Scan barcode
tmawhir's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
little_red_dragon's review against another edition
3.0
Update:
After a re-read, the 3 star rating still holds. I would add another issue, which is that Sabina is just so unlikeable, but not in a good way. She's not a character that you love to hate (that would be Empress Plotina). Instead, she is supposed to be our heroine, but is constantly using Vix for her own ends. She knows it, he (eventually) knows it, and yet it continues throughout the whole book. This is not to say that Vix is a particularly easy hero to root for, either. But there is so much actually love and affection missing in their relationship that they make me want to bang my head against a wall sometimes.
Original Review:
I had such high hopes for this book and perhaps that was the problem. Mistress of Rome was so powerful because of Thea's voice and Empress of the Seven Hills simply doesn't have a narrator that can take up Thea's mantle. Instead, the story skips back and forth between several narrators, though only Vix's portions are told in first person. This constant shifting of narrators moves the story along and reveals several important plot points, but also creates a choppiness that makes the whole thing a bit difficult to read.
With that said, it was definitely enjoyable and had all the plots/political intrigue/general sassiness that made Mistress of Rome so interesting. It's also incredibly well researched. I probably would have loved it a lot more if my expectations weren't quite so high.
After a re-read, the 3 star rating still holds. I would add another issue, which is that Sabina is just so unlikeable, but not in a good way. She's not a character that you love to hate (that would be Empress Plotina). Instead, she is supposed to be our heroine, but is constantly using Vix for her own ends. She knows it, he (eventually) knows it, and yet it continues throughout the whole book. This is not to say that Vix is a particularly easy hero to root for, either. But there is so much actually love and affection missing in their relationship that they make me want to bang my head against a wall sometimes.
Original Review:
I had such high hopes for this book and perhaps that was the problem. Mistress of Rome was so powerful because of Thea's voice and Empress of the Seven Hills simply doesn't have a narrator that can take up Thea's mantle. Instead, the story skips back and forth between several narrators, though only Vix's portions are told in first person. This constant shifting of narrators moves the story along and reveals several important plot points, but also creates a choppiness that makes the whole thing a bit difficult to read.
With that said, it was definitely enjoyable and had all the plots/political intrigue/general sassiness that made Mistress of Rome so interesting. It's also incredibly well researched. I probably would have loved it a lot more if my expectations weren't quite so high.
chillawesome's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
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? Yes
4.5
chrisheitz18's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
andrealage's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
chelsealynnmcmanus's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
planetarypan's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book but not as much as the first two. I think my main problem was that some of the story was told from the point of view of a character I really could NOT stand, and she soured me on a lot of the novel. I'm really glad that Quinn chose not to write out a lot of the battles in detail, filling in only a few places that were of import. I also wish more had been written about Trajan himself rather than the stories of him always being from everyone else's point of view. Still, I'm going to read the next one just to see what happens to everyone left in this one.
jbiscuit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ufcasey's review against another edition
4.0
This series is so ridiculously good. I freely admit that I skipped book #2 in this series because chronologically it takes place before book #1 so it's basically a prequel. In turn, that makes books 1, 3, and 4 a trilogy essentially.
You can still see some ways in which Quinn has improved as a writer comparing this to her more recent books. Her villains in this story are a little too over the top but I appreciate that there are very few characters in this series who are 100% good. Both Vix and Sabina definitely have some major flaws. But yet you still want to root for them individually as they grow and change. And Quinn's storytelling is so engrossing! That ending! It's made all the better because the upheaval is historically accurate. I can't wait to get my hands on the last book.
You can still see some ways in which Quinn has improved as a writer comparing this to her more recent books. Her villains in this story are a little too over the top but I appreciate that there are very few characters in this series who are 100% good. Both Vix and Sabina definitely have some major flaws. But yet you still want to root for them individually as they grow and change. And Quinn's storytelling is so engrossing! That ending! It's made all the better because the upheaval is historically accurate. I can't wait to get my hands on the last book.