Independent reviews

This is only a selection – See also Goodreads reviews.

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.

From Made Up 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 Stacy is Reading – 28 February 2019

https://stacyisreading.blogspot.com/2019/02/book-review-inceptio-by-alison-morton.html

Alison Morton reimagines history in this alternative world creating a clever and vivid universe as a stage to set her Roma Nova thriller upon….and what a performance it is to. The attention to detail is on point and fills the plot with a rich tapestry of Roman history that blends seamlessly with a modern story. I was in awe of the world that was being shaped before my eyes.

The storyline grabbed my attention from the outset and threw me into this dazzling new world that twisted and changed in the blink of an eye and ensured that excitement was at the forefront of every turn of the page. The character line up was equally impressive, lead by a remarkable and resilient leading lady who commanded the stage well and steered the story successfully.

Inceptio is a clever creation that merges the old with the new in a seamless fashion. It is bold, brave and a complete success in my opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed my time immersed in Morton’s reimagined world and I highly recommend this book.

From Jan’s Book Buzz – 27 February 2019

https://jansbookbuzz.com/2019/02/27/blog-tour-review-inceptio-by-alison-morton/

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 forInceptio (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 Roman fiction author SJA Turney – 17 September 2015

https://sjat.wordpress.com/2015/09/17/roma-nova-inceptio/

BRAG_INCEPTIOI wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from Inceptio. I’d heard of it, seen the rather handsome cover and actually met Alison briefly at a historical fiction do, and when I had a gap in my revue pile, I slotted it in for a read.

Firstly, let me say that I really enjoyed the book. It was engaging and fasincating, thrilling in places and beautifully described. The characters were quite realistic and empathic.

So what is it like, given my aforementioned lack of expectations? Well, I’d say few readers will get everythingthey seek from it, but most certainly everyone will get something. The obsessive Roman fiction nuts might find it a little too modern. The crime nuts may cluck at their plot being laden with alternate history. The sci-fi lovers will approve of some of the concepts, but could find too much history and realistic modern world filtered in. The Romance lovers might be irked that thrillerdom keeps getting in the way. But the simple thing is that few readers are so specific, and most readers will find at least one aspect of Inceptio that they love, while many will appreciate the all-round. Because there’s crime, thriller, action, military, romance, hints of sci-fi-near-future, exploration of character and so much more. And anyone who likes any of that will read this and enjoy it.

So this is alternate history. A recreation of the modern world in which some decision was made another way at some point in history and things turned out differently. The story takes as its premise not a world in which Rome did not fall, but a world in which a small Roman colony in the Alps survived that fall and the fall of Byzantium in the east, going on to become some sort of Romanized utopia with overtones of Switzerland. And because of the presence of this nation, the rest of the world has developed slightly differently.

Our heroine, Karen (at least for some of the time!) finds her normal New York life turned upside down following a small incident, which sets in motion a chain of events that leads to her learning that she is in fact an heiress, a noble, even a scion of a family in Roma Nova. There ensues a tale that is one of self discovery and personal re-creation as Karen discovers life in the world of New Rome while pyscopaths hunt her, men vie for her attentions and a growing sense of duty forces her to train, learn and join paramilitary forces.

Parts of this story will surprise you, parts will excite you, and parts will enthrall you, but all of it will make you think and make you want to know what happents next. I find it hard to believe you will read Inceptio and not find something about it that really grabs you.

In short, go get Inceptio and introduce yourself to the world of Roma Nova.

 

From Bookmuse – 13 February 2015

http://www.bookmuse.co.uk

What We Thought: 
A book that doesn’t easily fit a genre, this is a modern action tale set against an alternate history. It’s exciting and pacy and contains lots of unexpected twists, but what attracted me most was the premise. A place where women make the decisions, right in the heart of Europe?

Our modern New Yorker heroine, Karen Brown, upsets the wrong guy and finds her options drastically reduced. Not only that, but she’s attracting all the wrong kind of attention. When she learns of a relative in Roma Nova, the female-dominated European country which arose out of the ashes of the Roman Empire, it’s time to pack her bags.She assumes a new identity, goes undercover, learns to fight and begins to understand how the politics work. All the while keeping two men in her sights: Renschman, who is out to kill her, and Conrad Tellus, who is her mentor, bodyguard and …?

