2nd Read: Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn

Author: Kate Quinn

Title: Daughters of Rome

Series: The Empress of Rome #1

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: Paperback

Pages: 385 

Published: April 1, 2011

Where I Got It: My shelf (Won in a giveaway)

Summary: 

A.D. 69. Nero is dead.

The Roman Empire is up for the taking. With bloodshed spilling out of the palace and into the streets of Rome, chaos has become the status quo. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything—especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome….

Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. She lives to one day see her loyal husband as Emperor. Her sister, Marcella, is more withdrawn, content to witness history rather than make it. Even so, Marcella has her share of distinguished suitors, from a cutthroat contender for the throne to a politician’s son who swears that someday he will be Emperor.

But when a bloody coup turns their world upside down, Cornelia and Marcella—along with their cousins, one a collector of husbands and lovers, the other a horse-mad beauty with no interest in romance—must maneuver carefully just to stay alive. As Cornelia tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams, Marcella discovers a hidden talent for influencing the most powerful men in Rome. In the end, though, there can only be one Emperor … and one Empress.

Review:

First, read this in 2014. Different sources say this is book 1 but some others say it is book 2. I guess it depends on how you look at it. It technically takes place before book 2. However, the book was published second. I picked this for my re-read in Book Club (every three months we all pick a re-read to make the others read - keeps it fresh). I decided on this one first instead of 'Mistress of Rome' because there are some spoilers about people's fate in book 2. I want to pick 'Mistress of Rome' when it is re-read time again (if they all liked it - the jury is still out since we don't meet for a while). 

So....Rome is falling apart from the inside out. We follow Marcella, Cornelia, and two of their cousins as they navigate this fragile world. Emperors are falling by the wayside. Even in peace...things are rocky and anyone can betray anyone. It is a cutthroat time. 

So much chaos!!!! I forgot how crazy things get throughout this year! I can't imagine being in their shoes. Even the peaceful times are so tension-y. 

Back when I first read this I liked Cornelia and Marcella more by the end (even though Marcella made some bad decisions but damn was she dynamic and so complex!!)...this time? I think I liked Lollia more! She was much more complex and layered than I gave her credit for like everyone else. Sure she is air-headed and whatnot but I truly appreciated her more. 

This was good. Very good! I want to read book 2 again asap. 

In the end, this was such a good book. Loved it then. Love it now. Chaotic and has a cast of interesting characters. It is a story you can't put down! 5 stars. 

Book Review: Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn

Author: Kate Quinn

Title: Daughters of Rome (The Empress of Rome #1 or 2? Different sources say different things)

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Drama

Pages: 370

First Published: April 5th, 2011

Where I Got It: My shelf (won it in a giveaway)

"A.D. 69. Nero is dead.

The Roman Empire is up for the taking. With bloodshed spilling out of the palace and into the streets of Rome, chaos has become the status quo. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything—especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome….

Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. She lives to one day see her loyal husband as Emperor. Her sister, Marcella, is more withdrawn, content to witness history rather than make it. Even so, Marcella has her share of distinguished suitors, from a cutthroat contender for the throne to a politician’s son who swears that someday he will be Emperor.

But when a bloody coup turns their world upside down, Cornelia and Marcella—along with their cousins, one a collector of husbands and lovers, the other a horse-mad beauty with no interest in romance—must maneuver carefully just to stay alive. As Cornelia tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams, Marcella discovers a hidden talent for influencing the most powerful men in Rome. In the end, though, there can only be one Emperor … and one Empress."

Why oh why did I wait so long to read this?????? This has been sitting on my shelf FOREVER! I told myself I would read it after this book or that book. GAH! SO MUCH TIME HAS BEEN WASTED! Kate Quinn has dazzled me yet again and I truly feel bad that I waited so long to read this.

