A review by readbyryan
The Latinist by Mark Prins

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Tessa is on the verge of receiving her Ph.D in Classics from Oxford University when she gets an anonymous email informing her of a scathing letter of recommendation from her mentor, Chris. Her boyfriend has left her, she’s running out of money, and her only prospect is staying on at Oxford with her untrustworthy colleague. Chris tries to convince Tessa to stay at Oxford. But Tessa may have made a discovery about an obscure Latin poet that will change the course of her career.

This book is described as a modern retelling of the Daphne and Apollo myth. The symbolism of this store is woven throughout as Daphne flees Apollo only to eventually be turned into a tree to avoid him raping her. While intellectual and full of references to Latin, Greek, mythology, and classical antiquity, this book is a page-turner. I couldn’t put this down and read the last two-thirds of the book in a day. The characters of Tessa and Chris are placed in a dance of the politics of academia. Both characters are richly written, both with flaws and redeeming qualities. I could feel sorry for both of them but still frustrated with their choices. The author somehow takes the most mundane events (a conference speech on the classics) and makes them so compelling and suspenseful. 

I really loved this book and I hope more people have a chance to read it this year. Anyone who is a fan of mythologies, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, dark academia, and suspense will love this book.▪️