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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
So, I had low expectations, and they were met. A mystery thriller set in ancient times is cool, and maybe if you don't know history you don't know how it should end. The characters did things and said things that feel very 20th century. Pretty low quality dialog.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Harris is a master of historical fiction! Loved the ending. :):) makes me want to research this rumor.
As always, be aware that accurate historical fiction includes accurate language and descriptions of what was at one point commonplace.
As always, be aware that accurate historical fiction includes accurate language and descriptions of what was at one point commonplace.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Seems like a fiction book trying to be non-fiction.
adventurous
hopeful
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I probably should start this review by saying that I have always been fascinated by the city of Pompeii. I have never visited it but I believe it is the only city where you can actually travel through time, and it fueled my passion for Archaeology (which, after all, now I do not practice). Also, I always liked Geology, with its volcanoes, tectonic plates and several types of rocks. So, this book combines the two, and I couldn't be indifferent to it.
The author guides us through 4 days (two prior to the disaster, the day of the eruption and the next day), letting us know the Roman's way of life at that time, while presenting also excerpts of books that examine the volcanic phenomenon in general and this episode in particular. I found it to be a book rich in details, mentioning how small things could have helped to predict the disaster, if the knowledge at that time had been other and more widespread and it should be noted the reference to the Etna, which erupted nearly two centuries before Vesuvius and have been documented.
Adding to this, we have a very rich cast of characters and interesting to follow. They are the ones who let us know the day-to-day life of a Roman city, the citizens' concerns, the political games behind the scenes, the corruption of public officials. It makes us also know the importance of the aqueducts, one of the greatest inventions of the Romans, in roman's life and in maintaining peace in the cities.
This review doesn't do justice to the book but I liked it and recommend it, especially to those who enjoy historical fiction with a bit of thriller and natural disasters in the mix.
The author guides us through 4 days (two prior to the disaster, the day of the eruption and the next day), letting us know the Roman's way of life at that time, while presenting also excerpts of books that examine the volcanic phenomenon in general and this episode in particular. I found it to be a book rich in details, mentioning how small things could have helped to predict the disaster, if the knowledge at that time had been other and more widespread and it should be noted the reference to the Etna, which erupted nearly two centuries before Vesuvius and have been documented.
Adding to this, we have a very rich cast of characters and interesting to follow. They are the ones who let us know the day-to-day life of a Roman city, the citizens' concerns, the political games behind the scenes, the corruption of public officials. It makes us also know the importance of the aqueducts, one of the greatest inventions of the Romans, in roman's life and in maintaining peace in the cities.
This review doesn't do justice to the book but I liked it and recommend it, especially to those who enjoy historical fiction with a bit of thriller and natural disasters in the mix.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
