A novel set in Pompeii in which Amara has escaped the brothel, yet is still haunted by the memory of the place. This was really enjoyable and I would recommend it highly, I could not put it down until I had finished. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book,

Elodie Harper captures the brutal, sparkling, ordinary everyday life in Ancient Rome, the raw enchantment that makes the ancient world so irresistible to us even thousands of years later, and practically gift-wraps it to us in this pleasure of a sequel.

It is a remarkable talent to not just be able to create a rare, genuinely authentic presentation of Ancient Pompeii, but also to be able to launch readers right but back into the heart of a protagonist’s tale many, many months after the first novel.

Harper’s language is vivid but modest. She speaks volumes without needing to say much, meaning any work for the imagination of the reader is effortless. Pompeii leaps off the page and into your mind, so quickly and fluidly you might as well be watching a film. Every single location is beautifully and tastefully evoked. I was particularly stuck by her description of the streets and people of Pompeii like fish in streams, so much so that I just can’t get the image out of my head. (The quotes acting as headings for each Chapter title are also, I must add, a very effective and perfectly chosen selection).

I’m a Classicist, and I work in academic Classics publishing. It is therefore a genuine relief, a breath of fresh air, when the ancient works is brought to life so authentically and respectfully. I had said this about Harper’s first novel and I will say it again - you can tell she has put the research in, and it has paid off. So many current retellings of the ancient world or ancient myth are just riding on the trend, with little understanding of the subject and therefore little quality to the writing. Harper’s respect for the culture she is depicting is paramount, and appreciated.

Thanks to all of the above, Harper crafts characters that you honestly root for and empathise with. Amara could absolutely, entirely have lived this life in Pompeii in 75AD. Philos represents a whole world of slaves that are often silenced in modern retellings. You really can’t help but love Britannica. And Pliny…Pliny is represented with such sensitivity and, again, respect, that I love Harper’s writing all the more.

Fundamentally, this was my most anticipated book of 2022, I inhaled it in hours, I’m desperate to read it again, and I can’t wait for Rome…!

Thank you so very, very much to Elodie Harper, NetGalley and Head of Zeus for this absolute privilege.

Often in the past, I haven't got on so well with sequels, even when I hugely enjoyed the first book - a lot of the momentum has faded for me by the time I read them. Not so with 'The House with the Golden Door'. I found myself instantly sucked back into ancient Pompeii and Amara's life, and I raced through the book. Unsurprisingly, author Elodie Harper has retained her talent for making history feel so present. The city of Pompeii feels utterly alive, and I could picture scenes vividly using Harper's quite sparing prose (no danger of purple prose here).

Amara is a fantastic main character. She's complex and at times makes questionable but completely understandable decisions. She has dark edges; she is a person sharpened by her need to survive. I felt for her so very much - and throughout the book, I could feel the sense of danger and fragility that must have permeated the lives of so many slaves in reality. Having recently read 'Ariadne', one of many recent Greek myth retellings, I can appreciate even more the enjoyment I've got out of Harper's two books; 'Ariadne' is no match when it comes to narrative drive and character strength. As an aside, apart from Amara, I LOVE Britannica. I was relieved and delighted that she was so prominent in the sequel.

My one criticism is that I was quite disappointed by the end of the book, which lacked the drama of the first book's ending. But I am eager to read the final book in the trilogy, and gutted that I have to wait for it!

(With thanks to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review)

I was highly anticipating this book and it did not disappoint.

It’s hard to review this book without giving spoilers for the first book.

I nearly enjoyed it as much as the first. I did not guess the plot twists and turns. If you like the first book you’ll like this sequel.