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A review by lunaphorie
Empress of the Seven Hills by Kate Quinn
5.0
This has been my favorite of the Mistress of Rome-series so far! Mainly it's because of Vix - his voice and the way he mixes humor with raw feelings is really perfect for a book like this. Vix's way of telling his story is so intense that I read this book faster than I imagined.
The switch in POVs was also well done, just like in the other books before. But where Thea had a certain sadness, Vix has only rage and ambition, and the ability to love all the wrong people. Incredible how he does it.
So the story follows his journey through Rome and his quest for a glorious destiny. It shows us Sabina's path, hunting for adventures - which she somehow manages to find. It also has Titus, a very loveable character who is the voice of reason - the only one in the whole book, to be honest. Trajan, the Empreor which everyone loves, who was a bit too cheerful for my taste. Plotina, the most horrible villain ever who only loses to Lepida. And Hadrian, that son of a bitch. You see how Vix really molded my views. Sabina found good in Hadrian, but I was already on Vix's side and couldn't bring myself to feel any type of sympathy towards Hadrian.
All these people meet throughout the book, fall in love and end up hating each other, become friends who then become enemies, try to outwit each other and plot against each other, or outright punches them in Vix's case. It's a very wild ride, this book.
Vix and Sabina is such an incredible love/hate story. It has to be one of my favorites now, out all the many, many love stories I read. I loved Sabina, but was somehow very irritated by her sometimes, just like Vix. I'm sure I would never have felt irritated towards her had the book been told more in her POV, but Vix kind of influenced me. Because, let's be real, Sabina is badass and she was badass from the start. She knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it; how to manipulate bad people into being a bit better, how to help the ones who most needed her help (and a total feminist too). But I also really waited for a scene where she would crack and be heartbroken over Vix, just like he waited for it and IT NEVER CAME 'cause she is just a real badass girl who doesn't get her heart broken by anyone, not even the love of her life. I questioned it so many times while reading it - does she even love him? I guess she does, but she loves herself, too.
I was pretty much obsessed with the book. The pace is great, the war and soldier scenes are told in a way that doesn't get boring, it's a perfect mix of politics, emotions, humor and suspense. Man, I loved it.
The switch in POVs was also well done, just like in the other books before. But where Thea had a certain sadness, Vix has only rage and ambition, and the ability to love all the wrong people. Incredible how he does it.
So the story follows his journey through Rome and his quest for a glorious destiny. It shows us Sabina's path, hunting for adventures - which she somehow manages to find. It also has Titus, a very loveable character who is the voice of reason - the only one in the whole book, to be honest. Trajan, the Empreor which everyone loves, who was a bit too cheerful for my taste. Plotina, the most horrible villain ever who only loses to Lepida. And Hadrian, that son of a bitch. You see how Vix really molded my views. Sabina found good in Hadrian, but I was already on Vix's side and couldn't bring myself to feel any type of sympathy towards Hadrian.
All these people meet throughout the book, fall in love and end up hating each other, become friends who then become enemies, try to outwit each other and plot against each other, or outright punches them in Vix's case. It's a very wild ride, this book.
Vix and Sabina is such an incredible love/hate story. It has to be one of my favorites now, out all the many, many love stories I read. I loved Sabina, but was somehow very irritated by her sometimes, just like Vix. I'm sure I would never have felt irritated towards her had the book been told more in her POV, but Vix kind of influenced me. Because, let's be real, Sabina is badass and she was badass from the start. She knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it; how to manipulate bad people into being a bit better, how to help the ones who most needed her help (and a total feminist too). But I also really waited for a scene where she would crack and be heartbroken over Vix, just like he waited for it and IT NEVER CAME 'cause she is just a real badass girl who doesn't get her heart broken by anyone, not even the love of her life. I questioned it so many times while reading it - does she even love him? I guess she does, but she loves herself, too.
I was pretty much obsessed with the book. The pace is great, the war and soldier scenes are told in a way that doesn't get boring, it's a perfect mix of politics, emotions, humor and suspense. Man, I loved it.