Okay I am trying to figure out where to start for this book here. Pace was pretty medium regarding other books I have read -Although I enjoyed this one immensely and think the pace made since for the exploration of the book. It is a plot. -and character driven book -WHICH I LOVE. as a greek mythology and madeline miller fan I absolutely recommend this book. There are a few content warnings I would like to subject people to incase they are sensitive to the content.
graphic warning - death, violence, blood, sexual assault, slavery, death of parent, child abuse, sucidal thoughts, mental illness.
I definitely liked this book, and it make be a strong contender for my book of the year -4.5/5 stars I cannot wait to pick up the paperback copy of this one. thank you to the publisher, author and netgalley for the opportunity to arc read this!

This is a YA novel following Felix, a thief who is used to going from city to city, trying to survive while running from the past he can't remember. When he comes to Pompeii, he realizes he may have bit off more than he can chew when he steals Mercury's helmet, and is chased through the city, only to end up in a temple, where a temple attendant, Loren, hits him on the head with a bowl knocking him unconscious. The twist is, Loren, has been seeing Felix in his nightmares for quite a while about the destruction of Pompeii. Together, they try to escape this future, while figuring out how their paths truly entwine.

If you know one thing about me, it is that I love Greek and Roman history. I took Latin for four years in school, and was fascinated with Pompeii - it was used a lot in latin textbooks lol Anyways while I thought the story was interesting, I think the main reason that I didn't enjoy this book was that it was too young adult for me at times. I wanted a more gritty, dark story with actual scenes of the lava flowing through the city. I preferred Felix over Loren - I think Loren's character needed to be flushed out a little more because at times it was hard to care for him. It was boring at times - I guess because it is titled Vesuvius and Felix is a thief - I thought there would be a lot more action and crazy politics, but maybe that is a me thing as someone who studied this for a long period of my life. I do think Cass Biehn is an extremely talented writer (there were a few typos in the ARC), but what a story to come up with. Keep writing, I look forward to more of what you come out with! This was a 3.5 star book for me!

I made it to about the 70% mark before deciding to DNF this book. I liked the idea of it, but I just was not invested in the story. The pacing was so slow. Most of the time was spent on a political plot that I had no interest in at all. It just felt like it detracted from the more important plot of Pompeii's eminent destruction. The magic plot with the helmet has honestly not developed much at this point. Which is crazy given how far into the book I got. I thought a lot more time would be spent trying to figure out Felix's history and his connection to the helmet, but most of the time was spent on Loren playing senator and Felix just... honestly, I don't even know what Felix was doing. Just debating whether he wanted to abandon Loren, I guess? I did like Loren and Felix's interactions, but there just were not enough of them. They were only together for a couple days (and they honestly weren't even together for most of these days). Yet these two are already attached to each other. I understand why Loren is attached to Felix. Partly due to his personality and partly due to the visions and whatnot. But I just don't really understand why Felix feels so attached to Loren.
Anyway though, this book wasn't bad, I was just never able to get invested in the plot. Even though I'm not going to finish this book, I would be willing to check out another of Cass Biehn's books.

"Tomorrow didn't matter. History didn't matter. This was a boy worth remembering. Felix wouldn't let this memory disappear."

Vesuvius is a YA, historical fantasy set in Pompeii before Vesuvius erupted. It follows Felix, an orphan thief, who's past is a mystery, and Loren, a temple attendant who sees visions of the future. For a long time now, Loren has had dreams of Felix destroying Pompeii. After Felix steals Mercury's helmet, their paths collide and they're forced to work together to figure out what connects them to each other, uncover the secrets of Felix's past, and stop Loren's visions from coming true.

"I think I'd like that, someday. That intimacy." Loren tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear. "I know I tend to talk a lot. Too much. For once, I want someone who won't mind listening."

I really enjoyed this debut novel from Cass Biehn! It's got some light fantasy, ruthless politics, and two kids just trying to save the world. It was so fascinating to slowly uncover all the mysteries hidden in these pages. From Felix's heartbreaking past to people's intentions and motives in the present to the truth of Loren's visions of the future. I really thought this would go the way of Achilles and Patroclus, especially with Loren's obsession with them, but I was pleasantly surprised by how things came together in the end.

"Loren loved this city the way Icarus loved the sun. Bold. Bright. Willing to burn for it."

