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Mistress of Rome [Paperback]

Kate Quinn (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (104 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Release Date: 10 Jun 2010
Passion. Treachery. Murder... A heart-stopping epic about a Jewish slave girl and Rome's greatest gladiator, who become involved in a plot to assassinate an emperor

Orphaned by Rome's savage legions, Thea, a slave girl from Judaea, has learned what it takes to survive. She knows only violence until a chance meeting with gladiator Arius offers a shred of tenderness. But their bond is severed when Thea is sold again, condemned to rot in squalor. Years later, a singer known as Athena betrays no hint of her troubled past. Catching the eye of the Emperor himself, she is swept into a world of decadence and depravity. But although Domitian fears betrayal from every side, he is unaware that the greatest threat lies next to him - a slave girl who has come to be called the Mistress of Rome...

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Mistress of Rome + Daughters of Rome (Rome 2) + Empress of Rome (Rome 3)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 544 pages
  • Publisher: Headline Review (10 Jun 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0755357930
  • ISBN-13: 978-0755357932
  • Product Dimensions: 3.4 x 13.2 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (104 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 61,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Kate Quinn
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Review

`What a great book!...one of the best things I've read in months and months. Full of great characters... So gripping your hands are glued to the book, and so vivid it burns itself into your mind's eye and stays with you long after you turn the final page' --Diana Gabaldon

`Kate Quinn is a mistress of storytelling. She gives us a wonderful and intensely emotional spectacle, full of sound and fury. A deeply passionate love story, tender and touching, in the heat and danger of the brutal arena that was Ancient Rome. An exhilarating read. Quinn is a remarkable new talent' --Kate Furnivall

`A great, sprawling epic, very much rooted in the human dramas. The politics and cultural stuff is commuted beautifully through the adventures of these people we come to care about deeply' --Paul Magrs

`A heady and exciting rollercoaster of a tale set in the reign of Emperor Domitian. Based on actual events, the brutality and decadence of the times is brought powerfully to life in a gripping and entertaining way'
--Bookseller

In this epic debut, Kate Quinn gives us a gripping version of 1st-century Rome...what seems at first to have all the earmarks of a straightforward romance expands to encompass greater themes, offering the intrigue of a political thriller and the depth of great literary fiction... Overall, Mistress of Rome is impeccably researched and beautifully executed. Such an accomplished debut can only augur many more impressive historical novels to come!
--Historical Novels Review, Issue 52, May 2010

`Fans of Philippa Gregory's books who have had enough of Elizabethan times will be entranced by this Rome-set debut....Awash with historical detail, this is a violent, passionate, compelling read.' --Elle Magazine

'a rollicking account...Thea's story rattles along with such infectious relish that the most pedantic classicist would be beguiled by it in the end.' --Daily Mail, July 2, 2010

`A riveting tale...glamorous and brutal, a heady mix of intrigue and combat, with added decadence and depravity...An exhilarating read.' MARIE CLAIRE --Marie Claire, July issue

`A wildly entertaining read, this vivid tale of scandal and romance will have you holding your breath with excitement.' --Now Magazine

About the Author

Kate Quinn is a native of southern California. She attended Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Classical Voice. A lifelong history buff, she first got hooked on ancient Rome while watching "I, Claudius" at the age of seven. She wrote her first book during her freshman year in college, retreating from a Boston winter into ancient Rome, and it was later published as "Mistress of Rome." A prequel followed, titled "Daughters of Rome," and then a sequel written while her husband was deployed to the Middle East.

"I realized that my Roman legionary hero in `Empress of the Seven Hills' was fighting in the same part of the world where my US Navy husband was deployed. Life imitating art, or art imitating life? I have no idea!"

Kate is currently working on her fourth novel, set in the Italian Renaissance. She also has succumbed to the blogging bug, and keeps a blog filled with trivia, pet peeves, and interesting facts about historical fiction. She and her husband now live in Maryland with a small black dog named Caesar, and her interests include opera, action movies, cooking, and the Boston Red Sox.
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars A mixed bag 12 Sep 2010
By A. L. Rutter
Format:Paperback
Orphaned by Rome's savage legions, Thea, a slave girl from Judaea, has learned what it takes to survive. She knows only violence until a chance meeting with gladiator Arius offers a shred of tenderness. But their bond is severed when Thea is sold again, condemned to rot in squalor.

Years later, a singer known as Athena betrays no hint of her troubled past. Catching the eye of the Emperor himself, she is swept into a world of decadence and depravity. But althought Domitian fears betrayal from every side, he is unaware that the greatest threat lies next to him - a slave girl who has come to be called the Mistress of Rome...

It's hard to know how to review Mistress of Rome. On the one hand, I swept through it in one day, finding the prose to be simple yet effective and the historical details vivid. On the other hand, I felt that it came across much as a soap opera programme or chick lit novel would - light, easy-to-read, with larger than life characters and ultimately forgettable. Although I enjoyed the novel, I don't honestly see it staying with me for very long.

One factor that struck me while reading Mistress of Rome is how fantastical it seemed - when I thought on this, I believe it might be because of how long ago the time period being represented was. We know sweeping details of the Roman Empire - who ruled when, military campaigns, political machinations - but the real nitty gritty details and the secondary historical figures (those that didn't impact on history) have been lost, and hence the novelist needs to flesh out the missing elements.

