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Tara Chevrestt's Reviews > Mistress of Rome
Mistress of Rome (The Empress of Rome, #1)
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Ok people, key word in the synposis is "depravity." I wish I had paid closer attention. I spent this entire novel trying to find a character I could at least like if not relate to in some way. It didn't happen.
Thea is a Jewish slave that works for Lepida, a Roman "lady." Both Thea and Lepida develope lustful feelings towards the newest, fiercest, most famous gladiator, Arius. The first quarter of the novel really drew me in as Arius spurns Lepida (she has the eyes of a ferret, apparently) and begins a rather hot and steamy affair with Thea. I was really quite hooked until part two. At this point, the evil, vile, and incredibly disgusting Lepida (Can you tell how much I hated her?) has separated Thea and Arius and married a senator. From this point on, it just becomes a giant Roman orgy. Lepida is fornicating with so and so (a family relation and that is all I'm going to reveal) who was just fornicating with Thea who at this point, is fornicating with almost as many men as Lepida and that is a lot. Then Thea begins fornicating with the Emperor and Lepida wants to fornicate with him too. But alas, poor Lepida must settle for simply fornicating in the same room as the Emperor and Thea.
Both Thea and Lepida are also horrid mothers. Thea abandons her boy most of the time while Lepida tells her sick daughter to go have seizures in another room. Thea has a strange addiction to cutting herself, Lepida is addicted to sex, Arius just loves to kill people, and the Emperor is just plain demented and perverted. The only likeable people in the entire novel were Marcus and his daughter, Sabina but their roles weren't large enough to overcome my distaste at the bitter rivalry and power hungry bed hopping of Thea and Lepida.
Well written but not about characters I want to read about. Too much depravity for me.
Thea is a Jewish slave that works for Lepida, a Roman "lady." Both Thea and Lepida develope lustful feelings towards the newest, fiercest, most famous gladiator, Arius. The first quarter of the novel really drew me in as Arius spurns Lepida (she has the eyes of a ferret, apparently) and begins a rather hot and steamy affair with Thea. I was really quite hooked until part two. At this point, the evil, vile, and incredibly disgusting Lepida (Can you tell how much I hated her?) has separated Thea and Arius and married a senator. From this point on, it just becomes a giant Roman orgy. Lepida is fornicating with so and so (a family relation and that is all I'm going to reveal) who was just fornicating with Thea who at this point, is fornicating with almost as many men as Lepida and that is a lot. Then Thea begins fornicating with the Emperor and Lepida wants to fornicate with him too. But alas, poor Lepida must settle for simply fornicating in the same room as the Emperor and Thea.
Both Thea and Lepida are also horrid mothers. Thea abandons her boy most of the time while Lepida tells her sick daughter to go have seizures in another room. Thea has a strange addiction to cutting herself, Lepida is addicted to sex, Arius just loves to kill people, and the Emperor is just plain demented and perverted. The only likeable people in the entire novel were Marcus and his daughter, Sabina but their roles weren't large enough to overcome my distaste at the bitter rivalry and power hungry bed hopping of Thea and Lepida.
Well written but not about characters I want to read about. Too much depravity for me.
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Reading Progress
October 3, 2009
– Shelved
January 3, 2010
– Shelved as:
rome
January 3, 2010
– Shelved as:
historical-fiction
April 16, 2010
– Shelved as:
2010-release
April 26, 2010
–
Started Reading
April 27, 2010
–
29.79%
"Very good writing style, has my attention, BUT the characters are all kind of disturbing."
page
140
April 27, 2010
–
42.55%
"Is Arius ever going to do anything more than drink and fight? Lepida is def the most vile, unlikeable female character I have ever known."
page
200
April 28, 2010
–
Finished Reading
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Apr 28, 2010 01:20AM
Two whole stars!!
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I wanted to like this book.. I have followed the author's blog on here and she is very witty and comes up with some great historical stuff to share. I paid ten bucks for this book... I was excited and I ended up disliking it big time.
That's too bad! Time and money wasted is always a bummer. I signed up for the giveaway for this. Guess it's a good thing I didn't win!! (lol)
I heard enough from readers at another forum to convince me not to try, library or no.
oh man, I was hoping this book would be a good one!
The Amazon Vine reviews were a mixed bag, half loved it half had serious issues with the POV switches. I was a bit turned off with the dude who was back slapping all the postivie reviews and nicely nay-saying all the critical ones. He did stop it when his relationship with the author was pointed out and I refuse to read any book wherein a pal of the author goes in like that - with or without their permission.
All of the reviews I've seen on blogs were very positive, although two did mention the POV switches but said it wasn't bad enough to rate it lower. I'll read it anyway, just because I haven't read much fiction on ancient Rome.
Ancient Rome just doesn't grab my attention. I think if it did I'd start with Colleen McCullough's books (sp?)