I also loved all the references to Greek and Roman heroes that were sprinkled throughout this book. As someone who is endlessly fascinated by the Gods and heroes of this time, I loved to see that same fascination reflected in Loren.

"I learned," said Livia, rubbing Felix's back, "that love doesn't mean losing yourself. You don't have to sacrifice anything by letting someone in."

This book definitely gave me a deeper appreciation for Pompeii and I kind of want to read more books set there or at least in that time. The side characters gave this book some extra depth, especially Aurelia and Elias. I also adored Livia and how much she cared about these wayward boys. All together they made this book so interesting and I enjoyed going on this journey with Loren and Felix!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

3.5 stars rounded up!

This cover is beautiful and I had such high hopes for this one. I noticed a lot of people were thrown off but the language and how modern it was but I’ll be honest that I’m not one to care. Especially in YA novels. You really think teens are going to be paying attention to that? Probably not. This is definitely an upper YA novel and even though the characters are 16, they seemed to be written as way older than they seemed.

I really liked Loren and Felix. The only thing that bugged me was the back and forth. Like saying you are gonna leave a million times and just hanging around still. Also this one felt really long? Maybe it was me. There was so much plot that I kept trying to keep up with everything. I also wasn’t 100% satisfied with the ending cause who died?? Like I kept wanting to see someone pop up. But I didn’t enjoy this book and as a debut it was super interesting!

🔥“Loren loved this city the way Icarus loved the sun. Bold. Bright. Willing to burn for it.”🔥

This was a solid debut from Cass Biehn! I love a good historical, and the political intrigue of the Roman Empire never fails to rope me in. Loren is a temple attendant struggling to find his calling in Pompeii. He lives in fear of the future and his past catching up to him. Felix is an emotionally traumatized thief who ends up in Loren’s care.
The descriptions of the city and countryside are so beautiful, and I loved the political machinations/mystery side of the story. Every twist and turn had me wanting more! In some parts the plot seemed to slow down, but then the author hits you with the most gorgeous prose I’ve ever read! I think I have 50 annotations in this 380 page book because there are so many beautiful quotes. The romance was a little fast for me, but sweet and very emotional. If you enjoy Aiden Thomas’ books, I highly recommend this one! 🩷

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the Advanced Readers Copy!

content warnings: death, violence, childhood sexual assault, death of parent

as a thief, felix is used to going from city to city, trying to survive the present while running from a past he can’t remember. he realizes he may have taken things a bit too far, though, when he steals mercury’s helmet. he goes on the run yet again and meets loren, a temple attendant who has been seeing felix in his nightmares for years. when felix shows him the helmet, loren sees the world coming to an end. as they try to escape the future, they have to figure out their entwined pasts.

i LOVE tragic stories, so this book appealed to me from the moment its title was revealed. this story was told through both of our main characters’ viewpoints, and i loved how different they were, while still finding common ground. i found myself quickly engrossed in both characters’ stories, especially felix’s; since he didn’t know his own past, readers discover it with him. while felix is haunted by the past he can’t remember, loren is haunted by the future he can’t change. he’s been seeing a different version of felix in his visions, and when he finally meets him in real life, loren knows the end is near. i loved them both dearly and truly did not want to say goodbye and stop reading. i highly recommend this to readers who enjoy historical YA books and are okay with the content. i’m looking forward to more from cass biehn!

This book seemed like it was going to give me everything I wanted, a queer story set in pompeii?! Oh I was locked in!!!
It was lovely to read, full of yearning and pondering and love. I was sad, it was very much like reading an encroaching tragedy, we all know how this tale will end, but it hurts all the same.
Curse you for making me love these characters, because the ending only hurt all the more!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I have to say this was a very fun read. The pacing was solid, the setting (Pompeii) felt real, and the characters were definitely a highlight. Loren and Felix had an interesting dynamic that felt fairly realistic. This is a very strong debut from Cass Biehn and I cannot wait to see what they write next.

3,75⭐️

Thanks to Peach Tree Teen for the e-arc, and to Colored Pages Book Tours for having me on their book tour!!

