Blogtour reviews – INCEPTIO

Blogtour for the 10th Anniversary special edition

From Eclectic Ramblings of Heather Osborne review blog – 25 April 2023
https://heatherosborneauthor.com/2023/04/25/blog-tour-inceptio-by-alison-morton/

A fantastic alternate historical fiction novel, Inceptio kept my attention from page one. I absolutely adored the characters as well as the play on the old Roman traditions and names. The evolution of Karen’s character made the novel that much more enjoyable. I highly look forward to exploring the next in the series.

From Ruins & Reading review blog – 28 April 2023
https://ruinsandreading.blogspot.com/2023/04/review-inceptio-by-alison-morton.html#more

I’ve been familiar with Alison Morton’s intriguing Roma Nova series, set in an alternative 21st century. Many countries as we know them don’t exist. It’s a concept I found fascinating, as Ms Morton has created a world that we may recognise, but in an alternate way.

Karen Brown, the main character of the novel, is no wilting wallflower. We’re thrown right into the action when a bunch of entitled youths cause trouble in a park where she works at weekends as a voluntary warden. When she bloodies the nose of one assailer, little does she know the impact her instinctive defence would have on her life.

In her day job, she works at an agency that deals with inventors. During a visit of such an inventor from Roma Nova, the secretive country in central-eastern Europe, she meets his translator, Conradus Tellus. Handsome, intelligent, and charming, he invites Karen out one night, and they begin to get to know each other better. As Karen’s late mother had come from Roma Nova, she is curious about the country.

Meanwhile, the powers that be have it in for Karen. As heiress to a large company the government wishes to control, they put pressure on her. She loses her job at the park, and finds herself under observation.

But what she doesn’t know is that the man tasked with this bears a grudge against her and her family. When she finds her life in danger, Conradus makes a suggestion that would change her life: she had to come with him to Roma Nova. As the granddaughter of an important adviser to the imperatrix, Karen would be safe from harm. But even the best security systems don’t work against someone seeking vengeance.

Karen realises she must change her lifestyle dramatically, if she doesn’t want to remain the victim. So she takes a life-changing path. Has Karen, now called Carina, found her calling? And, more importantly, will she now be able to defend herself?

Right from the beginning, INCEPTIO pulls you into the plot with its relentless pace and action. Carina is an interesting character, flawed, and surprisingly ruthless at times, she turns her feistiness into a purpose. Not content with playing the rich heiress, she is keen to be taken seriously, even though she experiences some setbacks. Her fledgling romance with Conradus falters when she discovers his past, and she embarks on a fling with her new superior.

There are aspects of her character that I didn’t like. She didn’t seem to care, or she buried her feelings deep down, and we did not get a good glimpse at them. As INCEPTIO is predominantly a thriller, it’s no surprise. But I’d have liked a slightly deeper insight into her mind on a personal level at times. I found the change to her new life a little too fast, with her settling in so easily (despite some setbacks). Perhaps this is because we’re often not given a sense of timescale.

But the plot and subplots are so gripping and exciting, they leave you reading into the early hours. I had to force myself to go to sleep, rather than read beyond 1.30am! The characters are varied, clever, and their roles are very well-researched.

Ms Morton has created a fascinating alternative world of political scheming, power grabs, and intimidation, but also focuses on family values and loyalty to your loved ones. Another convincing aspect is the friendships Carina forms with a range of characters from different backgrounds. She isn’t judgmental, content to give others their chance. They know of her impetuousness, and accept it, but they also know she has their back.

The ending feels a little rushed, as months pass swiftly, but this sets us up nicely for the next book in the series, CARINA.

The 10th Anniversary Edition contains additional material which may answer some of the questions readers may have, mostly about secondary characters. It creates a rounded image of the characters, their choices, and their motivations, and opens up other questions that are likely addressed during the series. I found these extra chapters fascinating, as they illuminated non-POV characters. A brilliant idea, and clever inclusion.

Will Carina find her way back to Conradus? Will she be able to eliminate the threat against her life?

I can’t wait to read the other books in this utterly compelling series. INCEPTIO is a highly recommended read not only for fans of thrillers.

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February-March 2019

Jan’s Book Buzz – 27 February 2019
https://jansbookbuzz.com/2019/02/27/blog-tour-review-inceptio-by-alison-morton/

“The Hunger Games meets Lindsey Davis’s Roman detective Falco.” 

There’s also a touch of Princess Diaries (which gets a tongue-in-cheek mention in the book – much to my delight), and I did feel a hint of Terminator’s Sarah Connor peering over my shoulder at times! Karen Brown/Carina Mitela is not to be trifled with!