Jenny, I posted my copy for swap. Grab it up, girl. The switching POVs was actually very well done. It didn't bother me in the least which is why I didn't even think to mention it. After my initial suprise at the switch, I didn't have a problem. The person's name will be at the top so you know whose viewpoint it coming from. My problem was simply the most horrid characters I have ever run across and I actually got grossed out on page 297 to the point I could barely finish. When the ladies start "doing" it in the same room, at the same time, glaring at each other all the while.. it was too much for me.
Didn't she write The Thornbirds? I didn't know she wrote anything about Rome. Francine Rivers has a trilogy about Rome, too. Have you read anything of hers?
That does sound like too much, but Rome was awfully hedonistic, wasn't it? But still, that sounds like something out of a bad romance novel.
I place this third on my unofficial "most depraved" book list. First place goes to The Woman Who Would Be Pharaoh. Second place goes to A Reliable Wife. This one takes third. LOL
Jenny wrote: "Didn't she write The Thornbirds? I didn't know she wrote anything about Rome. Francine Rivers has a trilogy about Rome, too. Have you read anything of hers?"
Hi Jenny, Yea she wrote The Thorn Birds and The First Man in Rome, which is the first of the "Masters of Rome" series. I haven't read that one yet, but I loved Thorn Birds, and everybody gave First Man rave reviews.
@ Tara: Well don't read Aztec then! Very Depraved!!
Hi Jenny, Yea she wrote The Thorn Birds and The First Man in Rome, which is the first of the "Masters of Rome" series. I haven't read that one yet, but I loved Thorn Birds, and everybody gave First Man rave reviews.
@ Tara: Well don't read Aztec then! Very Depraved!!
Never heard of it but will certainly run if I come across it.
Jenny wrote: "Didn't she write The Thornbirds? I didn't know she wrote anything about Rome. Francine Rivers has a trilogy about Rome, too. Have you read anything of hers?"Yes, same author as Thornbirds. I believe the series is called Masters of Rome.
*edit* Hayes already answered Jenny's question. My bad.
I get hating Lapida for her escapades. I mean how can you not she’s a terrible person. But as for Thea. She is a slave. The way I see it, it’s not called sex of you’re a slave and you’re put in a position where you can’t say no without being abused in other ways. It’s rape. And Thea would be with her kid any chance she got had she not been a salve. She never once had a choice. She can’t choose between this and that because she wasn’t allowed to. If she didn’t listen and say yes to everyone around her, she probably would’ve been killed.
At least this is the way I saw it when reading the book.
Thank you for the warning!
Agreed! This book was absolutely horrible and I am hard pressed to find anything redeeming about this book. I searched for one character I could like, but alas there were none! I gave it 2 stars and that was difficult to do.
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Thanks for the review. This book just went on my NO list.
Was hoping for more with this book but it seems Kate Quinn likes her soft porn. She takes good story lines and ruins them with her oversexed storytelling, in my opinion. Thank you for your review!
I have made a little vlog talking about the entire series if anyone is interested.The Mistress of Rome Series by Kate Quinn Vlog
https://youtu.be/n1NMGkMDMZs
Thank you! I’m 100 pages in—and that’s enough for me! I did LOVE the Alice Network -
I think it’s just this story line that I don’t like -
Thanks for the warning. This is not my style either.
Thanks for your reviews. I don’t think I will waste my time reading this book.
Sunny ✨wordslikefury✨ wrote: "I get hating Lapida for her escapades. I mean how can you not she’s a terrible person. But as for Thea. She is a slave. The way I see it, it’s not called sex of you’re a slave and you’re put in a p..."I'm kinda late coming to this party, but I completely agree with you. I was just coming here to make the same reply. I doesn't seem fair to accuse Thea of being a bad mother. Even if she had certain freedoms as a favourite and skilled slave, she was still a slave. It's obvious from her efforts afterwards that she would do anything to be with her child, but she couldn't.
It was brilliantly written! Loved all the characters. They were real and yes, a bit weird but real.
Thanks for this review. I was struggling right from the beginning as to whether I could read this book. Your review tells me I definitely don’t want to. So glad I haven’t wasted more precious reading hours on this book.
I made it through the book but it was a rough and bloody road to be sure. So happy to be done with all the violence and abuse.
Tara’s review above was perfect!
Spot on - I made myself finish it and wish I hadn’t wasted the time - I did enjoy the Alice network and was expecting more plot and hoped to learn about ancient rome too
I did not finish. I love this author but not this book.
Totally agree but I’m going to read all four because I already committed
Agree! Only read about 40% before abandoning.
Thank you, Tara. I picked up on ‘depravity’ immediately in the synopsis. Having read your review, I won’t waste my time.
I had to skim the last half for this reason. Reading about women being raped by their handlers, and having to marry men they don’t even like to have economic security and social status got a bit depressing. I rated it higher because wasn’t sure if I wanted to “ding” it lower because these things happened during this era.
It's funny how you say Thea is a horrible mother, when she is a slave who was even lucky enough to be able to remain close to her son for as long as she did. She did the best she could in circumstances not of her own making. Lepida is absolutely a narcissistic, selfish, neglectful mother who cares for no one.
I skimmed over the gory parts but as usual Kate Quinn hooks you
