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A review by archytas
The Seven Wonders by Steven Saylor
3.0
Like Saylor's other short story collections, this falls short for sheer entertainment of his novels, but it is easily the most enjoyable of the short story collections. Having a strong theme to pull it together - the seven wonders - allows Saylor to showcase his understanding of how the Ancient World fits together, and his meticulous research about the marvels pays off. The book is worth reading simly for the description of these constructions, and Saylor gives us what we need to understand how awe-inspiring they seemed to the Ancient peoples who lived among them, given the resources, technology and social organisation of the time.
The weakest point of the novel is probably the characters. With the exception of the teenage Gordianus, none really come to life as much more than tropes, including his travelling companion. Even Gordianus, teen detective, seems to spend all his time sleuthing puzzles and little giving us much insight into how a young Roman might change cultural beliefs and worldview by such a far flung journey.The early Gordianus books imply a somewhat callow youth, and I guess I was disappointed that this Gordianus seemed more lacklustre that had been hinted at.
The weakest point of the novel is probably the characters. With the exception of the teenage Gordianus, none really come to life as much more than tropes, including his travelling companion. Even Gordianus, teen detective, seems to spend all his time sleuthing puzzles and little giving us much insight into how a young Roman might change cultural beliefs and worldview by such a far flung journey.The early Gordianus books imply a somewhat callow youth, and I guess I was disappointed that this Gordianus seemed more lacklustre that had been hinted at.