The tempo is snappy, the key characters believable and appealing, and the setting fascinates. So much so you actually wish it existed. In fact, that would be my only regret – that we didn’t get to see more of this world and how it operates at the ordinary level. Although the Latin references, alternate curses and glimpses of the architecture tantalised, I wanted a guided tour. But there are two more books in the series, following the transformations of our heroine, so there’s a great deal more to explore.
Reviewer: JJ Marsh

You’ll enjoy this if you likedThe Afrika Reich, FatherlandRats
Avoid if you dislike: Latin, geography, history, violence
Ideal accompaniments: Half a bottle of Franciacorta, green olives stuffed with anchovies and Lux Aeterna by Kronos Quartet
Genre: Contemporary, Historical Fiction  Available from Amazon

From A Maze of Reviews (a top 100 Amazon UK reviewer) – 8 November 2014

http://amazeofreviews.weebly.com/books—i-j.html   Amazon review (5 star) here

INCEPTIO (Roma Nova #1) by Alison MortonINCEPTIO (Roma Nova #1) by Alison Morton  5 stars

A truly gripping story with all the elements of a modern classic saga. The action is narrated by Karen Brown, the protagonist, a device which always provides tension and immediacy. Stuck in a dull job with a small advertising agency, Karen’s main pleasure is spending her free time in New York’s Kew Park where she volunteers as park attendant. Stopping an assault on an old man by three drugged-up youths, she punches the leader, who turns out to be the son of the second most powerful man in the country. Instead of receiving a commendation, she is sacked in disgrace, her name is entered on a national security watch list and the Secret Service places her under active surveillance.

Meanwhile, an inventor from Roma Nova (where Karen’s mother was born) travels to New York seeking commercial representation. Karen is singled out to deliver the all-important pitch, and her strong presentation impresses both the inventor and his interpreter, Conradus Tellus, a strikingly handsome but mysterious young man whose immense personal magnetism finds an easy target in Karen’s lonely heart. Soon her New York life becomes unbearable and, after she narrowly survives a kidnap attempt, Conradus offers her an escape with her mother’s family in fabled Roma Nova. But can she trust the enigmatic stranger and leave behind the only life she has known, in the land of the free?

As a native of Rome myself, the Roman civilization has fascinated me from as far back as I can remember. And here is a tale where the historical and the fantastical blend and co-exist with such vividness that the re-invented Eastern United States and the wholly-fictional Roma Nova feel as real as the world outside my window. How could I resist being intrigued by this story?
Armed with impeccable research and clear-sighted vision, Alison Morton dares to imagine a different fate for the mighty, disintegrating Roman Empire. In her scenario a dozen prominent Roman families succeeded in fleeing the inevitable. With the cunning and persistence of true survivors, they travelled to a fictitious location (just inside Austria and above the border with Northern Italy), and regrouped, building a brave new nation ruled by women. Even marriage, though not an essential condition, confirms their superior role, with the husband taking on the wife’s last name as he essentially joins her clan. Succession also falls to the nearest female heir and, while men are honoured and valued for their manifest worth, they play, at best, a supporting role to the Queen Bee of Nova Roma, the Empress. In this tough and egalitarian society, women are often found in traditionally male-dominated careers, such as police work and the military.

This is heady stuff and it would have been very easy for a female writer to overplay her hand and fall into the trap of sugar-coating a sort of aggressive feminist dialogue. To her credit, Alison Morton keeps a clear head and steers confidently around the pitfalls to deliver a totally believable alternate universe where women are effectively in control but never free from their inevitable dependence on men for some gender-specific tasks, such as reproduction.

Although her characters are supremely well drawn and expertly deployed throughout the story, the cast of this epic is so large that I am thankful to the author for the list of Dramatis Personae at the beginning of the book. Karen herself is a tough young woman, not yet 25, hardened by a mother-less childhood and unloving upbringing by her dead father’s cousin in Nebraska. Despite her practical and unsentimental veneer, she is vulnerable to her emotions and when she falls in love, it happens in slow motion and despite her better judgement, as her self-defence mechanism senses a danger she cannot categorize. The main male lead is a fascinating and enigmatic personality, in many ways an anti-hero, but compelling in his strong physical and psychological presence. Karen is instantly attracted to him but distrusts him. She will have ample opportunity to discover why. Karen’s life-altering adventure results in satisfying self-growth but the threat to her life manifests itself again and again, even when she feels safe at last, both physically and mentally ready to defend herself. But she is being targeted beyond the remit of the original incident in the park. Her pursuer will stop at nothing to achieve her destruction and the danger always comes right out of the blue.

