Book
Mistress of Rome : [a novel] / Kate Quinn.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780425232477 (trade pbk.)
- ISBN: 0425232476 (trade pbk.)
- Physical Description: 470 p. ; 21 cm.
- Edition: Berkley trade pbk. ed.
- Publisher: New York : Berkley Books, 2010.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | Subtitle from cover. |
| Summary, etc.: | Beautiful and musical Judaean slave Thea attempts to survive and prosper in first century Rome despite a spiteful mistress, a broken love affair with a gladiator, and, most dangerous of all, an interested Emperor. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Domitian, Emperor of Rome, 51-96 > Fiction. Women slaves > Rome > Fiction. Gladiators > Fiction. Rome > History > Domitian, 81-96 > Fiction. Historical fiction. |
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Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at GRPL.
Holds
0 current holds with 1 total copy.
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main | Fiction Quinn (Text) | 31307018813271 | Fiction | Available | - |
Electronic resources
Publishers Weekly Review
Mistress of Rome
Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Quinn convincingly conjures the terrifying reign of Emperor Domitian in her solid debut that follows the travails of Thea, a slave girl and mistress to the emperor. While she is tormented by Domitian, she holds her secrets-a gladiator lover, a young son-close. When these facts are brought to Domitian's attention by Thea's jealous rival, Thea takes drastic actions to secure her family. Quinn's command of first-century Rome is matched only by her involvement with her characters; all of them, historical and invented, are compelling and realistic, and she explores their dark sides without crossing into gratuitousness. Readers will finish eager for a sequel, which is a good thing because Quinn has left the door wide open for a follow-up. This should make a splash among devotees of ancient Rome. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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Library Journal Review
Mistress of Rome
Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Born a Jew, Thea was one of a handful of people who survived the fall of Masada to the Romans in 73 C.E. As the novel opens, she is crouched over a bowl bleeding from self-inflicted cuts, penance for having escaped death as a child and for her continuing existence as a slave of Rome. It isn't until her spiteful mistress, Lepida, sends her to Rome's most popular gladiator with letters begging for his attention that Thea's life changes. Furious that Arius the Barbarian loves Thea rather than herself, Lepida sells the girl, thus beginning a chain of events that leads Thea from a life of misery to the attention of the Emperor Domitian, who takes her as his mistress. Verdict Quinn borrows freely, though admittedly not always accurately, from first-century Roman history. Historical fiction fans looking for a more factual account of ancient Rome may wish to pick up the novels of Colleen McCullough or Robert Harris, but for sheer entertainment, drama, and page-turning storytelling, this tumultuous debut novel is well worth reading.-Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage P.L., AK (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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