Vesuvius' greatest strength lies in its characters. I loved Loren pretty much immediately, and felt for him because not being believed took a toll on him, and he was used to dismissal. Felix was frustrating at first; it was hard to get a read on him because he doesn’t remember his past, but I warmed up to him as he showed a softer side to his apparent cold exterior, and he became my favorite character. The supporting characters were also compelling, and we get a decent bit of backstory for most of them.

Of the political and fantasy aspects of the plot, my favorite part was the mystery surrounding the helmet that Felix stole. Discovering how and why he was able to steal it, what it meant to the city, and its potential was fascinating. Pompeii was a conquered city, and the book explored what it meant for the locals, transplants, and slaves, especially with politicians' self-serving agendas, and Loren’s aspirations for his city.

I found it hard to connect with the romantic subplot because it develops quickly, given that the story spans only a few days. I think I would’ve preferred them to be friends. On a line level, the prose was enjoyable, but the language was often too modern for the period. It prevented a total immersion in the setting, even if I liked touring the city and learning more about Pompeii’s traditions. If you’re bothered by anachronisms, this might not be for you. The pacing was uneven at times, and there were some loose ends I would’ve liked tied up.

Overall, Vesuvius is a good debut. If you’re looking for a story set in Pompeii, which I feel is rare, with some mythology, political intrigue, romance, and a good cast of characters, you should give it a try!!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

Content warnings: past childhood sexual abuse (not detailed), indentured sex servitude (side character)

A solid debut with interesting ideas; unfortunately, I found the execution lacking.

It's an interesting concept but it got bogged down with the side plot about Loren's political ambitions or whatever, which also didn't really go anywhere. The side characters could have used with some fleshing out, especially Loren's relationship with Camilla. It initially seems like Camilla is significant, but later they have some weird beef that comes out of nowhere that doesn't make sense, that could have made sense, if their relationship was explored more.

I also didn't find the romance that convincing? Like, they have some chemistry I suppose, but it's really not that serious guys. Maybe I am too old for this but I struggled to suspend my belief for this.

Cuando era adolescente, me fascinaba el Monte Vesubio y hasta visité Herculano, así que Vesuvius era uno de los libros que más esperaba leer en 2025. La historia se sitúa en Pompeya, apenas días antes de la erupción del Vesubio, y sigue a Felix, quien roba un casco maldito que perteneció al dios Mercurio, y a Loren, un chico atormentado por visiones del fin del mundo. Sus destinos se entrelazan y juntos intentan evitar que esas visiones se vuelvan realidad.

La tensión de tener que pasar tanto tiempo juntos da lugar a un romance entre desconocidos que poco a poco se van acercando con un cariño mutuo muy dulce. Es un debut muy bueno: los personajes son fáciles de querer, y aunque el libro es relativamente corto, el romance tiene un desarrollo lento que me encantó porque saben que soy fan del slowburn.

Cass, creo que ya te tengo cariño. Sos como ese amigo perdido con quien alguna vez recogí manzanas en el huerto de mi papá, o sea, una vibra muy cálida y nostálgica. No me conocen, pero ya somos así de cómplices. Voy a estar muy atenta a tus próximas dos novelas.

Dicho esto, tenía muchas ganas de amar este libro, pero se me hizo difícil porque tenía demasiados errores de tipeo y una edición bastante descuidada. Me sorprendió que tuviera editor, porque los errores aparecían desde el primer capítulo, y el formato estaba tan desordenado que empeoraba la lectura. Además, el libro no tenía una portada adecuada (¿será por ser un ARC?). Recibí otros ARCs y sus formatos fueron mucho mejores, sin tantos fallos. También había frases en negrita sin razón aparente, lo que distraía.

Sobre la historia, Biehn es una escritora talentosa y en general el libro es un buen debut, pero sentí que faltó un poco de investigación histórica. Por ejemplo, usan palabras demasiado modernas para la época, como describir un corte de pelo corto como “bob cut”, algo que recién se usó a partir de finales del siglo XIX y popularizó recién en 1910. Además, los personajes son jóvenes, o “chicos”, pero hablan como si tuvieran veintipico de años.

Estaba súper emocionada por leer este libro y aunque en general me gustó, terminé un poco decepcionada porque tenía expectativas muy altas y algunas partes me dejaron fría. Me encantó la ambientación en Pompeya —recientemente la visité, así que me fascinó reconocer lugares reales— y me gustó que hubiera personajes LGBTQ+, algo que hace falta en la ficción histórica. Felix me pareció divertido y con un arco de personaje interesante.