It’s my turn today on the Blog Tour for Inceptio (which takes place in the early 21st century), which cannot be boxed into any one genre – if anything, it’s as the author tells us in her Historical Note: an ‘alternative history story’. It is a unique, and extremely clever concept which can only be conceived and accomplished by one who is skilled and highly knowledgeable in both their craft and subject matter, which Alison Morton clearly is (read all about her further on). Her knowledge of history (specifically Roman history) is astounding, and she puts it to excellent use.

We first meet the unassuming Karen Brown at her weekend job as a volunteer in New York’s Kew Park – you read that right. This is a very different New York to the one we know. In fact, the USA is now the EUS – the Eastern United States. After inadvertently falling foul of the powers that be, Karen finds herself on a watchlist. Unbeknown to her though, she’s also being watched by people who have her best interests at heart and who are about to swoop in and transform her life into something she hadn’t even imagined in her wildest fantasies!

Enter the world of Roma Nova … a modern-day, Latin-speaking matriarchy that the author has created so realistically that I’m almost convinced it does exist somewhere other than in these pages! It sounds like it could be olden day Rome, but make no mistake – they have the most modern, high powered technology and they use it to the best of their ability, especially when it comes to protecting themselves. They’ve learned from history, seen other empires fall and they don’t intend for that to happen to them.

As Karen becomes part of Roma Nova, she realises she has a lot (like, A LOT) to learn – first off, she can’t speak Latin!! But she adapts well, and quickly becomes an accepted and much-loved addition to her grandmother’s (First Lady of Roma Nova) household.

But not everyone is thrilled at Karen leaving the EUS. Dark forces have followed her to her new haven with the most evil of plans. Supposedly sent by national security and political factions but with more personal intentions on his mind, a malicious criminal mind will stop at nothing to bring down the Mitela household.

With a plot that doesn’t let up, and characters who are well rounded, I found that it was Roma Nova itself that stood out for me as the life-force of this semi-fictionalised visualisation of an empire that wasn’t destroyed but was resurrected by strong female trailblazers who lead their nation with determination, vigour and sheer will.

Morton cleverly weaves magic around existing landmarks and well-known celebratory festivals so that they are recognisable, but somehow not quite as they are in their current manifestation – something’s just a bit ‘off-kilter’. In South Africa we have an expression that perfectly describes this phenomenon: ‘Same, same … but different’!

I give this 4 stars. It’s well worth reading and I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. It should be noted that these books were first released in 2013 – but as with all good things, they should be shared – and so, they have recently been relaunched.”

From Rebecca Yarros of MadeUp Book Reviews – 1 March 2019
https://madeupbookreviews.home.blog/2019/03/01/inceptio-by-alison-morton/

There are very few authors who can take something from the past and create something wholly new, something engaging and fun that has you wanting to turn the pages, using previous situations in a way that not only makes you wish to visit, but leaves you feeling as though you already have. And yet, that is precisely what this Author has managed.

I really did enjoy reading this, it had me engaged and wondering what would happen next with each new page. I enjoyed following Karen/Cara etc through this story, seeing how she changed and grew throughout the tale, how she adapted to her new situations she was faced with. Starting a new life can be complicated, and I adored how the Author wove this in with gorgeous descriptions of the Roman culture and scenery.

The recreations were wonderfully done and the explanations of all the emotions that having to change your life so entirely can result in were not only believable, they were so well done it made me feel as though I had been with Karen throughout.

The story is full of wonderful action, fast paced and unpredictable in the variety of scenarios, and how each one turns out. The twists and turns were a lot of fun! I can’t wait to see what happens in the second book

From the Northern Reader review blog – 2 March 2019
https://northernreader.wordpress.com/2019/03/02/inceptio-by-alison-morton-a-thriller-fantasy-offering-a-chilling-alternative-view-of-life-and-history/

Tough, articulate and determined; human, bewildered and sometimes anxious; Carina Mitelia is a present day hero in an alternative setting. Creating a slightly different world is one thing, staying very firmly this side of fantasy is another achievement. As Karen Brown becomes Carina Mitela, she slips from being advertising executive and volunteer park ranger into a fighter who must survive in her new role, new identity and new country. Full of physical action and subtle cultural hints, this is a novel which creates a new world order in which women rule and have to fix situations, while watching their backs for political tricks.

A fascinating tale of the Roman way of life recreated for the twenty first century, this is an adventurously plotted novel in which there are mobile phones and sophisticated surveillance methods, yet the language is Latin. Self confessed “Roman nut” Alison Morton has created this novel as part of a series which pushes the boundaries of expectation, but which essentially revolves around a battle for survival. I soon became immersed in the world of Roma Nova, and I was grateful to be sent a copy of this novel to read and review, the first in the series.

