Take a photo of a barcode or cover
mingo08 's review for:
The Wedding Shroud
by Elisabeth Storrs
Having studied ancient Rome over several years informally, I was pulled in by the premise of this book. The free sample on Kindle convinced me to buy it. Then I devoured it. I haven't enjoyed a new novel this much in a long time.
I will agree with another reviewer elsewhere that the picture of Roman life wasn't fully fleshed out prior to sending the main character off to the Venii. BUT, her comparisons of Roman vs Etruscan life explain a lot and fills in the gaps. We are, truly, in her shoes, with the understanding that we think we *know* what life is supposed to be, so we clearly see her comparisons. What will surprise most readers is that the Rome we *think* we know is really the lifestyle we see in the Venii/Etruscan people. History bears this out - this book is set in an early Roman era, which was far more conservative and less permissive than the classical Roman era most of us are more familiar with. The Romans adopted many of the Etruscan ways.
As for the characters, they too are familiar in the way that relationships are played out from domestic setting to domestic setting are familiar. The unkind step-mother/aunt; the understanding but traditional cousin/friend; the scholar brother vs the warrior brother. But, while we "get" these relationships, they are fleshed out when they touch on the central relationship of the main character and her adopted family/people.
I gave it a four-star rating primarily because I find thoroughly enjoyable novels like this one aren't quite up to a five-star, *must* read again level. But it was compelling enough for me to seek out the second book in the trilogy.
I will agree with another reviewer elsewhere that the picture of Roman life wasn't fully fleshed out prior to sending the main character off to the Venii. BUT, her comparisons of Roman vs Etruscan life explain a lot and fills in the gaps. We are, truly, in her shoes, with the understanding that we think we *know* what life is supposed to be, so we clearly see her comparisons. What will surprise most readers is that the Rome we *think* we know is really the lifestyle we see in the Venii/Etruscan people. History bears this out - this book is set in an early Roman era, which was far more conservative and less permissive than the classical Roman era most of us are more familiar with. The Romans adopted many of the Etruscan ways.
As for the characters, they too are familiar in the way that relationships are played out from domestic setting to domestic setting are familiar. The unkind step-mother/aunt; the understanding but traditional cousin/friend; the scholar brother vs the warrior brother. But, while we "get" these relationships, they are fleshed out when they touch on the central relationship of the main character and her adopted family/people.
I gave it a four-star rating primarily because I find thoroughly enjoyable novels like this one aren't quite up to a five-star, *must* read again level. But it was compelling enough for me to seek out the second book in the trilogy.