Brides of Rome

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Debra May Macleod for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

I love, love, LOVE historical fiction like this! Books like this are hard to find, believe me. Brides of Rome is lush and descriptive and truly a dream. You can definitely tell this was researched in depth and that the author really loves the topic. This historical setting is brought to life and the details of this time period were executed immaculately. I learned so much from this novel! I particularly liked revisiting the relationship between Anthony and Cleopatra. If you're a historical fiction buff, check this one out. You don't see this time period/topic covered very often.

Thank you to those named above for the chance to read and review this novel!

Brides of Rome
By Debra May Macleod

Review!

4 Stars!
I have found a new love for books about ancient Rome/Egypt, and Brides of Rome was a satisfying addition to my collection of historical fiction from this period.

The books follows the lives of some of the most influential ladies of the time. The virtuous priestesses of Vesta, Livia- the poisonous 2nd wife of Octavian, and Cleopatra- the beautiful and scheming Queen of Egypt (my personal favorite)

I am learning that life for a lady in ancient Rome was not pleasant. Woman were treated like animals, even in royalty, and yet, even though Octavian/Caesar/Augustus is the man that goes down in history as the ruler of the world, it was these woman who really lead the way in the background.

This book only lost a star because the main romance didn’t jive with me.

This book is real, it isn’t happy, it wont leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy in the end, but as far as I can tell, historically accurate. I feel like I learned something once closing the final page.

So in that sense, I recommend this novel.

I am not sure what is going on regarding the publication of this book. I received a free e-copy from Net Galley & Blackstone Publishing. According to Amazon/ Barnes & Noble, this book is set to be released late October 2020, but according to Goodreads, this book was printed sometime in 2015. So maybe a re-release?

Thank you Net Galley & Blackstone Publishing for gifting me with a free e-ARC of Brides of Rome by Debra May Macleod in exchange for an honest review.

Brides of Rome by Debra May Macleod
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Publishing Date: 27 October 2020

Star Rating 5/5

The Brides of Rome is one of those books that don't need an adjective, it is just simply one of those books... I want to read it again for the first time. The author clearly, clearly loves her subject, so much so that, the reader loves the subject with the same passion and is forcefully drawn into a richly painted world that I was sad to leave behind when reality called.

Brides of Rome is the first book in Vesta Shadow Series, This is a double edge sword as it means there are no previous books to gorge on but it also means I'm right at the start. The book and series delves into the ancient Roman world of the Vestal Order, the esteemed Vestal Virgins who serve as priestesses for Vesta the goddess of home and hearth. As long as her sacred flame burns in the temple, the Eternal City is protected and thrives. But who are these women? They are chosen between the ages of 6-8 years old and serve for 30 years. They follow strict rules of ritual and service and must remain virgins, because, for them to become corrupted, could mean Rome's ruin.

Throughout this book we encounter infamous names of ancient Rome: Gaius Julius Caesar, Marcus Anthony, Queen Cleopatra, Emperor Octavian, his sister Octavia and wife Livia Drucilla. We learn of how months changed their names. Each storyline is compelling and is weaved wonderfully through the Vestal Virgins story. The main Vestal we follow is Pomponia, a priestess singled out for greatness but she has a secret in her heart, while a fellow priestess is accused of incestum which is punishable by the cruel death of being burial alive in the 'Evil Field'.

There are many tragic stories within the book, unrequited love, lovers kept apart, the grasp of power and grandeur, loss of innocence, and a loyal slave's love for her mistress and hers for the slave.

I liked that I knew more of Roman culture and stories than I expected and that the author used Latin but also included a translation next to it so I didn't have to google it when it was used; and I learned that the Vesta, in the past, could be used as a get out of jail clause. However, their esteemed position was not imperturbable. There are so many points and storylines I really want to talk about but that would lead to spoilers.

I want more of the Vestals! Which is coming but the author only gives the name of the next book in the series and nothing more. Will the characters still be the same, will we be going back in time or forward, or the same story time period but a different priestess. When will it be out, when will this world return? So many questions and no answers!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Blackstone Publishing for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book Brides of Rome is amazing. ( I'm also a huge fan of this specific time period) It goes into depth about the vestal virgins their hierarchy, structure, what's expected of them. Lets just start out with this explanation Vestel Virgins serve the Goddess Vesta, protect Rome, its forever Fire, homes and hearth. Vestel Virgins usually come from important family and must be pure and innocent.
To be accused of otherwise the punishment for both parties is quite cruel. It comes from different points of view mainly of a vestel virgin, that gets a punishment, one called Pomponia, Cleopatra, Marc Anthony, Ceaser, Livia. Main key players also of this time period. I'm also a huge fan of this historical time period so you know Livia isn't the best person. You see interpersonal connections with all these key players throughout different time periods also. Amazing book and can't wait to see more from this author.

I enjoyed this book very much, as a classicist and historian this period has always fascinated me. Great characters and a wealth of historical detail makes this book thoroughly enjoyable. Livia was particularly awesome!

