I enjoyed this book greatly. It was so unlike anything else I'd ever read and the setting was brilliantly executed.

Thank you to Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for sharing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Vesuvius is one of those hidden gems that you read once and never forget about. Felix and Loren are refreshing protagonists with a compelling love-story. I enjoyed the characters and the mystery of Mercury's helmet so much that I had completely forgotten about the volcano! I absolutely adored Vesuvius by Cass Biehn and I'm sure you will too! This book is perfect for fans of complex characters, roman/greek mythology, magical artifacts, and heart-wrenching prose. Biehn draws an intricate portrait of Pompeii before its destruction that feels alive and authentic. My rating for Vesuvius is 5/5 stars and highly recommend it!

Vesuvius is a YA historical fantasy (with light fantastical/mythological elements) following Felix, a thief, and Loren, a wanna-be politician, as they collide on the streets of Pompeii and wrap each other in their lives. Felix has just stolen the helmet of Mercury. Loren has dreamt of this moment and this boy his whole life. Now they’re forced to work together to survive the people who want the power the helmet promises.
This is a book you go into for the characters, not the plot. Felix and Loren’s thoughts and relationship were the main drive of the story. Felix is a thief who never stays in one place for a long time and has little memories of his childhood. He is more your typical YA protagonist with his flightiness and staying by the love interest’s side even has his brain tells him to just leave. Loren, I have much more complicated feelings about, because he’s a more complicated and messier protagonist. He’s selfish, but still caring of those around him. He wears his heart on his sleeve and says what he thinks without much thought. It’s his inaction at the end that really made me not sure what to think, even if I understand his thought process. That inaction, however, really made the 3rd act break-up and reconciliation hard to swallow for me personally.
I think the plot suffered from too many half-baked plots. Returning or understanding the helmet gets put on the back-burner for politics I didn’t fully understand or was happening off page, delving into the characters backstories, the little bit of fantastical/mythological elements we get, and especially the romance. I can appreciate not wanting everything to be focused on the main characters and having it seem like the other side characters had their own lives, but it still didn’t help the plots or help to make side characters feel fleshed out when we only got little pieces of them in building a larger plot.
I was excited to see how the finale would bring in the eruption, but I was a little disappointed how it ended up being more like background set dressing than a disaster movie. That is probably the result of how eruptions actually play out in real life, but it was still a little disappointing. The descriptions of it were lovely, at least.
I rated this book 2.5 stars. I was kind of hoping this would be like the historical fiction of my youth but gay, but that didn’t pan out for me. I can appreciate some of the complicated nature of the characters, but parts didn’t work for me.

I loved the cover and the Pompeii theme, so I was excited about this book - I'd read a lot of books with Greek Gods and heroes, but not many Roman ones.

Unfortunately, it was a bit of a letdown. I did like the two main characters, but I wasn't very invested in their romance. I didn't like the political subplot. I liked the mythology subplot, but it kind of only became relevant later on. There was the big third act miscommunication, then the finale, and then.... the post-finale parts, that felt kind of unnecessary? Overall, the pacing was kinda off, going from a slow build-up to a big peak and then a slow ending.

Aurelia was great though.

I loved the concept of this, but it felt really young to me - which is maybe an annoying complaint because it is YA! I just felt that the characters were immature and frustrating, and the writing of their conversations irked me.

Thanks NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC. Unfortunately it wasn’t really what I expected. First, very little of the story is actually about Vesuvius; perhaps Pompeii or something more all-encompassing would’ve been a more fitting title. Second, this felt like at least three books in one. There were the supernatural aspects, which I wasn’t expecting and were explained so obtusely that they were difficult to follow. Tangentially there was the political plot, also obtuse and confusing, and the anticipation of the Vesuvius disaster, which seemed to drag through countless earthquakes before the inevitable eruption. Then there was the love story, which was sweet albeit VERY sudden. I didn’t feel the feels building very much until the boys started making out. It had the pacing of a Hallmark movie where the leads are ready to upend their lives for each other after knowing each other just a few days. I appreciate that the queer characters were not at all ashamed of their sexuality; it wasn’t secret or taboo, just a fact. I wish the book tried to do less, maybe cut the mythology element to streamline the plot and make it easier to follow.

