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oldwindways's review
4.0
I thought the world-building and character development in the first half of the novel were exceptionally well done. I especially enjoyed the slow reveal of details which exposed how the Rome of the story differed from our historical world bit by bit, introducing the mystical and supernatural elements gradually and seamlessly. The multiple viewpoints took some getting used to but allowed for a much more complex outlook on the world being sculpted, making all the central characters real people rather than two-dimensional stand-ins.
Given the strong buildup and epic climax of the story (in some ways the second half of the novel was a series of climaxes one right after the other, with just enough space between them to catch your narrative breath), I was a little disappointed with the ending in the final few chapters. With the "de-escalation" from the intensity of the final conflict, the "epilogue" (not actually titled as such, but just felt that way to me) was a bit of a letdown. It left me wondering if I had missed some key point or message that the author was trying to convey. Despite that, I enjoyed the book as a whole and did not hesitate to give it 4/5 stars.
Note: I read this book as serialized on the author's blog, 1 chapter at a time over many months. This may have colored my impression of the novel.
Given the strong buildup and epic climax of the story (in some ways the second half of the novel was a series of climaxes one right after the other, with just enough space between them to catch your narrative breath), I was a little disappointed with the ending in the final few chapters. With the "de-escalation" from the intensity of the final conflict, the "epilogue" (not actually titled as such, but just felt that way to me) was a bit of a letdown. It left me wondering if I had missed some key point or message that the author was trying to convey. Despite that, I enjoyed the book as a whole and did not hesitate to give it 4/5 stars.
Note: I read this book as serialized on the author's blog, 1 chapter at a time over many months. This may have colored my impression of the novel.
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