There is so much action and so many sub-plots that it’s clear the author is only warming up her typing fingers. INCEPTIO, however complex a story, is but the first of a series of books drawing the reader into this unsettlingly plausible world. What I found fascinating is the combination of the down-to-earth, practical aptitudes of the ancient Romans, their pagan values, and the technological talent and innate survival skills of their contemporary descendants, giving Roma Nova a unique world standing well in excess of its minute size. Not unlike Switzerland, San Marino or Luxembourg.

Although comparisons are always subjective, I was reminded of the best of Mary Stewart. You don’t have to be a history buff, or even interested in ancient civilizations, to get thoroughly caught up in the flow of this well-structured, powerfully-narrated saga. Despite the strong themes, the narration remains fairly clean and suitable for the widest audience and I, personally, found it an absorbing and enjoyable read. I am more than ready for the next instalment.

 

From The Lit Bitch 26 August 2014
http://thelitbitch.com/2014/08/26/review-inceptio-roma-nova-1-by-alison-morton/

This is my first experience reading an alternative history novel. Inceptio is not just an alternative history novel though…it’s part political thriller, part romance, and part fantasy.

Karen Brown leads an unassuming life. She grew up in rural Nebraska and moved to New York where she continues living a quiet life.

She works in a cubicle with no major responsibilities. She isn’t seeing anyone special, and like most young women on their own, she’s barely making ends meet.

But all that is about to change, in a big way.

When she starts working on a new account for a Roma Nova organization, she has no idea they are actually there surveying her. She soon learns that her mother, a fellow Roma Novan, made arrangements for her to be rather well off.

But as the saying goes, more money, more problems….someone wants her to disappear.

Fearing for her life, Karen and her newly discovered Roma Novan family encourage her to renounce her citizenship and move to Roma Nova permanently where they can protect her.

But the safety of her new world is soon threatened by a man known as Renschman who is hunting her down relentlessly.

This is where the novel hooked me: who was this man who wanted to kill her? What is his beef with her? Is there a personal history between him and her family? Who what when where why how?

I liked how the novel started out with this ominous villain, Renschman and progressed from there to develop into a full fledged thriller. I liked how we met him right away as the foundation was being put in place for the rest of the novel.

he novel as a whole was completely unique. I loved the alternative setting for the United States and the country of Rome Nova. It was fun to see history come alive in a different way–it made me really think about what the world would be like if things in history has ended up differently. I love novels that make me think in those terms.

It was nice that she didn’t get too involved in the history or history building part of the story too much in the first novel. She gave us enough to get the ball rolling but not so much that there was nothing to look forward to discovering in the next book.

There was one down side to not overly indulging the reader though–I loved how the novel combined both past and future politics, geography, and history, but I did wish we had seen how the different countries and politics all worked together. We saw a lot of the Roma Novans and their politics etc, but I would have liked to see how the other countries did things etc.

As for the characters in the novel–Karen has the worst luck in the world. I can’t help but sympathize with characters like that. Who doesn’t love an underdog or a come back kid character. I also enjoyed the secondary characters–Conrad was sexy and mysterious. I liked seeing his character unfold.

The romance between Karen and Conrad was also tasteful and well done. I liked that it wasn’t the entire focus of the novel. At the same time, the romance didn’t seem like it was thrown in for effect….it contributed the the story and broke up the plot nicely.

The plot was fast paced. I liked how the chapters weren’t excessively long. With each chapter I felt like the story was progressing and nothing was thrown in for fluff–every bit of the plot mattered which made it advance steadily.

Though this is a series, this book wrapped up all loose ends rather than leaving too much opened ended for the next book. That seems to be a trend with most series books which can sometimes be really frustrating as I find it often leaves the book feeling ‘unfinished’ and I often feel less satisfied with the read when that happens. This book was not like that. Things got wrapped up and the next book should be a fresh extension of the story rather than just a continuation.

If you are looking for an entirely different twist on history, then this is a great novel to start with.  I am looking forward to the next book in the series for sure!

Recommendation: 4 out of 5

HNSlogo_fullHistorical Novel Society Indie Review
(also posted to Amazon.co.uk with 4 stars)

This is not an historical novel, being set entirely in the present day, but what may prove of interest to HNS readers is that the author has set her plot in an alternate history timeline.It is a modern thriller. In New York, twenty-something Karen Brown’s life is turned upside down as both the ‘big brother’ corruption of a modern state and a secret from her past collide with unexpected violence. Rescued by a charismatic alpha male, she discovers a new life in central Europe, in her late mother’s homeland, only to discover that her past and its secrets are determined to catch up with her.

