Daughters of Rome

Disappointing as a Prequel

If I could have given this book three and a half stars instead of four, I would have. Although I ended up really liking Daughters of Rome, for the first half of the book I found it very disappointing. I rushed out to buy this novel the day it was released because I'd been so blown away by Kate Quinn's Mistress of Rome. Since this was that book's prequel I figured it would be similarly original, dark, and suspenseful. When I started to read it I realized this wasn't the case. First off, Daughters of Rome lacked the engaging storytelling of Mistress of Rome. What I loved a lot about Quinn's first novel was the successful use of different voices and types of narration to tell the story. Daughters was limited to the third person, although it followed several characters around in this way. The storyline was that it is A.D. 69, a tumultuous period in ancient Rome, when Imperial power was switching hands faster than the seasons could change. Cornelia, a proper Roman matron with dreams of being Empress, and her sister Marcella, an aspiring historian, try to stay afloat amidst all the assassination and intrigue. Their cousins, the scandalous Lollia and the horse-obsessed Diana are also swept up by the events of that year and are trying to survive. For the first half of the book I can't really say I liked any of the characters. The plot lagged. There wasn't a lot going on in the story to distract from how selfish and scheming Marcella was and how Cornelia was passive and unexciting. Halfway through however, the story picked up and I became invested in the characters Cornelia and Lollia, while the danger felt more imminent. It was fun to recognize familiar characters from Mistress of Rome and to see how the stage was set for the events of that novel. There could have been less details of horse races at the Circus Maximus and more about Domitian, a character I found very interesting. But Daughters had some heart-pounding romances and an exhilarating climax. It was also clearly well-researched and the historical details were superb. In the end it was well worth reading and I definitely recommend it to Kate Quinn fans.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Wow

This book takes historical fiction to the next level. The characters are very well developed, if you have had any interactions with sisters or female cousins, then you will more than likely be able to relate to these characters even though they live two thousand years ago. The plot is well researched with people who actually existed in that time period. If you have read Mistress of Rome this will answer a lot of questions. The format of this nookbook is well done also, no annoying typos or grammatical errors that I noticed.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Disappointing!

Kate Quinn's first book was rather good and I looked forward to the release of Daughters of Rome. I have to say, though, that this book just didn't grab my attention.

I found myself going back a lot to see what I'd missed. A character might lie on a couch without ever having entered a room, and I'd ask "Wait, when did he/she get there?" Or a character might be on a horse one moment, and then magically stomping away the next without ever having dismounted. Little things like that make me crazy!

Also, the characters just didn't have any real personality. What minimal personality they were given was inconsistent throughout. Lollia was initially presented as thoughtless and flighty, prone to ignoring her daughter, but as the book progressed she was portrayed as almost "mother of the year".

In all, this book was a waste of $9.99. If I'd gotten this as a free book I wouldn't have finished it, but I figured I owed it to myself since I'd shelled out money. Kate Quinn looked like a promising author with her first book, but from now on I'll avoid her work until I'm convinced she's slowed down and taken her work more seriously.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

This work of biographical fiction looks closely at the impact of the 'Year of the Four Emperors" had on four women

In 69 A.D. Cornelia is the paragon of a Roman politician's wife as she expects to one day soon become the empress. Their cousin Lollia is used by men in the family as a pawn to gain favors with the affluent. Another cousin Diana chooses to stay out of the elite arena as her preference is as a spectator at chariot racing.

Otho leads a bloody coup that ends with the Emperor Galba dead after a reign of seven months following Nero's suicide. Cornelia's dream died with her spouse. Marcella must adapt having manipulated Galba. All four females struggle to survive as two more emperors follow in the "Year of the Four Emperors."

This work of biographical fiction looks closely at the impact of the 'Year of the Four Emperors" had on four women. Each of the women is fully developed while the men in their lives serve as background catalysts on the feminist stage. The two sisters are fascinating protagonists turned to antagonists as Cornelia mourns what she felt was her divine right lost with her husband's death and Marcella turns from historian to Machiavellian emperor maker and breaker. The cousins are fully developed but less influential. A prequel to the author's Mistress of Rome, ancient historical fiction fans will enjoy this intriguing look at the disorderly first year after Nero's death.

Harriet Klausner

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A trip down the History

Two Sister... Four Emperors... An empire... Quite the game.... A good read... Too bad I finished in just one day.... I really need to stop reading so fast.

Seemless story weaving with historical events

I read Mistress of Rome when it first came out. I fell in love with Quinn's characters, writing style and story-telling. I had been waiting anxiously for Daughters of Rome to come out. So anxious, when my nook broke, I didn't hesitate to buy the paperback before waiting for my nook to be fixed! (And I LOVE reading from my nook.) Daughters of Rome followed the development of three related women during the Year of the Four Emperors. Quinn seamlessly pulls facts into fiction and is able to develop the main characters as well as add interested secondary characters. Fantastic read, hard to put down and makes you want to read or reread Mistress of Rome to follow the story of Domitian.

outstanding

great book

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommend

I love the way Kate Quinn writes. This book is a very good read! I only have one problem and that is that I wish she had added one more chapter. :) I love LOVE love ancient Roman life and Quinn captures the spirit and really makes the story jumo off the page! it's as if your a fly on the wall of these 4 cousins lives.

Engaging, fast-paced read

Thoroughly researched fictional account of the year of four emperors. Great characters and plot.

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