Book Review: Arms of Nemesis (Roma Sub Rosa, #2) by Steven Saylor

Arms of Nemesis by Steven Saylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent book, filled with beautiful and lyrical descriptions of Ancient Rome in the time before Caesar.

The author is certainly more than capable of drawing the reader into old rituals, and stunning scenery with flowing ease and an assurance of research well done on every topic, from poisons to bath houses.

In fact, Steven Saylor includes at the end a list of works he consulted for writing this book, so the curious can go find more for themselves.

I appreciate the tasteful way he describes both sex and sensuality and when he does feel the need to use baser descriptions, they fit very well with the ‘moment’ in the drama.

This is the second of his Roma Sub Rosa series and I look forward to reading the third, even if the ending on this one felt just ever so slightly contrived.

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Book Review: Wonder Woman: The Official Movie Novel by Nancy Holder

The one thing I’m adamant about is reading.  Read everything.  Just read.

Which means that my selection of books ends up being from eclectic to downright head tilting at times.

Next book up for a review is not one most wouldn’t think of as part of anyone’s library.   Movie novelizations aren’t the next Jeffrey Archer’s or Stephen King’s (despite how many of their books have been made into movies).  But movie novelizations got me reading as a young loner teenager who preferred books over people.

So on occasion I still pick them up.

Now don’t get me wrong there’s a big difference between reading a novelization and one that was the inspiration of a film … one day I’ll do a post on The Snowman by Jo Nesbø, but until then …

Enjoy Wonder Woman!

Wonder Woman: The Official Movie Novelization by Nancy Holder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As someone who enjoyed the movie for it’s innovation of character and bringing back Wonder Woman as a strong female character, I was curious on how the ‘Movie Novelization’ would read out.

It wasn’t a difficult read, I finished it in a few hours (though months apart) It was enjoyable, the writing was good but not in-depth, I had been hoping for more character insight or history. It followed the movie closely, even if you wanted more.

For a movie novelization it was one of the best I’ve read. I would recommend it to people who have seen the movie or not. You’ll fall in love with Diane and feel her pain, devotion and love.

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Book Review: Roman Blood (Roma Sub Rosa, #1) by Steven Saylor

The goal for this year is to read more books!

I got so wrapped up last year in finishing The Secret Service Agent, that I slacked off on my reading list!

So starting off the New Year with my first book review:

Roman Blood by Steven Saylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having read Steven Saylor’s ‘Roma’ I was fascinated to start at the beginning of the Roma Sub Rosa series and meet Gordianus the Finder.

This was an easy and enjoyable read from start to finish, though it did flag a little bit in the middle, and I’ve only given it 4 stars here because the repetition of certain information that the reader had already been given previously in the book, started to get very tedious after a while.

I understand that repetition is often necessary to make sure the reader gets the point, but this didn’t feel like that kind of writing tool from my perspective.

The characters are hard to like at first. Their pace of life is very slow, and many of them are utterly irredeemable. But stick with it, it’s worth it.

I had no idea until the end that it was based on real historical documents from the famous Orator Marcus Tullius Cicero, whom we meet in the story as the man quite literally guiding the need for Gordianus to go Find him information on a case to be presented before the Rostra in the ancient Roman Forum.

I would absolutely recommend this book, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the next one in the series.

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