor Pertinax was not assassinated and the Empire has survived in an alternate reality. There are good background notes and a plausible interim history provided by the author. There is an element of the paranormal in the story which is carried off persuasively. The only problem I found with the work was that the cover illustration creates a dissonant mental picture of the environment within which the narrative is set. The appearance of a familiar cityscape doesn't fit with the images conjured by the writing. My advice is to ignore the cover and think Gothic, not concrete and glass.
July 1, 2009
occasionally i pick up a book about which i know nothing from the library and apply the page 69 test, and sometimes i waste time which could have been better spent, ooh, watching harem tv, and sometimes i end up with something like Romanitas. which i found genuinely gripping and well-written, if at times a little self-conscious of the choice simile. (but then the writer does describe herself as a poet.) she does young love particularly nicely.
February 10, 2011
An interesting idea, but there were too many gaps for my liking and limited explanation. However there is a good thriller type storyline. The characters were not one-dimensional, but were underdeveloped and jumps were made which did not make sense to me. If you like historical fiction with a twist; then this is for you. Will I read the second one; probably, but not yet.
March 7, 2014
Not so much finished as abandoned. Dodgy psychic skills, unlikable (or maybe too thinly drawn) characters. No explanation of how Rome got to still exist, Constantine's conversion of the empire to Christianity appears not to have happened. Poor writing style too much tell not enough show.... I gave up at 26%
February 23, 2025
Still as good as the first time I read it. I love the characters and the worldbuilding. The amount of detail in the world building with the complete alternate history timeline, the map and the language is astonishing.
December 17, 2017
"Romulus will rule, and build the walls of Mars
And he will give his people his own name:
Romans. On them I lay no limits.
I set them free from distance and from time,
I have given them an Empire without end."
- Aeneid
Two thousand, seven hundred and fifty-seven years after its founding, the city of Rome sits at the heart of an empire that covers more than half of the globe. From the coast of California and the western edge of Hudson Bay to the Himalayas, the Roman Empire rules supreme. It has become technologically advanced, arming its legions with jet aircraft and tanks, but at heart it is still rules through the application of power and capital punishment. Immense mechanical crosses on the banks of the Tiber and the Thames slowly execute those who have defied the will of the people, and the Empire's economy is still based on the toil of slavery. The Empire needs to be strong as its greatest rival, the island-empire of Nionia, expands its power and influence on the Asian mainland and begins to amass troops in its holdings in North America.
When the Emperor's youngest brother and heir Leo dies, a great state funeral is held, but his son Marcus learns that the death was an assassination. Leo's oft-mentioned plans to reform the Empire and abolish slavery were deeply resented by some in Roman society, possibly within the imperial house itself. Marcus vows to fulfil his father's plans, but another assassination attempt soon puts him on the run, and he flees into Gaul. At the same time, two young slaves, Una and Sulien, are forced to escape from London when Sulien is falsely accused of rape. Meeting in Gaul, the three runaways learn of the existence of a secret refuge in Spain, where they can find succor, but Marcus knows he must eventually return home and expose the conspiracy that threatens the Empire.
I'm a sucker for a high concept, and Romanitas' premise is decent. Basically, the Roman Empire never fell. Instead it expanded to cover much of the globe, with only the rise of the Chinese and Japanese empires in Asia managing to successfully stave off its advances. There is a lot wrong with this theory, not least the fact that if Rome never fell the Dark Ages probably wouldn't have happened and human technology could well be four or five centuries ahead of where it is now. Instead McDougall paints the world pretty much as it is now in terms of science and technology, which is rather conservative to say the least. But I'm guessing she wanted to simply have our world with the Roman Empire overlaid on it, so I'm willing to swallow a bit of disbelief to have that work.
