- Pre-order Price Guarantee: order now and if the Amazon.co.uk price decreases between the time you place your order and the release date, you'll be charged the lowest price. Here's how (terms and conditions apply)
The Seven Wonders
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Special Offers and Product Promotions
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
An enthralling prequel to the Gordianus series from the bestselling author of Roma and Empire.
Product Description
An enthralling prequel to his bestselling Roma Sub Rosa series of mysteries set in the Ancient World, Steven Saylor takes readers back to the younger days of Gordianus the Finder. The year is 92BC and Gordianus has just turned eighteen and is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime: a far-flung journey to see the Seven Wonders of the World. Gordianus is not yet called 'The Finder' - that title belongs to his father, who we meet in these pages. But at each of the Seven Wonders, the wide-eyed Roman encounters a mystery to challenge his powers of deduction. Here is a portrait of a master sleuth in the making, the earliest exploits of the man who will become the most sought-after investigator in Rome. Accompanying Gordianus on this travels is his tutor, Antipater of Sidon, the world's most celebrated poet. Together, teacher and pupil journey to the fabled cities of Greece and Asia Minor, and then on to Babylon and Egypt. They attend the Olympic Games, take part in exotic festivals, and marvel at the most spectacular constructions ever devised by mankind. Praise for Steven Saylor: 'Saylor expertly weaves the true history of Rome with the lives and loves of its fictional citizens.' Daily Express 'Saylor's scholarship is breathtaking and his writing enthrals' Ruth Rendell 'With the scalpel-like deftness of a Hollywood director, Saylor puts his finger on the very essence of Roman history.' Times Literary Supplement 'Readers will find his work wonderfully (and gracefully) researched... this is entertainment of the first order.' Washington Post
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Generally clever and entertaining collection of vignettes as the young Gordianus the Finder takes the Grand Tour of the seven wonders of the world as they were listed in 92 B.C. Each stop along the loop of the trip includes a local mystery to be dealt with by neophyte investigator Gordianus and his poet companion, Antipater. For me the best part of this book was the detailed descriptions of each of the notable places visited and, in several cases, the attendant myths that were integral to their stories. The premise for the trip and the role of Antipater have a kind of shaky credibility but are comfortably overlooked if you focus on the what happens on the pair's itinerary.
Steven Saylor is a skilled writer and certainly knows more than a little about the Roman and Greek worlds. In the hands of a lesser author, this book wouldn't have been nearly as interesting.
Steven Saylor is a skilled writer and certainly knows more than a little about the Roman and Greek worlds. In the hands of a lesser author, this book wouldn't have been nearly as interesting.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Gordianus Igitur
25 May 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I've read most, or perhaps all, of the other Gordianus the Finder books, though it's been a while. I enjoyed them all very much.
This one is a prequel, set in 92 BC when Gordianus is a young man. I think it starts off rather slowly; I was thinking I might not give it such a high rating.
It seemed like a collection of short stories rather than a novel (in fact, several of the chapters were first published as short stories), it didn't seem very coherent, and the individual mysteries seemed to be over before they started. It didn't seem plausible to me that Gordianus, as this young sprout, unknown to anyone in these exotic scenes, would be allowed to exam the evidence in all these mysteries, or listened to. However, in the second half the book picked up steam and came together; there is a theme to the entire book after all, and it the end is feels complete and satisyfing-- and links to the rest of the series.
One of the mysteries Gordianus solves is "the second riddle of the Sphinx", which, however, is quite different from the second riddle of the sphinx that can be found in some versions of the myth. That particular chapter seemed to be one of the less plausible ones, but one of the more interesting ones at the same time.
I think if you like the other Gordianus stories you'll like this one; if you're really a mystery buff and like to solve the mysteries, you might not like it quite as much. It's well written, flows along very nicely, and mostly it gives you insights into the ancient world that would be hard to come by any other way. Some of it is speculative, of course, but it's not Dan Brown, OK? It's got to be at least 60%, 79=0% true, easy, and there are some suggested readings in the back.