Karen Brown leads a life in New York which is filled partly by her volunteer role as a patrol officer in Kew Park. When she defends an elderly man, an Indigenous, from some teenagers by some clever manoeuvres, she finds herself in trouble. As she briefly mentions in her narrative an alternative history of the United States in which the War of Independence did not happen and the British only left in 1867, the reader begins to appreciate that the subtle differences  in the world order means that the orphaned young woman has a link with Roma Nova. This is a state which is made up of the ruling party of the original Roman Empire, which has survived over many centuries to retain their power via women, who are the hereditary rulers of the successful and now peaceful country. Karen is contacted by Conrad who explains that she has family links in the country, and so begins a tense period where the diplomatic and legal possibilities run alongside brutal attempts on her life. As she battles to survive, she discovers that choices are forced upon her which will mean that she accepts a whole new identity, but that she must still be on guard, and indeed take the offensive if she is to fulfil her new role.

This book for me represents the best sort of fantasy, near enough to real life to be understandable, but offering a new element of a world view to expand and allow new adventures. There is a fair amount of physical violence, and there are times when I wondered if Karen/Carina has nine lives, as she is forced to do battle to survive so many times. This is a firmly female led thriller, and though Karen is more of a victim having to be rescued to begin with, as the book proceeds she becomes her true self as she takes control. A fighter in all senses, the Carina Mitela novels and indeed their predecessors, The Aurelia Mitela adventures, feature strong women in familiar yet challenging circumstances, and I would love to read more of them.

From Cheryl M-M’s Book Blog – 4 March 2019
https://mmcheryl.wordpress.com/2019/03/04/blogtour-inceptio-by-alison-morton/

In a way this storyline is kind of ironic, then again perhaps it’s just very on point given the political changes in the US and the UK at the moment in regards to immigration, illegal and legal immigrants.

Karen Brown is the daughter of a Nova Roman woman and her father was a citizen of the Eastern United States. She lives a content and oblivious life until a simple altercation with a high-ranking family changes the direction of her future forever.

Suddenly she is considered an enemy of the state because of her heritage. The country she defends as being morally correct, righteous and a defender of the rule of democracy has now turned against her. Her mother’s family is happy to bring her back into the inner fold of the Roma Novan community. A world of wealth, a new culture, language and the responsibilities of being part of an upper class family.

The author herself says that the historical aspect of her inspirational Roma Nova series is slightly more low key in this book, perhaps because this book is heavier on the action. It is definitely worth checking out the rest of this series to see how she connects historical facts with her interpretation of fictional alternative history. As she mentions in the back of the book, what if certain moments or battles in history had ended differently and changed the course of history and life as we know it?

Although I enjoyed the fast-paced action of this book I would certainly buy one of the other books in the series because I find the alternate history or timeline premise quite intriguing. The Romans are a fascinating subject and even more so in a more dystopian setting.

Alternate history gives so much fodder for the imagination. Just one different decision equals a butterfly effect. This story is a combo of  action and alternate history with a strong and determined main character to propel the story forward.

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INCEPTIO went on a blogtour between 1 and 10 April 2013. Here are some of the reviews:

Because This Girl Loves Books

“I’ve always been fascinated by Roman history, so I found this new “Rome,” Roma Nova quite the interesting place. Ways of doing things back then were rather different than today’s Western society and I thought Morton did a great job portraying what that would look like today (and the reaction to it). Plus the descriptions of Roma Nova made me want to high tail outta Texas and go to Italy. Soon Jamie, soon.

Morton had plenty of moments where after reading certain things, I had to stop, collaborate and listen because it was a “say whaaaa just happened??” type moment. Always a sign of a good writer who keeps the audience captivated. Plus Renschman is a psycho villain (like BRO CHILL OUT). I mean cray to the third power. But a good villain only makes the heroine that much better.

I will say, during the part where she was kicking butt and off on her own, I couldn’t help but want to slowly raise my hand and quietly ask, what about Conrad? What can I say…I’m a cheeseball romantic on occasion. I won’t give away much more, because you should find out for yourself , but at least I didn’t throw the book in frustration when it ended (I’m still upset with Gone with the Wind. Oh Rhett Butler…).

While this is only Morton’s first published book, she’s a natural storyteller and this fast-paced, suspense novel is the perfect example of that talent. It gets you hooked and rooting for Karen as she searches to find herself, her purpose and love!”