So far, so readable, but what catches the HNS’s eye is that Karen’s late mother’s homeland is Roma Nova, a Latin speaking, pagan state with a penchant for creating excellent technology and a sizable voice in global politics. The premise is that in AD 395 after the Emperor Theodosious’ decree banning all pagan religions, some 400 Romans loyal to the old gods and presenting some 12 major patrician families left Italy to found a new state. So in Roman Nova Saturnalia is still celebrated instead of Christmas (and is very popular with tourists!), gladiatorial combats are popular and the Praetorian Guard has become something like the SAS.

The alternate timeline is presented in a short introduction, and most of its consequences are drip fed throughout the text. Personally I would have liked more of the history, but this is the first in a series and perhaps the author has deeper plans. In the meantime, this is a convincing thriller with some interesting background.

 

LASRBook of the Month SealLong and Short Reviews  

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/book-reviews/inceptio-by-alison-morton/

Karen Brown works hard to make her own way in New York, present day, alternate reality, but when her life is threatened after a kidnapping attempt, she must make a decision to stay and be eliminated by a brutal government enforcer, or renounce her citizenship and flee to the land where her mother was born, Roma Nova.

I really enjoyed this novel with its great characters and fast-moving, action filled plot. I was especially intrigued by its alternate world where the European country Roma Nova exists, a neutral but powerful nation founded sixteen centuries ago by Roman exiles. It is a nation run by women and it is here that the few remaining members of Karen’s family reside. Alison Morton has given a real ancient Roman feel to this novel, portraying a world where Latin is still spoken and the land is ruled by the twelve families descended from Roman times. The setting is fully developed and totally believable. Roma Nova seems a wonderful, if very different, place to live and Karen does have to adjust to a totally new way of life. But her grandmother is a very sympathetic person, as well as one of the leading figures of this small nation.

Karen is threatened again by Renschman and she then develops her own inner strengths, taking on a new career, and finding some unique friends along the way. These supporting characters are both interesting and complex, adding another layer of richness to the story. The pacing is excellent with never a dull moment as Karen moves from one adventure to another, learning and growing as she encounters past secrets and present day realities.

Lovers of mystery and suspense as well as lovers of books about alternate realities are sure to enjoy Inceptio. It is a complex and exciting novel with an incredibly rich setting.

STOP PRESS! INCEPTIO was voted Book of the Month in January 2014

 

Dan Brown could do with a few lessons from Ms Morton.
Posted 24 May 2013 by Marisa Wikramanayake, freelance journalist and editor

MarisaNo, I did not make a spelling error – it is INCEPTIO NOT Inception.

If you think it sounds like a thriller, you would be right. If you thought it sounded like a Dan Brown novel you will be gratified to know that you were wrong. Dan Brown could do with a few lessons from Ms Morton.

All stories start with a “What if?” moment. But here the “What if?” moment is colossally huge. What if at the end of the Roman Empire, a group of citizens struck out and formed a small nation-state to continue living the way they had in Rome and that country persisted through the ages, adapting to become a matriarchal society?

It’s an example of this new sub-genre that has popped up on the scene: alternate history thrillers.

In Inceptio, Roma Nova exists, Adolf Hitler never did and there was just the Great War. In Inceptio, protagonist Karen Brown has what she herself eventually refers to as a “Princess Diaries” moment as she suddenly realises her Roma Novan heritage means a lot more than just having a Roma Novan mother and an American father and that actually the combination is probably going to cause her a hell of a lot of trouble.

The kind of trouble that gets you put on a terrorist list, kidnapped, nearly murdered, over and over again, despite having a rather fetching modern day version of a Praetorian Guard (gladiator for the rest of us) around to protect you. The kind of trouble that makes you give up US citizenship and run for the border, literally.

Did I mention that there is a superhero in it? Well, there is. Briefly but nevertheless there is one. And Roman villas. Karen Brown finds herself slowly stripping layers of her identity that she has clung to for so long, piecing together details of what her legacy was supposed to be, what it ended up being and who her parents were which is important because there is a psychopath on her tail, intent on killing her and she has no idea why.

