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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
No one gets a happy ending, which I would usually be okay with, except that the book is so dark and gruesome that I would have liked some redemption at the end to make it worthwhile.
It's also historically inaccurate. I didn't write anything down, so I won't give a list, but one thing I noticed: men joke about being "big", or criticize a guy for being small, when that's actually a more modern insecurity. In the ancient world it was believed to be a sign of intelligence if a man was small.
It also wouldn't make sense for them to want to be big, since they don't care about whether the woman (one from a brothel, especially) gets any pleasure out of the interaction.
The explicit statues and lamps everywhere make me suspicious, this doesn't seem realistic. She goes to the lamp shop and they're on display. Do we have proof of a lamp shop displaying this so openly? I'd have a hard time thinking they would do that, even the shops in the seedy parts of town.
The book itself is cheaply made, the spine creaks and the paper is cheap. There are typos, and questions that don't have question marks at the end.
Way too many explicit things in this book that make it hard to stomach - which I understand is sort of the point, she wants to get out just as much as the reader does. However, that did make for an unpleasant read. I still finished the book, but I was sick of it by the end of chapter one - I just assumed it would get better, but it never does.
It's also historically inaccurate. I didn't write anything down, so I won't give a list, but one thing I noticed: men joke about being "big", or criticize a guy for being small, when that's actually a more modern insecurity. In the ancient world it was believed to be a sign of intelligence if a man was small.
It also wouldn't make sense for them to want to be big, since they don't care about whether the woman (one from a brothel, especially) gets any pleasure out of the interaction.
The explicit statues and lamps everywhere make me suspicious, this doesn't seem realistic. She goes to the lamp shop and they're on display. Do we have proof of a lamp shop displaying this so openly? I'd have a hard time thinking they would do that, even the shops in the seedy parts of town.
The book itself is cheaply made, the spine creaks and the paper is cheap. There are typos, and questions that don't have question marks at the end.
Way too many explicit things in this book that make it hard to stomach - which I understand is sort of the point, she wants to get out just as much as the reader does. However, that did make for an unpleasant read. I still finished the book, but I was sick of it by the end of chapter one - I just assumed it would get better, but it never does.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abortion, Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Pedophilia, Vomit, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
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:
No
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I honestly had a hard time getting through this book. It was a real drag for me to read.
Most of the characters were pretty bland, though I’ll give honorable mentions to Dido for her growth, Britannica for being a total badass, and Menander (if you know, you know).
I was tempted to DNF this one a few times. The only reason I didn’t is because this was a bookclub read.
It’s not that I dislike slow-paced stories; I actually usually enjoy them! What I have trouble with is when an author introduces so many interesting plot possibilities… and then doesn’t explore any of them.
I understand that this is the first book in a trilogy, and a lot of groundwork has to go into world-building and character development. However, a first book should still make you want to read the next two. This didn’t do that for me at all.
That said, I’m glad the story wraps up without a cliffhanger, so I can close the book, seal it away, and consider it forgotten.
Most of the characters were pretty bland, though I’ll give honorable mentions to Dido for her growth, Britannica for being a total badass, and Menander (if you know, you know).
I was tempted to DNF this one a few times. The only reason I didn’t is because this was a bookclub read.
It’s not that I dislike slow-paced stories; I actually usually enjoy them! What I have trouble with is when an author introduces so many interesting plot possibilities… and then doesn’t explore any of them.
I understand that this is the first book in a trilogy, and a lot of groundwork has to go into world-building and character development. However, a first book should still make you want to read the next two. This didn’t do that for me at all.
That said, I’m glad the story wraps up without a cliffhanger, so I can close the book, seal it away, and consider it forgotten.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
“Why read so much suffering?”
An exercise in empathy (for those who deserve it, even as they are not perfect people)
Thought I wouldn’t be able to bear continuing this series but then the book ended and I suddenly couldn’t bear to leave this woman. Love an author who brings out my masochistic side.
An exercise in empathy (for those who deserve it, even as they are not perfect people)
Thought I wouldn’t be able to bear continuing this series but then the book ended and I suddenly couldn’t bear to leave this woman. Love an author who brings out my masochistic side.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-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
This book is brutal in its candidness. Every woman in the brothel has a story that's heart-breakingly realistic. It took me so long to get through because of how heavy the material was, but it's clear that a great deal of research and care went into the story and the subject material.
I'm horrifically behind on reviews, and I don't anticipate that getting better for a couple more months at least. Having said that, I'm going to just write a super short review rather than kid myself that I'll do a good one three months from now.
I loved this. I'd never read anything like it, and it kept my attention. The characters are well developed, each with an identity that sets them apart from the next. The friendship(s) between the women in the brothel is the real glue to this story and what makes it so interesting. It is horrific to think what life would be like as a slave who is forced to have sex multiple times a day. Each of the women who have been put into this situation handle it differently. One thing I loved was the lack of judgement and the details of how they came to be in this situation. It stripped stereotypes of "what type of women these must be (insert holier than thou look and voice here)."
There is a lot of sex, sex talk, and nudity (it's about a brothel for goodness sakes), so if you are offended by these things, you should probably pull your bonnet over your head and walk away from this one.
It looks like there is a second book that just came out a month ago, so I'll definitely be checking that out.
Maybe a 4.5 but enjoyed it so much that it's getting 5 Stars from me
I loved this. I'd never read anything like it, and it kept my attention. The characters are well developed, each with an identity that sets them apart from the next. The friendship(s) between the women in the brothel is the real glue to this story and what makes it so interesting. It is horrific to think what life would be like as a slave who is forced to have sex multiple times a day. Each of the women who have been put into this situation handle it differently. One thing I loved was the lack of judgement and the details of how they came to be in this situation. It stripped stereotypes of "what type of women these must be (insert holier than thou look and voice here)."
There is a lot of sex, sex talk, and nudity (it's about a brothel for goodness sakes), so if you are offended by these things, you should probably pull your bonnet over your head and walk away from this one.
It looks like there is a second book that just came out a month ago, so I'll definitely be checking that out.
Maybe a 4.5 but enjoyed it so much that it's getting 5 Stars from me
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Not quite four stars. The Roman setting was brutal and on par for the era, and I am a sucker for women supporting women, so the friendship between all the women of the brothel was the best part of the book to me, even through the complications and ups & downs. Whatever else, this book felt like it was set in the ancient world and it did not shy away from that, and I always appreciate when authors don't try to make it palpable to modern audiences by twisting social norms and mores.
But there was just something I can't quite pinpoint that left me feeling a little lacking. Given this is set in Pompeii and Pliny the Elder is a significant presence, there's a certain foreboding sense of how the series might end, combined with the relentless sense of tragedy of the first book even when Amara wins for herself at the end - so while I'm curious to see where everyone ends up and goes, I'm not particularly hurried to grab the next one, even though I will finish it up eventually! Curiosity over investment. And yes I do recognize that the harshness and tragedy is also an element of existing in the Roman Empire as a woman, but maybe it was some of the emotional beats that could have been given more time.
But there was just something I can't quite pinpoint that left me feeling a little lacking. Given this is set in Pompeii and Pliny the Elder is a significant presence, there's a certain foreboding sense of how the series might end, combined with the relentless sense of tragedy of the first book even when Amara wins for herself at the end - so while I'm curious to see where everyone ends up and goes, I'm not particularly hurried to grab the next one, even though I will finish it up eventually! Curiosity over investment. And yes I do recognize that the harshness and tragedy is also an element of existing in the Roman Empire as a woman, but maybe it was some of the emotional beats that could have been given more time.
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes