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A review by escan
Rubicon by Steven Saylor
4.0
Rubicon could not have been more different to the previous Roma Sub Rosa book, [b:The House of the Vestals|102717|The House of the Vestals (Roma Sub Rosa, #6)|Steven Saylor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1339311428l/102717._SY75_.jpg|652030], a fairly light-hearted collection of short stories set a couple of decades before the two books it comes between. The House of the Vestals did a nice job of filling in some of the gaps between [b:Roman Blood|102720|Roman Blood (Roma Sub Rosa, #1)|Steven Saylor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388555429l/102720._SY75_.jpg|2569207] and [b:Arms of Nemesis|102712|Arms of Nemesis (Roma Sub Rosa, #2)|Steven Saylor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1316126310l/102712._SY75_.jpg|1609422], detailing the development of Gordianus' relationships with his eldest son Eco, his then-slave Bethesda, and various friends. Rubicon threw me right back into the "present", with the political and military landscapes seemingly merging into one as Caesar and Pompey vie for control of Italy and, ultimately, the Roman Republic. Gordianus, famously honest but notoriously non-partisan, finds himself with obligations to both sides: his younger son Meto is an aide, confidant, and (many say) lover of Caesar, while, rather more pressingly, a young relative of Pompey's is murdered in Gordianus' home, and the Great One demands Gordianus finds the killer, taking away his daughter Diana's husband until Pompey knows who's responsible.
Although previous novels have certainly dealt with dark themes (sexual violence in Roman Blood and The Venus Throw come to mind, as well as the ever-present murder), I would argue that Rubicon escalates this to a point we haven't seen before. It also sees Saylor employing a kind of ingenuity that I certainly hadn't expected -
I found this a pretty upsetting read, because I've come to love Roma Sub Rosa for the characters and the relationships between them almost more than the mystery element or the historical setting, and Rubicon changed much of that, moving the series towards what I suspect will be a continued darker and edgier tone. However, it was still a gripping, entertaining, and emotional read - my main complaint being that I feel Meto's storyline deserved proper attention throughout the whole novel, rather than a series of jokes and insinuations about his relationship with Caesar, followed by several huge revelations in a row in the final 15% of the book - and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
Although previous novels have certainly dealt with dark themes (sexual violence in Roman Blood and The Venus Throw come to mind, as well as the ever-present murder), I would argue that Rubicon escalates this to a point we haven't seen before. It also sees Saylor employing a kind of ingenuity that I certainly hadn't expected -
Spoiler
the revelation around 85% of the way through immediately called to mind Agatha Christie's [b:The Murder of Roger Ackroyd|16328|The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot, #4)|Agatha Christie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389734015l/16328._SY75_.jpg|1073110], and led me (and Gordianus himself) to reflect on issues of trust and morality. It wasn't only Gordianus whose character was called into question, as Tiro received his first proper spotlight since Roman Blood and was found to be much changed and yet somehow still the same, if only in the fact that his unwavering loyalty is to Cicero alone.I found this a pretty upsetting read, because I've come to love Roma Sub Rosa for the characters and the relationships between them almost more than the mystery element or the historical setting, and Rubicon changed much of that, moving the series towards what I suspect will be a continued darker and edgier tone. However, it was still a gripping, entertaining, and emotional read - my main complaint being that I feel Meto's storyline deserved proper attention throughout the whole novel, rather than a series of jokes and insinuations about his relationship with Caesar, followed by several huge revelations in a row in the final 15% of the book - and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.