Gladiators, even modern day ones, can take one too many knocks to the head and be stupid so love does not run smooth and Karen finds herself eager to protect herself and after major training at boot camps and gyms, transforms herself from an All American, English speaking advertising executive to a Latin speaking, I will break the rules to get where I need to be, secret police agent/Praetorian Guard/ special forces soldier/operative so awesome there isn’t one specific term for it. Which kind of knocks everyone else for a loop but by this point that is becoming par for the course.

The story isn’t boring at all. The twists and turns are insane, unexpected and yet logical when you think about what this Ms Brown is going through. The final twist is the pay off and when you get to it after being unable to put the book down, you are not disappointed. Ms Morton provides a quick list of who’s who at the start with all the Latin names but you don’t need it to navigate the story.

The quirky sense of humour is apparent from the way Karen views her situation and those of others to the way everyone swears by using the name of a Roman god. “Juno!”, “Mercury Esus!”, “By Jupiter!” and so on. I am planning to adopt this just to confuse the living daylights out of everyone else I know.

The best part? Inceptio can standalone as a story but is part one of a trilogy. Which is apt. ‘Inceptio’ is Latin for ‘inception’ which means ‘the start’.

Which is exactly where you should begin. Now.

Alison Morton is on Twitter and has a website here. Amazon sells Inceptio here for $14.40 AUD.

——————–

Well written, imaginative, and gripping all in one
Posted 2 June 2013 by Kate Jones, of Canadian book blog Kate’s Bookcase

With this blog, I am occasionally contacted by authors and publishers asking to send me books to read and review.  I end up turning down more of these offers than I accept for two reasons:  1)  My to-be-read stack is overflowing and so I don’t want to pile it even higher, even if the book is free, and 2)  I don’t want to accept books that I don’t think that I will like since, fun as it is to write negative reviews, I don’t want to be in a position where I have to write a negative review on a book that was given to me for free!

Fortunately, I am not in that situation with this book!

When Alison Morton approached me last winter and offered to send me a copy of Inceptio when it was published, I was intrigued by the concept.  This book is considered to be “Alternative History”.  What if the Roman Empire hadn’t fallen?  What if a faction had left Rome and settled in a corner of Europe, and had created an independent country which had survived and thrived through to today?  I have to say that the Roman period of history has fascinated me since I was young and exposed to novels like Eagle of the Ninth.  In high school, I wanted to learn Latin (my school had the only Latin teacher left in the school board), but I was the only one in the school who wanted to learn Latin and so the class was cancelled.  And so I agreed to receive a copy of this book for review.

It did take me a bit to get into, but I blame this on the fact that I started reading it in the evenings while sleeping in a tent on a weekend filled with 12-hour days of meetings.  When I was able to start reading it for real this week, I was hooked.  I blame this book for too many nights this week spent up waaaay too late reading, since I couldn’t put this book down.

The main character, Karen Brown / Carina Mitela has lived her whole life in the country of Eastern United States.  Both of her parents are dead, and she is very self-sufficient in New York City.  But then her world starts falling apart as she is fired due to corruption from the volunteer position that gives meaning to her life; and all of a sudden her life is being threatened.  She then discovers that she can renounce her EUS citizenship and become a citizen of Roma Nova as her mother was from Roma Nova, and she is her grandmother’s heir.

I was fascinated with the Roma Nova society.  It is matriarchal – the women have the power, and the eldest female inherits from her mother.  There are elements from ancient Roman society that have carried over, including the gods and the festivals and the language (Latin isn’t dead after all!); and yes, prisoners of the state are sentenced to hard labour in the silver mines.  It is a very hierarchical society, and Karen is lucky to have been born into the top layer; however the genders are treated equally, with maybe a slight preference towards females.

And speaking of females, let me say that Karen / Carina was an awesome heroine!  She takes charge of her own life and she does things her way rather than being a pawn – she is a kick-ass (literally, at times) character as she trains her body and her mind and rises to the top of the Roma Nova military (the Praetorian Guard Special Forces).

If I had one complaint about this book it would be that it is almost too action-packed.  It almost felt like 3 or 4 books crammed into one.  Some stretching out of the time in between the action or description of normal day-to-day life in Roma Nova would have been nice.

I was, however, excited to read at the end of the book that there is a second book in the series planned – Perfiditas.

Thank you, Alison Morton for writing this book and for sending me a copy!  It was a treat to read a book that was well written, imaginative, and gripping all in one.