This was just as good as the last one. BUT what makes it better is that this technically takes place before 'Mistress of Rome' and is a sequel in all technicalities. There were so many names that I recognized. I wasn't sure, but once I finished this up I ran to the other book and looked at the character list. AND low and behold there were some characters that were in the first one. I may now have to re-read 'Mistress of Rome' later on this year when I have time. Eeeek! Super excited!

Anyways....

A very chaotic book. There would be a moment of peace, but an unsettling peace, and then there would be chaos, and down goes an emperor. I truly love how Kate Quinn managed to create this sense of unsettling peace. There was always this tenseness going on even when things (on the outside) seemed to be at peace. Even the ending still had some tenseness going on. Kuddos to the author for not only capturing the feeling of the times but for sucking me into the times. I felt like I was there. The world, yet again, was brought to life. It would be fun for a day (if I wasn't a slave), but I couldn't live in times of such frailness and fear. Yes, being rich was better than being a slave or a soldier, but being rich and powerful had its downfalls. One minute you are sitting high and in the Emperor's favor, but the next the Emperor is being murdered and a new one who hates you is taking the throne. *shakes head* I can't imagine living like that.

The girls were interesting. I found myself flip-flopping on who I liked and didn't like over and over again. In the end, I did find that I liked all the characters, but Marcella. I pitied her. Poor chit...she got WAAAAY in over her head. *shakes head* Funny thing, though, I really liked her and thought we had a lot in common. Buuuuut she decided to play with the wolves and stop being a watcher, but a player. I can't do much else without giving away major spoilers...but I think Cornelia needed to grow up and see that karma did get Marcella in the end and that Marcella saw the errors of her way. Cornelia should have shown a little more compassion and sisterly love. Sighs. Oh well, what can you do? 

Well, I could go on and on about this book. It was awesome and I spent countless hours just reading this. Sometimes I re-read passages. I really MUST read more of Kate Quinn's books. ^.^ I will not make the mistake and wait nearly 3 years to read it. *face palm* And I call myself a fan. 

In the end, I adored this book. It was filled with adventure, drama, some comedy, upheavals, wars, romance, and sexy men in uniform. Kate Quinn is truly growing into a fantastic writer and I really must read the next on in the series and her other books that aren't a part of the Rome series. People who love historical fiction will adore this book too. This stands alone very well, by the way. In the end, I shall stamp this with 5 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Cornelia, Piso, Marcella (even though she did not do the nicest stuff), Diana (very quirky and I liked it), and Drusus

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Gaius, his wife, and Domitian (bastard)  

Dusty Reads (3)

~This is a weekly meme created by Xpressoreads that showcases books that have been sitting on your shelf for a while and is a little dusty...~

Hey everyone! Guess what today is? Today is the first day of the winter semester for this little college kid! Yayy! -.- As you can probably tell, I'm not looking forward to it...oh well.


Anyways...this week the book I'm dusting off is Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn. 

"A.D. 69. Nero is dead. 

The Roman Empire is up for the taking. With bloodshed spilling out of the palace and into the streets of Rome, chaos has become the status quo. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything—especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome…. 

Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. She lives to one day see her loyal husband as Emperor. Her sister, Marcella, is more withdrawn, content to witness history rather than make it. Even so, Marcella has her share of distinguished suitors, from a cutthroat contender for the throne to a politician’s son who swears that someday he will be Emperor. 

But when a bloody coup turns their world upside down, Cornelia and Marcella—along with their cousins, one a collector of husbands and lovers, the other a horse-mad beauty with no interest in romance—must maneuver carefully just to stay alive. As Cornelia tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams, Marcella discovers a hidden talent for influencing the most powerful men in Rome. In the end, though, there can only be one Emperor … and one Empress."

It's been sitting on my shelf for a few months now and so far I've read just the first five pages. As you all may or may not know, I simply adored Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn and I even announced it as my Book of the Year. With this fact, a question arises; why haven't I jumped into the next book yet? I don't have an answer. Well, have any of you read this and did you like it or not? Or am I right by ignoring this one for now? 

================================

<3CaroleRae