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aebennettwrites's review
5.0
Not going to lie... I've been waiting for this book ever since I saw the cover reveal on Twitter. I'm interested in Ancient history and enjoy historical fiction set during that era. This book does not disappoint. The story begins when Commander Marius is gifted a slave during a party at a countryside estate. The slave, Kyle, is clearly terrified as he accompanies Marius to Rome. Throughout the book, both characters grow -- and grow fond of each other, eventually falling in love. Jaz does a great job at keeping readers invested in the characters, even if you sometimes loathe them. Marius is a flawed main character, though he does learn lessons by the end of the book. I really enjoyed reading about how the two fall in love and I'm looking forward to see how the trilogy progresses. Warning: This story gets dark, so please pay attention to Jaz's content warnings. (Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of this book from the author.)
wildfaeriecaps's review
5.0
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.
First let me say: oh, the feels.
Reading about a historical setting that involves slavery is never easy. There is much to detest about what we know of how some societies functioned. So know, going in, that this book is going to bruise your heart. But not in a bad way. The relationship that builds between Kyle and Marius is so…fraught. It’s unbalanced and messy, but also sweet and pure. It’s complicated and takes work and compromise and introspection and…that’s how life works, though, right? This story took me through a whole range of emotions and, honestly, that’s the mark of some great storytelling.
Kyle is precious and perfect and I love him with my whole heart. He goes through so much but remains loving and open minded. Clavius…oh, Clavius. I hated him for a while but then he proved to be such an amazing and supportive friend to Marius (and Clavius’ wife? I love her. Unabashedly. She is the best).
Now, Marius himself…the man is flawed. I want to say he’s trying. And he is. He grows a lot as a person in this book. There were times I wanted to shake him or cast him into a ravine, but other times I wanted to wrap him in a warm blanket and feed him tea and biscuits.
Marius’ family? Including his wife? I hate them. Oh. I. Hate. Them. I’m supposed to. I know that. Maxime did such an amazing job writing characters I could truly loathe with no hesitation. They’re the worst.
And this ending? So much hope and possibility! I can’t wait to see what happens next!
First let me say: oh, the feels.
Reading about a historical setting that involves slavery is never easy. There is much to detest about what we know of how some societies functioned. So know, going in, that this book is going to bruise your heart. But not in a bad way. The relationship that builds between Kyle and Marius is so…fraught. It’s unbalanced and messy, but also sweet and pure. It’s complicated and takes work and compromise and introspection and…that’s how life works, though, right? This story took me through a whole range of emotions and, honestly, that’s the mark of some great storytelling.
Kyle is precious and perfect and I love him with my whole heart. He goes through so much but remains loving and open minded. Clavius…oh, Clavius. I hated him for a while but then he proved to be such an amazing and supportive friend to Marius (and Clavius’ wife? I love her. Unabashedly. She is the best).
Now, Marius himself…the man is flawed. I want to say he’s trying. And he is. He grows a lot as a person in this book. There were times I wanted to shake him or cast him into a ravine, but other times I wanted to wrap him in a warm blanket and feed him tea and biscuits.
Marius’ family? Including his wife? I hate them. Oh. I. Hate. Them. I’m supposed to. I know that. Maxime did such an amazing job writing characters I could truly loathe with no hesitation. They’re the worst.
And this ending? So much hope and possibility! I can’t wait to see what happens next!
katkinney's review
5.0
Wow, this was amazing! Just like with Maxime Jaz’s first book, FALL, I quickly found myself thoroughly sucked into this story and unable to stop turning pages. Kyle is a young slave captured by the Romans in a raid at 18. Now 21, he has been used for three years and kept by a cruel master. Lucius, his evil owner, gives him to Marius hoping to gain favors in the Roman court. And so their complicated relationship begins. This is a dark erotic romance where you should definitely read the trigger warnings before reading to make sure it’s for you. I loved the way the author slowly developed the romance between Kyle and Marius, I loved the complicated feelings on both sides, I loved the scenes of Kyle working in the garden (those were absolutely my favorite), and I loved the side characters, especially Sixtus, Thais, and Clarius, the latter who I did not think I would like at first, but really grew on me as I got further into the book. Another thing this book has is delicious drama, and when Serafina comes to the household as Marius’s wife, get ready, because things get crazy. I devoured this book in one day, unable to stop reading. As I read the final pages of book one, I was left so excited by the ending and eager to see what is next for Kyle and Marius in book two!
I received a complimentary copy of Donum from the author. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I received a complimentary copy of Donum from the author. This is my honest and voluntary review.