The story rattles along pretty well for a debut novel and it covers a fair bit of ground. The writing is a bit stodgy in places, and it's clearly the work of a relatively inexperienced author (it was McDougall's debut novel). For all of that, it's a decent read. Some of the imagery, such as the great mechanical crosses on the banks of the Thames slowly tearing people apart, is incredibly vivid. The use of a modern media society in a Roman context also works quite well: the newspapers are state-controlled, obviously, but the government allows them free reign in gossiping on the imperial family's scandals to distract the people from the more serious matters of government. The unfairness and ruthlessness of slavery is also well-depicted (although, again, sociological development over the intervening centuries would probably have seen slavery abolished at least several centuries earlier, but we can live with that) and the characters are, if not huge compelling, able to carry the story reasonably well.
On the minus side, the writing isn't always as strong or focused as it could be and whilst some elements leap off the page, others don't. The substitution of 'longdictor' and 'longvision' for telephone and television is also quite irritating. Other modern words are used, so why those aren't as well, I don't know. Also annoying is the revelation that several of the main characters are telepaths, which comes out of nowhere. So rather than just being an alternate history, Romanitas also has other SF elements. This would be fine, if there was a solid story reason why telepathy is in the plot. Whilst this may come out in the sequels, in the first volume it feels like it's a plot device solely there to get the characters out of dangerous situations that the author couldn't deal with any other way. It's also a bit of a head-scratcher, as the novel's blurb states that, "This is the Roman Empire. Now." Well, it should read, "This is the Roman Empire. Now. With added psi-powers!" The concept seems a bit out of keeping with the rest of the book.
Romanitas (***) is a solid enough read which never seems to really get to grips with the full possibilities of the premise. As an action-adventure novel, it's enjoyable enough and there's certainly enough about the concept to make me want to read the sequel, Rome Burning, which I hope to get to in the next couple of weeks. The book is available now in the UK from Orion Books and in the USA via Amazon.
And he will give his people his own name:
Romans. On them I lay no limits.
I set them free from distance and from time,
I have given them an Empire without end."
- Aeneid
Two thousand, seven hundred and fifty-seven years after its founding, the city of Rome sits at the heart of an empire that covers more than half of the globe. From the coast of California and the western edge of Hudson Bay to the Himalayas, the Roman Empire rules supreme. It has become technologically advanced, arming its legions with jet aircraft and tanks, but at heart it is still rules through the application of power and capital punishment. Immense mechanical crosses on the banks of the Tiber and the Thames slowly execute those who have defied the will of the people, and the Empire's economy is still based on the toil of slavery. The Empire needs to be strong as its greatest rival, the island-empire of Nionia, expands its power and influence on the Asian mainland and begins to amass troops in its holdings in North America.
When the Emperor's youngest brother and heir Leo dies, a great state funeral is held, but his son Marcus learns that the death was an assassination. Leo's oft-mentioned plans to reform the Empire and abolish slavery were deeply resented by some in Roman society, possibly within the imperial house itself. Marcus vows to fulfil his father's plans, but another assassination attempt soon puts him on the run, and he flees into Gaul. At the same time, two young slaves, Una and Sulien, are forced to escape from London when Sulien is falsely accused of rape. Meeting in Gaul, the three runaways learn of the existence of a secret refuge in Spain, where they can find succor, but Marcus knows he must eventually return home and expose the conspiracy that threatens the Empire.
I'm a sucker for a high concept, and Romanitas' premise is decent. Basically, the Roman Empire never fell. Instead it expanded to cover much of the globe, with only the rise of the Chinese and Japanese empires in Asia managing to successfully stave off its advances. There is a lot wrong with this theory, not least the fact that if Rome never fell the Dark Ages probably wouldn't have happened and human technology could well be four or five centuries ahead of where it is now. Instead McDougall paints the world pretty much as it is now in terms of science and technology, which is rather conservative to say the least. But I'm guessing she wanted to simply have our world with the Roman Empire overlaid on it, so I'm willing to swallow a bit of disbelief to have that work.