two boys meet on the streets of pompeii in the city’s final days. felix is a petty thief with a past he can’t remember; loren is a temple attendant with dreams beyond the role expected of him. they find themselves inexplicably drawn together as they confront their own intertwined fates as well as the city’s.

if you’re going to include eleventy icarus and achilles/patroclus references, can you at least make them clever ones? i love all of those things but damn 😭

vesuvius is boring. painfully so. for a love story set in the days leading up to one of the most famous natural disasters in history, there’s a frustrating lack of urgency and tension. i expected the impending disaster to play more of a role considering, idk, the title of this book. instead the story and our MCs meander about until the last 25% of the book, when the pace picks up—the problem is i still wasn’t invested in loren or his relationship with felix. (felix i did enjoy at times.) while they had their moments (individually and as a pairing), those moments were overshadowed by all the other storylines. this book felt a little like a meal made by someone who didn’t know when to stop adding ingredients. more doesn’t necessarily mean better.

and i know i’m inconsistent about when this bothers me and when it doesn’t, but the entire city of pompeii talking like they were about to pull out their iphones and order a latte at starbucks made it difficult to immerse myself in the time period this book is set in. the setting was a big part of why i requested the ARC on netgalley, so its lack of importance to the narrative was a massive let down.

the more i think about vesuvius, the less i like it. i lowered my rating twice while writing this review, so i think i’ll end here.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one.
It sounded promising but I couldn't connect with the characters or their relationship, and I struggled to get involved in the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

An interesting premise: an MM YA romance between a rogue and a temple assistant, both running away from their pasts in the shadow of a looming disaster.

I really wanted to like this story, it combines a classical setting, an opposites-attract romance, and a political intrigue subplot. I found the pacing to be uneven, specifically in the middle third where we are introduced to a wider cast of characters and the political subplot - the pace slows dramatically, even while the nearby volcano threatens to blow. The extended exploration and world building does not quite pay off in the end, the ending seemed both neat but also anticlimactic. Important details of the two main characters’ backstories are revealed over the course of the story. For me, this made me feel like I didn’t really know the characters and their motivations well until the end of the story. The main antagonist also remained very much a mystery until the last third of the book. I found it difficult to relate to or to understand the motivations and decisions that drove the story forward.

The book is otherwise a fine YA read with a usual ‘protagonist(s) find their destiny’ plot. It will appeal to readers looking for an interesting ancient history setting, and/or a slower pacing.

”There’s a reason heroes die young. The grief never leaves.”

I absolutely love Pompeii (and the lesser known Herculaneum)! Its fate and the remnants it left behind in the wake of Vesuvius’s eruption fascinates me—the frescoes, the items like baked bread or onions, the graffiti on walls, the casts made from where people (and creatures) fell, choked by ash or crushed under collapsed building walls, are like ghosts from which we can learn. So I leap at any chance to dive into a book about it.

Vesuvius by Cass Biehn features Felix, a thief who lights on Pompeii just as it begins its death knell. He steals a helmet of Mercury’s—something impossible, as those who try to touch it are burned—and when fleeing from a man who would have it for his own, seeks sanctuary in a temple of Isis. That is where he meets attendant Loren, who is horrified to see the boy who has plagued his dreams for years and who will bring about the end of his beloved home. Loren wants to learn the meaning of who Felix is and why he can handle the helmet, and it’s a race against time as the earthquakes are continuing rather than abating as they usually do.

