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A review by archytas
The Throne of Caesar by Steven Saylor
4.0
I've been waiting a long time for this book. Not because I am that invested in the Ides of March - other Roman events have always interested me more - but simply because I have missed a good full-length Gordianus book badly. Saylor is unmatched in his capacity to plot around major historical events, weaving tension about what the reader knows is coming (history) and what the reader doesn't (mystery resolution) with the heart of tension (the lives and safety of Gordianus and his family). His plots are always thematic, designed to explore what this slice of history can tell us. All those skills are on fine display here.
This book is a bit of a technical triumph - there are so many moving pieces necessary to get everyone into place, and then to drive it forward. Saylor has obviously been planning the general direction for a while, especially in ensuring Gordianus' son Meto is close to JC. None of it feels forced however, and the very-non-partisan Gordianus having a partisan son is a great source of character development, as our detective ages and deals with the dilemmas of parents whose children are fully grown. The crime plot is inspired, and again, the technical aspects are so well done as to be unnoticed.
The next bit discusses themes that err on the spoilery side *********************
What I don't know is whether Saylor predicted the rise of #MeToo and female anger in writing this, because damn the last quarter of the book feels intense in the current environment. Female fury is a fairly common theme in Roman/Greek literature, but this somehow felt much more contemporary. I found it harder to read, more personal and more engaging than I expected. It would have been easy to put a foot wrong here, but I don't think Saylor does. I had a nagging sense of, something. There is no sense of easy resolution here, just a lot of damage all round, and maybe given our current global conversation, that felt a little like a cop-out. Greek and Roman myths are foundational to Western society as well, and these tales are part of how we view both misogyny and the potential power of very pissed off women. Maybe, I just wanted all that unpacked a bit more slowly and deeply, but that's very about timing.
I'm glad, for whatever reason, that Saylor went there. I'm hoping there is more to Gordianus' story to come.
This book is a bit of a technical triumph - there are so many moving pieces necessary to get everyone into place, and then to drive it forward. Saylor has obviously been planning the general direction for a while, especially in ensuring Gordianus' son Meto is close to JC. None of it feels forced however, and the very-non-partisan Gordianus having a partisan son is a great source of character development, as our detective ages and deals with the dilemmas of parents whose children are fully grown. The crime plot is inspired, and again, the technical aspects are so well done as to be unnoticed.
The next bit discusses themes that err on the spoilery side *********************
What I don't know is whether Saylor predicted the rise of #MeToo and female anger in writing this, because damn the last quarter of the book feels intense in the current environment. Female fury is a fairly common theme in Roman/Greek literature, but this somehow felt much more contemporary. I found it harder to read, more personal and more engaging than I expected. It would have been easy to put a foot wrong here, but I don't think Saylor does. I had a nagging sense of, something. There is no sense of easy resolution here, just a lot of damage all round, and maybe given our current global conversation, that felt a little like a cop-out. Greek and Roman myths are foundational to Western society as well, and these tales are part of how we view both misogyny and the potential power of very pissed off women. Maybe, I just wanted all that unpacked a bit more slowly and deeply, but that's very about timing.
I'm glad, for whatever reason, that Saylor went there. I'm hoping there is more to Gordianus' story to come.