The story rattles along pretty well for a debut novel and it covers a fair bit of ground. The writing is a bit stodgy in places, and it's clearly the work of a relatively inexperienced author (it was McDougall's debut novel). For all of that, it's a decent read. Some of the imagery, such as the great mechanical crosses on the banks of the Thames slowly tearing people apart, is incredibly vivid. The use of a modern media society in a Roman context also works quite well: the newspapers are state-controlled, obviously, but the government allows them free reign in gossiping on the imperial family's scandals to distract the people from the more serious matters of government. The unfairness and ruthlessness of slavery is also well-depicted (although, again, sociological development over the intervening centuries would probably have seen slavery abolished at least several centuries earlier, but we can live with that) and the characters are, if not huge compelling, able to carry the story reasonably well.
On the minus side, the writing isn't always as strong or focused as it could be and whilst some elements leap off the page, others don't. The substitution of 'longdictor' and 'longvision' for telephone and television is also quite irritating. Other modern words are used, so why those aren't as well, I don't know. Also annoying is the revelation that several of the main characters are telepaths, which comes out of nowhere. So rather than just being an alternate history, Romanitas also has other SF elements. This would be fine, if there was a solid story reason why telepathy is in the plot. Whilst this may come out in the sequels, in the first volume it feels like it's a plot device solely there to get the characters out of dangerous situations that the author couldn't deal with any other way. It's also a bit of a head-scratcher, as the novel's blurb states that, "This is the Roman Empire. Now." Well, it should read, "This is the Roman Empire. Now. With added psi-powers!" The concept seems a bit out of keeping with the rest of the book.
Romanitas (***) is a solid enough read which never seems to really get to grips with the full possibilities of the premise. As an action-adventure novel, it's enjoyable enough and there's certainly enough about the concept to make me want to read the sequel, Rome Burning, which I hope to get to in the next couple of weeks. The book is available now in the UK from Orion Books and in the USA via Amazon.
dnf
March 3, 2016Why was it so dull? Sad
September 23, 2013
First in the Romanitas alternate history fiction series revolving around Marcus Novius Faustus Leo, an impediment to taking over the empire.
Do commit the maps in the front of the book to memory---or at least put a bookmark on that page as you'll want to refer to it as Marcus, Una, and Sulein make through way through the countryside.
My Take
This was an interesting read with two separate stories that quickly merge in this Rome that never fell and rules half the world. Full of Roman hubris in what is the equivalent of our 2005, it's enough to make me want to smack 'em around and wonder how its empire survived so long, especially with the slavery.
It was an odd reading that kept throwing me off my stride with the discordancy of the combination of Roman and modern names for cities and places, the Roman familial nomens, and Roman culture with its ancient politics, mores, justice system, and slavery---contrasting with the modernish setting.
It didn't help that McDougall writes some incomprehensible sentences that had me going back over them again and again to try and understand what was happening.
With that whining over with, it is an engrossing read---more ancient Rome with some modern conveniences. My first thought was how clever of McDougall to create this world, but when I look back over it, it's quite simple: ancient Rome overlaid with a few futuristic gadgets. It's as though Rome itself never evolved in its culture or mores.
Una and Sulien's psychic abilities and the slavery dilemma make this a more engaging story than the plotting to place someone else on the throne, and it's the slavery issue that is the inciting event.
I do wish McDougall had explained more about why Marcus is so anti-slave. I can't imagine that his parents were as squeamish about directing the servants.
Nor do I understand how Varius could be so unthinking. After working with Leo for so long, you'd think he'd have a good idea of how brutal politics could be. That he'd have set up an escape route and protections for himself and his family.
The escape of all three provides insight into how this Roman civilization works and provides Marcus with insight into the truth of Roman rule while Una and Sulien are forced to rediscover each other.
I don't understand why neither Sulien nor Una ever think to use their psychic abilities to protect or defend themselves.
I've been over it again and again, and while I completely understand why Dama did as he did, I still am not grasping why the construction issue was such a big deal, why the builder and owner were so obsessed with pushing so hard.
