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danielshelsel's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? No
5.0
sandin954's review against another edition
4.0
One of my all time favorite historical series. Every book has been great. In this one Gordianus travels to Massilia, which the Romans have under siege, and looks for answers about his son.
escan's review against another edition
4.0
I started Last Seen in Massilia... tentatively. I'd felt that the previous book in the series, [b:Rubicon|102711|Rubicon (Roma Sub Rosa, #7)|Steven Saylor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1171486247l/102711._SY75_.jpg|2804176], had set the scene for a darker and edgier second half to the series, and goodness me, I was right! I've never come across a series so capable of leaving me achingly nostalgic for the good old days, when Gordianus was a young man solving individual mysteries for anyone who'd pay and slowly building a family of his own. It's probably something to do with the sheer number of books and the length of the timeskips!
Family lies at the heart of Last Seen in Massilia - Gordianus comes to the city to find news of his younger son, Meto, revealed in Rubicon to be An anonymous note sent to his house in Rome has informed Gordianus that Meto is dead, but he's not going to give up on his son that easily, and so he travels to Massilia with his son-in-law to do what he does best and find the truth about Meto's fate. Gordianus' anxiety, grief, and - eventually - anger permeate the entire novel, and for me this made it absolutely impossible to put down: I read the last 85% of it in one sitting between 11:30 pm and 2:30 am.
The at the end of the novel was extremely painful, and I really hope that it's resolved within a couple of books!
Family lies at the heart of Last Seen in Massilia - Gordianus comes to the city to find news of his younger son, Meto, revealed in Rubicon to be
Spoiler
a spy for Caesar.The
Spoiler
break between Gordianus and Metoawwhh's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.75
rociobn28's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
theabee's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Torture, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Slavery, Suicide, War, and Injury/Injury detail
sophiewilliams's review against another edition
3.0
Lots of twists and turns. I really like the historical context
mgcco's review against another edition
5.0
Last Seen in Massilia, like the other books in the Roma Sub-Rosa series, is like a bag of Kirkland's fruits and nuts--you can't just stop devouring it (the sweetness of the fruits--eaten alternately with the salty nuts--is extremely addicting).
Learned a lot about ancient Massilia (modern-day Marseilles in France) and its people:
1) "Without wealth, a man in Massilia is nothing" (p.83)
2) "Massilians were said to love money above all else and to exemplify the concomitant virtues--diligence, shrewdness, patience" (p.317)
3) "I'm a Massilian, Gordianus, and above all else, a Massilian respects a contract" (p.322).
Well-written and fast-paced, I only had one qualm with the ending--and it's purely sentimental on my part.
The book's winning line: "Now go, Gordianus. This is my moment!" (Massilian Hieronymous to his friend Gordianus the Finder, in an effort to shoo away a grieving Gordianus who wanted to save him from being sacrificed by the goddess' Artemis' priests).
Learned a lot about ancient Massilia (modern-day Marseilles in France) and its people:
1) "Without wealth, a man in Massilia is nothing" (p.83)
2) "Massilians were said to love money above all else and to exemplify the concomitant virtues--diligence, shrewdness, patience" (p.317)
3) "I'm a Massilian, Gordianus, and above all else, a Massilian respects a contract" (p.322).
Well-written and fast-paced, I only had one qualm with the ending--and it's purely sentimental on my part.
The book's winning line: "Now go, Gordianus. This is my moment!" (Massilian Hieronymous to his friend Gordianus the Finder, in an effort to shoo away a grieving Gordianus who wanted to save him from being sacrificed by the goddess' Artemis' priests).
inesbeato's review
4.0
Mais uma grande aventura de Gordiano, o Descobridor! Desta feita, Roma foi totalmente deixada de lado e a acção decorre do princípio ao fim na cidade de Massília (atual Marselha). Como tal, nesta obra não se encontram algumas das personagens já habituais, como Betesda, Diana, Cícero ou Eco.
Esta aventura tem início no ponto onde a anterior terminou e Gordiano vê-se obrigado a partir para Massília com Davus, em busca do seu filho Meto, após ter recebido uma carta que o dava como morto.
O descobridor fará todos os possíveis para solucionar o enigma envolto na suposta morte do filho e, pelo caminho, vai tentando deslindar outros acontecimentos estranhos que acontecem na cidade até um final surpreendente e chocante.