En cambio, Loren me pareció un poco aburrido y no noté que evolucionara mucho. Además, la parte del medio se hizo lenta, con un ritmo que me costó seguir, mientras que el principio y el final estuvieron mejor. También me costó meterme del todo en la escritura.

2.75 ☆|5

I was looking forward to reading this YA book, and yet I have somehow ended up with very mixed feelings, and I'm a bit disappointed about it. Here we follow Felix and Loren, two young boys in Pompeii, around the time of the Vesuvius eruption.

I do not wish to speak badly of this book, as I dislike doing that very much, but unfortunately, this one hasn't done it for me. I see the ideas; I like the ideas; but the execution makes me grind my teeth. I fully believe that I would have liked this 120% more with a different pacing. Indeed, I have found it to be a bit slow here. The event I was looking forward to - the eruption - happened quite late in the novel, and even though the plot was interesting, I couldn't help but be underwhelmed reading it. In general, I have found the pacing to be a bit chaotic, slow at times, but a bit too fast at others, making this a really strange reading experience. However, I have seen way worse, it's just that it felt flat for me.

I am also not a fan of the main relationship/romance. I personally dislike "insta love" most of the time, and despite the fact that the two had a cute relationship, I failed to understand why they liked each other. But that is a very personal preference. However, I have really liked the characters! They were lovely and I liked their writing. I also really liked the supernatural aspects of the book.

In general, even if I have personally disliked it, I do think that some people can enjoy this debut novel. If you like YA (kind of on the younger side), want a cute and fun read, and like mythology, you could like this! Thank you, PeachTree Teen and Netgalley, for the eARC., This goes out on June 3rd. une 3rd.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it just fell flat. I felt like I was trying to love it so hard but by 50% I couldn’t convince myself to continue when I felt no connection to the story or characters. I noticed immediately after starting this that the tone and prose was very bland, which is part of why I didn’t connect with the characters like I wanted to. And believe me I wanted to love these two so bad, especially because this one had everything I want in fantasy with gay romance. But yeah unfortunately this just didn’t work for me and I’m sad about it.

It’s a powerful, beautifully written debut that blends history, mythology, and romance into an unforgettable experience.

I really loved this!

As others have noted, the very modern language and writing style threw me out in the beginning since this is representing such a historical time. However, unlike other reviewers, I really liked that! I actually thought the writing style/voice of the writer was a huge strength. I read a lot of books and I often feel that the write is average or mundane. However, not here. I LOVED the writing style. I really think this writer is something special and I plan on reading more work by this author in the future.

I loved both of our main characters. I could easily and fully understand their dilemmas, their yearnings in life and the obstacles they faced. I could understand who they were and how they were at odds with each other, but at the same time perfect for each other. I connected with both main characters and enjoyed their respective point of views.

I also thought the concept was really intriguing! We know from the beginning that the volcano will erupt (and we know history), so the fun of the story was seeing how the events unfolded leading up to it. I just loved the concept and thought it was well done.

I think this well be it on my list of one of my top reads this year. Bravo!

Vesuvius pulled me in right away with its vivid setting and emotional intensity. Cass Biehn does a great job capturing the tension and urgency of a world on the brink, both literally and emotionally. The characters felt real and layered, and I was especially drawn to the way their relationships evolved under pressure. A few parts could have been fleshed out a bit more, but overall, the writing was strong and the story kept me engaged from start to finish. It's a gripping, thoughtful read that lingers with you after the last page.

I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it
I genuinely enjoyed the beginning of this book, learning about our characters, the world they live in, the visions, I was having fun, I was invested.
But then the story went in so many directions, introduced random characters, I started to get confused. I felt like we were losing the plot.
The biggest issue for me was my lack of attachment for Loren and Felix. I didn't fully connected with them, and I think that's why I lost interest by the end. I was dragging reading it, I was bored, I was forcing myself to read a few chapters a day.

All that to say, I personally didn't connect with the story or characters, but I would still recommend giving it a shot if the plot or the romance interests you.

|Content/Trigger warning for this review|

“Vesuvius had burst, and it was swallowing the world.”