Ooh, McDougall did an amazing job of throwing me off! I did have my doubts about one person, but not the linchpin to it all.
The comments about Virgil and his writing were interesting and have made me curious to read him now. Sounds like he was a typical writer…
No, the whole love attraction between the two main couples isn't believable; it's simply that McDougall decrees it and it is so. Dama was more believable in his passion, and so very compassionate at the end. I do want to know what's happened to him.
Why is the emperor so powerless and such a weak ignoramus?
Wow, it's complex, tricky, and so terrifyingly scary at how easy it is to whisk someone out of the way. Marcus is so incredibly lucky he has such friends. His family certainly isn't of any help.
It almost appears as if McDougall is going somewhere with all the people who are absorbed in Marcus' reappearance and disappearance, but then it just fades away. This could have been interesting and I kept reading, hoping, to no avail.
The Story
One half of the story opens with a funeral and Marcus is numb, wanting to get past the horror of his parents' deaths but caught in a limbo of thought. The letter from Varius comes at the perfect time, until he learns the reasons behind it and must go on the run to save his own life.
The other half of the story has the potential for a funeral and it takes some tricky maneuvering to avoid it as Una and Sulien also make their escape.
The Characters
Sixteen-year-old Marcus Novius Faustus Leo finds something of his parents in himself and is disgusted.
Leo, the emperor's Caeser, his heir, and Clodia are the perfect couple---in public. Each supports the other in their ambitions, as long as it furthers their own. Both are anti-slavery and intend to do something about it. Varius is Leo's private secretary and his executor; Gemella is his beloved wife who serves Clodia.
Drusus is Marcus' cousin; his father is the mad Lucius with his own very private secret. One for which I can't blame him! I think Ulpia is his mistress?? Their uncle and Lucius and Leo's brother, Faustus, is emperor of Rome (Titus Novius Faustus Augustus). Markaria is his daughter and Marcus and Drusus' cousin; she prefers to live on her vineyard in Greece, far from her father. Tulliola is Faustus' second wife and absolutely perfect.
Una is a young slave with psychic abilities in Londonium with but one goal in her life, rescuing her brother, Sulien, from death. He has a valuable psychic ability as well. Rufius was the master to whom their weak-minded mother sold them upon their father/owner's death.
The escaped slave camp at Holzarta...
Dama was a young slave when he was crucified and then rescued by Delir, a compassionate merchant who has been collaborating with Leo and Clodia. Lal is Delir's fourteen-year-old daughter. Ziye is Delir's lover. Tobias, Pyrrha is freaking out while her daughter Iris slaves away to care for her idiot mother, Tiro, and Marinus are escaped slaves. Palben is a young mechanic in Wolf Step/Athabia who keeps an ear open for news and sends supplies up to the camp.
Cleomenes is the centurion on duty when the body is discovered. Tasius is a spy sent to find Marcus with later help from Ennius and Ramio. Laevinus and Renatus are vigiles, Cleomenes' superiors, and corrupt.
Catavignus is a well-known but weak-minded physician who learns of Sulien's abilities. Tancorix is the willful, ugly daughter who blossoms. Prisca is her conniving mother. Epimachus will be Tancorix's husband. The ruthless, sweet-talking Gabinius is a merchant who worked his way up into wealth and a chance at power; now he's worried about the anti-slavery movement. Helvia is his wife.
Mixigana is a treaty between Rome and Nionia (Japan) which affects the Terranovans (the Americas). Sinoans are Chinese.
The Cover
Jesus, the cover is gloomy, eerie, and just plain scary and plays up the contrast within Romanitas of ancient Roman cruelty and a modern, well-lit city against its blackened cloudy sky.
I don't know the meaning of the title---it's the "itas" that's throwing me off in Romanitas. My inclination is to assume that it's an affectionate diminutive, and if I'm right, it makes sense as everyone likes young Marcus, and he does represent Roman authority.
