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mariahread's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: War and Rape
grahamjohnson's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Very sweet. A lovely complement to the Falco novels.
rosannelortz's review against another edition
4.0
After finishing all twenty of Lindsey Davis’ Falco novels, I’ve moved on to some of her other historical fiction. Yesterday’s rainy afternoon brought me to the end of The Course of Honor, an early novel by Davis. Vespasian, the miserly and curmudgeonly emperor who was in love with assigning Marcus Didius Falco thankless tasks, is in love with something else entirely in this book. That something, or someone, is Antonia Caenis, an imperial freedwoman and Vespasian’s longtime mistress. The novel picks up at their first meeting and traces their tumultuous relationship all the way until Vespasian’s accession to the imperial throne. The cover bills it as a novel of “romantic suspense.” It is definitely romantic, though if you take the word “suspense” to mean “thriller,” you would be sorely misled. I suppose the suspense is mostly over whether this star-crossed couple can achieve a happily ever after or if circumstances will inevitably force them apart.
Lindsey Davis masterfully depicts the reigns of half a dozen emperors, beginning with Tiberius, showing it all through the eyes of Caenis. As a skilled scribe in the household of one of Caesar’s relatives, Caenis is privy to many revolutionary plots and imperial secrets. She first meets Titus Flavius Vespasianus when he is just an impoverished young nobleman from the countryside, looking to ascend the ranks of office (the course of honor) in Rome. Vespasian notes her intelligence and wit. His first thought upon meeting her–a thought that continues with him throughout his life–is: “What an interesting girl!”
Caenis eventually agrees to become Vespasian’s mistress. She knows that the happiness of being with him cannot last forever since the laws of the time forbade Roman senators (or emperors) from marrying former slaves. The best Vespasian and Caenis can hope for is to grow old together outside lawful wedlock and, since this is an unlikely prospect, Caenis tries to conceal the fact that she is desperately in love with him–perhaps that will make things easier when they are forced to part. The Roman ranks of government were weighted heavily against bachelors, and when Vespasian’s family finds a suitable bride for him, both of the lovers accept the inevitable separation.
The years go by as debauched emperor after debauched emperor ascends the throne. Caenis and Vespasian catch only brief glimpses of each other, but as long as his wife is still alive, they honorably keep their distance from one another. When that obstacle disappears, happiness once again seems in reach. But when a tumultuous empire, ruled by four different men in just one year, acclaims Vespasian as the new emperor, the new obstacle of his imperial status threatens to pull them apart once more….
Usually, I am annoyed by novels where the hero/heroine settle for a lifelong commitment outside of marriage. But in the case of this book, I was rooting for them all the way. Lindsey Davis shows very pointedly that Vespasian would have married Caenis if he could–but the laws of Rome stood in the way. I suppose he could have given up his senatorial status and voluntarily become a commoner (if matrimony was that important to him), but somehow that never really seemed an option in the novel. Caenis was beautifully portrayed as a clever, careful woman, hard to draw out of her shell, scrupulous, loyal, and slightly embittered by her fate. Vespasian also came to life as her perfect partner, jovial and martial, with a tender, romantic side. Although the novel lacked much of the witty banter that I adore about Lindsey Davis’ Falco series, it was an excellent read and one that I highly recommend for Roman history aficionados.
Lindsey Davis masterfully depicts the reigns of half a dozen emperors, beginning with Tiberius, showing it all through the eyes of Caenis. As a skilled scribe in the household of one of Caesar’s relatives, Caenis is privy to many revolutionary plots and imperial secrets. She first meets Titus Flavius Vespasianus when he is just an impoverished young nobleman from the countryside, looking to ascend the ranks of office (the course of honor) in Rome. Vespasian notes her intelligence and wit. His first thought upon meeting her–a thought that continues with him throughout his life–is: “What an interesting girl!”
Caenis eventually agrees to become Vespasian’s mistress. She knows that the happiness of being with him cannot last forever since the laws of the time forbade Roman senators (or emperors) from marrying former slaves. The best Vespasian and Caenis can hope for is to grow old together outside lawful wedlock and, since this is an unlikely prospect, Caenis tries to conceal the fact that she is desperately in love with him–perhaps that will make things easier when they are forced to part. The Roman ranks of government were weighted heavily against bachelors, and when Vespasian’s family finds a suitable bride for him, both of the lovers accept the inevitable separation.
The years go by as debauched emperor after debauched emperor ascends the throne. Caenis and Vespasian catch only brief glimpses of each other, but as long as his wife is still alive, they honorably keep their distance from one another. When that obstacle disappears, happiness once again seems in reach. But when a tumultuous empire, ruled by four different men in just one year, acclaims Vespasian as the new emperor, the new obstacle of his imperial status threatens to pull them apart once more….