I love ancient cultures and when this book was offered to read, I was very excited! Ancient Rome and Ancient Egypt in one shot! Made for a great day of reading!!!! Novels about the vestals are very hard to find so I am very thankful to NetGalley and the author for this opportunity.

Fantastic book! I absolutely loved reading about an interesting detail/period of time during the Ancient Romans. This book was a very quick read and really transported me into the time of the Vestal Virgins, who made an unbelievable sacrifice for the sake of their devotion. I really enjoyed this book and will be picking up copies of the other books in the series.

This book was received as an ARC from Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a huge fan of Roman Mythology and Roman history and know the tale of Julius Cesar very well. Reading this book was like a breath of fresh air that kept of coming. The excitement that arose from the insight of the lives of Priestess Pomponia and her fascinating and infatuation with the Roman elite including Antony and Cleopatra. Now with the broken vow of chastity, the only punishment is burned in buried alive in the Evil Field if there is no hope left. My heart was racing non stop and felt the urge for everyone to conquer it all. I know this will be a favorite amongst our community.

We will consider adding this title to our Historical Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Brides of Rome is one of the best historical fiction I've ever read and one of my favorite books this year !

Although I studied latin for 3 year and kept a keen interest towards roman and greek culture, I never really knew about the Vestal virgins. I'm so glad I found this book to tell me more about them, in a fictional way that had many entertaining elements. Vesta is not a goddess that is often written about. It's usually all about the big powerful ones like Zeus/Jupiter, Poseidon/Neptune, Athena/Minerva, etc. For once I got a focus on a not so famous goddess, which was exciting !

Right from the start, the author gifts us vivid descriptions of the Vestals, main characters of this story, but also of their environment. I want to highlight how riveting Macleod's storytelling is. Brides of Rome is a rather big book, but thanks to her lifelike descriptions of the action and the surroundings of the characters, I didn't feel the time flying by. Whether we were in Rome or Egypt, in a cell or a palace, I could perfectly imagine every little action.

To that I'd like to also add the fact that every little plot line is REALLY thought out and cleverly brought. There's a lot of politics in the book, and it usually bores me out and confuses me a lot. However, here it's subtly adressed, in simple words, while still being clever. I'm very grateful for that.

Speaking of politics : We get the insight of several huge Roman political figures' lives throughout the book. I loved reading about the private life of famous people I learned about in class, especially Caesar and Cleopatra ! Sure, it's definitely not real, but it's nice to take a peak behind the curtain ! Caesar and Cleopatra are both very strong characters, yet they didn't overshadow the Vestals, who are the main focus of the story. Better, their relationships with the Vestal priestesses put the latter in the spotlight, showing their importance in Rome, and how much religion and politics are intertwined in Roman society.

Character-wise, besides Caesar and Cleopatra, one of the main focus of the book is Pomponia, a Vestal priestess who proceeds to become their leader and slowly get more and more involved in Roman affairs. We get to see her growing up, growing as a person and see how she makes little changes that will lead to bigger events. More than a public figure, Pomponia's character shows how hard it is for religious people to be constantly torn between their duty and their feelings. Pomponia is such a conflicted character, torn between her duties to the goddess and fighting for what she believes is right, all while struggling with falling in love with a man she shouldn't have feelings for. She's a fantastic character, fascinating to read about !

To conclude, politics and religion intertwin in this new series filled with deep and charismatic characters. You'll find here everything you could possibly want in a book, more so if you're a historical fiction lover. I also somehow got a very GOT-like vibe when it comes to the political mind games and deaths, so if you liked GOT, there's a good chance you could like this too ! In any case, just read it, it's fabulous storytelling.

First of all, I’ve got to admit it took me a while to really get into this book. I soldiered on and before I knew it I was thorougly hooked. In fact, I had a hard time putting my Kindle down because I really did end up enjoying the story a lot.

I would also like to say that initially I had no idea what time exactly this book took place in, I just knew it was about the Vestal Virgins, which I’ve been fascinated with and haven’t had the opportunity to read about them but I was happily surprised that the story involved Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Mark Antony, Octavian etc. But the most important character to me was Vestal Priestess Pomponia.

This book had many female characters in the lead and I was so thrilled at that because ancient Rome was mostly a man’s world but these ladies in the lead definitely stole the show and I can’t do anything but praise the author for that. With that said, I feel like I should also say that none of the characters are actually likeable. Life in ancient Rome, especially the capital, was a brutal place and it was hard for a woman to survive.

I don’t want to say too much but my favorite character was Pomponia’s slave Medousa (named after Medusa from mythology). I just loved her spark, the snarky comments she often made in spite of being beaten for it and her devotion to Pomponia.

Brides of Rome by Debra May MacLeod was a daring novel about the early days of the Roman Empire with women in the lead as main characters. It was a slow start for me but the author’s knowledge and passion for ancient Rome definitely showed through the story.

The historical events of Brides of Rome have been covered so many times in other novels. But... uh... I will just keep reading books set in ancient Rome forever and ever.