Do commit the maps in the front of the book to memory---or at least put a bookmark on that page as you'll want to refer to it as Marcus, Una, and Sulein make through way through the countryside.
My Take
This was an interesting read with two separate stories that quickly merge in this Rome that never fell and rules half the world. Full of Roman hubris in what is the equivalent of our 2005, it's enough to make me want to smack 'em around and wonder how its empire survived so long, especially with the slavery.
It was an odd reading that kept throwing me off my stride with the discordancy of the combination of Roman and modern names for cities and places, the Roman familial nomens, and Roman culture with its ancient politics, mores, justice system, and slavery---contrasting with the modernish setting.
It didn't help that McDougall writes some incomprehensible sentences that had me going back over them again and again to try and understand what was happening.
With that whining over with, it is an engrossing read---more ancient Rome with some modern conveniences. My first thought was how clever of McDougall to create this world, but when I look back over it, it's quite simple: ancient Rome overlaid with a few futuristic gadgets. It's as though Rome itself never evolved in its culture or mores.
Una and Sulien's psychic abilities and the slavery dilemma make this a more engaging story than the plotting to place someone else on the throne, and it's the slavery issue that is the inciting event.
I do wish McDougall had explained more about why Marcus is so anti-slave. I can't imagine that his parents were as squeamish about directing the servants.
Nor do I understand how Varius could be so unthinking. After working with Leo for so long, you'd think he'd have a good idea of how brutal politics could be. That he'd have set up an escape route and protections for himself and his family.
The escape of all three provides insight into how this Roman civilization works and provides Marcus with insight into the truth of Roman rule while Una and Sulien are forced to rediscover each other.
I don't understand why neither Sulien nor Una ever think to use their psychic abilities to protect or defend themselves.
I've been over it again and again, and while I completely understand why Dama did as he did, I still am not grasping why the construction issue was such a big deal, why the builder and owner were so obsessed with pushing so hard.
Ooh, McDougall did an amazing job of throwing me off! I did have my doubts about one person, but not the linchpin to it all.
The comments about Virgil and his writing were interesting and have made me curious to read him now. Sounds like he was a typical writer…
No, the whole love attraction between the two main couples isn't believable; it's simply that McDougall decrees it and it is so. Dama was more believable in his passion, and so very compassionate at the end. I do want to know what's happened to him.
Why is the emperor so powerless and such a weak ignoramus?
Wow, it's complex, tricky, and so terrifyingly scary at how easy it is to whisk someone out of the way. Marcus is so incredibly lucky he has such friends. His family certainly isn't of any help.
It almost appears as if McDougall is going somewhere with all the people who are absorbed in Marcus' reappearance and disappearance, but then it just fades away. This could have been interesting and I kept reading, hoping, to no avail.
The Story
One half of the story opens with a funeral and Marcus is numb, wanting to get past the horror of his parents' deaths but caught in a limbo of thought. The letter from Varius comes at the perfect time, until he learns the reasons behind it and must go on the run to save his own life.
The other half of the story has the potential for a funeral and it takes some tricky maneuvering to avoid it as Una and Sulien also make their escape.
The Characters
Sixteen-year-old Marcus Novius Faustus Leo finds something of his parents in himself and is disgusted.
Leo, the emperor's Caeser, his heir, and Clodia are the perfect couple---in public. Each supports the other in their ambitions, as long as it furthers their own. Both are anti-slavery and intend to do something about it. Varius is Leo's private secretary and his executor; Gemella is his beloved wife who serves Clodia.
Drusus is Marcus' cousin; his father is the mad Lucius with his own very private secret. One for which I can't blame him! I think Ulpia is his mistress?? Their uncle and Lucius and Leo's brother, Faustus, is emperor of Rome (Titus Novius Faustus Augustus). Markaria is his daughter and Marcus and Drusus' cousin; she prefers to live on her vineyard in Greece, far from her father. Tulliola is Faustus' second wife and absolutely perfect.