Usually, I am annoyed by novels where the hero/heroine settle for a lifelong commitment outside of marriage. But in the case of this book, I was rooting for them all the way. Lindsey Davis shows very pointedly that Vespasian would have married Caenis if he could–but the laws of Rome stood in the way. I suppose he could have given up his senatorial status and voluntarily become a commoner (if matrimony was that important to him), but somehow that never really seemed an option in the novel. Caenis was beautifully portrayed as a clever, careful woman, hard to draw out of her shell, scrupulous, loyal, and slightly embittered by her fate. Vespasian also came to life as her perfect partner, jovial and martial, with a tender, romantic side. Although the novel lacked much of the witty banter that I adore about Lindsey Davis’ Falco series, it was an excellent read and one that I highly recommend for Roman history aficionados.
hekate24's review against another edition
4.0
This book had several things working in its favor,if you're looking for something a little different. It's set in Ancient Rome and focuses on Vespasian- a nice deviation from the Julio-Claudians and the five good emperors. (Granted large swathes of time take place during the Julio-Claudians' reign, but it was nice to not have them as the focus. Not really.) As another unique choice, the main character turns out to be a slave who rises to the middle class. Granted, Caenis was fortunate enough to work for a very wealthy patron and receive an education, but one of the subplots of this book is the ways in which living as a slave- even one who has all their basic needs met- can be damaging to one's psyche. In a genre that focuses far too much on the rich and the powerful for my taste sometimes, this was a nice change of pace.
The books major fault is that paragraphs upon paragraph are devoted to the recitation of historical events, seemingly shifting far away from the POV of any of the main characters. It was aggravating to read a very powerful few pages in which the protagonists were fully engaged... only to have events grind to a halt with Ancient History 101. And it was doubly a shame because Davis really has a talent for conveying what living during tumultuous times can be like. The character gossip and fear what the emperors will do next, but they also plan marriages, fuss over children, live in crappy apartments, and wonder where their next paycheck will come from. It feels weirdly complementary to present times. If she could have better integrated this wonderful aspect of the book with the history lesson, this would have been a five star read.
And of course this book is pretty romantic at the heart of it. The love story is sweet and unpretentious and I bought their affection for one another. Glad I spent time on this book.
The books major fault is that paragraphs upon paragraph are devoted to the recitation of historical events, seemingly shifting far away from the POV of any of the main characters. It was aggravating to read a very powerful few pages in which the protagonists were fully engaged... only to have events grind to a halt with Ancient History 101. And it was doubly a shame because Davis really has a talent for conveying what living during tumultuous times can be like. The character gossip and fear what the emperors will do next, but they also plan marriages, fuss over children, live in crappy apartments, and wonder where their next paycheck will come from. It feels weirdly complementary to present times. If she could have better integrated this wonderful aspect of the book with the history lesson, this would have been a five star read.
And of course this book is pretty romantic at the heart of it. The love story is sweet and unpretentious and I bought their affection for one another. Glad I spent time on this book.
sm_almon's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoy the Falco series, so I thought I would try this standalone novel by Lindsey Davis, and I'm glad I did - The Course of Honour was very enjoyable, and Caenis and Vespasian felt like realistic, well-rounded people that lived very interesting lives.
juliarklawrence's review against another edition
2.0
So much Roman history made it hard to keep track of the plot. The viewpoint of the protagonist was hard for me to buy-she seemed too worldly for her background and it was hard for me to remember she had spent her first 20+ years as a "slave." Maybe slavery looked different in Ancient Rome than it did in the American South? It was pretty clear to see where this book was going and I didn't necessarily want to go with it. (Again, finished thanks to insomnia!)
nwhyte's review
A very interesting riff from Davis - a biographical novel about the emperor Vespasian's lover Antonia Caenis. Well worth reading.
aline_b's review against another edition
4.0
"The Praetorians would soon come crawling through the city nosing after their lost charge before they became a laughing stock." -page 333
Easily my favourite line from the whole book!
Easily my favourite line from the whole book!
pricklyplant's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have read this book at least 10 times. It’s sad and heartwarming. So well written. Perfectly paced. I love it.
bookadventurer's review
4.0
This book falls into a category with Katherine by Anya Seton. They’re both historical people important enough to be in the records we have, and important enough to have a low chance of a happily ever after with a lifetime partner, but who nevertheless manage to find and hold on to that one other person. Katherine is about John of Gaunt and his mistress, Katherine Swynford. Their (illegitimate) children, incidentally, become the Tudor dynasty. The Course of Honour is about Emperor Vespasian and his mistress, Antonia Caenis - an enslaved person, then a freed woman. I checked - the ancient historians have their relationship survive.
Normally, when I’m reading historical fiction, I don’t like reading about the legends, the queens and celebrities, because they often weren’t happy or long-lived. Is it a universal rule that you can have fame or happiness, but not both?
As with all of Davis’ books, this one brings Ancient Rome to life. You can practically smell the uncleared streets and taste the weird feast foods. I love reading Davis for that reason alone, although she does a great job at slow burn, fits-into-real-life romance, too.
Nerd that I am, I checked up on some of the emperors and happenings in my OCD (that’s a dictionary, not a condition), and the facts seemed pretty accurate. More to the point, it’s made me want to read more about Ancient Rome, so I’ve started SPQR by Mary Beard and will dip into and out of Suetonius and Tacitus. Books I never read when I was supposed to in college.
Normally, when I’m reading historical fiction, I don’t like reading about the legends, the queens and celebrities, because they often weren’t happy or long-lived. Is it a universal rule that you can have fame or happiness, but not both?
As with all of Davis’ books, this one brings Ancient Rome to life. You can practically smell the uncleared streets and taste the weird feast foods. I love reading Davis for that reason alone, although she does a great job at slow burn, fits-into-real-life romance, too.
Nerd that I am, I checked up on some of the emperors and happenings in my OCD (that’s a dictionary, not a condition), and the facts seemed pretty accurate. More to the point, it’s made me want to read more about Ancient Rome, so I’ve started SPQR by Mary Beard and will dip into and out of Suetonius and Tacitus. Books I never read when I was supposed to in college.