Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn

mistress of romeNarrated by Elizabeth Wiley

Welcome to Rome in year 80 A.D. It’s a place ruled by politics and savagery. Its citizens cry for blood almost daily. In Mistress of Rome, author Kate Quinn allows us a closer look at this volatile setting.

Thea is a passionate, Hebrew slave. Music is in her soul. No one can dampen her spirits, not even the incredibly spiteful Lepida Pollia, her most recent mistress. Thea is horrified by the blood and gore that so enchant Lepida. However, it is these things that bring Arius the Barbarian to her attention, something that will change her life in ways she never could have imagined.

Arius is one of the toughest heroes I’ve read about. He worked in the salt mines for years before taking his place in Rome’s arena. Now, he’s a ruthless gladiator, urged on by an inner voice he refers to as the demon to kill every man or animal he is presented with. Soon, all of Rome is singing his praises, even Lepida, who hates the fact that she will soon be required to marry a much older man. Arius only has eyes for Thea, something that infuriates Lepida.

Just as Arius and Thea admit their love for one another, Lepida rips them apart. Thea is sold to a brothal in another city. Arius, sure he’ll never see her again, throws everything he has into the arena, praying for death more and more with each passing day.

Thea, on the other hand, is bent on remaking herself. She falls into the hands of a kindly master who encourages her to learn all she can about music. Soon, Thea is back in Rome, one of the city’s most sought-after singers. She becomes mistress to Domitian, Rome’s current emperor, once again putting herself at odds with Lepida, who has not mellowed with age. Can Thea break free from Domitian’s cruel games and reunite with Arius?

Mistress of Rome was riveting. It’s a little over fifteen hours in length, but the book seemed to fly by. The characters were compelling, and the plot never dragged. I was glued to my iPod, waiting to see how things would turn out for Thea and Arius.

This was the perfect book for narrator Elizabeth Wiley. Her melodious voice brought each and every character to life. I was especially taken with her depiction of Lepida. Ms. Wiley captured her whiny, spiteful nature perfectly. I also found her depiction of various children to be quite good. She never actually sounded childlike, but her tone suggested a certain innocence, sometimes mixed with mischief, that suggested youth beautifully.

Parts of this book were incredibly violent. I gagged a few times at the descriptions of blood and gore. Ms. Wiley didn’t seem at all affected by it though. She quickened her pace a bit, but I got the impression that was more to heighten the tension than to get through the disgusting passages faster. I honestly don’t know how she managed to read all of that without a hitch.

There was one flaw in Ms. Wiley’s narration. The word betrothed seemed to be quite a challenge for her. It should rhyme with clothed. Instead, the ed was pronounced as it would be in words like resisted or demonstrated, making it a three syllable word. It happened pretty consistently throughout the book, and I found it very jarring.

If you’re a fan of historical romance with quite a bit of violence and intrigue mixed in, Mistress of Rome will be perfect for you. The next three books are all available on Audible, and I grabbed them as soon as I finished this. It won’t be long before I’m once again lost in the world of ancient Rome. Ms. Wiley narrates, and, if she could only learn to say betrothed properly, things would be perfect.

Shannon


Narration:  B+

Book Content:  A+

Steam Factor:  For your burning ears only

Violence:  Domestic, graphic

Genre:  Historical Romance, Historical Fiction

Publisher:  Tantor Audio

 

Mistress of Rome was provided to AudioGals by Tantor Audio for review.