If you find yourself skeptical about any of the historical facts, you can Google them; in fact, that's one of the great things about this series. Like, OK, you've heard of the Hanging Gardens or the Great Pyramid, maybe you know 25 words' worth about it; the great thing is not that you learn another 50 words, or 250 words, about that thing, but that you get much more of a sense of it, and interest in it, and can go learn more if you want to.
I found this book, like the rest of the series, interesting, entertaining, and educational.
This one is a prequel, set in 92 BC when Gordianus is a young man. I think it starts off rather slowly; I was thinking I might not give it such a high rating.
It seemed like a collection of short stories rather than a novel (in fact, several of the chapters were first published as short stories), it didn't seem very coherent, and the individual mysteries seemed to be over before they started. It didn't seem plausible to me that Gordianus, as this young sprout, unknown to anyone in these exotic scenes, would be allowed to exam the evidence in all these mysteries, or listened to. However, in the second half the book picked up steam and came together; there is a theme to the entire book after all, and it the end is feels complete and satisyfing-- and links to the rest of the series.
One of the mysteries Gordianus solves is "the second riddle of the Sphinx", which, however, is quite different from the second riddle of the sphinx that can be found in some versions of the myth. That particular chapter seemed to be one of the less plausible ones, but one of the more interesting ones at the same time.
I think if you like the other Gordianus stories you'll like this one; if you're really a mystery buff and like to solve the mysteries, you might not like it quite as much. It's well written, flows along very nicely, and mostly it gives you insights into the ancient world that would be hard to come by any other way. Some of it is speculative, of course, but it's not Dan Brown, OK? It's got to be at least 60%, 79=0% true, easy, and there are some suggested readings in the back.
If you find yourself skeptical about any of the historical facts, you can Google them; in fact, that's one of the great things about this series. Like, OK, you've heard of the Hanging Gardens or the Great Pyramid, maybe you know 25 words' worth about it; the great thing is not that you learn another 50 words, or 250 words, about that thing, but that you get much more of a sense of it, and interest in it, and can go learn more if you want to.
I found this book, like the rest of the series, interesting, entertaining, and educational.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Another Magnificent Roman Mystery From Steven Saylor
24 May 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Long time followers of the career of Gordianus the Finder, 1st century BCE Rome's private detective par excellence, will know that he occasionally mentions the long journey he made in his youth to see the Seven Wonders of the World. Up till now we've only been able to wonder what actually happened during that monumental trip, but now Gordianus' creator Steven Saylor has given us the answer in the form of a well crafted mystery which is also (like all of Saylor's Roman works) an amazing evocation of the days of the Roman Empire.
The story begins with preparations by the 18 year old Gordianus and his father for the funeral ceremonies of the eminent poet Antipater of Sidon (who really lived and thus joins Cicero, Cataline, and Caesar, among many others, as one of the actual ancient Romans with whom Gordianus interacts in Saylor's mysteries). There's only one problem: Antipater is very much alive, but for reasons best known to himself he prefers to be thought dead and gone. Gone he soon will be, for he and Gordianus are preparing to leave Rome to tour the Seven Wonders. The chapters that follow each present separate mysteries, all intertwined with the overall mystery of why Antipater needs to stay hidden. Most are tied up with one of the seven Wonders, which are all beautifully described in the fine historical detail his readers know to expect from Saylor. As the story progresses Gordianus learns more about Antipater and even more about himself, as he is enjoyably initiated into the "Venusian mysteries" by several obliging females and also begins to learn and sharpen his investigative skills. Most importantly for his future, he meets and purchases the woman who is to dominate his life, Bethesda. The date is about BCE 92, when the Roman Republic is tottering but still standing as its Empire expands and is threatened by other powers, like Mithridates of Pontus whose agents play a role in some of the stories in this volume.
When I pick up one of Steven Saylor's mysteries I know I will be reading a well crafted and enjoyable tale. Just as importantly, I know the history and scholarship behind Saylor's fiction will be impeccably presented, and that ancient Rome will live again in my imagination.
