The Devil's Elixirs
E.T.A. Hoffmann and Ian Sumter
Book
The charismatic monk Medardus becomes implicated in a deadly mystery against his will. As he travels...
Catilina's Riddle
Book
The year is 63BC, and Gordianus the Finder unexpectedly achieves the dream of every Roman - a farm...
The House By The Cypress Trees
9.0
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Julia Ramos, in Italy to find her birth mother, rescues a dog, is nearly run over by a handsome...
Murder in the Piazza
8.0
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Maggie White, a downsized American executive stuck in Rome on her husband's expat assignment, is...
David McK (3623 KP) rated Brothers of the Sword (Warrior #5) in Books
Jun 3, 2023
As with the previous three entries, this is presented as the elderly Caratacus, whilst in exile in Rome, recounting his experiences to a Roman historian, with the sub-plot that this may be bringing that historian unwelcome attention from Nero's officials.
As also before - and as required by the fact that this is a novella - it's also a rather short read, complete with it's own 'intro' and 'outro'
David McK (3623 KP) rated Revenge of Rome (Eagles of the Empire #23) in Books
Apr 21, 2025
Whilst the previous novel - 'Rebellion' - dealt largely with the battles won by Boudica (including the sack of Londinium), this instead follows the 'mopping-up' (for want of a better word) operation against her: something that, truth be told, is often over-looked.
With Cato and Macro deciding to quit Brittania (again) at the end of the tale and with the former resigning his commision, I'll be interested is seeing where any further novels go ...
Gladiatori Moderni
Book
Bodies, sweat, the direct gaze; strength, courage, doubt; the visual and emotional alphabet of Piero...
Deborah (162 KP) rated Master and God in Books
Dec 21, 2018
The book I read just before this was Kate Quinn's Daughters of Rome, which covers the Year of the Four Emperors, concluding with the accession of Vespasian, so in many ways this linked in nicely from an historical point of view. What I noticed almost straight away though, was how much better Davis' writing is; Rome and the characters really came alive for me in a way they never quite managed in Quinn's work.
Davis' sense of humour is still very much apparent, thought it doesn't come across quite so keenly as in the Falco novels; I think this may be because Falco is in the first person while Master & God is told in the third person, utilising more than one character point of view - including Musca the Fly, that I see several people have commented on!
Day of the Caesars: Eagles of the Empire 16
Book
If you don't know Simon Scarrow, you don't know Rome AD 54. Claudius is dead. Rome is in turmoil....
Pandora (New Tales of the Vampires, #1)
8.0
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Anne Rice, creator of the Vampire Lestat, the Mayfair witches and the amazing worlds they inhabit,...