The problem with this book for me is that it juggles too many different topics. There are multiple threads at work: we have the mythological, the political, smuggling, backstories of Loren and Felix, and the destruction of the town itself. The politics of the book is a little distracting because of the eruption. As a reader, I’m waiting for the inevitable tragedy to take centre stage as the book opened with an earthquake, but it’s pushed back as Loren tries to make connections and get a leg up into politics in Pompeii and have a chance to become what he thought was shut to him otherwise. The thing IS, Pompeii is about to be completely buried for centuries, so I know that’s not really going to pan out for him, thus I’m not invested in the plot line. The smuggling as well just doesn’t hold my interest. There’s a back and forth with The Bad Guy that hampers the tension of what seethes within Vesuvius and halts the rolling impetus of the story.

I think the book could have done well with Loren’s backstory, Felix’s backstory, stealing Mercury’s Helmet, and the eruption itself. That alone is already plenty with which to contend. As it is, Felix’s backstory is teased out soooo slowly (even though it’s obvious almost immediately what horrible thing his amnesia is obscuring) that we don’t get to see much of who he actually is—not until the VERY end of the book. I would have liked to have had more of the mythological heft, and I especially would have enjoyed it if the terror of Vesuvius’s eruption took up more of the book. It felt less dangerous than random henchmen who popped up now and again to block Loren and Felix’s progress.

The side characters, though, were pops of colour in the text, and Aurelia, Nonna, Livia, and Elias especially helped to flesh out Pompeii and breathe life into the book’s setting. I enjoyed Felix and Loren as characters, and funny enough, I flip-flopped on them, preferring Loren in the beginning and then Felix at the end. Felix really came a long way in terms of growth and change. I wish that the two of them had a bit more time together that wasn’t spent squabbling, fighting, and fleeing, but I was glad to have these two as the characters that guided me through the novel.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“Meet cute” but it’s Loren whacking Felix over the head knocking him unconscious. lol

I didn’t hate this by any means, the writing is solid and the story is interesting, it just didn’t completely grab me. I love volcanoes. I love queer lit. I even took extra unneeded archaeology classes in college. I should love this book… but I ended up just liking it. And that’s okay.

I think this one fell victim to too much hyped built up by myself haha.

Ok,,, that said, this is a good book! I really enjoyed the dynamic between Loren and Felix—it had some genuinely funny moments, and their relationship was engaging in a way that kept me reading.

I also really liked the atmosphere of the book. The fact it’s set in Pompeii, with all the temples and the subtle fantasy elements. It’s incredibly immersive and does a great job with the world building.

I’ve seen other reviews mention the use of “modern” language given the setting, and I agree. Normally, that sort of thing pulls me out of a story, but here? It weirdly worked? It straddles the line between historical fiction and fantasy, and the prose, modern touches and all, just seemed to somehow fit the tone.

Honestly, I’m still tempted to get a physical copy because I think this would be so much fun to annotate and fill with nerdy Pompeii facts.

Also… I just learned this is the author’s debut novel?! It reads like someone who’s already published multiple books. Super impressive. I will definitely be on the look out for anything else written by this author.

side note: “Virgin in a brothel” deserves to be a trope. hahaha

This was a fantastic concept! I loved the setting of Pompeii, and the main characters Felix and Loren had a lovely relationship which was well developed. I liked the idea of a magical godly helmet, and apocalyptic prophecies. It was initially a little bit tricky to follow but it all unfolded well the more I read. I loved this author’s style and would read more of their work!

This was one of my most anticipated reads for the summer, and it definitely didn't disappoint. I loved that this was set during (just before?) a major historical event that WASN'T a world war (I know it is important to learn about, but I am burnt out on historical fiction set during WW1 or WW2). I loved the dual perspective, because I really enjoyed both characters. The narrative voice was strong, and while I thought that the pacing was good overall, the ending did feel a little bit rushed. This was a really solid debut, and I am really looking forward to whatever Biehn writes next---they seem like a great author and their online presence is fun.

A very interesting premise and book set against a major historical event, with queer romance and a mystery taking center stage. Fully enjoyed the dual perspective and I had a great time reading it. The ending felt a little rushed but overall, I was a big fan!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and PeachTree for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Full disclosure, I ended up DNFing this book around the 40% mark. I can’t really figure out what it is about this book that I didn’t like. The concept is very interesting, the writing is fine, and the plot feels like it should be very thrilling, but I’m just not invested. I think it’s mostly because I don’t care for either protagonist. I wouldn’t necessarily say they’re poorly written, but I just don’t think we’ve been given enough information about either of them so far, and I don’t think I have it in me to keep reading until we do.