Una is a young slave with psychic abilities in Londonium with but one goal in her life, rescuing her brother, Sulien, from death. He has a valuable psychic ability as well. Rufius was the master to whom their weak-minded mother sold them upon their father/owner's death.
The escaped slave camp at Holzarta...
Dama was a young slave when he was crucified and then rescued by Delir, a compassionate merchant who has been collaborating with Leo and Clodia. Lal is Delir's fourteen-year-old daughter. Ziye is Delir's lover. Tobias, Pyrrha is freaking out while her daughter Iris slaves away to care for her idiot mother, Tiro, and Marinus are escaped slaves. Palben is a young mechanic in Wolf Step/Athabia who keeps an ear open for news and sends supplies up to the camp.
Cleomenes is the centurion on duty when the body is discovered. Tasius is a spy sent to find Marcus with later help from Ennius and Ramio. Laevinus and Renatus are vigiles, Cleomenes' superiors, and corrupt.
Catavignus is a well-known but weak-minded physician who learns of Sulien's abilities. Tancorix is the willful, ugly daughter who blossoms. Prisca is her conniving mother. Epimachus will be Tancorix's husband. The ruthless, sweet-talking Gabinius is a merchant who worked his way up into wealth and a chance at power; now he's worried about the anti-slavery movement. Helvia is his wife.
Mixigana is a treaty between Rome and Nionia (Japan) which affects the Terranovans (the Americas). Sinoans are Chinese.
The Cover
Jesus, the cover is gloomy, eerie, and just plain scary and plays up the contrast within Romanitas of ancient Roman cruelty and a modern, well-lit city against its blackened cloudy sky.
I don't know the meaning of the title---it's the "itas" that's throwing me off in Romanitas. My inclination is to assume that it's an affectionate diminutive, and if I'm right, it makes sense as everyone likes young Marcus, and he does represent Roman authority.
July 8, 2019
***ENGLISH REVIEW BELOW***
Dit was een interessant boek, maar het duurde even voordat ik in het verhaal kwam. Ik vind het basisidee leuk, dat het Romeinse Rijk nog steeds bestaat, maar het was een beetje een teleurstelling om erachter te komen dat er magie in het verhaal zat. Tenzij het blijkt dat die klachten van genetische manipulatie komen, dat zou een interessante twist zijn, maar ik denk niet dat dat gaat gebeuren. Niet dat de magie per sé slecht is, maar ik had verwacht dat het verhaal meer realistisch zou zijn. De schrijfstijl was ook niet de gemakkelijkste, het was een beetje storend hoe het tussen personages sprong binnen een paar paragrafen. En de romantiek was ook niet het sterkste punt in het verhaal. Toch vind ik de wereld die tot nu toe gebouwd is wel leuk, en ik ben nieuwsgierig hoe dingen zich verder ontwikkelen. Ondanks dat ik in het begin twijfelde, zijn de drie hoofdpersonages me wel meer gaan liggen. Ik zal het volgende boek lezen en ik ben benieuwd hoe de wereldproblemen die in dit boek naar voren zijn gekomen opgelost zullen worden in de rest van de serie.
***ENGLISH REVIEW***
This was an interesting book, but it took me a while to get in the story. I like the premise, that of a Roman Empire that still exists, but it was a bit of a disappointment for me to find out that there was magic in this story. Unless it turns out that the powers come from genetic engineering, that would be an interesting twist, but I don't think that's going to happen. Not that the magic was necessarily bad, but I had expected this to be more reality-based. The writing style was not the easiest, either, it was a bit jarring how it jumped between characters within a few paragraphs. And the romance in the story wasn't its strongest point, either. Still, I like the world which has been build so far, and I'm curious to see how things will develop further. Even though I was a bit unsure in the beginning, the three main characters have grown on me. I will read the next book and I'm curious to see how the world problems brought forth in this book will be solved in the rest of the series.