The fantastical side to Mistress of Rome was not helped by Quinn including a character who could supposedly see the future.... Read more ›
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21 of 25 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth your time 18 Nov 2010
By Andy Edwards TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
Historical fiction is a crowded genre, particularly if Ancient Rome is it's location. It's all been done before, and in some instances, very well, so for an author there will be nothing new to present. Which makes it doubly important that you have a good story to tell, and you tell it well. Kate Quinn has taken that on board and she tells a tale intertwining an Imperial family and it's sycophants, and 2 slaves, which neatly combines the major aspects of Roman society.

The story unfolds though the eyes of the major characters, which allows the opportunity for some real depth, and it is to Quinn's credit that she handles fight scenes and Imperial banquets with equal aplomb, while also leaving much to the imagination of the reader. The Romans present plenty of opportunity for graphic detail with their brutal way of life, love and death, and rather than fall into the trap of detailing everything, Quinn prefers to hint and infer, other than some for the fight scenes.

As to the story itself, the detail of Roman life never overwhelms the pace, which is satisfyingly brisk and even some of the more unlikely elements seem believable, such is the skill of the author. There's everything here, from romance to depravity, from politic intrigue to the Arena and that makes this a book with very wide appeal. I liked it.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Loved it! I want more!! 6 Sep 2010
By S. D. Williams TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
I wasn't sure whether or not I would enjoy this book because I have never read anything based on this period in time but by page 20, I was hooked! A real page turner with adventure on every page.

The story is fictitious although based on the way the romans lived at that time. I won't go through the plot of the story as others have done this before me but it is based on the lives of a few people; Thea, Arius, Lepida Pollia, Marcus, Paulinus and Domitian.

Such a brilliant debut novel, I can't wait for the next installment if there is to be one! More please!!!!!!!!!!!
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Read it NOW! 9 Aug 2010
By Spill The Beans TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
It's hard to believe that "Mistress of Rome" is Kate Quinn's début novel as its an absolute corker. Her book is set in Ancient Rome during the rule of Emperor Domitian and tells the story of Thea, from abused slave girl to the ambitious and ruthless Lady Lepida, to her decadent life of mistress to the Emperor of Rome. At its core, "Mistress of Rome" is a romance novel - Thea falls in love with ruggedly handsome and unbeatable gladiator Arius and they face many trials to be together - but it is also a fascinating insight into life in Roman times.

I was hooked on "Mistress of Rome" from the first paragraph, wanting to know why Thea was self-harming, and I stayed riveted until the final page. My only criticism of this book is that the author assumes the reader knows what a Legat, Tribune, Patrician, etc. is (I had to look it up!) but this is a minor gripe. One word describes this book: superb. Read it NOW!
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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant 22 Jun 2010
By H VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
Normally my reviews are quite long but there's just not much I can say to critique this book. It brings Ancient Rome to life in vivid detail, not shying away from the gore but not using it gratuitously either. The characters are engaging and well rounded, their motives complex and intriguing, and Quinn's writing style is fluid and confident. There are some historical inaccuracies but they're in service to the story and thus very forgivable; they're not lazy or careless.

Read it, is all I can say!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Where has this been all my life???!!!!
One of my absolute all-time favourite books ever!! Read it four times now and I still can't get enough of it. The book is simply brilliant. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Little Miss Bookworm
3.0 out of 5 stars Ok
It is a good plot and the story kept me going, but somehow it felt just average chick lit while reading it. I won't be reading the next installment i'm afraid.
Published 10 days ago by VanityUk
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
A really good read,easy to follow and become involved with.
The violence in the arena must have been horrific and all in the name of entertainment
Published 2 months ago by Mrs. Nicola Hedges
5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite in the series
I could litterally not put this book down. I sadly have hot chocolate stains on one of my page from not being able to let it go. It was so thrilling and exciting. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mikayla
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I have read for a long time
This book was extremity well written and clear despite its somewhat complex story line. A real insight into the horrors of Ancient Rome mixing some historical facts with fiction. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Allana-Marie
5.0 out of 5 stars great book!
this was the first book i had read from kate Quinn and i am so glad i did as she is a fab writer! this book centres on a Hewbrew slave who catches the eye of a nasty, brutal... Read more
Published 3 months ago by clotty
5.0 out of 5 stars Girls rule the Roman World
A new author to me, but thoroghly enjoyed the paperback. It sustained my husband and I while on holiday in Zante, so much so, I brought the whole series for my kindle
Published 4 months ago by Lesley
2.0 out of 5 stars Not what I thought
This book was not my cup of tea, although may be ok for some people. Set in modern times not what I thought at all
Published 4 months ago by Miss Rose Curren
5.0 out of 5 stars Mistress of Rome. A young quiet slave girl, shines with will power,...
A story of a young slave girl who suffers at the hands of her mistress. Who falls in love, who is sold, Who is used, so is tortured but has the strength of a lion to survive all.
Published 5 months ago by Anne-Marie
5.0 out of 5 stars bloomin' brilliant
I'm a sucker for any historical roman stuff, but this is a cracker. Intelligent, accurate enough but with modern feeling characters. Also v sexy and quite bloody. Read more
Published 6 months ago by cathode
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