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A review by archytas
Empire by Steven Saylor
4.0
These aren't exactly "great" books, but as a romp through Roman history - awesomely entertaining. Saylor has a vivid imagination capable of incorporating vast amounts of detail about historical Rome into a narrative about possible lives.
This one is less interesting than its predecessor, simply because the cult of the individual makes Roman history less interesting. I ended up wishing - particularly given the title - that Saylor had just left Rome, and explored the growth of the Roman empire by the experiences of those who lived or moved to the provinces. But I'm a sucker for the central conceit of a bloodline that goes back to the first settlers in the areas being involved in major events. No idea why I like this so much - but it's satisfying on some "tying up loose ends" level.
This one is less interesting than its predecessor, simply because the cult of the individual makes Roman history less interesting. I ended up wishing - particularly given the title - that Saylor had just left Rome, and explored the growth of the Roman empire by the experiences of those who lived or moved to the provinces. But I'm a sucker for the central conceit of a bloodline that goes back to the first settlers in the areas being involved in major events. No idea why I like this so much - but it's satisfying on some "tying up loose ends" level.