The story begins with preparations by the 18 year old Gordianus and his father for the funeral ceremonies of the eminent poet Antipater of Sidon (who really lived and thus joins Cicero, Cataline, and Caesar, among many others, as one of the actual ancient Romans with whom Gordianus interacts in Saylor's mysteries). There's only one problem: Antipater is very much alive, but for reasons best known to himself he prefers to be thought dead and gone. Gone he soon will be, for he and Gordianus are preparing to leave Rome to tour the Seven Wonders. The chapters that follow each present separate mysteries, all intertwined with the overall mystery of why Antipater needs to stay hidden. Most are tied up with one of the seven Wonders, which are all beautifully described in the fine historical detail his readers know to expect from Saylor. As the story progresses Gordianus learns more about Antipater and even more about himself, as he is enjoyably initiated into the "Venusian mysteries" by several obliging females and also begins to learn and sharpen his investigative skills. Most importantly for his future, he meets and purchases the woman who is to dominate his life, Bethesda. The date is about BCE 92, when the Roman Republic is tottering but still standing as its Empire expands and is threatened by other powers, like Mithridates of Pontus whose agents play a role in some of the stories in this volume.
When I pick up one of Steven Saylor's mysteries I know I will be reading a well crafted and enjoyable tale. Just as importantly, I know the history and scholarship behind Saylor's fiction will be impeccably presented, and that ancient Rome will live again in my imagination.
Wonderful! An Enthralling, Mysterious Trip
1 Jun 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
More than any other historical novelist writing today, Steven Saylor brings the ancient world to life. Here he sweeps us off with his fictional sleuth Gordianus to visit the Seven Wonders of antiquity. To go with the Wonders, there are seven deftly plotted tales. I particularly enjoyed the one in which Gordianus has to find out if a mother has contrived with her daughter-in-law to murder her own son; also the story of dead Roman soldiers and a witch's curse. There is a central puzzle--why does the poet who accompanies Gordianus on his journey hide his identity? By the novel's final pages, all the mysteries are solved to the reader's satisfaction.
The book can be regarded as a prequel to Saylor's other novels about Gordianus the Fender. In THE SEVEN WONDERS, we follow his adventures as a very young man. The backdrop is a Roman republic facing both internal strife and the growing threat of a powerful, alien king, Mithridates.
Ancient views on women's roles and different societies' contrasting approaches to sexuality are two fascinating strands woven through the novel. Two of Saylor's most vividly drawn characters are the heraira, Bitto, an older woman with much to teach Gordianus, and the rugged Gaul, Vindovix, who becomes smitten with him. The writing is not at all explicit but Gordianus's tour of the Seven Wonders is also a voyage of erotic discovery, a coming of age for an innocent eighteen-year-old. Fittingly, in the last chapter he encounters Bethesda, a woman who readers of the other Gordianus novels know will become his beloved wife.
At the end of his travels, young Gordianus reflects that "the true wonders a man encounters in his life are not the mute monuments of stone, but his fellow mortals." Saylor excels in making us feel we are truly visiting a distant time and place, and his descriptions of the Wonders themselves are often startlingly beautiful. But perhaps his greatest strength as a novelist is that he creates living, breathing characters that we can easily relate to and care about. He certainly does that in this book. Highly recommended.
The book can be regarded as a prequel to Saylor's other novels about Gordianus the Fender. In THE SEVEN WONDERS, we follow his adventures as a very young man. The backdrop is a Roman republic facing both internal strife and the growing threat of a powerful, alien king, Mithridates.
Ancient views on women's roles and different societies' contrasting approaches to sexuality are two fascinating strands woven through the novel. Two of Saylor's most vividly drawn characters are the heraira, Bitto, an older woman with much to teach Gordianus, and the rugged Gaul, Vindovix, who becomes smitten with him. The writing is not at all explicit but Gordianus's tour of the Seven Wonders is also a voyage of erotic discovery, a coming of age for an innocent eighteen-year-old. Fittingly, in the last chapter he encounters Bethesda, a woman who readers of the other Gordianus novels know will become his beloved wife.
At the end of his travels, young Gordianus reflects that "the true wonders a man encounters in his life are not the mute monuments of stone, but his fellow mortals." Saylor excels in making us feel we are truly visiting a distant time and place, and his descriptions of the Wonders themselves are often startlingly beautiful. But perhaps his greatest strength as a novelist is that he creates living, breathing characters that we can easily relate to and care about. He certainly does that in this book. Highly recommended.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Fiction > Historical
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