Dit was een interessant boek, maar het duurde even voordat ik in het verhaal kwam. Ik vind het basisidee leuk, dat het Romeinse Rijk nog steeds bestaat, maar het was een beetje een teleurstelling om erachter te komen dat er magie in het verhaal zat. Tenzij het blijkt dat die klachten van genetische manipulatie komen, dat zou een interessante twist zijn, maar ik denk niet dat dat gaat gebeuren. Niet dat de magie per sé slecht is, maar ik had verwacht dat het verhaal meer realistisch zou zijn. De schrijfstijl was ook niet de gemakkelijkste, het was een beetje storend hoe het tussen personages sprong binnen een paar paragrafen. En de romantiek was ook niet het sterkste punt in het verhaal. Toch vind ik de wereld die tot nu toe gebouwd is wel leuk, en ik ben nieuwsgierig hoe dingen zich verder ontwikkelen. Ondanks dat ik in het begin twijfelde, zijn de drie hoofdpersonages me wel meer gaan liggen. Ik zal het volgende boek lezen en ik ben benieuwd hoe de wereldproblemen die in dit boek naar voren zijn gekomen opgelost zullen worden in de rest van de serie.
***ENGLISH REVIEW***
This was an interesting book, but it took me a while to get in the story. I like the premise, that of a Roman Empire that still exists, but it was a bit of a disappointment for me to find out that there was magic in this story. Unless it turns out that the powers come from genetic engineering, that would be an interesting twist, but I don't think that's going to happen. Not that the magic was necessarily bad, but I had expected this to be more reality-based. The writing style was not the easiest, either, it was a bit jarring how it jumped between characters within a few paragraphs. And the romance in the story wasn't its strongest point, either. Still, I like the world which has been build so far, and I'm curious to see how things will develop further. Even though I was a bit unsure in the beginning, the three main characters have grown on me. I will read the next book and I'm curious to see how the world problems brought forth in this book will be solved in the rest of the series.
January 10, 2023
I bought this book because I read a ton of science fiction and alternate history. This one sounded particularly interesting because who wouldn't want to see what the Roman Empire is like in modern times. This book is uniquely frustrating because the author is obviously talented but the book is so dull I actually had to just give up about one-third of the way through. First, Ms. McDougall does not deliver on the fun that a modern Rome should have. She has presented a dreary history that is mildly interesting but an appendix that is more interesting than the book itself means that there's a problem. There is, frankly, no reason why this book needs to be set in a modern Roman empire. She doesn't get any mileage out of the various alterations in the timeline and her point of divergence is so remote in history that we don't get the fun of seeing a world that we recognize. For example, London is London in name only. There are no points of reference which we have in common with her London, not even a Tower of London because that would have been built 8 centuries after the divergence. So we have a place name and nothing to hook our imaginations into it as a reader. Forgive me, but doesn't that completely sabotage the point of making this an alternate timeline? She completed excised every potential source of fun.
There is then the problem of length and pacing. There are the bones of a good story here, but it is so mired in uninteresting detail and a failure to edit that it doesn't matter. This should be a Dan Brown-like roller coaster ride through a fascinating setting. It's not. It's plodding and utterly uninteresting. It takes a special gift to make crucifixion uninteresting, but there it is. Whoever edited this book failed a talented author, because if literally 40% of the book had been subjected to a ruthless red pen, the book would be infinitely better and, at least, readable. As it is, the book is a sore disappointment.
There is then the problem of length and pacing. There are the bones of a good story here, but it is so mired in uninteresting detail and a failure to edit that it doesn't matter. This should be a Dan Brown-like roller coaster ride through a fascinating setting. It's not. It's plodding and utterly uninteresting. It takes a special gift to make crucifixion uninteresting, but there it is. Whoever edited this book failed a talented author, because if literally 40% of the book had been subjected to a ruthless red pen, the book would be infinitely better and, at least, readable. As it is, the book is a sore disappointment.
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