The brides of Rome are the Vestal Virgins, tasked with keeping the sacred fires of Vesta burning, leading dignitas and authority to major public occasions, and recording wills. They're not usually the focus of Roman stories, maybe there's a reference to a Vestal taking part in an occasion or passing a condemned criminal on the street, thus granting him a pardon. Here, the Vestals are present at key events, so even if the story follows the familiar path to empire, there's a new perspective.  I loved the scenes of vestal life, especially the relationships between older vestals and younger ones.

The book does have a few surprises. The story adds some new characters to the expected historical ones. I don't remember any accounts of Livia's sister (but would old Suetonius have bothered writing down a mere woman's female relatives?!?), who added so much drama to this story.  I didn't love that one of the Vestals was secretly in love with a man. Partly because the charge of incestum was so serious (buried alive! bringing divine retribution on Rome!) and partly because I was annoyed by picking up a book about Vestals and getting a pining love story.

The moments I enjoyed most were hints to the future. Young Julia can't stand her obnoxious stepbrother Tiberius, for example, and Livia wonders whether she and Augustus will ever have a son. Also, Caesarian dies offstage and his body isn't shown, and since this novel played around with historical events, I think he might make a reappearance. Lots to come in the next book, I think.

Amazing book! I really enjoy historical fiction and this didn't disappoint. Great storyline and wonderful characters. Loved reading about the vestal virgins.

When I first started reading this book, I could not get into it at all. I think the reason why is there were so many Ancient Roman Names and I couldn't keep them straight. In addition, I knew nothing about Ancient Rome or the history of the Vestal Virgins so I wasn't sure what I was reading. After about 40 pages in, I stopped and decided to do a bit of research. I started by visiting the author's website. That was like striking gold; Debra May Macleod has a whole host of resources on her website about Ancient Roman and the Vestal Virgins. I got lost in her digital divide for about an hour but I learned so much and my interest in Ancient Rome was peaked. If you don't have an hour to spend, you can learn a lot just by watching her video summary of Ancient Rome (Time Machine Rome), it's about 8 minutes long. I then went back and re-started the book and from that moment, I couldn't put it down. The history of Ancient Rome in itself is full of mystery, intrigue, drama, love and war and this book includes it all. The story of the Vestal Virgins is fascinating and Mrs. Macleod has done a tremendous job of creating a historical fiction novel based on the Vestal Virgins.

Not only is the story action packed, it's full of historical references that are based on real characters. The author did an incredible job of interpreting what could have happened, with what sometimes did happen and adding in the fiction. She makes Ancient Rome come to life and she leaves the reader wanting more. And, it's a good thing - because apparently there will be a Book 2! I highly recommend this book. It's the perfect dose of historical fiction!

It is a world of power and privilege, secrets and sacred duty. It is the world of ancient Rome. And it is the esteemed Vestal Virgins-priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the home and hearth. Who protect the Eternal flame that protects the Eternal City.This new novel by author # Debra May MacLeod, #'The Brides of Rome's'will keep you entertained. The drama, wars, and bedroom politics of Rome's elite.
Thank you,
#Netgalley, # Debra May MacLeod, and # Blackstone publishing for the advanced copy

Brides of Rome, Book One in the Vesta Shadows series, recreates the world of ancient Rome with all its brutality and brilliance. Debra May Macleod writes a powerful page-turner full of history and intrigue. The world of the Vestal Virgins was the perfect subject for this book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction!

All the stars! This book came to me when I was desperately craving a good book set in ancient times, and I am so thankful the publisher granted my request! A wonderful addition and will sit on my "favorite" shelf next to Kate Quinn and Michelle Moran, this book was just so good. Well written, extensively researched, I felt I was on those dusty, dirty ancient streets of Rome and rubbing shoulders with Caesar himself in the palace. Highly recommended for all lovers of historical fiction!

Brides of Rome is the first in a historical fiction series by Debra May Macleod which is based in Ancient Rome and concentrates on the esteemed Priestesses of Vesta who maintain the Eternal Flame which protects the Eternal City. Book One begins around the time of the assassination of Julius Caesar and follows Priestess Pomponia as she navigates her sacred position through the brutality, treachery, violence and politics of the elite society who rule over Rome whilst guarding her own secret of forbidden love.

For the Priestesses, a broken vow of chastity is a crime punishable by death and when such an accusation is made against the Vestal Order, Pomponia must act quickly is she is to restore the faith of the elite and the rest of the city in her Priestesses.

Macleod has brought Ancient Rome to life within the pages of this book, I was absorbed in this world from the first few pages. It was a quick and entertaining read, although some of the scenes are quite violent, it was relevant to the time the story is set. At the end of the book, Macleod states that this is a work of fiction, and whilst she has included many true events in some places she has altered the timeline or created new characters in order for the story to flow better for the reader, which was not an issue for me, it is historical fiction after all. Overall, this was a well written and researched story and I am looking forward to reading the next instalment of the Vesta Shadows series. Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publilshing for a digital copy for review.