This is a bit of a soft dnf for now. Maybe in a few months I might see if my library has a copy and give this another chance then, but for now it just isn’t working for me.

3.75

I was sold when I saw that this was a queer coming of age historical fantasy set in Pompeii days before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and while yes it is that, I think that was also maybe a little oversold. This is a queer coming of age story and it is set in Pompeii days before the volcanic eruption but I think what I was missing was the fantastical elements. Like yes, Loren has prophetic visions but I think I was expecting more direct interference from actual gods level of fantasy rather than what we got. Potential spoiler? <spoiler> but I also expected a tragic ending especially given the comp titles are They Both Die at the End and The Song of Achilles and was maybe just a little sad about the happy ending which is never something I thought I’d say but I went into the book expecting to be wrecked and wasn’t</spoiler>.

That being said, I think this was a really solid debut. I loved how easy it was to buy into both Felix and Loren as real people with real struggles and the way Biehn was able to use the tension of the countdown to Vesuvius to pull through the story while also making me as the reader forget that disaster was eminent. I also think they did a great job of building up the relationship so that I as the reader was invested despite the short time frame/instant attraction.

While I don’t think this was a perfect book and I don’t know if it’ll be all that memorable in the long term, I did have a good time reading it and would be interested to see more from Biehn in the future.

Obviously I expected this book to be a thrilling adventure, but I was SO impressed at how we just dive right into the action. No hesitation, super high stakes, with the volcano’s (historically accurate) early warning signs starting to rumble.
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And yet, for all the action, the queer love story at the heart of this novel, was so endearing. Maybe it’s the ancient setting, but it felt so…tender. I became really attached to Felix and Loren….which just made the stakes feel even higher.
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The light touches of fantasy helped keep things light, but the historical detail is the real star of the book. The class divides, religious cults, societal structure….I worry this book has indeed turned me into someone who thinks about the Roman Empire daily. Or Pompeii at least.
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I was worried this wouldn’t live up to the hype but it did! There was a lot going on but the execution was well done and- especially in these of fast publishing and poor editing- that’s what matters most.

This book filled my heart with joy and gave it a big squeeze.

Anyone who knows me knows that there are two types of books I love more than anything: queer stories and ancient mythology. This wonderful novel combines them both. I've always had a fascination for Pompeii and its been on my travel bucket list for ever.

I loved each of the main characters both separately and as a couple and the dual POV worked really well for this story! The way the story unfolded with readers (and characters) learning about the secrets of each of the main characters was really well done and kept me on the edge of my seat. I even read through the last half of the book in one sitting!

This book also involves the miscommunication trope which I love when done well, and in this case, it was. Just enough angst to keep me wanting more!

You guys know I am a completionist, right? Well, not today I guess, but generally speaking. I DNF infrequently, but when I do, it is often out of mercy. For example, Vesuvius. This is a great example of a merciful incompletion, because there is nothing wrong with this book! Nothing! I just simply wasn’t feeling it. Others seemingly love it! I think for me, it was more fantasy feeling than historically/emotionally compelling, and while that is totally fine, I was hoping more for the latter. Add to it that I am so behind, and it just seemed like the right choice to call it. No reason for me to give it a bad rating just because it wasn’t my jam, right? Right. I actually marked this as “Ask Again Later” on Goodreads, but you and I both know I’m just lying to myself.

Bottom Line: This was not bad, I think it was just different than I expected and I wasn’t feeling it.

I had such high expectations, and I am extremely let down. The first 50 pages were okay, but then it just unraveled after that. My biggest issue here is the writing. This is supposed to be ancient Pompeii, yet all the characters use modern curses and phrases all the time. It was jarring, and really took me out of the story