Mistress of Rome, by Kate Quinn

I won’t deny it; I’m more than a bit eclectic when it comes to my reading choices.  I have no real preference for fiction/non-fiction, or genres, and though I read a lot of historical fiction, I don’t contain myself to a specific time period or location.  So, when the mood struck me to visit ancient Rome, I picked up Mistress of Rome, by Kate Quinn, in order to get my fix of all things historical.

Mistress of Rome tells many, many stories.  The main story (I think) is the love between a slave and a gladiator, Thea and Arius.  However, Quinn crafts many characters out of patricians, senators, and emperors.  All her characters are well developed and (for the most part) believable, and all their stories seamlessly flow amongst one another.  Quinn should be commended for her ability to craft her historical story telling amongst so many socio-economic classes without misstep.  

This is going to be a short review for one simple reason; by the time I read this book, I was out of the habit of writing reviews, so didn’t read it with a mind to later jot down my impressions.  However, I found this work to be wonderfully well done.  So, final verdict?  I’d recommend you read this book.  For someone who is as critical as I am, I can’t think of a single negative thing I’d say about this book.  Moreover, I’ll be picking up more of Quinn’s works in the future.  And what better review can I give than attest to the fact that this author will be getting more of my time and money in the future?