I am very excited about this book. The ARC came at just the right time: right in the middle of my Pompeii-researching and volcano hyperfixation.

This book is about two boys from different backgrounds meeting in the ancient city of Pompeii, haunted by both prophetic dreams and the gods. Most of the story takes place over the course of a couple days, just before the infamous eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

I expected this to be just historical fiction but at times it also dips into some supernatural/fantasy elements which was cool.

It’s split into two POVs—Felix and Loren—they take turns with each chapter. Some books you get tired of one person’s view but I didn’t have that problem with Vesuvius. Both were equally entertaining and well-paced.

Felix is so funny and smart. He’s guarded and is prone to self-preservation by running, which I get. He doesn’t trust easily, which as a thief in ancient times… distrust helps him keep his hands if you know what I mean.

Loren is so sweet and such a nerd (he makes many references to Greek heroes and stories). He talks a lot and he cares so much... which means he lovingly meddles in other’s affairs haha.

Notes on Story:
- There’s lots of exciting adventures and peril that keep you on the edge of your seat!
- The story is quite engaging with its twists and turns.
- I really liked the character growth in both the boys, in how they treat themselves and others.
- The mythology parts were cool!
- There’s a lot of sass and witty retorts which, admit it, we all love.

Then add in all the angst, trauma, and of course… the looming strato-volcano on countdown in the background.

The main characters are well developed—I love them both—and there’s certainly a lot of memorable side characters too. I love Elias, he’s a good friend and I will beat up all his creepy clients because this boy deserves so much better.

I do wish sex was less of a focus, like, by a lot.

This book is YA but I would recommend this for the older side of that spectrum due to some graphic sex references (but is fade-to-black for any actual action). There’s also the implied threat of rape and discussion of past sexual assault. I liked how the latter was handled and how its effects were realistically portrayed.

If you’ve researched ancient Pompeii like I have, you probably already know that there were lots of brothels there.
Any “dealings” are very brief or implied but the novel does shed a little focus on the truly disgusting fact that young boys were often a selling point for predatory men. I wish I could go back in time and protect the former, no one should be forced into a situation like that.

Notes on Writing:
- This story has lots of layers which confused me at some points but it wasn’t that bad.
- I wish we had more time with the actual eruption, there wasn’t enough of that in this volcano-fan’s opinion :)
- The ending was good but I think it could’ve been written stronger… and I mean “good” as in quality. I’m not saying if the boys live or not, go read the book if you want to know, haha.

I love the cover! Chris Sack (@arcanegold) did a beautiful job. I would buy the book alone just for the art haha.

I feel like fans of Adam Silvera, C.G. Drews, and Rick Riordan will enjoy this one. There’s elements here that they’ll appreciate, I’m sure.

Thank you Peachtree Teen and Netgalley for this ARC! I really enjoyed it, it was such an adventure. I’m so happy to get a volcano book fresh off the “presses” hehe.

Vesuvius by Cass Biehn, rated four stars!

Full of excitement right from the start: the book kicks off with Felix on the run after stealing an infamous artifact from a temple. His first encounter with Loren had me jumping up in surprise (it was a very fun way to introduce love interests to each other lol). The best way I can describe the vibes of this book would be “Percy Jackson” meets “Dark Rise”, with a bit of “Tangled” and “The Song of Achilles” mixed in as well. So, essentially, some of the best vibes a book could ever have.

Although the dialogue sometimes didn’t meet the mark for me (mostly earlier in the book), I really love the writing overall. There were several profound, lyrical, emotionally-charged passages that hit me hard. Also, there are multiple complex characters whose depths are communicated expertly, in a way that allows you to gradually put the pieces together instead of telling you all at once. The plot definitely had me on the edge of my seat.

Laced throughout the story, there is an undercurrent of inevitable doom. Even if you somehow didn’t know about the tragedy of Pompeii beforehand, you’d still feel it while reading this book, considering the challenges Loren and Felix face and the decisions they make. It has you nervously rooting for these boys, sincerely hoping that they’ll safely make it out of this mess. (Which, thankfully, they do. But not unscathed, of course.)

Welp, I am cutting it super close by finally posting my review right before the release date, whoops… But thank you to Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for the eARC! I truly enjoyed this book, and now I’m going to go listen to Pompeii by Bastille on repeat while wallowing in my feelings about it.