Debra Macleod

Their world was one of punishment, power and privilege. It was a world of war, secrets and sacred duty. It was the world of ancient Rome. And the esteemed Vestal Virgins - priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the home and hearth - protected the Eternal Flame that protected the Eternal City. Dedicated to a thirty-year vow of chaste service, Priestess Pomponia finds herself swept up in the intrigue, violence and bedroom politics of Rome's elite: Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Octavian and his maneuvering wife Livia, all the while guarding the secret affection she has in her heart. But when a charge of incestum - a broken vow of chastity - is made against the Vestal order, the ultimate punishment looms: death, by being buried alive in the Evil Field. In BRIDES OF ROME, Debra May Macleod has re-created the world of ancient Rome with all its brutality and brilliance, all its rich history and even richer legend. A true page-turner that is as smart as it is compelling, this must-read novel brings the Vestal order to life like never before.

A Novel of the Vestal Virgins

Brides of Rome

Debra May MacLeod

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. Dedicated to a thirty-year vow of chaste service, Priestess Pomponia finds herself swept up in the intrigue, violence, wars, and bedroom politics of Rome's elite--Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Octavian and his maneuvering wife, Livia--all the while guarding the secret affection she has in her heart. But when a charge of incestum--a broken vow of chastity--is made against the Vestal order, the ultimate punishment looms: death by being buried alive in the "Evil Field." In Brides of Rome, Book One in the Vesta Shadows series, Debra May Macleod skillfully re-creates the world of ancient Rome with all its brutality and brilliance, all its rich history and even richer legend. A true page-turner that is as smart as it is compelling, this must-read novel brings the Vestal order to life like never before.

2.5 stars rounded up. Brides of Rome is an intriguing perspective on the early days of the Roman Empire. It mainly (or supposedly) follows Pomponia, a Vestal Virgin. She was probably the strongest character; others, especially Livia and Octavian, and Cleopatra to an extent, felt like caricatures, heavily playing into stereotypes and misconceptions. 

As opposed to books only detailing this time period from the point of view of Roman or Egyptian heavy hitters at the forefront of the action, we get a glimpse into the importance of the Vestal order. I know I usually have a preference for first-person POVs, and this book is an example of why. It's in the third person throughout, yet it's as if there is an extremely omniscient narrator that hops from character to character with no form or structure. Sometimes in the middle of a scene the narration POV switches. I've never read a book quite like this that uses this technique. Though I'm not sure how well it is used. 

One of Pomponia's major arcs is a potential forbidden romance with a priest of Mars, Quintus. Although it is so incredibly unbelievable because Quintus is a horrible man, treating everyone around him terribly. This "romance" was so absurd and ridiculous. It would have been more believable and added to the tension of the book if her love interest was a decent man; readers would probably root for them to be together. (Vestals were forbidden to wed or copulate during their 30-year service to the goddess Vesta, but once their service was up, they could. And considering they begin as novices as young as age six, they could still live a happy life once retiring). 

I really appreciated the map of the Roman Forum as well as the glossary and index of Latin terms and character lists. The map especially helped me visualize the Forum, and the descriptions of the Roman homes and temples were well done, keeping me as the reader grounded and really able to see these people and places clearly in my mind's eye while reading. This was one of the strongest aspects of the novel. And its descriptions of the gladiatorial ring, Circus Maximus and slave markets were unflinchingly brutal. 

I had high hopes for this read, and while it was an okay book, I just think it could have been better. I will probably still read the others in this series, though I'm not as excited as I once was. If this book had a more structured narrator (I think just sticking with Pomponia's POV and in first-person would have greatly improved it) and focused more on the Vestals, I would have enjoyed it more. I'm familiar with the stories of Octavian, Livia and Cleopatra. They are almost overdone. But a first person account of a Vestal Virgin in the heart of the turmoil within the fall of the Roman Republic and rise of the Roman Empire? That would have been unique and refreshing. This well-researched book does include anecdotes and stories of the Vestals, but it's saturated with alternating jumps to Egyptian or other Roman characters. It's really packed full for a relatively short book (coming in at about 260 pages), which kept me interested enough to finish. While some of the sentences are short and simple, the research is still evident. I think it still could have been as action-packed with the Vestals more at the forefront. There was so much that went unexplored about them in favor of, as already mentioned, other, more familiar, characters. Again, this book was okay, and eventually I'll read the sequels; it just wasn't as much of a standout as I was expecting.

Amanda

2.5 stars rounded up. Brides of Rome is an intriguing perspective on the early days of the Roman Empire. It mainly (or supposedly) follows Pomponia, a Vestal Virgin. She was probably the strongest character; others, especially Livia and Octavian, and Cleopatra to an extent, felt like caricatures, heavily playing into stereotypes and misconceptions. 

As opposed to books only detailing this time period from the point of view of Roman or Egyptian heavy hitters at the forefront of the action, we get a glimpse into the importance of the Vestal order. I know I usually have a preference for first-person POVs, and this book is an example of why. It's in the third person throughout, yet it's as if there is an extremely omniscient narrator that hops from character to character with no form or structure. Sometimes in the middle of a scene the narration POV switches. I've never read a book quite like this that uses this technique. Though I'm not sure how well it is used. 

One of Pomponia's major arcs is a potential forbidden romance with a priest of Mars, Quintus. Although it is so incredibly unbelievable because Quintus is a horrible man, treating everyone around him terribly. This "romance" was so absurd and ridiculous. It would have been more believable and added to the tension of the book if her love interest was a decent man; readers would probably root for them to be together. (Vestals were forbidden to wed or copulate during their 30-year service to the goddess Vesta, but once their service was up, they could. And considering they begin as novices as young as age six, they could still live a happy life once retiring). 

I really appreciated the map of the Roman Forum as well as the glossary and index of Latin terms and character lists. The map especially helped me visualize the Forum, and the descriptions of the Roman homes and temples were well done, keeping me as the reader grounded and really able to see these people and places clearly in my mind's eye while reading. This was one of the strongest aspects of the novel. And its descriptions of the gladiatorial ring, Circus Maximus and slave markets were unflinchingly brutal. 

I had high hopes for this read, and while it was an okay book, I just think it could have been better. I will probably still read the others in this series, though I'm not as excited as I once was. If this book had a more structured narrator (I think just sticking with Pomponia's POV and in first-person would have greatly improved it) and focused more on the Vestals, I would have enjoyed it more. I'm familiar with the stories of Octavian, Livia and Cleopatra. They are almost overdone. But a first person account of a Vestal Virgin in the heart of the turmoil within the fall of the Roman Republic and rise of the Roman Empire? That would have been unique and refreshing. This well-researched book does include anecdotes and stories of the Vestals, but it's saturated with alternating jumps to Egyptian or other Roman characters. It's really packed full for a relatively short book (coming in at about 260 pages), which kept me interested enough to finish. While some of the sentences are short and simple, the research is still evident. I think it still could have been as action-packed with the Vestals more at the forefront. There was so much that went unexplored about them in favor of, as already mentioned, other, more familiar, characters. Again, this book was okay, and eventually I'll read the sequels; it just wasn't as much of a standout as I was expecting.

Brides of Rome A Novel of the Vestal Virgins

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