A review by greggles_93
The Emperor's Babe by Bernardine Evaristo

5.0

This book was unlike any I have read before, in terms of both it's experimental form and daring subject matter. The whole novel is written in blank verse (the verse is mostly in lolloping four-beat accentual syllabics) which is remarkable and displays Evaristo's mastery of the form, because it really does read with complete narrative cohesion. Set in a 'Londonium' of AD211, the Emperor's Babe explores the early life of a Sudanese woman, Zuleika, who is effectively sold into marraige by her father, to an older wealthy Roman who keeps her like a bird in a gilded cage. The protagonist's journey is both highly entertaining and heartbreaking in equal measure, and would highly recommend reading it if experimental form and a nod to Ancient Roman cultures is your thing.