Saylor foi, mais uma vez, exímio na forma como transmitiu informações históricas e cultura envoltas em ficção. Neste livro o leitor fica a conhecer o funcionamento da cidade de Massília na época, o seu sistema político e o estilo de vida dos seus cidadãos, numa altura em que a cidade estava cercada por Júlio César, que já havia entretanto tomado Roma.
Mais uma vez, uma grande obra de Saylor, uma viciante aventura de um personagem fantástico e uma magnífica lição de história. Tenho agora, muito a custo, de me obrigar a fazer uma pausa de Roma Sub Rosa (ou, pelo menos, tentar!), para ler outras coisas, por forma a não correr o risco de me fartar antes de terminar a série. :)
Esta aventura tem início no ponto onde a anterior terminou e Gordiano vê-se obrigado a partir para Massília com Davus, em busca do seu filho Meto, após ter recebido uma carta que o dava como morto.
O descobridor fará todos os possíveis para solucionar o enigma envolto na suposta morte do filho e, pelo caminho, vai tentando deslindar outros acontecimentos estranhos que acontecem na cidade até um final surpreendente e chocante.
Saylor foi, mais uma vez, exímio na forma como transmitiu informações históricas e cultura envoltas em ficção. Neste livro o leitor fica a conhecer o funcionamento da cidade de Massília na época, o seu sistema político e o estilo de vida dos seus cidadãos, numa altura em que a cidade estava cercada por Júlio César, que já havia entretanto tomado Roma.
Mais uma vez, uma grande obra de Saylor, uma viciante aventura de um personagem fantástico e uma magnífica lição de história. Tenho agora, muito a custo, de me obrigar a fazer uma pausa de Roma Sub Rosa (ou, pelo menos, tentar!), para ler outras coisas, por forma a não correr o risco de me fartar antes de terminar a série. :)
kyokroon's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5 stars!
Another great book in this series!
If you know me a little, you probably know that I'm a big fan of (almost) everything about the Antiquity, including the Roma Sub Rosa series. I'm especially fond of the first 5 books where the murder is the center of the whole story (and Cicero plays a big part, he's my problematic fave tbh ). Luckily, I also really did like this book in the series.
Before the book begins Gordianus has received a note that says that his son Meto has been killed. Gordianus instantly goes to Massillia (we know call it Marseille if anyone's interested) to find his son and what happened there. But Caesar is on the rise and he's laying siege on Massilla and as a result, Gordianus can't really get in the city. Besides the death of his son there's also another death: a girl jumped/was pushed from the Sacrifice Rock.
So this book contains 2 deaths that Gordianus has to sort out. That might seem a bit much, but to be honest the death of the girl isn't that complicated and Gordianus can't seem to find his son. In the background of this story plays the siege of Massilla: something I enjoyed reading about.
All in all, a good book in this series even though it focusses a bit more on the historical background than on the solving of a murder.
Happy reading!
Another great book in this series!
If you know me a little, you probably know that I'm a big fan of (almost) everything about the Antiquity, including the Roma Sub Rosa series. I'm especially fond of the first 5 books where the murder is the center of the whole story (and Cicero plays a big part
Before the book begins Gordianus has received a note that says that his son Meto has been killed. Gordianus instantly goes to Massillia (we know call it Marseille if anyone's interested) to find his son and what happened there. But Caesar is on the rise and he's laying siege on Massilla and as a result, Gordianus can't really get in the city. Besides the death of his son there's also another death: a girl jumped/was pushed from the Sacrifice Rock.
So this book contains 2 deaths that Gordianus has to sort out. That might seem a bit much, but to be honest the death of the girl isn't that complicated and Gordianus can't seem to find his son. In the background of this story plays the siege of Massilla: something I enjoyed reading about.
Spoiler
One thing I didn't really like was the ending with Meto. I know he's a tad... problematic, in the sense that he's such a devoted supporter of Caesar and lies and spies his way through the days, yet to disown his son in that way, was a bit too much for me. I also couldn't really match his constant worry about his son and then his sudden disownment at the end.All in all, a good book in this series even though it focusses a bit more on the historical background than on the solving of a murder.
Happy reading!